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MediaCom, previously the incumbent for the AMP-owned Henderson Investment and National Provident Institute, has been selected ahead of a big push to raise awareness of the AMP umbrella brand in the UK. Its separate brands, Pearl Assurance, London Life and NPI, were all rebranded with the AMP name last year.

Before appointing MediaCom, AMP spoke to at least one other media agency about the business. The selection of MediaCom follows the appointment of St Luke's for the creative account and WWAV Rapp Collins for its direct marketing.

Last December, AMP created a single marketing group for AMP Pearl, AMP London Life and AMP NPI. AMP UK Financial Services has five million customers buying a range of 40 products.

The brand activity will be AMP's first corporate advertising work in the UK. It will launch in this quarter and will focus on AMP's integrated strengths and brand proposition as well as the links between the three brands. AMP has also invested £2 million in a cricket sponsorship deal for the renamed AMP Oval.

Direct marketing activity will back this brand activity with a large mailing to inform customers about the AMP brand and product changes.

Tom Fraser, the managing director of AMP UK Financial Services, said recently: "The withdrawal of many of our competitors from direct face-to-face advice means that people are being under-serviced, particularly those on lower incomes."

AMP is Australia's largest life insurer and financial services group, with a market capitalisation of £8 billion and £105 billion of assets under management.

Nick Lawson, MediaCom's managing director, was unavailable for comment as ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 went to press.