Morrisons is set to ditch the long-running "more reasons to shop at Morrisons" strapline, with the appointment of Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners.
Separately, insiders have suggested that Morrisons will now implement a review of its media business, currently held by Mediaedge:cia. Morrisons would not confirm this.
Research into the supermarket chain's new campaign is still in progress. However, sources have suggested that staff participation in ads, in the style of DLKW's Halifax and AA campaigns, has not been ruled out.
Morrisons handed its account to DLKW following a pitch against Leo Burnett and Euro RSCG London. The three-year incumbent, BDH\TBWA, was ruled out in July. Lowe London also competed at an earlier stage.
The supermarket called its pitch seven months ago and hired the AAR to oversee it. The pitch has run on for so long that Morrisons will be forced to re-run last year's Christmas campaign (created by BDH\TBWA) this year. DLKW's first Morrisons work is expected to break in 2007.
BDH\TBWA also produced the current "more reasons to shop at Morrisons" campaign, which aims to help the brand enter the South of England market following its acquisition of Safeway in 2004. The campaign features the voice of the actor Sean Bean. BDH\TBWA won the Morrisons account in 2003, displacing Cheethambell JWT, the incumbent of six years.
In its most recent financial results, Morrisons provided evidence that it is finally emerging from a period of poor financial performance following its £3 billion takeover of Safeway in 2004.
The Bradford-based supermaket chain unveiled better-than-expected sales growth figures and a marked improvement in profit margins. Like-for-like sales, excluding petrol, climbed 4.6 per cent in the 25 weeks to 23 July. Analysts had expected 3.9 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
This will provide a solid platform for the new chief executive, Marc Bolland, who joins the supermarket from Heineken next month.
The pitch was overseen by Richard Burgess. He was unavailable to comment.
DLKW declined to comment on the story.
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