Bass has created a new division, Bass Beers Worldwide Spain, to distribute and market its brands in Spain. The company hopes to double sales of the nine beers it markets in the country – which include Carling, Caffrey’s and Tennent’s – within five years.

The Spanish Treasury has asked agencies to pitch for Ptas 3,500m (21.5m) worth of advertising to support the sale to the public of government bonds during 1999. Advertising will be mainly on TV.

Bodegas García Carriòn, the Spanish drinks marketer, has launched a Ptas 300m (1.2m) campaign directly comparing its Don Simòn fresh fruit juice brand to the concentrate Minute Maid, jointly marketed by Coca-Cola and Danone.

Jacobs, the coffee brand, has introduced a new umbrella brand in Germany. Named Jacobs Café Zauber (‘coffee magic’), the brand covers a range of nine speciality blends. Advertising support is through J Walter Thompson.

Marie Brizard, the French drinks company, is to concentrate marketing support behind its Marie Brizard, Pulco and Sirop Sport brands and sell off its Sidou sparkling wines and Cidou fruit juices brands. The decision follows a review by OC&C Strategy Consultants.

Econy, the German business magazine pulled by its publisher Manager Magazin after just two issues, is to be bought out by its management on August 1.

Fieraimpresa and Expo2000, two Italian exhibition firms, are to organise a trade fair dedicated to sports merchandising. Called Supporter Expogoal, the event will take place from September 10 to 14 in Turin.

OWM, the German advertiser association, is warning the country’s TV stations over what it sees as an excessive rise in the cost of advertising space. Prices at private channels such as RTL were 20 per cent higher during the first quarter of 1998 than at the same time the previous year.

Rinascente, the Italian department store operator, has bought an initial 25 per cent stake in Colmark, a supermarket operator in northern Italy. The stake will eventually be extended to full ownership through a share issue.

Spain’s self-regulatory advertising authority, AAP, has protested at suggestions by CMT, the country’s telecommunications watchdog, that advertising campaigns for phone companies should be vetted before airing. CMT considers that excessive amounts are being spent on advertising, leading to a distortion of free competition.