Big creative reviews may be thin on the ground in Covid-19 but one of the UK’s biggest has concluded with VCCP winning Walkers, the big Pepsico-owned snack brand, in competition with up-and-coming agency Uncommon.
VCCP, now largely private equity owned, is one of the UK’s biggest agencies with an outpost in the US. Uncommon was formed by a breakaway from WPP’s Grey, headed by creative supremo Nils Leonard.
Previously Walkers spent 20 years or so at AMV BBDO, running a popular campaign – mostly directed by Paul Weiland – featuring sports broadcaster and former footballer Gary Lineker.
It remains to be seen if Lineker remains in the Walkers saddle but, as so often, the decision to move on from a long-running celebrity-led campaign can lead to a change of agency. AMV BBDO eventually suffered the same fate when Sainsbury’s parted ways with Jamie Oliver.
