Dollond & Aitchison rethink creates first marketing head

Optician chain Dollond & Aitchison has created the new role of head of marketing in a major marketing rethink.

Carol McLaughlin will take on the new position, with responsibility for the &£4m advertising account held by Lowe-Lintas & Partners. She joined from HFC Beneficial Bank as head of direct marketing a year ago.

McLaughlin will also handle point-of-sale and promotions work, and retain responsibility for DM.

She reports to D&A commercial director Alisdair Luxmore, who was previously in charge of advertising.

The move comes as the chain, which has achieved huge recognition for ad campaigns featuring Hollywood stars Burt Reynolds and George Hamilton, is rethinking its ad strategy.

The company is to drop ITV from its media schedule in favour of longer-term partnerships with Channel 4, Channel 5 and satellite stations. It will also embark on what it calls a “drip-drip” strategy, in which ad campaigns will run throughout the year rather than in concentrated bursts over a couple of weeks.

Luxmore says: “In line with this strategy, this year will see a new 20-second TV commercial – featuring Hamilton – to support D&A’s new product range.”

Lowe-Lintas created the ad, having decided to continue working on the account following the merger of Lowe Lintas and Ammirati Puris Lintas in February. APL previously handled the &£11m Vision Express business, which has since gone to Ogilvy & Mather.