Rainey Kelly lands Virgin Direct

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe has prised the pounds 10 million

Virgin Direct account from TBWA GGT Simons Palmer after a head-to-head

creative pitch between the two agencies.

Virgin Direct appointed Rainey Kelly to overhaul its brand strategy in

August and last week both agencies presented creative work to match the

new brief.

Steve Taylor, the group brand director of Virgin Direct, said: ’The

creative work is not the point. Both agencies are capable of excellent

creative work but the trick is not in the execution, it’s in getting

your head round what to say and how to say it. Rainey Kelly’s idea has

legs and I felt they had a better grasp of what we are trying to

achieve.’

Rainey Kelly will handle the brand and the core account for PEPs,

deposits, pensions and life insurance. TBWA retains the pounds 5 million

advertising account for Virgin One, the banking arm of Virgin

Direct.

MT Rainey, a partner at Rainey Kelly, said: ’Virgin Direct is far and

away the most dynamic company in the financial services industry, but

there are a lot of sleeping giants waking up in the sector and we

believe there’s both a real need and an opportunity for the brand to go

further, faster.’

Virgin began a review of its relationship with TBWA after the agency,

which was the incumbent on Virgin Direct, won the pounds 50 million

NatWest account in June.

Media on all Virgin’s financial business is handled by Manning Gottlieb

Media.

This article was first published on Campaign