John West is set to return to television advertising after six
years following the appointment of Leo Burnett to its pounds 2 million
full-service account.
Burnetts won the canned-fish brand, which was bought by Heinz in the
summer, after a two-way pitch against Bates Dorland, which handles the
lion’s share of Heinz’s advertising. Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which handled
John West under its previous owner, Unilever, declined to pitch.
Burnetts’ sister agency in Paris, Bordelais Lemeunier, runs the
advertising for Heinz’s fish brands in France under the Petit Navire
banner. The appointment of Burnetts’ London office will help to
co-ordinate the brand across Europe, according to Ian Meadows, UK
seafood director at Heinz. The UK and France are the biggest seafood
markets for Heinz in Europe.
John West was a heavy TV advertiser in the 70s and 80s with the line:
’It’s the fish that John West rejects that makes John West the
best’.
No expenditure has been registered under the brand over the past year,
according to AC Nielsen Meal, but a campaign scheduled for next year is
expected to amount to pounds 2 million.
’In recent years (John West) has lacked the level of marketing support
it deserves. We’ve appointed Burnetts to help us formulate a
communications strategy which will drive the brand and the canned fish
category as a whole,’ Meadows said.
Nick Brien, chief executive of Burnetts, promised a ’truly’ creative
route for West.
