Sara Lee moves £170m pan-European media account

News - Brand Republic, UK

LONDON - Sara Lee International has consolidated its £170m pan-European media planning and buying business from nine agencies into Omnicom's OMD.

OMD will handle media for all 17 European markets, compared with the previous five markets it held prior to the review in June.

The consolidation includes the £11m UK account, which had been held by Publicis Groupe's ZenithOptimedia. Other agencies to lose business include Aegis Group's Carat, WPP's MindShare and Havas' Media Planning Group.

The consolidation comes into effect in January 2006.

The company, part of food manufacturer Sara Lee Corp, said it had moved the account into one agency "to create more synergy, efficiency and economy of costs".

The review covers household and bodycare brands including Brylcreem, Radox, Sanex, Ambi-Pur and Kiwi shoe polish, coffee and tea brands, and bakery products.

Creative for household products, handled in the UK by Grey and WCRS, is unaffected by the decision.

A review last year saw Sara Lee consolidate its $200m US account into Publicis Groupe's Starcom.

The consolidation saw agencies including ZenithOptimedia, OMD and Media Planning Group, the Martin Agency and Mullen all lose business.