• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, August 22, 2016

WPP’s Grey London has won the Marks & Spencer’s integrated creative account. The account will comprise both advertising and digitalm marking the first time the retailer has appointed one agency to handle both parts of the business.

The iconic brand is Grey London’s first major win since the agency unveiled its new management line-up earlier this year, including Leo Rayman, who was appointed CEO.

Other members of the new team include Wayne Brown (COO),  Matt Tanter (CSO), Vicki Maguire and Dominic Goldman (both ECD) and Perry Nightingale (Executive Creative Technologist).    

Rayman, Tanter, Maguire and Managing Partner Barbara Waite led the 10-week pitch.

The creative incumbent was RKCR/Y&R, which had handled the account since 2000. M&S spent an estimated $80 million on ads in 2015.

Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne Marks & Spencer executive director of customer, marketing, Marks & Spencer and M&S.com stated: “Putting our customers at the heart of everything we do is central to every decision we make as a business… Grey will ensure M&S maintains strong creative leadership and engagement with both existing and new customers across all channels – in-store, digital, social and mobile, and our members club, Sparks.”

Added Rayman: "We’ve championed integration across our clients for a long time, but in many ways this win is the zenith of it. To bring advertising and digital together under one roof for one of the biggest retailers in the country sets a new benchmark, not just for us, but for the industry."