WWAV Rapp Collins bows out as WWF calls review

The conservation charity World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) UK is reviewing its media and direct marketing business out of WWAV Rapp Collins after three years.

The Omnicom-owned agency has declined to repitch.

The review is being overseen by Agency Insight. The charity is looking for an agency with direct response and digital marketing skills. It is not known whether the review will affect WWF’s creative business, which is held by Ogilvy Advertising.

WWAV Rapp Collins was responsible for the charity’s fundraising and repositioning campaign, designed to raise awareness of the threat posed to the environment by climate change and the effects of toxic chemicals.

WWAV Rapp Collins last week lost its £18m consolidated Orange direct marketing account to Harrison Troughton Wunderman. The agency lost the business following a four-way competition with Chemistry and Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel. It had handled the telecommunication giant’s below-the-line marketing since it rebranded from Wanadoo in May 2006.

The agency recently promoted its head of client services Samantha Nolan to managing director, the first person to take up the role since Marco Scognamiglio was promoted to the role of chief executive in January 2005.

WWF UK was launched in 1961. Its headquarters are based in Switzerland and it manages conservation projects across the world.