ZenithOptimedia lands £50m RBS retail media account

Despite losing the NatWest and RBS retail bank business, MediaCom will still work on group communications, including sponsorship and corporate banking for the RBS Group. It also retains media duties for insurance brands Churchill, Privilege and Direct Line.

The banking giant launched a media review in June and invited the incumbent, ZenithOptimedia, Manning Gottlieb OMD and Vizeum to pitch for the account.

The loss of the account will be a blow to MediaCom, which was awarded the consolidated RBS media account in 2000 after a six-month pitch process, and, in 2006, extended its relationship by adding responsibilities for online planning and buying.

The creative account for RBS is split between M&C Saatchi, which handles the retail business, and CHI & Partners, which is tasked with its in-branch creative work. M&C Saatchi also looks after the RBS Corporate business. The creative account is unaffected by the review.

MediaCom recently lost its chief operating officer Steve Bignell who is departing to take up the position of sales director at ITV. Bignell is understood to have been involved in the early stages of MediaCom's pitch process.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk