The shortlisted agencies are DDB London, Clemmow Hornby Inge, Delaney Lund Knox Warren, Euro RSCG London, J Walter Thompson and WCRS. The creative review is expected to be completed by May 1.
Yesterday, the beleaguered retailer confirmed that incumbent AMV had declined to pitch for the business.
The retailer also yesterday revealed that MediaCom, Walker Media, Starcom Motive, Universal McCann and Carat will fight it out for its media planning and buying account.
AMV'S chief executive Cilla Snowball said that the parting with the retailer after holding the account for eight years was an amicable one.
Katie Spriggs, brand development director at WHSmith, said that she would be asking the ad agencies how best the troubled retailer could move its brand forward.
AMV won the account from Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1996 and has since been responsible for some of WH Smith's most memorable campaigns, including those featuring actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, which have since been dropped.
The media and advertising reviews come at a time of a wide-ranging restructure at the retailer, which has included the axe being taken to its marketing department.
Marketing director Muriel Stirling was axed last month. Stirling oversaw marketing, advertising and PR at WH Smith. With her departure, the role will be restructured and the new marketing director will report to a commercial director, who is also to be recruited.
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