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Eurostar has kicked off a review of its entire European advertising

account, held by Young & Rubicam.

The review is statutory ahead of the expiry of Y&R’s contract at the end

of this year, but has also been prompted by the company’s desire to

develop more consistent branding throughout Europe. The move follows a

restructure at Eurostar resulting in the creation of the Eurostar Group

and a shift towards a more pan-European approach to the company’s

marketing.

Bertrand Guillon, Eurostar Group’s commercial director, said: ’We shall

be looking for a pan-European organisation capable of providing

strategic leadership for a high-profile brand together with the creation

and development of excellent advertising on all fronts.’

A Eurostar Group spokes-man in the UK said: ’Part of the reason for

forming the umbrella Eurostar Group is to centralise the marketing

activity, thereby making the brand values the same in all markets.’ But

he added that work would be tactically different in the three markets,

to take local interests into account.

In the past, Eurostar has used St Luke’s to create advertising in the

UK, while Y&R has handled Belgium and France as well as producing some

UK work. Y&R has been invited to repitch for the account, which is worth

pounds 10 million in the UK alone.

Eurostar has had little consistency in its advertising since its

futuristic launch campaign through Y&R in 1994. The account then moved

to St Luke’s, which produced a quirky campaign fronted by Antoine de

Caunes and a philosophising Eric Cantona. In its last work, St Luke’s

produced a cartoon-style campaign introducing the phrase: ’Let’s go

conti-mental.’

In June last year, St Luke’s contract expired and Y&R was

reinstated.

Recent work through Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has shown a group

of individuals singing their dialogue in French, with subtitles.