Changes are coming thick and fast to London’s adland. Now recently-appointed McCann London CCO Lynsey Atkin (left) has announced her departure just four months after joining from a lauded stint at Channel 4’s 4Creative. Atkin is being replaced by Emiliano González De Pietri from Spain.
Atkin’s departure follows hard on the heels on London CEO Polly McMorrow who’s also quit the IPG-owned agency to join Richard Brim and Martin Beverley’s as yet unnamed start-up. New business head and COO Jemima Monies has also left for AMV BBDO after barely two years.
The impending Omnicom/IPG merger probably came as a big surprise to both Atkin and McMorrow, bringing a sharp end to what looked like being a promising partnership. Omnicom will effectively take over IPG and its big agencies including McCann. Previous McCann CCOs Laurence Thomson and Rob Doubal, who exited for M&C Saatchi after a 12-year stint, can congratulate themselves on their timing.
**There are as yet unsubstantiated rumours of a major bust-up twixt a big London agency and its high profile supermarket client. The business is said to be on the move to a rather smaller roster agency although it’s possible that people higher up the agency set-up are working feverishly to smooth things over. Elsewhere on the retail front, Havas has decided not to repitch for big client Asda after another relatively short stint. That leaves AMV BBDO (which handed Asda before Havas) and Lucky Generals in the frame, both owned by Omnicom.
*And a major bank is expected to call a review of its big-spending creative account next week. Which will leave two big UK banks looking for an agency as BBH declined to repitch for Barclays after Santander awarded BBH owner Publicis Groupe its global creative and media business. UK banks, which are mostly heavily focussed on domestic business, are one of the few opportunities for indie agencies to invade the big time.
**Update
Waitrose owner John Lewis Partnership has confirmed that it is going to share ad duties around more in the future with Wonderhood Studios tipped to take on the Waitrose part of the empire. Wonderhood pitched against Saatchi & Saatchi for both accounts when they left adam&eveDDB 18 months ago.
