Sunday Times in City AM logo row

City AM executives have written an angry letter to The Sunday Times for removing its logo from a Homebuyer Show ad. City AM is an official media partner of the event.

Ads for the Homebuyer Show with City AM branding appeared in the Evening Standard, Metro, Mail on Sunday, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday. However, The Sunday Times had the City AM logo removed.

City AM executives say they are losing brand awareness they paid for through sponsorship of the forthcoming show at London’s Excel later this month.

A letter dated March 6 and addressed to Times Newspapers classified and online ad director David German, reads: “The Sunday Times has no right to remove the logo of City AM as we are legitimate official media partners of the event.”

The letter demands a written explanation, by March 13, as to why the ad was changed without warning to City AM or Ward Lovett, the agency that produced the work, and threatens further action if this demand is not met.

City AM has not yet received a response but it is understood The Sunday Times has told City AM verbally that it changed the ad under “publisher’s prerogative”. City AM believes that it is unacceptable to doctor an ad without approval.

Separately, City AM is to change the frequency of its Living property supplement from fortnightly to weekly from March 14.