Zenith tipped to beat MindShare in 580m duel over Fox account

ZenithOptimedia is understood to have won the £580m Fox Filmed Entertainment global media planning and buying account after a two-way pitch against MindShare. It is thought that Vizeum was knocked out of the pitch at an earlier stage.

The company previously worked with a number of different agencies and holding companies. In the UK, its £35m account was handled by Publicis Groupe-owned Starcom Mediavest, while in the US its press and TV buying was through MindShare, part of WPP. Its digital planning and buying was handled by Omnicom-owned Organic.

A Fox spokeswoman in Los Angeles refused to confirm the appointment but said that a decision has been made. The company plans to make an announcement to the press (today) Wednesday. Nobody from ZenithOptimedia was available to comment.

Meanwhile, last month Fox Entertainment became the first advertiser to use new digital screens at stations such as Bond Street and Euston. The deal was part of Viacom Outdoor’s extension of the digital format tested at Tottenham Court Road station.

The extension saw the panels installed at four more stations, and plans are in place for 20 more sites this year. Alongside Fox Entertainment, other clients that have used the new screens are Virgin Atlantic and electronics brand Pioneer. Last September 20th Century Fox re-appointed Ingram to its communications strategy role and broadened the agency’s remit.

Ingram, which Fox initially hired in September 2004 to work on communications for movie releases in Europe, was briefed on re-appointment to run a communications training programme across Fox¹s top 20 markets and plan communications for a range of film releases including Night at the Museum and The Simpsons.

As part of the extension of Ingram¹s relationship with the entertainment company, Mark Gent, a senior planner at Ingram, is on a year’s secondment to Fox’s Los Angeles head office. Ingram¹s relationship with Fox is unaffected by the media review.