J. Walter Thompson has beaten M&C Saatchi to secure the launch account for Conde Nast's Glamour magazine.
In a separate move, media planning and buying for the title has been handed to Optimedia, which pitched against Carat and JWT's sister agency, MindShare.
Glamour will be launched on 8 March in a revolutionary format that is approximately two-thirds the size of a traditional magazine.
Simon Kippin, the publisher of Glamour, has promised a marketing budget of pounds 5 million in the magazine's first year and a further pounds 10 million pledged over the next three years. JWT and Optimedia will be asked to secure a readership of 200,000 in the magazine's first 12 months.
'Glamour is the biggest magazine launch in this country for many years and is the biggest launch for Conde Nast outside the US,' Kippin said.
'Its unique editorial content and its revolutionary compact format need to be clearly promoted to young women in this country.'
Glamour launches into a competitive women's middle market that is already crowded by the likes of the National Magazine Company's Cosmopolitan and BBC Worldwide's recently launched Eve. The launch of Time Inc's own US import Instyle - also next spring - will add yet more rivalry to the sector.
'This is a great compliment,' Simon Matthews, the managing director of Optimedia, said. 'Glamour is a defining magazine for Conde Nast and it is one of the most professional media owners in the world.'
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