WCRS steals 75m Sky brief from WPP

BSkyB is poised to hand its £75m advertising account to WCRS after WPP Group’s Team Sky, led by Grey, was knocked out of the running yesterday. WCRS is in final negotiations with the satellite operator.

The two agencies pitched head on for the business after Sky’s relationship with WPP-owned United broke down in October. It is understood that two senior executives, Robert Campbell and Richard Huntingdon, had been banned from working on the account. WPP proposed the Team Sky solution, but senior Sky marketers also approached WCRS to pitch for the business. It is thought that Clemmow Hornby Inge was approached about the pitch but declined due to conflicting accounts Carphone Warehouse and AOL.

A Sky source confirms that WCRS is in final talks but denies the appointment has affected the broadcaster’s relationship with WPP and adds that MediaCom will continue to handle its media planning and buying account.

Matthew Anderson, group director of communications, has overseen the latter part of the pitch following the departure of chief marketing officer Jon Florsheim earlier this month. He has resigned to become chief executive of Homeserve, the home maintenance service, as revealed by marketingweek.co.uk.