Citigate set to lose £5m Scottish Widows ad account to Leo Burnett

Scottish Widows is tipped to appoint Leo Burnett to its &£5m advertising account after a five-way pitch.

The move will be a crushing disappointment for incumbent Citigate Albert Frank, terminating a relationship spanning more than 17 years and depriving it of its flagship account.

HHCL/Red Cell, McCann Erickson and Wieden & Kennedy also pitched for the business. The review was handled by the AAR and overseen by Scottish Widows interim customer and brand director Robert Rees. It followed a stalled review briefly called last year by marketing director Peter Jordan (MW October 30, 2003), who has since left the company to return to university (MW July 15).

Jordan’s departure triggered a marketing restructure with separate marketing directors being appointed to its four different business areas, all reporting to managing director for marketing and distribution Nathan Moss.

The company does not plan to ditch the widow character, which was created by Citigate Albert Frank in 1987, and has since gone on to become on of the best known icons in financial services. Lloyds TSB bought Scottish Widows in 1999 for &£7bn, but last year Lloyds TSB chief executive Eric Daniel went on the record to say he has considered selling the business.

Scottish Widows’ primary business is selling pensions, investment and life insurance products, but it also sells credit cards and mortgages.