WWAV Rapp Collins beats three to secure lead status on £5m Unicef

by Claire Billings, Campaign 18-Nov-05

The children's charity Unicef has appointed WWAV Rapp Collins as the lead agency on its £5 million direct marketing account.

WWAV won the business following a four-way pitch, beating Kitcatt Nohr
Alexander Shaw in a final shoot-out. However, the charity is still
holding discussions with Kitcatt Nohr about specific projects within the

account.

Clark McKay & Walpole and Watson Phillips Norman also pitched for the
business, but were knocked out in an earlier round. The incumbent,
Tequila\London, did not pitch for the business.

WWAV's task will be to boost Unicef's fundraising efforts through direct
marketing, which accounts for half the income raised by the charity in
the UK. The agency will use direct mail, digital, press, inserts and
direct-response TV to strengthen the charity's donor acquisition and
retention activity.

Vicky Seale, Unicef's head of direct marketing, said: "We are delighted
to be working with WWAV to raise vital funds for children worldwide.
This relationship will be crucial to achieving our income over the next
five years."

Marco Scognamiglio, the WWAV chief executive, said: "The scope of work
undertaken by Unicef across the globe is simply phenomenal. We were able
to demonstrate that we knew exactly what it needed to do and that we had
the creative and strategic capabilities to help it achieve both its
short- and long-term objectives."

WWAV will also work on the charity's five-year campaign to raise $1 billion to help children affected by Aids, for which the charity
issued a brief in July. An earlier brief, for a DRTV campaign to raise
money for Unicef's tsunami relief activity, was completed by Tequila.