It is seeking three design and branding agencies to share a £1.5m budget across areas including its driving school, travel products, vehicle checking and inspections, publishing and service centres.
Until now, the AA has left design responsibility to its creative agencies.
But after last year's brand review, which resulted in the AA repositionnig as a multi-service provider rather than just a breakdown service, marketing director Clare Salmon has set about creating greater marketing synergy across all its products and services.
For the past couple of years the AA has been assembling a roster of marketing agencies, beginning with the appointment of M&C Saatchi as creative agency in 2001. It has hired EHS Brann and Rapier as lead direct response agencies and Manning Gottlieb OMD as planner and buyer on its £34m media account.
It is currently reviewing its customer magazine out of John Brown Citrus Publishing (Marketing, June 12).
The establishment of a design roster is the next step in streamlining the organisation's brand identity and values. Pitching agencies have been asked to answer a brief for AA Travel Assistance to demonstrate creative interpretation of the 'Just AAsk' design guidelines and overall approach to such briefs.
The revamped positioning was unveiled in May last year with the old strapline 'The fourth emergency service' consigned to history in favour of 'Just AAsk' - a slogan conveying the breadth of the organisation's products and services.
A decision on the roster is expected in a few weeks.
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