M&C Saatchi has launched a coffee war ad campaign that puts Brad Pitt up against friend and rival George Clooney.

Pitt is the new face of Italian brand De’Longhi, going head-to-head with Clooney and Nespresso.

That was just one client win of several in the half-year that see the Soho firm bounce back from a tough two years that included an accounting scandal and a management overhaul.

Revenues jumped 15% to £171 million, profit soared from £2 million to £10.5 million.

That’s a “key turning point” according to CEO Moray MacLennan, who was also relieved to see M&C retained by the government, its biggest UK client.

“M&C is back to growth,” he said, and Soho is showing at least signs of life. There are around 200 people regularly in the London office, about a third of the total.

Clients have a “renewed belief in advertising” as they seek to build away from Covid.

The Pitt work is the first global ad for De’Longhi. Clooney has been advertising Nespresso since 2006.

M&C shares moved up 5p to 151p.

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