School Reports 2012: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Score: 9

Agency fact file: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Type of agency	Fully integrated creative agency
Company ownership	Omnicom (BBDO Worldwide)
Key personnel	Farah Ramzan Golant executive chairman
	Ian Pearman chief executive
	Paul Brazier executive creative director
	Bridget Angear joint planning director
	Craig Mawdsley joint planning director
Nielsen billings 2011	£377m
Nielsen billings 2010	£386m
Declared income	£49.3m (2010)
Total accounts at year end	74
Accounts won	10 (biggest: BlackBerry)
Accounts lost	2 (biggest: Royal Mail – resigned)
Number of staff	436 (+20%)

The shop, which came a very close second in the running for Campaign's Agency of the Year, also put in one of the most well-rounded performances last year.

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO proved to be just as nimble as younger pretenders, embarking on new ventures and starting new functions. The agency acquired its sister Omnicom shop Weapon7 and launched a specialist data arm called AMV Analytics, as well as a new social media unit, AMV Pulse.

In addition, AMV was second in Campaign's new-business league. Some big global wins included the BlackBerry business and five Mars brands (including Twix and Galaxy), as well as ExxonMobil and Foot Locker across Europe. And in the UK, the wins included EDF Energy and East Coast Trains.

AMV saved the UK from despair at Cannes when it picked up the first Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix. There were also three golds at the Campaign Big Awards, a joint Agency of the Year prize at the APG Awards and Agency of the Year at the IPA Effectiveness Awards to add to the shop's heaving mantelpiece.

Noteworthy campaigns included the hard-hitting Cancer Research work, Aviva's "holiday packing", the Heinz "containers" spot, Sainsbury's "live well for less", General Electric's "living wall" and the Wrigley's Nightjar app. And, helped by a slew of exciting new creative hirings last year, there should be no shortage of strong work to come.

Score last year: 7

How Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO rates itself: 8/9

"Most-awarded agency ever at Campaign Big Awards. Most-awarded UK agency - D&AD/One Show Pencil rankings. Most-awarded UK agency for 'total creativity' - The Big Won. Global winner of the first Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness at Cannes. First agency to hold the Agency of the Year title at both APG and IPA in the same year. £96 million UK billings gained (number one in billings for 15 consecutive years)."

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This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk