PHD wins £3.5m Barr Soft Drinks

PHD has been appointed to handle the £3.5m media buying account for AG Barr Soft Drinks following a three-way pitch against BLM Media and Feather Brooksbank. The review was handled by Billetts and incumbent Mediaedge:CIA declined to repitch.

The agency will start work on the business, which will include the Irn-Bru and Tizer brands, immediately. Irn-Bru’s advertising account is held by The Leith Agency and Tizer’s by BDH/TBWA.

Barr, which is nearly 100 years old, also owns the D&B and Orangina brands, which is produces under licence from Orangina’s parent company Pernod Ricard. In addition, it owns Findlays Spring Natural Mineral Water, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of the company in 2001. Barr exports its drinks to a number of countries, including Russia, Canada and Spain.

Barr has used both Tizer and Irn-Bru for several sponsorship deals. Tizer was the sponsor of ITV’s Saturday morning show CD:UK until Walkers-owned Wotsits took over late last year. Before that, it sponsored ITV’s The Chart Show. Irn-Bru has had sponsorship deals with Five and Channel 4 show TFI Friday.