PHD wins £4m Yell TV buying account

Yell has moved its &£4m television buying business from The Allmond Partnership to PHD.

Head of consumer communications John Hayward made the decision to move the business. PHD will handle all of Yell’s off-line media planning and buying. Yell’s online and creative accounts, held by i-level and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO respectively, will not be affected.

Yell, which owns Yellow Pages, said it wanted to “consolidate” its media planning and buying into one agency. It denied suggestions that the review was triggered by a conflict of interests caused by The Allmond Partnership’s working with British Telecom. BT recently relaunched The Phone Book, which now carries a classified section. This makes it a direct competitor to Yellow Pages.

A Yell spokesman says the review was not put out to tender because of the “well-established relationship” between the company and PHD.

The Allmond Partnership and PHD negotiated the deal, which saw Yellow Pages sponsor ITV1 flop The Block. The programme was moved from its primetime slot because of poor viewing figures.