Saatchi poised to pick up Porsche

M&C Saatchi is tipped to win Porsche’s £1m integrated advertising account, following a four-way pitch. The agency is thought to have beaten incumbent CMW to win the business.

Porsche called a below-the-line review at the start of May and extended it to include the above-the-line account, which was also handled by CMW, later that month (MW May 17).

The German luxury car marque shortlisted M&C, CMW, Leo Burnett and WWAV Rapp Collins to pitch for the business, but Leo Burnett and WWAV were eliminated at an earlier stage. Sources claim that Leagas Delaney, which handled the account before CMW, was also involved in the review at an earlier stage, but it is thought that M&C is now the only agency left in the running.

Porsche has worked with integrated agency CMW for six years, but its decision to include M&C and Leo Burnett on the pitch list, and ultimately to hand M&C the account, is likely to mean an increased focus on above-the-line advertising.

The brand has not advertised on TV in the UK in recent years, although it is thought that it does run TV ads in the US. It is coming under pressure from an increasing number of marques that are moving into the luxury performance sector.

M&C denies a decision has been made, while Porsche’s brand communications and strategy manager Wayne Darley says the company is still in talks with several agencies.