Miles Calcraft scoops £2m Met account

The Metropolitan Police has handed its £2m public affairs advertising business to Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy following a three-way pitch.

The appointment concludes a six-month agency search following a statutory review. The business does not include police recruitment, which will continue to be held by M&C Saatchi and run out of the Home Office.

Miles Calcraft takes over the account in February, from the Advertising Syndicate, which has been the Met’s agency since 1997. The Advertising Syndicate will then close down, following the retirement of chief executive Ian Smith.

Recent campaigns by the Advertising Syndicate have included an anti-domestic violence poster campaign launched in October last year, and a campaign warning the public of the dangers of date-rape drugs.

Miles Calcraft will create campaigns to support police operations in London under the “Working for a safer London” banner. Themes to be highlighted in forthcoming advertising are expected to include gun crime, hate crime, street crime, domestic violence, burglary, drugs and terrorism. Media will continue to be handled by MediaCom.