SLOUGH--Bell Pottinger has won the keenly-contested pitch to reinvigorate Research in Motion’s BlackBerry smartphone range across UK and EMEA.

The result means the end of Hotwire’s seven-year incumbency on the account. It is understood that the Bell Pottinger team will be led by Good Relations and also comprise elements from sister agencies Harvard PR and Sans Frontieres.

A source within the Bell Pottinger Group said that Good Relations’ experience handling Nokia helped it clinch the assignment, in a final round of pitching versus Blue Rubicon. Earlier this year the Holmes Report revealed that Good Relations had been dropped from Nokia’s global PR review.

“It’s a good replacement for the Nokia business that Good Relations lost,” said the source, referring to the estimated fees of £250,000 attached to the Blackberry account.

The business covers technology and B2B PR. Frank and Edelman, which handle consumer and digital, respectively, are unaffected.

The Holmes Report revealed last month that Blackberry had called the pitch, after initiating talks with agencies as early as the summer of 2010. As many as six firms took part in the eventual review.