HMV Group to consolidate media planning and buying accounts

HMV Group is looking to consolidate its £22m media planning and buying accounts for its HMV and Waterstone’s brands into one agency.

OMD UK, which handles HMV’s estimated £17m business, and PHD, the incumbent on the £5m Waterstone’s account, have been invited to repitch, along with several other undisclosed agencies.

HMV, which is struggling in the face of competition from online music download sites, appointed Quiet Storm to its advertising roster last year with a brief to create a brand campaign that ran last autumn. The company’s retained advertising agency is Beechwood, which was reappointed to handle the business in 2004 (MW April 22, 2004).

It is not thought that the advertising roster is affected by the media review.