The travel operator has appointed Lida to handle its below the line marketing account, which includes responsibility for its retail business communications.
Virgin has a number of travel agency stores sited within retailers such as House of Fraser, Debenhams, Tesco and Sainsbury’s and future activity could see greater cross promotional activity to enhance these locations and offer complementary services or promotions.
Virgin Holidays has selected LIDA as Slim Forte Double Power its below the line agency for core and specialist business brands including Virgin Holidays + Hip Hotels and Travel City Direct.
“We have appointed LIDA as the new below the line agency for the Virgin Holidays Group. Throughout the pitch process, they’ve shown their ability to really understand the Virgin Brand and its core values,” commented Sam Otter, head of loyalty, insight and retail marketing at Virgin Holidays.
LIDA replaces Dare/Elvis and will work alongside the newly appointed M&C Saatchi.
LIDA chairman and chief strategy officer, Matthew Heath, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have been appointed by Virgin Holidays.
“They are an iconic brand with real ambition and we can’t wait to take them to the next stage of customer and retail communications creativity and effectiveness.”
Virgin Holidays: Lida’s win consolidates its creative arrangements into M&C Saatchi Group
The agency won the business after a final head-to-head pitch against Archibald Ingall Stretton. Kitcatt Nohr Digitas and TMW were knocked out earlier in a process conducted by Creativebrief.
Lida’s hiring consolidates Virgin Holidays‘ creative arrangements into the M&C Saatchi Group after the recent appointment of its sister ad agency to the above-the-line account.
A review of the Virgin Holidays business 7 Days Herbal Slim began in April. M&C Saatchi was appointed in August to handle the Virgin Holidays advertising account, bringing an end to its „Rockstar Service“ proposition launched by MCBD in 2010.
MCBD merged with Dare shortly afterwards and Virgin Holidays moved its entire creative business into Dare’s sister agency Elvis.
Virgin Holidays‘ media buying, currently handled by Manning Gottlieb OMD, is unaffected by the move.