Ross seeks agency for 2m drive

Ross Vegetable Products, part of the United Biscuits frozen and chilled division, is talking to agencies about a 2m campaign for its ethnic cuisine brand, Oriental Express.

Barry Hannington, managing director of the business unit, refuses to say if he is looking outside the company roster, which includes Cowan Kelmsley Taylor, Leo Burnett, Mellors Reay & Partners and Publicis.

He explains: “We have not decided which way we are going yet. We have got a plan. We are having discussions with one or two agencies.”

The Oriental Express range, launched in 1985 under the Ross Stir Fry Ready Meals label, includes frozen Chinese and Indian ready meals and vegetable mixes.

According to a UB spokesman, the brand has not received TV support for about two years, when Mellors Reay produced a campaign. The execution featured a scene in an Oriental market which reverted to a freezer containing the products.

Amoy,the Chinese food brand from BE International Foods which is a rival to Oriental Express, ran a TV campaign this summer for its frozen Dim Sum ranges featuring a Kung Fu-kicking granny.