HHCL/Red Cell beats JWT to £3m Government disability campaign

The Government has appointed HHCL/Red Cell to create a £3m advertising campaign aimed at challenging disability discrimination, following a two-way pitch against J Walter Thompson.

The Government has appointed HHCL/Red Cell to create a &£3m advertising campaign aimed at challenging disability discrimination, following a two-way pitch against J Walter Thompson.

HHCL/Red Cell pitched in partnership with MGM Media, which has been appointed to handle media planning and buying for the campaign. JWT’s media partner was Naked.

The Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) put together a shortlist of creative and media teams to pitch for the business in the summer (MW July 3). The pitch was overseen by COI Communications.

The win represents HHCL/Red Cell’s second recent government contract. It has also won the Food Standards Agency’s &£4m food hygiene campaign (MW October 2).

For the DWP disability campaign, HHCL/Red Cell will be briefed to reflect the Government’s plans to implement the next phase of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which comes into force on October 1, 2004. This will make disability discrimination as much of an offence as racism, sexism and ageism.

Recently, JWT created a television campaign to promote the Special Olympics European Football Week. The ads, which starred Rio Ferdinand, tackled prejudices associated with the disabled and the mentally handicapped (MW April 17).