Starcom takes £5m HFC brief

HFC Bank has consolidated its £5m media planning and buying business into Starcom Motive, following a three-way pitch overseen by the AAR.

HFC Bank has consolidated its &£5m media planning and buying business into Starcom Motive, following a three-way pitch overseen by the AAR. The appointment was made by HFC director of direct marketing services Jane Perrins.HFC, which owns the Marbles and GM credit cards, previously used a roster of media agencies for the various parts of its business. Starcom Motive was appointed in August 1999 to work on the launch of Marbles, while The Media Shop has looked after HFC’s affinity credit cards and personal loans business. David Coleman Media provides additional media buying for Marbles’ loan products. HFC’s advertising is handled by Clark McKay & Walpole and TBWA/GGT Direct.In October, HFC restructured its marketing department, creating senior marketing posts for each of its business divisions: credit cards, personal banking, and direct marketing services (MW October 31, 2002). Among those promoted were Perrins, Andrew Johnson (to personal banking marketing director) and Rob Davis (to commercial marketing director).HFC’s US parent company, Household International, was bought by HSBC in November for almost &£9bn. HSBC denies that HFC will be rebranded under its logo and said at the time that HFC would retain its own credit card brands.