TBWA – one of the agencies pitching for the Royal Bank of Scotland advertising account – is poised to open a Scottish office in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square.
News of the surprise launch was posted exclusively on theDrum.co.uk last week and, according to sources close to the London-based agency, staff have already been hired for the new operation, which will be headed up by Gary O’Donnell.
Insiders believe the new office will be designed to service its Scottish Courage business and help it win new advertising accounts on the local brands front. However, others are taking it as confirmation that the Royal Bank of Scotland pitch is a foregone conclusion.
TBWA, the incumbent on the NatWest below-the-line account, is already seen as a favourite to win the business, despite the fact the four agencies left in contention have not yet submitted creative proposals. Although, from a practical perspective, a Scottish office would make little difference to the Royal Bank, from a political perspective it might be seen as important. Moving the business out of Scotland could cost around 20 jobs in the Scottish advertising industry so this development will allow them to argue they have reduced this impact.
O’Donnell, originally from Scotland, has previously worked for Y&R, BDDH and, most recently, Farm Communications. Accounts he has worked on include Kronenbourg, Beamish, Mercedes and Xerox.
A spokesperson for TBWA confirmed that a move to Scotland was imminent, and that the launch was planned for around September. However, any further details are yet to be confirmed.