MPG nets £2m UK media for Tia Maria owner

By Maisie McCabe, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 04 October 2012 10:55AM

MPG Media Contacts has picked up the £2 million UK media planning and buying account for Illva Saronno, the Italian owner of the Tia Maria and Disaronno brands.

Tia Maria: parent Illva Saronno is in talks over other territories

The agency landed the business after a pitch, which was originally called in April 2011 as part of a global review. In the spring, the pitch was revived as a UK-led process.

The incumbent, MEC, which picked up Tia Maria after Illva acquired the brand from Pernod Ricard in 2009, was involved in the process.

Agencies are understood to be involved in a final stage of negotiations for the Illva account in a number of other territories, including Argentina and the Netherlands, so MPG could yet widen its relationship with the company.

MPG has been charged with delivering strategy and planning that produces real results to "re-energise" the Tia Maria brand and maintain and develop Disaronno's success.

The most recent major campaign for Tia Maria included a TV spot by HarrimanSteel that targeted "out-of-home" drinkers.

Paul Frampton, the managing director of MPG, said: "Illva is an energetic and exciting company with ambitious plans for its stable of top-name brands and we already feel a real affinity with them."

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk