£42m GUS brief for Mindshare?

Argos: in tune with Homebase in appointing MindShare to handle account

MindShare is tipped to have won the combined £42m media planning and buying brief for the Argos and Homebase brands.

The WPP-owned media network is understood to have snatched the lion's share of the £21m Homebase account from incumbent PHD after pitching against it for the combined business - MindShare already handled the Argos brand.

However, it is understood that a small amount of the Homebase business will remain within PHD, although it is not yet known which part of the brief.

Carat and MediaCom were also involved in the pitch for the combined business, during its early stages in May, but fell out of the running earlier this month.

Homebase and Argos parent Great Universal Stores kicked off a media agency review in early May through media auditor Billets following GUS' acquisition of Homebase from Sainsbury's last year in a deal worth £900m. At the time of the acquisition, a spokesman at GUS said that the deal would lead to estimated annual cost savings of £20m over the next three years.

Both brands are housed in Argos Retail Group, which is a subsidiary of GUS.

MindShare, PHD and GUS refused to comment when contacted by Media Week.

The tipped win for the agency comes on the back of some significant appointments for the shop this year. MindShare won the £52m media planning and buying account for Nestlé in April and, earlier this month, netted the £30m business for Abbey National from incumbent Carat.

The wins clearly indicate that new chief executive Kelly Clarke is delivering on his promise to start winning new business.

This article was first published on Media Week