BT has invited three agencies to present ideas on how it can develop its
advertising to businesses.
The account, which could be worth as much as pounds 14 million next
year, has been with Butterfield Day Devito Hockney for four years.
However, BT’s advertising manager, Sholto Douglas-Home, says the time
for a statutory review is approaching.
‘We are very happy with what Butterfield Day has done, but we are using
the opportunity to ensure we have got the most effective and best-
performing campaign that we can get,’ he said.
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, which won a large slice of BT’s business
advertising last month in the form of its ‘value for money’ project, and
last week picked up its pagers account, has been asked to pitch
alongside the incumbent and Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper.
Butterfield Day’s latest ads under the ‘work smarter, not just harder’
banner are in a soap opera format and feature a fictitious company. BT
is said to be very enthusiastic about the idea, which accounts for Euro
RSCG’s presence in the pitching line-up.
Euro RSCG is not on BT’s existing roster, but its American affiliate,
Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmett-erer Euro RSCG, originally created
the soap opera idea for MCI - BT’s business partner in the US.
One notable absentee from the pitch-list is Saatchi and Saatchi, which
holds BT’s corporate account. Saatchis was also not invited to pitch for
the ‘value for money’ business last month.
This latest ad rethink will be the last major review before a massive
reorganisation and the break-up of BT’s Customer Communications Unit in
March (Campaign, 22 September).
Presentations will be made in late January, and a decision is expected
shortly after.
