Troubled RKCR/Y&R retains Virgin Money account

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has retained Virgin Money’s 20m advertising account despite the imminent departures of chief executive James Murphy, creative director Ben Priest and planning director David Golding. It emerged last week that the three are leaving the agency to launch a start-up.

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VirginMoneyRainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has retained Virgin Money’s £20m advertising account despite the imminent departures of chief executive James Murphy, creative director Ben Priest and planning director David Golding. It emerged last week that the three are leaving the agency to launch a start-up.

RKCR/Y&R was reappointed following a two-way pitch against Beattie McGuinness Bungay. Other agencies are also understood to have been approached about the account but did not pitch.

The business was put up for review following the arrival of Jayne Ann Gadhia as chief executive last month (MW June 7).

Gadhia was previously marketing director of Virgin Direct, the life and pensions arm Virgin launched in 1995. She was later appointed as managing director of the Virgin One Account, the innovative mortgage off-set account, moving with it to Royal Bank of Scotland when it was sold.

Virgin Money says the departures of Murphy, Priest and Golding will not affect its decision to retain the agency.

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