MyTravel account jets back to the North
As The Marketeer was going to press it emerged that the multi-million pound MyTravel advertising account looked set to return to the North from London-based Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters.
The main beneficiary of the move appears to be Didsbury’s Clear Marketing, the previous incumbent of the £10 million Going Places account, which will reportedly again take charge of the lucrative retail side of the MyTravel business.
Earlier this year, Airtours plc announced the decision to rebrand as MyTravel and subsequently began the mammoth task of rolling out the identity across its divisions, such as Airtours Holidays and its 750-outlet-strong Going Places retail operation. The move ostensibly brought Clear’s relationship with the client to an end as MyTravel’s marketing director Tim Marsden appointed DFGW to bed the new branding in across the group. He commented at the time; “Any brand in its infancy needs custodianship. DFGW will develop the intial advertising tasks for the group, but this may well change again in the fullness of time.”
Although Marsden was unavailable to comment at the time of going to press, sources have suggested that the “fullness of time” may have now passed and the firm is looking to return to its previously successful relationship with Clear. It is unsure at present if the agency is set to take on extended duties within the group, or whether the mooted win is strictly for a retail brief. The budget for the account is expected to remain in the £10 million region, despite the torrid financial time the group has experienced over the last two months.
Staff at Clear Marketing were also unwilling to comment on the speculation. If the win is confirmed, it will end a buoyant six months for the agency, which recently picked up the £4 million Topps Tiles business in conjunction with GMG’s Real Radio creative account.