Dewar’s holds separate 5m pitch

Bacardi-owned Scotch whisky brand Dewar’s is holding a separate global pitch for its £5m advertising business.

The Dewar’s pitch is not part of the Bacardi Global Brands business, and the Dewar’s team is understood to have approached a number of Bacardi roster agencies to pitch for the business.

Dewar’s is understood to be looking for a global agency, with a strong presence in China, a key market for whisky brands.

Dewar’s produces a number of whiskies, including White Label, Dewar’s Signature and Dewar’s 12. The distiller was founded as John Dewar & Son in the 19th century, originally as a grocery business that blended teas, but moved into distilling whisky.

United Distillers & Vintners acquired the company in the 1970s before itself being bought out by Bacardi-Martini in 1998.

It last pitched the business in 2005, with Saatchi & Saatchi London winning the global account in May that year.

It was the first time the whisky pitched its account globally and followed a decision by Bacardi-Martini to turn Dewar’s into an international brand.

The review comes amid a number of changes at Dewar’s distillery. Last month it emerged that managing director Garry Gray is leaving his position at the end of the summer.

Gray, who last August announced a £120m expansion of the distillers, is not being directly replaced, with the company instead looking for an operations director.