The volkswagen Dealers Association of British Columbia has picked Moreland & Associates of Vancouver to handle advertising for its 22-member group.

The assignment is estimated between $500,000 and $750,000.

Runner up was Palmer Jarvis Advertising, with three other Vancouver agencies – Equity Communications, Kossick Communications and Lanyon Phillips Brink – also making pitches.

Montreal-based consultant Jean-Claude Duclos has been setting up provincial dealer groups for Volkswagen Canada and orchestrating the agency searches.

Duclos has been offering the dealers a short-list of agencies that gives the option of a full-service agency or a combination of creative or promotional shop with a media buying agency.

So far the new associations have all chosen full-service shops.

The process began last fall with Palm Publicite of Montreal picking up the $2.2-million Quebec dealers assignment.

Last month, Kert Advertising of Toronto was the winner of the $1.2-million account for the newly formed 53-member Ontario Volkswagen Dealers Association.

Short-listed were Ian Roberts Advertising, Prism Communications, Deacon Day Advertising, Gee Jeffery & Partners Advertising, The Quarto Group and Media Buying Services.

All but Quarto, of Peterborough, Ont., are Toronto agencies.

Since the Maritime provinces have had an association in place for some time, the dealers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are next to be reorganized.

Duclos says a review for the $500,000 account will likely begin in July.