Tesco hunts agency for school sports brief

Tesco is holding a pitch to find a below-the-line agency to work on its Sport for Schools and Clubs scheme. The incumbent Octagon is repitching for the business.

Octagon and public relations agency Launch handled the roll-out of the initiative last year. They negotiated with partners from each of the four sports (athletics, football, rugby and tennis), including the Lawn Tennis Association and the Rugby Football Union, and signed up ambassadors Paula Radcliffe, Frank Lampard and Jason Robinson. The launch was supported by a heavyweight TV campaign by Lowe London featuring all three sporting stars.

Tesco awards customers spending &£10 or more with vouchers that can be handed over to schools or sports clubs and redeemed for equipment or coaching. The initiative operates in a similar way to the Computers for Schools scheme, which started in 1992.

Last month Sainsbury’s launched its second annual Active Kids scheme. Its first project was unveiled early last year, prompting Tesco to retaliate with Sport for Schools and Clubs. Sainsbury’s director of brand communications Helen Buck last year promised that the retailer would respond by making its 2006 Active Kids initiative “bigger and better”.

â¢Tesco director of marketing operations Simon Unwins has been promoted to marketing director in the US, after trading and commmercial director Richard Brasher was given responsibility for UK marketing.