Leith London loses Carling and axes five

Leith London has axed one in five staff as it loses its &£7m flagship account, Coors beer brand Carling.

The incumbent was invited to repitch when Carling started a review in November, but that pitch is now being handled by The Leith Agency’s Edinburgh office which already holds the accounts for several other Coors-owned brands.

The agency gave assurances to the client that, if it won, the account would be run from Scotland.

The review culminates with final pitches this week. Other agencies pitching are Beattie McGuinness Bungay, Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Euro RSCG London.

Speculation that Leith had put all London staff on notice has been denied. It is thought that Carling alone accounted for fees of around &£1m. Leith London won Carling in August 2000 when it was owned by Bass.

Carling is the UK’s biggest-selling lager brand, with &£11.3bn in sales last year, according to Mintel.

It is thought the London office will continue to work on existing Carling-related projects, regardless of the pitch result.