Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy has seized the dollars 20 million
pan-European Energizer business from Bates Europe without a formal
pitch.
Mustoes was approached by the client in the summer and has begun work on
a branding campaign.
This is due to break early next year across the brand’s key markets,
including France, Germany, Spain and the UK.
Sources say Energizer decided to move the account because of differences
over creative work and slow turn-around on its campaigns.
’Mustoes brings a great mix of sound commercial thinking and fresh
creative ideas to our business. I am looking forward to working with
them to shake the market up a little and ensure further success for
Energizer,’ Martin Burch, European marketing director at Energizer,
said.
Bates won Energizer in 1997 after one of the longest pitches ever known,
spanning two years and involving the European networks of six agency
groups.
These included DDB, Young & Rubicam, TBWA and Grey as well as the Bates
operations in Australia and the US.
Mike Coyle, European client services director of Bates, said: ’We have a
contract into the year 2000 with Energizer for the advertising of its
batteries throughout Europe and we wish to enforce that contract.’
Media, which is handled by Zenith, is not thought to be affected by the
move.
