BDH/TBWA the victor in £1m Patak’s pitch

Indian food company Patak’s has appointed BDH/TBWA to its advertising business after a three-way pitch against Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Saatchi & Saatchi.

The company handed the account, thought to be worth about &£1m, to the Manchester agency after a five-month pitch. The review followed the closure of Patak’s last agency of record, Mitchell Patterson Grime Mitchell (MPGM), early in 2004.

The new campaign will be the company’s first above-the-line activity in two years. Its last television campaign, created by MPGM, featured brightly coloured shots of people eating the Patak’s range in India.

The pitch comes just months after Centura Foods-owned rival Sharwood’s appointed McCann Erickson to handle its &£4m account. The brand is understood to have reviewed its advertising following the resignation of its previous agency, TBWA/ London. The resignation coincided with a change in strategy for the company, which updated its logo and launched a range of ready meals.

Over the past 50 years, Patak’s has extended its range from pickles, pastes, chutneys and sauces to Indian snacks and ready meals. The brand is now distributed in more than 40 countries.