Health food retail chain Holland and Barratt is continuing its pitching activity for a new creative agency, despite having begun the process to review its £6m creative account six months ago.
The Drum understood that the company, which has been criticised for its pitching methods in the past, had retained its current agency Big Communications following a final three-way-pitch that began in April.
However it seems that despite having narrowed the list down to a final three, the review is still not at an end.
Asked to confirm the retention of Big Communications, the client has said that it continues to work with the agency but it has not landed the account.
A spokesperson for NBTY Europe which operates the Holland & Barrett brand said: “We are currently undertaking further agency pitches for our TV and Creative Account with the aim of launching a new campaign in 2013. Incumbent Big Communications continue to manage our existing campaign during this period.”
Phil Geary, trading director for Holland & Barrett is understood to be leading the process.
Last month NBTY Europe announced the appointment of Lysa Hardy as chief marketing officer.
Holland & Barrett has been criticised in the past for the number of retained agency reviews that it has held for its creative account. In 2007 The Drum reported that the account had gone to Propaganda, only for the client to quickly U-turn and reappoint long standing agency Guerilla. Subsequently, in 2008 the account was reviewed again, with WRCS appointed, and then faced another review the following year when the agency was dropped.
Big Communications won the 2009 pitch, and has worked with the client for three years, introducing former Blue Peter host Gethin Jones as the face of the brand.