InBev hands Engine’s Woo below-the-line Beck’s task

Woo, the sales promotions agency owned by the Engine Group, has been appointed to handle the below-the-line account for InBev beer brand Beck’s.

The agency won the business following a four-way pitch against roster agencies The Marketing Store and BD-NTWK, as well as non-roster shop The Big Kick.

It is not known whether Draft London, which is also on InBev’s direct roster, was involved in the pitch at an earlier stage. The incumbent Arc London did not repitch for the account because of a conflict with Diageo-owned brand, Guinness.

The brief covers all of the UK below-the-line activity for Beck’s, including retail, promotions, direct marketing and online. Woo will create a campaign for the brand that will run in both the on- and off-trade sectors to support an above-the-line campaign.

It will be the first major below-the-line activity from the brand in the past five years and will be used to promote the classic 5% bottled beer and the new 4% premium draught product Beck’s Vier, which was launched earlier this year.

Woo’s appointment follows InBev’s decision to hand its global above-the-line account to New York-based agency Ground Zero. The business was previously held by Leo Burnett, and it may continue to work on the brand in the UK as Ground Zero does not have an office in this country.

A review was called earlier this year following a breakdown in relations between InBev and Leo Burnett Chicago.

The incumbent was invited to repitch against Lowe and Bartle Bogle Hegarty. The review was overseen from Beck’s headquarters in Belgium.

InBev acquired the distribution rights for Beck’s in the UK from Scottish & Newcastle a year ago and Beck’s returned to TV advertising in May for the first time in seven years.