Lowe suffers blow as BBH is lined up for £25m Flora

Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) is tipped to pick up the £25m global advertising account for Unilever Bestfoods-owned brand Flora. The agency beat incumbent Lowe to win the business.

The appointment is yet another blow to Lowe, which has suffered a number of high-profile losses over recent months including HSBC (MW May 13). It also weakens the agency’s place on the Unilever roster, although it still handles mayonnaise brand Hellmanns and Sure deodorant.

BBH will handle the business for the Flora margarine brand and its functional food sub-brand Pro-Activ. Both the main brand and sub-brand are considered to be a key growth area.

Pro-Activ has already been extended into yoghurts and milk and Unilever is planning to launch a pro-biotic drink this autumn (MW June 10).

BBH also handles the Bertolli olive oil and olive spread and Go Organic brands for Unilever and was appointed to handle the relaunch of Bird’s Eye last December (MW December 18, 2003).

It has a large chunk of Lever Fabergé business including Lynx and Surf, which it also won last December (MW December 4, 2003).

BBH and Lowe denied the decision had been made as Marketing Week went to press.