FCB is looking to buy a UK advertising agency and is talking to a handful of London shops. Brendan Ryan, president and chief executive of FCB Worldwide, says: “It is no secret that we are talking to a number of agencies. We want to buy in London, but nothing is imminent.” He refuses to name […]
Gillette-owned dental products company, Oral-B, has moved its 2m advertising business out of Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO and into Lowe Howard-Spink after a realignment of the business out of BBDO in the US. Kate Earl, brand manager for Oral-B in the UK says: “We were happy with the work AMV was doing for us, but it […]
The Express is testing a new TV branding campaign in the north of England called “Express Yourself”. The ad, which is being shown in the Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Border and Granada TV regions, has been created by Leo Burnett with media through IDK. If the campaign successfully encourages new readers to sample the newspaper, it […]
We hear the ads for the British Sporting Heroes photographic exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery are giving cause for concern. The posters, for the exhibition which begins on Friday, show a number of the UK’s sporting great and good. One features Will Carling, who currently labours under the sobriquet “Love Rat” after leaving his […]
Somerfield/Kwik Save is locked in an advertising war with Asda over the prices of their budget brands. This week Somerfield, which merged with Kwik Save in February, launched press ads claiming its Basics brand is the “UK’s lowest priced budget range”. But last month the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint from Kwik Save that […]
With one exception, UK Gold, the world of pay-TV in Britain has been dominated by a single brand, Sky. But from next month, just as the switch to digital starts to gather momentum, that will change. Another powerful name, backed by a substantial terrestrial broadcaster, will launch into pay-TV, aiming to tap into a market […]
Brand manufacturers should be deeply disturbed by the disclosure – straight from the horse’s mouth during a recent Marketing Week conference – that Sainsbury’s has every intention of widely distributing own-label products outside its own supermarket stores. Previously, all the supermarket chain would admit to was a limited plan offering some of its products through […]
Sara Lee desserts will return to TV after a five-year break with an eight- week campaign by Banks Hoggins O’Shea. The ads use a temptation theme and aim to build on the sense of indulgence created by eating Sara Lee desserts. TV commercials use the strapline ‘No one needs Sara Lee’. BHO planning director John […]
Gary Haigh, Guinness brands portfolio director and former Pizza Hut marketing head, is to become the new marketing director of Guinness in Great Britain. Haigh takes over responsibility for Guinness, Guinness Extra Cold, Harp, Kilkenny, Pilsner Urquell and Enigma. He replaces Julian Spooner, who has been promoted to operations director on the board of Guinness […]
Great Universal Stores (GUS) has handed its 6m TV planning and buying account to The Media Business. The account covers the company’s main catalogue brands, Great Universal, Kays, and Choice. The agency won the account in a pitch against Universal McCann Manchester and London incumbent Conquest. The pitch was conducted by GUS marketing director John […]
I have always had a suspicion that, in May last year, Gordon Brown’s initiative as new Chancellor to pass control of interest rates to the Bank of England had less to do with a radical commitment to central bank independence and everything to do with political expedience. Call me a cynic, but I believe that, […]
It used to be timeshare salesman and hard-sell double-glaziers whose underhand tactics raised the ire of market researchers and respectable direct marketers. More recently, the Labour Party – and even some of the more noble charities – have stood accused of “selling under guise” or “sugging”. The charge: that they have widely circulated what at […]
People in the fashion industry are not known for their unassuming ways and, when they get together with the less than gentle souls of the advertising world, egos tend to clash – a fact which has led many fashion companies to create their own ad campaigns. However, fashion house Paul Smith’s search for an agency […]
Asda is launching a price-cutting attack on the toy market this week, offering leading toy brands – including Barbie, Fisher Price and Lego – at half price. The supermarket chain claims to have 16m worth of stock earmarked for the “toy sale”, which will run for two weeks from tomorrow (Thursday) to kick-start the crucial […]
Britvic Soft Drinks has reshuffled its board, prompting the departure of two directors and the appointment of a new head of operations. The company, which is majority owned by brewing and hotel giant Bass, has appointed Jonathan Duck from Bass Leisure Retail as operations director. The post was previously held by Ed Hinchliffe, who has […]