The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has approached several agencies through COI Communications about overhauling the "Targeting fraud" ads created by D'Arcy.
The campaign has been one of the most politically sensitive marketing initiatives run out of Whitehall. Before the last election it was the subject of a pre-election spat in the House of Commons between Tony Blair and William Hague. The then Conservative Party leader accused Labour of wasting taxpayers' money on the campaign as initial research suggested it made benefit fraud appear easier to commit.
More recently a BBC Panorama documentary suggested the ads were designed to improve Labour's image rather than crack down on fraud. It pointed out some of the press ads failed to include a mechanism through which people could report suspected cheats.
The campaign was launched through D'Arcy in September 2001 and aimed to demonstrate that benefit cheats were likely to be caught and punished. Press ads showed a woman looking over her shoulder as she is about to be accused of benefit fraud.
The accompanying TV ads highlighted the fact that benefit fraud was denying government money to help those most in need. Government estimates suggest that up to £2bn is lost every year through abuse of the welfare system.
"As part of our ongoing campaign to combat benefit fraud we're considering what happens after our initial media campaigns," said a DWP spokesman. "Through COI we have been talking to some agencies but no decisions have yet been made."
The spokesman denied the review's timing had anything to do with the allegations made by Panorama.
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