Account moves tend to land on a Friday and this week we learn (or think we do as no-one seems to be saying much officially) that Barclays in the UK (below) has gone to VCCP while Asda is tipped to go to Lucky Generals.
Barclays, with BBH for 20 years, lined up M&C Saatchi, TBWA and Grey in the final pitch round. BBH, owned by Publicis Groupe which recently landed Santander’s global business, has been rapidly snapped up by Monzo, the challenger digital bank.
Asda, suffering all sorts of travails as it struggles with private equity debts and a collapsing market share, reportedly chose Luck Generals against AMV BBDO, which handled the account a few years back. Former boss Alan Leighton is now back in charge. Asda looks anything but an easy brief given its current fortunes and Leighton’s past preference for hard-nosed advertising. Incumbent Havas pulled out of the pitch.
VCCP is on a roll at the moment, winning cable and internet provider Spectrum in the US although it’s reported to have laid off some staff, chiefly on the West Coast. Spectrum is handled out of New York. Barclays management now includes two senior execs from O2, one of VCCP’s flagship accounts.
