Leo Burnett beats two to take £4m DfT ‘greener drivers’ task

Leo Burnett has scooped the £4m Department for Transport (DfT) brief to persuade drivers to be more environmentally friendly. The agency beat Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R in a three-way pitch for the

Leo Burnett has scooped the &£4m Department for Transport (DfT) brief to persuade drivers to be more environmentally friendly. The agency beat Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R in a three-way pitch for the account.

It is the first major pitch run by the DfT since the department ended a long-running spat with COI Communications that began three years ago. In April, it agreed to use the COI’s creative roster provided it could handle agency pitches directly. COI chief executive Alan Bishop is understood to have spearheaded the reconciliation with the DfT.

Leo Burnett is expected to start rolling out work imminently as the Government attempts to bolster efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The campaign is likely to urge consumers to adopt cleaner modes of transport, such as buying low-emission vehicles or car-sharing on journeys.

⢠The Carbon Trust is also hoping to change corporate and consumer attitudes to CO2 levels. It has begun a &£50m advertising and communications statutory review (MW last week). McCann Erickson handles advertising for the government-funded body. Media buying and planning is through Universal McCann. Omnicom-owned Tequila/ London and Creston’s Tullo Marshall Warren are on Carbon Trust’s direct marketing roster.

It is thought all roster agencies will tender for the business. The pitch will cover all areas of marketing and communications for the next four years, including online and digital marketing, events, market research, design and print, and branding.