Month: November 1995

Directory publishers are no longer prepared to be treated as outcasts – especially as they believe they are at the forefront of new technology. Martin Croft reports

Christmas 1995 promises to be a lean season for TV sales operations, with latest estimates suggesting the ITV market could end the year three per cent down on December 1994. Although business has picked up since the beginning of this month – November revenue is expected to be 145m – December estimates remain sketchy, with […]

NHS Loto operator Pascal bought by company planning to put real muscle into national roll-out

Britain’s royal soap opera topped the ratings on Monday night when 23 million viewers tuned in for Princess Diana’s interview on Panorama. The programme’s live overnight rating of 22.9 million viewers beat the BBC’s debut National Lottery programme, which had 20.17 million viewers in November last year. On ITV on Monday night Cracker started with […]

Much-lambasted pan-European advertising has come into its own. Its creative quality ensures a single ad can embrace several cultures without detracting from the brand, says John Shannon. John Shannon is president of Grey International.

Dominic Owens, Advertising and design manager at the Prudential

The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa has mobilised an international coalition of pressure groups which aims to force Shell out of Nigeria. But how successful will it be and what can Shell do about it?

Alcan Consumer Products, maker of Bacofoil, is reviewing its account for the first time in six years. The company has shortlisted Leagas Delaney, First City BBDO, Ware Anthony Rust and incumbent Willox Holmes & Law to pitch for its 1.2m account. A decision is expected before Christmas. Bacofoil product manager Caroline Spencer says: “We have […]

Media Research does not exactly have a swashbuckling reputation. It is the one part of advertising that is just too close to accountancy to be sexy and no one ever remembers a media researcher getting caught either with their pants down or boozed up. So it was with surprise that the Barcelona constabulary found themselves […]

People all over the country are behaving antisocially, laying the blame for their misdemeanors on malevolent spirits

Gloom about the economy is causing media analysts to downgrade their predictions of advertisers’ spend for this year and next. Spend will slow down next year to a predicted growth rate of 6.9 per cent, according to Carat Research. This compares to the 7.2 per cent growth expected for this year, and last year’s growth […]

Warner Bros Consumer Products (UK) would like to point out that it had no involvement in the article “Team Saatchi picks up Card Call’s UK launch” (MW October 27) and that any views printed about the card’s planned use do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff at Warner Bros. Ray Rohrbach Promotions manager Warner […]

MGM Cinemas managing director Mike Sommers is one of the first casualties of the chain’s July takeover by Virgin, it was revealed this week. Sommers will work a further two months as a consultant and then leave to set up his own marketing operation. Virgin bought MGM Cinemas in partnership with other investors for 195m, […]

I must take issue with the reporting on GQ’s plans, as imagined by your correspondent (MW November 17). GQ has never competed with Loaded magazine. Loaded is a great magazine, but it is aimed at a totally different readership to that of GQ. It would be crazy for GQ to lower its sights to compete […]

I was surprised at the comments expressed by David Stubley of Channel 4 in your telemarketing feature “Call or nothing” (MW October 27). Automated call handling gives advertisers far more scope when buying airtime and allows the use of peak-time ITV. We recently supported a major holiday promotion and achieved an 86 per cent conversion […]