AMV gains £6m Sainsbury’s brief

Sainsbury’s has dropped Clark & Taylor from its £6m local advertising account, after 11 years with the agency.

Following a two-way pitch, the account has moved to an agency set up by Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO, called AMV Advance.

The account covers advertising for Sainsbury’s local stores, new store recruitment and property planning applications. It is also understood to include Savacentre. Media includes radio, press and posters.

The loss of the account, which represents about 40 per cent of Clark & Taylor’s billings, is a major blow to the agency. Job losses are expected.

Industry insiders say the awarding of the account to AMV Advance is compensation for AMV losing its lead agency status on Sainsbury’s main account to M&C Saatchi.

In March, M&C took over the £23m TV advertising work from AMV, which retains the national press brief, worth £18m.

M&C’s TV campaign concentrates on the quality of the supermarket’s produce and features the tagline: “Making life taste better.” The campaign is a departure from AMV’s much pilloried “Value to Shout About” TV campaign starring John Cleese, which was seen as abrasive and ill-judged.

The media for the account, also previously handled by Clark & Taylor, goes to New PHD, an AMV-owned agency which already handles the rest of the Sainsbury’s account.