Young’s brewery to review ad account held by Banc

Young’s, the independent brewery, is reviewing its &£1m advertising account held by Banc. It is understood the agency has been invited to repitch for the business against two other undisclosed agencies.

Insiders suggest that the brewery is attempting to reposition itself as a “contemporary” beer company. For several years it has used its iconic ram figure as the main focus of its advertising campaigns.

It is understood that the brewer’s media planning and buying business, handled by Walker Media, is not part of the review.

Banc, which won the Young’s business four years ago (MW February 4, 1999), has tried to reinvent the brand over the past few years. In 2000, a press ad for Young’s Triple A bottle beer featured a man in a tank of formaldehyde with a ram standing outside it looking passively at the camera. The ad was inspired by Damien Hirst’s notorious art installations.

Last year, Banc created a campaign to focus on taste, which appeared on crosstrack posters and inside trains on London Underground.

Last summer, the ad agency was sold to marketing communications and services group Media Square (MW July 17). The agency, founded by Robert Bean, has been merged with the group’s marketing services brand Equanim.