Ad agency news & analysis

Out and About 24 May

This week, Out and About goes on a Raid with DCM, visits the Freesat awards, and bumps into virtually all of the media community at The Lighthouse Company founder Kathleen Saxton's birthday party at Kettner's.

Adam & Eve's five-year road to a £60m fortune

Four weeks shy of the fifth anniversary of their resignation from Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, James Murphy, Ben Priest and David Golding this week found themselves celebrating the sale of their agency to Omnicom, after its chief executive, John...

Jordans & Ryvita calls £6m advertising pitch

The Jordans & Ryvita Company has called a review of its £6 million ad business.

Zurich calls £100m global ad review

Zurich, the insurance company, is conducting a global review of its estimated £100 million advertising account.

Omnicom merges £60m Adam & Eve with DDB

DDB Worldwide has acquired Adam & Eve for an estimated £60 million and is merging the shop with its London outpost to create Adam & Eve/DDB.

Omnicom completes £60m Adam & Eve acquisition

Omnicom has announced it is acquiring London's Adam & Eve in a deal estimated to be worth around £60 million. A&E will now be merged into DDB London.

Irn Bru says hello to 'Fanny' in latest ad

Irn-Bru, the soft-drink brand owned by A G Barr, is airing a humorous TV ad running under its 'Gets You Through' message, which features a humorous take on the name "Fanny".

Ogilvy acquires stake in Myanmar's leading agency

WPP's Ogilvy network has acquired a stake in Myanmar's leading advertising agency Today Advertising as it looks to establish a presence in the market.

TBWA scoops global Four Seasons brief

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has picked TBWA\Worldwide to handle its global advertising and CRM account.

VCCP wins Laithwaites advertising account

Laithwaites, the wine merchant, has awarded its ad account to VCCP after a review.

Sky opens creative agency talks

BSkyB is looking for a creative agency to handle a major new advertising brief and is preparing to expand its creative agency roster.

Home Office calls fast-turnaround ad pitch

The Home Office is looking for an advertising agency to work on quick-turnaround projects across a range of policy areas, including crime, immigration and counter-terrorism.

Canada Tourism launches global ad review

The Canadian Tourism Commission has kicked off a review of its estimated £30 million international advertising arrangements.

Department of Health reviews anti-smoking ad brief

The Department of Health is reviewing the advertising agency arrangements on its high-profile anti-smoking campaign.

HMRC hires WCRS for interim ad task

HM Revenue & Customs has hired WCRS to handle its advertising business in the interim period ahead of the appointment of a Government Procurement Service ad roster in the autumn.

Quiet Storm wins Claims Direct task

Claims Direct, the personal injury compensation business, has appointed Quiet Storm to handle its £5 million advertising account.

Rapier picks up NHS donor service DM work

The NHS Blood and Transplant service has appointed Rapier to handle its direct marketing account.

EBLEX appoints BMB to promote red meat

The English Beef and Lamb Executive has appointed Beattie McGuinness Bungay to its advertising account after a pitch, ahead of a major push to support English red meat.

EasyJet pitch claim is a 'smear', Lord Bell says

Lord Bell, the chairman of Chime Communications, has dismissed suggestions by the easyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, that there was impropriety in VCCP securing the airline's £50 million advertising account as "smearing".

Time to Change mental health campaign calls account review

Time to Change, the mental health awareness campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, has kicked off a review of its creative and media planning agency requirements.