£6m McDonald’s win for Partners

McDonald’s is poised to appoint Partners BDDH to its &£6m children’s advertising business after a four-way pitch against BMP DDB, HHCL/Red Cell and Soul.

The review, which was called in March (MW March 20), includes McDonald’s Happy Meal business and the brand and promotional advertising around Ronald McDonald. The pitch was led by Agency Assessments.

The decision to appoint a new agency has weakened Leo Burnett’s hold on McDonald’s UK business, which is worth &£42m. Burnett has held the chain’s entire UK business for 17 years.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s chief global marketing officer Larry Light announced that the chain had chosen “I’m lovin’ it”, created by Heye & Partner, a German unit of DDB Worldwide, as the theme of its new marketing direction. The organisation of its global agency business – which is shared between Leo Burnett USA and DDB – is still not known.

The win follows the appointment of Nick Hastings as creative director at Partners BDDH in April. Hastings, former creative director at D’Arcy, replaced Will Awdry, who left to join BMP DDB as European creative director. Partners BDDH has struggled to fill the position in the past and it was vacant for nine months before Awdry’s appointment.