Lastminute.com in £3m hunt for ad agency

Lastminute.com is looking for an advertising agency to handle its &£2.75m advertising business.

The company, which was recently taken over by Sabre Holdings in a &£580m deal, is planning a campaign for early next year. The pitch will be overseen by UK marketing director Mathew Hart.

Lastminute.com’s advertising is handled by an in-house team and agencies appointed on an ad-hoc basis; it has worked with Quiet Storm and M&C Saatchi.

Media planning and buying is held by Smarter Communications, which won the business from BLM earlier this year (MW April 7).

Sabre, which also owns travel rival Travelocity, has made Lastminute.com its lead brand in Europe, although both brands are operating side by side in the UK market.

The company is looking to appoint a pan-European marketing director to oversee the Lastminute.com and Travelocity brands (MW September 8).

Travelocity’s advertising arrangements will not be affected by Lastminute.com’s search for a new agency. Travelocity works with Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, the agency behind the ads starring Alan Whicker.

Earlier this year Lastminute.com launched its online advertising sales arm, and signed up Ryanair as its first client (MW July 14).