Courts poised to hand LH-S 13m account…

Furniture retailer Courts is tipped to hand its 13m advertising account to Lowe Howard-Spink after a pitch between four agencies.

The agencies – incumbent CDP, LH-S, Bates Dorland and RPM3 – presented last Friday. Courts marketing director Chris Coote says a final decision will be taken at a board meeting this coming Friday, but denies that LH-S has been appointed. He says: “It is not the case – but they are under strong consideration.”

Tim Lindsay, LH-S chief executive says: “We are still actively pitching as far as I am concerned.”

Sources suggest that LH-S has another meeting with the Courts board scheduled for this Friday to finalise details of the account .

The pitch was called in March amid speculation that the retailer would ditch its two-year old ad campaign starring Bruce Forsyth. It was created by CDP after the agency won the account in May 1995.

Coote says: “We are looking for a creative solution to a new brief we have had in place since last year. We have shown long-term growth and we want to consolidate that in the eyes of consumers.”