The other agencies to make the shortlist are Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey London and Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest. Incumbent agency Publicis London has declined the chance to repitch. A request for information was put out by Haystack.
The pitch was called in January with Post Office taking its business out of Publicis less than a year after reappointing the agency to the account. Alan Cook, the Post Office managing director, handed Publicis a one-year contract following a statutory review. Previously, the business had run for five years.
The latest review has been prompted by new marketing director Gary Hockey-Morley's move from Abbey National to the Post Office. He replaced Simon Carter, who appointed Publicis and then left to join Thomas Cook.
Publicis was behind the long-running family of animated ant characters, which have been used to sell the retailer's range of over-the-counter services and financial products.
These meetings are the chemistry stages of the review and a shortlist for pitches will be finalised next week.
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