Becks Expected to Go to Burnett

CHICAGO–Labatt USA is expected to award the $10 million U.S. Becks Beer account to Leo Burnett, sources said. Labatt parent Interbrew of Norwalk, Conn., acquired the Becks brand in a deal that closed in February.

A client representative had confirmed the review based on that acquisition last month [Adweek Online, March 7]. The business had been handled by Saatchi & Saatchi in New York. Sources indicated the award may be part of a larger global consolidation. Burnett handles Interbrew brands Bergen Beer and Bass in parts of Europe. For the German market, Interbrew will continue to work with its current agency, J. Walter Thompson.

Labatt officials did not return phone calls; Saatchi and Burnett officials declined comment.

Prior to the acquisition, spending on Beck’s was just over $7 million last year, according to CMR.