Delaney Lund to relaunch Ambrosia

Ambrosia, the Premier Foods-owned dessert brand, has appointed Delaney Lund Knox Warren (DLKW) to handle its &£3m advertising account. The agency pitched against DDB London and Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB.

The review, handled by Agency Insight, is part of an initiative to relaunch the Ambrosia brand. Premier Foods bought the brand from Unilever Bestfoods last December and is planning to invest significant sums in the brand and marketing support.

DLKW has worked on the Ambrosia brand in the past, but lost the account in February 2000 after Unilever moved the business into roster agency HHCL/Red Cell, the last agency to have worked on the brand.

Ambrosia poached Mandy Ferguson, former marketing director for United Biscuits’ brand McVities, to take over as managing director earlier this year. She immediately called a review of the advertising.

Ambrosia has not advertised since 2000 when it sponsored a series of idents for ITV’s now defunct Saturday morning show, SM:TV. The sponsorship supported its Splat range of custard desserts. It is not known if the new advertising will continue with the West Country theme that its previous campaigns have used.

Premier, which is backed by Texan venture capitalist Hicks, Muse Tate & Furst, has built up a portfolio of typically British brands, which also includes Hartley’s jam, Crosse & Blackwell and Weetabix. Its advertising is split between DLKW, Clemmow Hornby Inge and McCann Erickson, which handles Crosse & Blackwell.