COI launches pitch to work on Design Council brief

The COI has started a below-the-line pitch for government body The Design Council. It is believed the brief is for a business-to-business push for the UK’s strategic body for design.

It follows the launch last month of the body’s first online advertising campaign to promote the use of design in business.

The campaign was developed by digital agency Syzygy and was based around the council’s Design in Business report, using banner ads, e-mail and a microsite.

The strategic body is believed to want to strengthen its ties to business, and earlier this year appointed several industry figures to broaden its reach and appeal. They included Jim Hytner, group brand and UK banking marketing director of Barclays bank; Peter Williams, the former chief executive of Selfridges; and Janet Walker, commercial and finance director of Ascot Racecourse.

The Design Council’s work includes a national programme of design support for managers and a ten-year public design promotion in UK regions. It is funded by grant-in-aid from the Department of Trade and Industry.