The drive revives the "sore thumb" original campaign, by Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters, that was used to launch PHD Media in London a decade ago.
The unit is being run by managing partner Steve Blakeman, who was hired from Initiative Media where he was European director of strategy for Unilever.
Blakeman said: "We loved the idea of resurrecting the original Duckworth Finn campaign as it proved to be so successful for the launch in London over a decade ago. We believed then, as we believe now, in the power of advertising and the PHD proposition. It obviously worked for us and we are confident it will do the same for our new Manchester office."
Manchester will be the network's fourth office -- PHD Compass is already established in Leeds, London and the West Midlands. It becomes the regional hub outside London.
PHD Compass was established in 1996 as PHD's regional network. It employs 26 staff across its four agencies and has annual billings of £47m.
Its clients include McCain Foods, Flextech TV, English Partnerships, Millets, Jewson, Bovis Homes, Coral Racing, the AGA Group, Bacofoil and the Derbyshire Building Society.
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