Leith limbers up for £40m Honda

Edinburgh-based The Leith Agency, which recently opened a London office, is setting up alliances with Havas agencies across Europe ahead of handling Honda Motor Europe’s (HME’s) £40m southern region advertising business.

It has made deals with Havas-owned Ailleurs Exactement in Paris and Milan’s Ata de Martini and is seeking an agency alliance in Spain.

The Leith chief executive John Rowley says the Havas partnerships will be used to pitch for, and handle, other European business.

Paris-based HME South is reviewing its creative advertising business for Italy, Spain and France the first time advertising for all three countries will be combined in one agency.

The Leith Agency has been secretly pitching for the account. It was hired two years ago to create a £10m advertising campaign for the four-wheel drive vehicle HR-V.

HME South marketing manager Tito Schiaffino says: “We are pleased with The Leith Agency’s solution to the HR-V brief and its ability to work across different markets. We’ll be interested to see its proposals on this brief.”

CDP, Honda UK’s incumbent, is not involved in the pitch and HME has not disclosed any other agency involvement. However, Grey, which handles the business in Spain, is expected to pitch.