M&C Saatchi wins 75m anti-obesity work

M&C Saatchi is understood to have won the £75m anti-obesity brief from the Department of Health. Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest, Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO and Wieden & Kennedy also pitched for the business.

The appointment, which was overseen by COI, comes days after Manning Gottlieb OMD won the communications planning for the brief. It pitched against Carat, Mediaedge:cia and Naked Communications. It is thought that a direct marketing pitch between Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, EHS Brann, Partners Andrews Aldridge and Tullo Marshall Warren is ongoing.

The Department of Health is keen to push the obesity issue to the top health agenda. It hopes to work in partnership with the food industry to create a “social movement” for change around food and nutrition issues as has already been seen with poverty and climate change.

The pitch was overseen by former Boots marketer Andrew Brent, who was recruited by COI last month (MW†April 24.†