TBWA\C\D Fails to Make Diet Pepsi Cut

NEW YORK TBWA\Chiat\Day has been eliminated from the review for the creative portion of Diet Pepsi’s ad account, sources said.

The estimated $35 million account, handled by Omnicom Group’s BBDO in New York since 1964, was placed in review in September. Omnicom shops BBDO, TBWA\C\D in Playa del Rey, Calif., and DDB in New York were invited to present ideas, the client confirmed last week.

Presentations began on Monday and concluded on Wednesday, according to a source, and TBWA\C\D was eliminated Thursday. Sources said the West Coast shop was included in the review because Pepsi executives hit it off with chief creative officer Lee Clow when they began working with him in the summer on the Pepsi/iTunes promotion. The agency declined to comment.

Sources said BBDO’s presentation was led by North America chief creative officer David Lubars. DDB’s presentation was led by that office’s top creative, Lee Garfinkel.

Those two shops will be asked to present additional ideas on the brand, whose current advertising tagline is “It’s the diet cola,” sources said.

No meeting dates have yet been set between the two agencies and Pepsi executives, sources said. Last week, Pepsi reps said it had not been determined if the account would move if the winning idea came from an agency besides BBDO.

BBDO executives referred calls to the Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo. A rep for the client declined to comment.