Former Sega European marketing and product director Barry Jafrato has been appointed as managing director of Hasbro’s interactive arm – launched in the UK late last year. Jafrato left Sega in January after the company announced its plans to axe staff and merge its European and UK management. He was previously international director of the […]
TSB and British Gas are talking to advertising agencies about a 10m launch campaign for a co-branded credit card. Chris Moss, former marketing director for mobile phone company Orange, is acting as a consultant to TSB. He has drawn up a shortlist thought to include TSB’s agency D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Duckworth Finn Grubb […]
The Diary was interested to receive an invitation for the launch of Barker’s Liquid Gold, an alcoholic cola from Cott, which is marketed by Merrydown. The invitation promised a feast of Canadiana, and the Diary was expecting at least a performance from Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, or a few words from Canadian actor William Shatner, […]
Publicis has won the 2m Scholl Consumer Products UK account with a brief to create a younger, more modern image for the brand. The agency won the account in a three-way pitch against Saatchi & Saatchi and Grey Advertising. The account was formerly held by Woollams Moira Gaskin O’Malley until the agency was wound up […]
I was surprised by Alan Mitchell’s comments in his column: “Pepsi still losing the Cola wars.” He perceives there to be no clear explanation for Pepsi’s decision to replace the 12- year-old “New Generation” slogan. Surely the explanation is that Pepsi needs to continue developing to keep Coca-Cola off balance. If we consider the UK, […]
I enjoyed Iain Murray’s article “Vice-girls commune with Nature” (MW April 5) immensely. I thought it was hilarious. I have walked thousands of miles on country walks and unluckily have never been propositioned. Please come clean, pardon the expression. This was your April Fool joke to the drinking classes of Soho, surely? Brian Hurst Hampton […]
Sunday Business, Tom Rubython’s new national business newspaper, starts a 3m launch campaign this Friday with a burst of national TV advertising under the strap- line Business Was Never Like This. The newspaper’s launch issue is out this Sunday (April 21). The TV launch, created by Arc Advertising, will be followed by a national 96- […]
Granada Sky Broadcasting has appointed Ann Cook as marketing director, with responsibility for co-ordinating the launch of eight cable and satellite channels in October. Cook, former head of marketing at TCC, was behind the repositioning of the children’s channel when it was renamed and rebranded with a new on and off-screen style. She will oversee […]
Anheuser-Busch is launching red beer – one of the fastest growing sectors in the US beer market – into the UK. Roscoe’s Red – the Anheuser brand – is brewed in the US using roasted barley to give it a red colour. It has an alcoholic strength of five per cent proof and will be […]
Drugs giants are obliged by industry rules to give their conferences an educational slant. So how do they grab medics’ attention?
Weetabix has appointed Spillers marketing manager Tony Corps to take charge of the 14m advertising budget, ten months after former ad chief Colin Morley quit. Marketing manager Morley was known to be unhappy about the company’s strategy (MW July 7 1995). Weetabix is having to defend its market share against multinational competitor Kellogg, which has […]
If Bass’ takeover of Carlsberg-Tetley goes through, it will control more than 40 per cent of the beer market and realise its dream of becoming the UK’s top brewer. But the company’s marketing team would be left to make some tough decisions, wi
The Guinness-owned United Distillers UK has raided holiday company First Choice to recruit its new managing director Peter Phillipson. He succeeds Gerd Biedenbacher, who left the company in February and returned to Germany for personal reasons, according to UD (MW March 8). Sources suggest Biedenbacher left following disagreement over the sales strategy for Bell’s whisky, […]
BSkyB’s Philip Ley believes he has spotted a niche for an agency able to respond in fast-moving markets. But can the man credited with the success of Sky and Sega succeed in the cut-throat agency world?
Co-operative Retail Services claims groceries suppliers are refusing to deal with its Leos, Pioneer and Lo Cost supermarkets in protest at major in-store price cuts. CRS claims some suppliers of cut-price brands – including Anchor Butter – are either refusing to supply the chain, or are increasing prices on re-orders to stop CRS making continued […]