Cold Eye - the agency set up by the former Maher Bird Associates
founding partner, Mark Tomblin, in January - has landed its first major
win, beating Bean Andrews Norways Cramphorn and Mitchell Patterson Grime
Mitchell to the pounds 1.4 million Thorpe Park ad account.
The agency will be taking a ’relationship approach’ to marketing the
theme park, in line with its sister parks, Chessington World of
Adventures and Alton Towers - which are handled by J. Walter Thompson
and JWT Manchester respectively.
Tomblin said: ’We are thrilled. One of the things which most impressed
us about Thorpe Park was that they were seeking a true business partner
rather than simply a supplier of advertising. They are just the kind of
client we want and we are really looking forward to developing this
fascinating project with them.’
Pearson sold Thorpe Park last month to a management buyout backed by the
venture capitalist, Charterhouse Development Capital. It is part of the
Tussauds Group alongside Chessington World of Adventures, Madame
Tussauds and Alton Towers.
Media for the group is now handled by Manning Gottlieb Media, which won
the Thorpe Park account last week.
Thorpe Park is aimed at children up to the age of ten, and produces
television advertising each year in the spring. Davies Little Cowley
Fiddes, the incumbent on the business, declined to repitch for the
account.
Cold Eye was founded by Tomblin and Phil Bird, two of the original
partners of Maher Bird Associates, along with Stuart Woodington, who was
previously the creative director for direct marketing at Leo Burnett.
