Our spies in and around Tesco – of whom there are a surprising number – report that The&Partnership’s m/SIX media agency has found its way on to the Tesco media pitch list, up against incumbent Initiative and GroupM’s MediaCom.
The&Partnership is a newish agency network, 51 per cent owned by Johnny Hornby’s CHI with the rest in the hands of WPP. It now includes the old Bates network in Asia and offices in the US and Canada. WPP owned Bates and owns GroupM.
M/SIX, which also benefits from GroupM’s price negotiations, is an ambitious attempt by Hornby and co. to recreate the full service agency model. The media agency can also turn its hand to creative, as instanced in the current campaign for Virgin Money, which it produced.
New Tesco boss Dave Lewis, who today announced eye-watering losses of £6.38bn for the troubled grocer, moved its creative account to BBH from Wieden+Kennedy without a pitch earlier this year.
Media is different however and the pitch takes place this weekend. Not everything changes at Tesco…
