Jaguar has lost a Grand Prix champ

In the week of this year’s IPA Effectiveness Awards, I was sorry to read of Martin Runnacles’ early retirement (MW last week). Runnacles is the only person to have been the client for two Grand Prix-winning campaigns.

The first, co-authored by Tim Broadbent and James Best of Boase Massimi Pollitt for John Smith’s Bitter, won the top prize in 1982. A total investment of £300,000 on television over a year contributed to a revenue increase for John Smith’s draught bitter of £5m in the pub trade alone.

The second, again by Broadbent, then of WCRS, was for BMW in 1994. Broadbent proved that BMW’s £91m spend through WCRS over 15 years had helped create brand values that had achieved £3bn in extra sales.

With this track record, perhaps an enterprising company will manage to persuade Runnacles to come out of retirement and champion its cause?

Hamish Pringle

Director-general

IPA

London SW1X