GUINNESS Ireland has, for the first time, awarded its lucrative stout advertising account to a foreign company. The account, which is worth an estimated £5 million a year, has been awarded to the London based firm Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury and Partners (HHCL).

Dublin agency Bell Advertising which created the most recent Guinness advertising campaign, won the account on a temporary basis in March, but had hoped to make the arrangement permanent.

A spokesman for Guinness Ireland said the decision to give the account to a British firm should not be viewed as a poor reflection on Irish agencies. Guinness was looking for particular concepts and ideas to suit the stout brand, and HHCL best suited the brief, he added.

Guinness Ireland operated a "roster of agencies" for it brands which includes Irish firms such as Peter Owens, McConnell's, Irish International land Arks, the spokesman said.

HHCL is one of the fastest growing advertising agencies in London and has large clients such as Fuji, Mercury, Tango, Martini, and Pot Noodle. A Guinness spokesman said the group had been struck by HHCL's understanding of how the stout brand could be developed through a co-ordinated campaign. Its first series of Guinness advertisements should on Irish television screens in October.

Bell, a subsidiary of the British group Ogilvy and Mat her which handles Guinness advertising in Britain, was one of a number of British and Irish agencies which pitched for the account but lost out to HHCL.

Bell managing director, Mr Richard Strahan, said the company was disappointed to lose the account, but was delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Guinness in the first place. "It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all," he added.

HHCL partner, Mr Chris Satterthwaite, said the company was very proud" to have been selected to handle the account. "The Guinness stout brand has a dynamic role in the Irish market like no other brand I can think of... comparisons of what Coke is to the USA or what Sony is to Japan are relevant," he added.

Guinness said HHCL was awarded the contract "after a review of the advertising requirements for the Guinness stout brand through to the next millennium". A wide range of advertising agencies here and overseas were considered, but HHCL's concepts "best fitted the needs of the brand in its current stage of development", according to Guinness.

Bell is responsible for the current Guinness advertising campaign which uses the slogan "Not Everything in Black and White Makes Sense" and is contracted to continue its work for the brewery until October. "Obviously we are disappointed that the business is leaving our shores... but we had a good crack at it and we enjoyed it," Mr Strahan said.

Bell took over the Guinness stout account from Arks, which had held it for more than 20 years. Arks produced a wide range of campaigns for Guinness, including the famous Anticipation advertisement which featured actor Joe McKinney dancing around his pint as he waited for it to settle.

Guinness's new agency, HHCL, is probably best known for its series of advertisements for the soft drink Tango, in which a semi naked fat man sneaks up on unsuspecting individuals and shouts "You know when you've been Tangoed". The action is then replayed in slow motion while former soccer star Ray Wilkins gives an "expert" commentary.