In This Bulletin

NEWS

Explore Brand Republic

ITV shortlists five agencies for £20m ad account

by Darren Davidson Brand Republic 26-Sep-07, 09:10

LONDON - ITV has shortlisted Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Mother, DDB, Beattie McGuinness Bungay and a joint team from Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and Dare, for its £20m advertising account.

The review is being handled by the AAR and David Pemsel, ITV's marketing director, with the first round of pitches beginning today.

The commercial broadcaster took the decision to review the business out of the incumbent, M&C Saatchi, last month.

The move came eight months after the appointment of Pemsel, who was promoted to replace Clare Salmon following her departure from ITV to Royal & Sun Alliance earlier this year.

M&C Saatchi, which was appointed by Salmon in 2005, succeeded BBH and many are tipping the latter agency as one of the main contenders for the account.

Mother is also in a strong position because it already has an existing relationship with ITV, having been appointed by Pemsel to work on a project in May.

Some observers may be surprised by the inclusion of Dare on the shortlist because it is primarily known as a digital agency. However, Dare already handles ITV's digital account following its appointment in May of this year and is pairing up with Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy.

ITV is currently in the headlines after a judge branded its popular daytime programme, 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' as "a form of human bear-baiting".

The judge made the comment while sentencing one of the show's guests, who head-butted his love rival during filming earlier this year, for assault.