Barclays re-invests in Interbrand

Interbrand looks set to retain its grip on Barclays’ brand guidelines this week, after the company approached four top consultancies including Fitch London, Wolff Olins and Williams Murray Hamm to pitch for the work.

Interbrand’s main rival for the brief, which is likely to influence all the bank’s print material, is understood to be incumbent ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, responsible for the ‘fluent in finance’ campaign starring actor Samuel L Jackson.

WMH has also not yet been ruled out, but industry sources suggest the bank wants to ‘stick with people who know the brand best’, leading to claims that the contest for the work, overseen by Barclays marketing and communications director Simon Gulliford, was a ‘shambles’.

A Barclays spokesman confirms a number of groups have pitched for a revamp of its ‘visual identity guidelines’, though he would not specify names.

Interbrand would not comment on any pitch, but a spokeswoman confirmed the group has ‘an on-going relationship’ with Barclays. The group designed the current Barclays identity.

Wolff Olins is believed to have declined the opportunity to make a formal pitch. WMH confirmed its involvement, but would not make further comments.

A Fitch London spokesman confirmed it pitched for the work and is no longer ‘in the running’.