The Royal British Legion has appointed RKCR/Y&R to develop its brand positioning and a new advertising campaign for the Poppy Appeal in an effort to attract younger donors.

The agency won the pitch following a three-way competition involving BMB and M&C Saatchi, and have taken the account from Royal British Legion’s long-time agency The Gate.

A spokeswoman for the Legion said that the charity was not planning to rebrand, and that more details about the new campaign and positioning will come to light later in the year.

In its future communications and branding, the charity is likely to emphasise that the money raised by the Poppy Appeal goes to support serving military and veterans of contemporary wars.

RKCR/Y&R managing director Rupert Williams said: “Most people who buy a poppy don’t know where their money really goes. If they knew that most of it goes towards supporting today’s injured servicemen, then the Poppy Appeal would gain greater relevance to a wider audience, in particular younger people, and increase donations.”

The spokeswoman for the Legion said figures for last year’s Poppy Appeal will not be revealed until the charity releases its annual accounts in September.