Brilliant, the new Leeds-based agency, is lining up account teams
to handle new wins worth pounds 11 million.
The company, born out of the merger of DMS and Media Lane in September,
has won four pieces of business.
Broadcast director Dan Ward will run the Decathalon Sports Stores
account.
The client, part of the Auchan Group, has hired Brilliant to execute its
launch in the UK over the next two years, beginning with the opening of
its first store in Stockport. Decathalon already has 250 outlets in
Western Europe.
The account for Claims Direct, a work injury claims specialist, will be
overseen by Brilliant’s chairman Steve Lane and run day-to-day by
Ward.
Claims Direct has around pounds 8 million to spend on TV advertising on
Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV.
Account director David Thorn will head the third new win, Churchill
Stairlifts.
Thorn and account director Annette Armitage have around pounds 2.5
million allocated for Churchill’s Safe Bathing and British Stairlift
Rental brands, a chunk of which will go on classified and colour
national press ads and TV in the spring.
Armitage will also run the fourth account, the pounds 500,000 UK launch
of American tool company Record Tools. The media push will involve TV
and press.
Brilliant, fronted by Lane, formerly of Media Lane, and ex-DMS director
David Moutrie, is also creating a new account team to take on some of
the new business and handle an important new retail account, which
Brilliant will announce soon.
Julian Forgaard, former head of media at the Cheltenham-based agency
Target, will run the division of three. Two planner/buyers are needed to
assist him.