Mother beats DDB to PG Tips account

by James Hamilton, Campaign 05-May-06

Unilever is dropping the animated T-Birds from its PG Tips advertising following Mother's win of the £10 million creative account.

Mother won the business after a two-way pitch against the incumbent, DDB
London.

DDB has handled the account since the brand was created in 1930. In its
incarnations as Davidson Pearce, and later BMP, the agency created the

long-running chimps ads.

Following pressure from animal welfare groups, the PG Tips chimps were
dropped in 2002 in favour of the T-Birds, a campaign focusing on a
household of birds.

Mother has been charged with creating a brand campaign to break after PG
Tips' World Cup promotion. The latter will run in summer and is the
final work for the brand to be created by DDB.

PG Tips is the second piece of Unilever business to move to Mother this
year. In January, the agency took Pot Noodle from United London. It also
had a place on the Unilever roster with I Can't Believe It's Not
Butter.

Katya Walters, the PG Tips brand development director, said: "After five
years of the much-loved T-Birds ads, it was felt we needed a new
campaign with broader appeal."

DDB remains on the Unilever roster.

- Comment, page 52.