BMW moves £25m planning to PHD

Campaign 23-Sep-05

BMW has moved its £25 million media planning account into PHD Group after a pitch process covering planning and buying for the BMW and Mini marques.

The news is a blow to Element Communications, WCRS's joint venture with
Naked Communications, which was set up last December to service the BMW
planning account.

Media buying for BMW will remain with Vizeum after the agency won a

buying pitch against ZenithOptimedia and Starcom. The agency has held

the account since 2000.

Zed Media has retained online planning and buying after a pitch against
agencies including Aegis' Diffiniti. The pitches were run through the
AAR.

PHD will handle planning for the BMW range, while its sister agency
Rocket will work on the Mini range.

The pitches were called in June, when BMW said it was beginning the
process to fit in with its "international audit requirements".

Despite the loss, Stephen Woodford, the chief executive of WCRS Group,
said: "Element's proposition seems to be increasingly attractive to our
clients so we see a bright future for the company."