Five seeks agency to refresh on-air identity after exit of director

Five is talking to agencies about a project to refresh the broadcaster’s on-air identity. The news follows the departure of its marketing director Jane Scott last month.

A spokesman confirms that Five is talking to “one or two agencies about some ident work”, but he denies speculation it is reviewing its £5m advertising account, which is handled by Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest.

He says a decision has not yet been made on whether to hold a full-blown pitch for the ident activity, but he adds that VCCP would be involved.

Five moved its marketing account under the remit of director of content Lisa Opie, after Scott’s resignation. The spokesman says: “[Opie] wants to refresh our on-air look next year, but VCCP is still very much our agency.”

Scott left Five without a job to go to at the start of October. She said at the time that she was planning to take time out before “considering new opportunities”.

Scott oversaw the launch of the Five Life and Five US digital channels, as well as a relaunch of Five’s on-air look in 2005. She was TV marketing controller at the BBC before joining Five in 2005. She replaced David Pullan, who left to become managing director of FHM Worldwide at EMAP.

Five hired VCCP to handle its ad business in April last year, after a pitch, handled by the AAR, that also involved DDB and Shop. The account moved out of TBWA/London, which was responsible for the relaunch of Channel 5 as Five in 2002.