NEW YORK VisitBritain, the official tourism organization of Great Britain, has named Green Team to handle its three-year, nearly $1 million per annum advertising account, the agency said.

The New York agency's first work will be VisitBritain's 2005 spring campaign, the largest annual effort that will be backed by more than $1.25 million. Most of the spend will be dedicated to online advertising, supplemented by a mix of traditional media and direct mail marketing. The tourism authority advertises in spring to create awareness for Britain in advance of the summer months, the most popular time to travel to England among Americans, said Simon Mills, client director of marketing.

The account had been with The Wolf Group, but was put into review in January before that shop folded. In 2003, VisitBritain used "The time, never better. The deals, never sweeter. The U.S. and Britain, never closer" as a tagline.

Green Team remains agency of record for VisitScotland. To manage the new account, the shop has recruited Mark Schmitter as VisitBritain account director. Schmitter previously held the same position at Wolf, VisitBritain's advertising agency until it closed in February.

Green Team executive vice president Milton Kapelus said in a statement, "Our goal is to ensure that Britain, and its components of England, London, Scotland and Wales, solidifies its appeal as the European destination of choice in the U.S."