Department for Transport Re-appoints VMLY&R London as Creative Agency of Record

VMLY&R London has retained the highly impactful Department for Transport account after a competitive pitch.

The re-appointment will see VMLY&R as strategic and creative agency of record for the Department for Transport and its sub-brands which include THINK! and ‘it’s everyone’s journey’, as well as wider policy initiatives when required.

The pitch, which took place over two months, focused on reducing the use of handheld mobile phones at the wheel and is expected to be a campaign priority for 2021.

VMLY&R has handled the Department for Transport account since 2017, producing award-winning work such as The Road Whisperer and Pint Block. Since VMLY&R was first appointed, the Department for Transport’s campaigns have resulted in:

• 38% of public transport users taking action to improve accessibility for disabled people - a result of the inclusive transport campaign ‘it’s everyone’s journey’.
• An 11% increase in the proportion of young men agreeing they would intervene to stop a friend drink driving - the most significant positive shift in young men’s attitudes to drink driving in more than a decade - showcasing the success of the ‘Mates Matter’ strategy VMLY&R established in 2017.
• A 10 percentage point decrease in the number of young men saying it’s easy to find themselves driving above the speed limit when in a hurry.

Laurent Simon, chief creative officer at VMLY&R said: “I was unfortunate enough to have two road accidents when I was a teenager, one on a bike and one driving a car. I was extremely lucky to survive them both and, to this day, it remains a matter that sits very close to my heart. It’s a real privilege to have the incredible confidence and trust from the Department for Transport renewed for all that we do. Our sleeves are rolled up already – we can’t wait to continue our important work to drive positive change with these life-saving and life-improving brands”.

The pitch was handled by the Crown Commercial Service and was open to all agencies on Lot 1 of the Campaign Solutions Framework, with three agencies going head-to-head in the final stage, including VMLY&R. As per all government work, anticipated campaigns are subject to Cabinet Office approval.