Weetabix has centralised its £16 million above-the-line tasks
into Banks Hoggins O'Shea/FCB, stripping Lowe Lintas and Abbott Mead
Vickers BBDO of their coveted accounts.
Lowe Lintas has lost its 12-year hold on the Weetabix account. The news
is a blow for the agency after its "Withabix/Withoutabix" work picked up
creative awards and helped make the brand the market leader by value.
The brands handled by Lowe Lintas, which also include Weetos, Bananabix
and Minibix, spend a combined £10 million, according to AC Nielsen
MMS.
The move also sees Banks Hoggins adding AMV's Alpen and Ready Brek
brands, together worth £5 million, to its existing work on
Advantage. BMP DDB also pitched for the centralised account but failed
to pick up any business.
It is thought that the review was called to look at strategic management
of the brands rather than simply look at the creative output of the
three agencies. The pitch was called in September.
Chris Thomas, the chief executive of Lowe Lintas, said: "We have
consistently generated campaigns for Weetabix that have stood out in the
category.
'Withabix/Withoutabix' was the latest of those campaigns. The consumer
loved it. Obviously we'd have liked to carry on developing famous work
for Weetabix. We will watch its progress with great interest."
Weetabix pared its media roster down to one when it appointed PHD to the
centralised account last year. Western Media was dropped.
