M&C Saatchi and VCCP among four shops shortlisted for TfL ad brief
Transport for London (TfL) has shortlisted Adam&EveDDB, Ogilvy, M&C Saatchi and incumbent VCCP as it marches on with a statutory review of its creative business.
The transport network kicked off the pitch process in August
The transport network kicked off the process in August, inviting agencies to pitch for its ad account including: marketing and behaviour change projects; through the line work; social media; content creation; print design and below the line projects.
VCCP, which has held the business since 2016 has made it into the final stages of the pitch.
Also in the mix is beleaguered ad shop M&C Saatchi, which has been in the news this week following the resignation of its co-founder Maurice Saatchi and three other directors after an £11.6m black hole was discovered in the firm's earnings.
The winner will be announced in the Spring, picking up a three-year contract with the option to extend it for another year.
As part of the brief, the selected agency will work for other Greater London Authority bodies, such as the London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police and the London Legacy Development Corporation.
VCCP’s work for TfL in the past few years has included promotional materials for the long-delayed Elizabeth Line, its ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’, which focused on the poor quality of London’s air, and ‘Every Report Builds a Picture’ which sought to encourage people to report unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport. The agency was also involved in the roll-out of the 24-hour night tube across the city in 2017.
AAR is handling the pitch, with TfL saying it wants to use the review as a springboard to ensure it has "the best arrangements in place to meet future challenges and ensure best value" as it becomes more commercially focused.
"We’re delighted with the level of interest that we received and are looking forward to working with the shortlisted bidders and seeing their proposals," said TfL's head of customer marketing and behaviour change, Miranda Leedham.