Chewits, the sweet brand owned by international confectionary firm Leaf, was poised to announce the appointment of an advertising agency as The Marketeer went to press, with industry sources naming Manchester’s CheethamBell JWT as the favourite.
A review has been ongoing since summer of last year and has been kept heavily under wraps by Leaf UK marketing director Mark Ogilvy, who denied outright that the review was even taking place.
It was rumoured last year that Leaf UK managing director Peter Gauffin, who has since been moved from his position to a role in Sweden, was keen that a Northern agency be appointed to the brief.
This was in part due to Gauffin’s faith in Northern creativity and partly due to the company’s relocation from Bristol to Southport. A number of Northern agencies have been connected to the review, but the list was narrowed down earlier this year to a shortlist of two: CheethamBell JWT and Leeds-based Brahm.
The account had previously been held by London-based Banks Hoggins O’Shea.
Ogilvy was unavailable for comment on the appointment as The Marketeer went to press.