Electoral Commission kicks off ad and media reviews

The Electoral Commission is reviewing its advertising and media planning accounts, putting Mullenlowe London and MEC on alert.

The review is being run through the Crown Commercial Service and is open to agencies on the government’s roster. Mullenlowe and MEC are expected to repitch for the business.

DLKW Lowe – as the agency was then known – picked up the creative and digital accounts for the Electoral Commission in November 2011 after two competitive pitches. The Electoral Commission had previously used Farm Communications for the majority of its marketing.

Much of Mullenlowe’s work is de- signed to drive voters to register or promote the information provided by the Electoral Commission ahead of polls. An ad last year called “You can’t miss it” highlighted an impartial European Union referendum guide.

The Electoral Commission targeted younger voters through a tie-up with Channel 4 devised by MEC ahead of the EU referendum and the 2015 general election, creating ads with the cast of Hollyoaks and Gogglebox respectively.

MEC also won the Electoral Commission’s media communications and planning business in 2011. Carat handles the government’s media buying.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.