Euro carpet consortium hunts agency for 3m task

A consortium of pan-European carpet retailers called The Fifth Wall Group is hunting for an agency to handle its £3m advertising business in an attempt to raise its profile.

The pitch is being overseen by The Observatory, which has shortlisted four agencies – Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, Leo Burnett, WCRS and Delaney Lund Knox Warren.

The advisory board of the group, formed early this year, includes retailer Carpetright, specialist floor covering distributor Headlam Group and the Associated Weavers. It also includes Abingdon Flooring and the Belgian carpet producer Balta Group.

The brief for the agency is to update the image of flooring as the “fifth wall” – or the largest single unbroken surface in a room.

The carpet industry has faced a consumer backlash in recent years because of allergy and dust fears, and the group is keen to raise awareness of the so-called “green labels” that have better indoor quality.

The Observatory was launched by Stuart Pocock last year. Pocock, who was previously a partner at Agency Assessments International, set up the consultancy with Lucinda Peniston-Bains, also formerly of Agency Assessments.