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M&C Saatchi has retained Trinity Mirror's £15 million

creative account following a three-month review that saw fortunes swing

between the incumbent and its rival, Lowe.

M&C Saatchi triumphed despite the links between Lowe and Mirror Group

Newspapers' new marketing director, Alisdair Luxmoore, who joined the

publisher in September. Luxmoore, before calling the review, had worked

with Lowe in his previous position as the marketing director at Dollond

& Aitchison, the opticians.

When he called the review two months after his arrival, observers

believed that the business would be shoed into Lowe, particularly after

the agency suddenly withdrew from the ongoing Telegraph Newspapers pitch

in order to concentrate its attentions on acquiring the Mirror

account.

However, key figures at The Mirror, including the editor, Piers Morgan,

are believed to have campaigned for M&C Saatchi to retain the

business.

Neither agency produced a winning idea in the first round of pitching

and the review was left in deadlock. J. Walter Thompson was courted by

Mirror Group Newspapers last month, but was never formally invited to

pitch. Shortly after, M&C Saatchi began to move ahead in the review and

the agency finally secured the business after presentations made to

Mirror Group Newspapers a fortnight ago.

The Trinity Mirror account includes the Sunday People title, as well as

The Mirror and Sunday Mirror. However, it's clear that most attention

will be given to Morgan's title, which has run several trade ads backing

its recent repositioning as the tabloid that offers serious news. The

Mirror, which posted an average net circulation of 2,179,236 for the

past six months, is said to be considering dropping its red-top banner

to show the change in tone.