Royal Mail has drawn up a three-strong shortlist for its creative account, with Iris, TMW, and Dentsu Creative set to fight it out over who will handle the business.
The move follows a statutory review of the postal service’s creative relationships, which will see incumbent agency AMV BBDO step down from the account after its current tenure.
The agency was first appointed to the account in June 2003, taking over from Bates, and retained the brief after a review in 2008. It continued to work on the account until 2011, when it first declined to repitch and the account was awarded to Beta.
It was then reappointed in 2022 and has been responsible for campaigns including “Send It Your Way” and its recent work highlighting posties.
AMV has officially declined to repitch for the business.
The ongoing review, which is being managed by AAR, is focused exclusively on the creative account. It does not affect Royal Mail’s other agency relationships: the7stars will continue to handle media planning and buying, and SocialChain remains responsible for the company’s social growth strategy and influencer activation. Royal Mail Marketreach, the business arm, is handled by MSQ-owned The Gate.
The three shortlisted agencies, along with Royal Mail and AAR, have declined to comment on the process.
However, the new agency will be charged with overhauling the company’s marketing strategy as it navigates a changing market and evolving customer needs.