Free-pitch by a charity makes one critic fume

Last year I vowed that I would never write another letter about pitching, but your coverage of the creative pitch for No Smoking Day (DW 28 February) has driven me back again.

“A rejection fee of 250 was paid to consultancies for ideas not used.” The fact that the client was a charity cannot justify this level of rejection fee. After all, looking at it the other way round, getting four groups to virtually free-pitch is not exactly charitable.

But then again, how can we blame clients for this sort of behaviour if they can find consultancies who are prepared to do it? The real bottom line is how are we ever going to convince clients of the value of design if we are prepared to give our work away?

I think I’ll start smoking again!

Alan Coley

Light & Coley

London SW6