Walkers Crisps has shocked the UK advertising industry by switching
its pounds 7.5m advertising account from BMP DDB to Abbott Mead Vickers
BBDO, following a global realignment by Walkers’ US parent PepsiCo.
PepsiCo has consolidated all its Frito-Lay food brands into the BBDO
global network, which means it will handle Walkers Crisps’ advertising
in the UK as well as the Cheetos, Lays and Rold Gold brands in the
US.
The news is a bitter pill for BMP DDB, which introduced its Gary Lineker
campaign in 1995 to much acclaim. The agency’s latest execution
currently leads Marketing’s Adwatch chart as the most recalled campaign,
having recently knocked BT off the top spot for the first time in
months.
Frito-Lay has used Walkers ’No More Mr Nice Guy’ theme in other European
countries, with BMP as its lead agency.
Walkers’ European marketing director Martin Glenn said Lineker’s
contract was with Walkers and the advertising theme was likely to
continue with AMV BBDO.
Although PepsiCo named BBDO as its ’media agency of record’ in the US,
UK media buying will remain with MediaVest. Walkers’ below-the-line
agency Marketing Store said it had been assured it would retain its
account.
Allen Rosenshine, BBDO chairman and CEO, called it ’one of the largest
account wins in our history.’
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