Bradford & Bingley has appointed the strategic media shop, MSc, as
the media agency that will take it through its relaunch next year.
The task could be backed by a media spend of up to pounds 15
million.
MSc, a joint venture between New PHD and Partners BDDH, won the account
following a three-way pitch against Manning Gottlieb Media and Walker
Media, which was caretaking the account following the creative
appointment of M&C Saatchi in May. Bradford & Bingley becomes MSc’s
sixth client since it opened for business at the start of the year,
bringing the agency’s billings to more than pounds 30 million.
The pitch was overseen by Ruth Blakemore, Bradford & Bingley’s
commercial director who, last year, was the marketing chief behind the
launch of Cable & Wireless Communications.
Louise Jones, founding managing director of MSc, said: ’She (Blakemore)
has such an incredibly clear vision about what she wants to do with the
brand. She completely believes in how media strategy will deal with
that. We have to do something which is very different within the market
because it is so cluttered.’
MSc begins work on the account on Friday, but it is unlikely that much
advertising activity will take place this year as the building society
gears up for the relaunch of the main Bradford & Bingley brand in
1999.
The society is expected to focus on the benefits of its mutual status,
explaining to consumers how this can benefit them in specific product
areas.
MSc will also work on rebranding the Black Horse estate agency chain and
giving its Mortgage Express service a marketing boost.
M&C Saatchi was appointed this spring following Bradford & Bingley’s
decision to hold an agency review as it looked to promote its status as
the UK’s second-largest mutual building society.
Leo Burnett, which had worked on the account for 17 years, declined to
take part in the pitch.
