Paddy Power drops ad agency after three months

Paddy Power has dropped ad agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) after just three months and appointed its former agency of choice Lucky Generals to its lead account.

The Irish operator selected BMB to replace incumbent agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky on its £20m account back in March after a four-month tender process which also involved M&C Saatchi, Grey London, Enter and Fold7.

BMB’s most notable campaign during its short tenure has arguably been an ad featuring featured two men in balaclavas kissing ahead of Ireland’s referendum on gay marriage.

“We are very grateful to BMB for their work over the past three months and wish them well for the future,” a Paddy Power spokesperson said.

“We have partnered with Lucky Generals on several exciting projects in the past and look forward to teaming up with them once again on our next campaign. Stay tuned.”

BMB’s chief exec Juliet Haygarth told Campaign magazine the move came just one week after new CMO Gav Thompson joined Paddy Power earlier this month.

“The new marketing director arrived at Paddy Power on Monday and, by the end of the week, he had moved the account to Lucky Generals,” she said.

Thompson replaced Christian Woolfenden who was promoted to the role of managing director for retail, UK & Ireland in December 2014. The firm’s head of brand Paul Sweeney took up the CMO role on an interim basis while Paddy Power looked for a permanent replacement.

Crispin Porter & Bogusky had worked with Paddy Power since 2011 and led the Irish operator’s campaign to have former football David Ginola elected as FIFA president.