NMI wins BNFL ads and media

British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), the state-owned nuclear company, has appointed the NMI Group to handle its multi-million pound advertising and media planning and buying account following a competitive pitch. Media will be handled by Target nmi, the media arm of the group.

The decision follows the company’s decision to part company with the incumbent, cdp-travissully (MW January 9). The agency was responsible for promoting BNFL’s recycling work and nuclear science.

Cdp-travissully also produced a &£5m campaign to promote nuclear fuel, which used the tagline: “What kind of science can take a fuel, burn it and turn the ashes back into fuel to burn again?”

In recent years, however, BNFL has spent very little on advertising. It has long struggled with an image problem due to widespread concerns about the use of nuclear power.

The Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria is associated with the discovery of a high incidence of childhood leukaemia in a nearby village in 1983.

Since then, it has tried to encourage national debate about nuclear power and electricity generation and attract the public to its visitor centre.

BNFL’s business activities include making fuel, generating electricity, managing used fuel and cleaning up nuclear facilities.

A BNFL spokesman said: “NMI has been appointed only to do press advertising and handle media. We will call another review for TV advertising in the future.”