Universal McCann Interactive lands Microsoft account

Microsoft has moved its £2m online planning and buying account out of incumbent Media Contacts and into Universal McCann Interactive.

The move of the online business, which includes digital planning, tracking and buying for the Microsoft and MSN brands, follows the global consolidation of Microsoft's offline media and creative accounts into Universal McCann and creative sibling McCann-Erikson in 2001.

Following that move, MPG's online division, Media Contacts, managed to hold on to the business for another couple of years, but it has now been moved into Universal's digital division without a pitch.

In total, Media Contacts handled the online business for Microsoft for nearly eight years. The digital creative business for the account remains with new media agency AKQA.

Charles Eales, head of corporate communications at Microsoft, said "UM Interactive has done some really great work with  Xbox already, and we're confident that their contribution to our communications will be significant."

This article was first published on Media Week