Mills & Allen to challenge Adshel with ‘super six’ poster site roll out

Mills & Allen has made a major strategic decision to move into a new poster size, allowing it to compete head on with Adshel in the six-sheet market for the first time.

The company is to invest about 1m this year in the development of its “super six” poster size. Super sixes are 1.8m by 1.2m posters, bigger, but in direct proportion to six-sheets, allowing advertisers to use the same copy.

Since 1995, the company has been testing the size, which is popular in France, on 60 sites in London. This year it plans to build 250 super sixes across the country in major connurbations. The first 250 sites will be sold as a package and development of more sites will continue in following years.

“The quality of super sixes allows us to tap into six-sheet advertisers,” says David Pugh, commercial director of Mills & Allen. “The success in London has encouraged us to expand the network. We have already picked up magazine advertisers, such as perfume companies, films and record companies.”

Advertising on six-sheets has grown faster than for the general outdoor market.

Adshel estimates revenue growth last year of nearly 25 per cent, compared with about 15 per cent for outdoor generally.

M&A is also expanding its 96-sheet package in London, Capital Twins, by adding 50 new sites to the package.

David McEvoy, M&A’s mark eting manager, has been promoted to marketing director with responsibility for marketing and product development.