Eurostar shortlists four agencies for £10m media business

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 28-Jun-05, 08:45

LONDON – Eurostar is reviewing its pan-European media planning and buying account with Mediaedge:cia, Starcom, Vizeum and incumbent Manning Gottlieb OMD making the shortlist.

The review is being handled by media auditor Billetts with an announcement expected at the end of the summer.

The review is the first in a long while, with Manning Gottlieb OMD having held the account for 10 years.

Following a burst of international activity with the company's launch in 1994, Eurostar has limited its media activity to London and the South-East, its main customer base.

Now the company is set to expand its media spend from £4m to £10m as it prepares to open the St Pancras terminal near Kings Cross by 2007, which will cut journey time to Paris and Brussels by at least half an hour. The service currently runs out of Waterloo.

The train operator last month began a £5m advertising campaign, which saw the launch of a the new "You carry your journey with you... so make it Eurostar" strapline. It replaced the "Fly Eurostar" strategy, which saw the service directly address low-budget airlines.

Eurostar's creative agency TBWA\London is unaffected by the review.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.