Month: August 2001

Brought to book over Pringle

Marketing Week

I was pleased to see that you devoted your editorial to the views of the incoming director-general of the IPA, Hamish Pringle (MW last week). You may choose to describe his vision as “slightly paranoid” in outlining the challenges facing the communications industry, by defining them as “enemies”. Perhaps he was trying to instil a […]

TV companies force RAB retraction

Marketing Week

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) has admitted making an embarrassing “inadvertent misrepresentation” when it said that people are spending more hours listening to radio than watching TV when it released the Rajar figures two weeks ago. The RAB back-tracked on its claim after Carlton Media Sales chief executive Martin Bowley fired off letters to media […]

Norweb and Eastern to be merged as TXU Energi

Marketing Week

Energy retailer TXU Europe has decided to ditch its Norweb Energi and Eastern Energy brands and integrate the two businesses under the new brand name of TXU Energi. TXU Energi, the new national consumer brand, will be unveiled through a national television and press campaign later this year, created by TXU’s agency Roose & Partners. […]

£70m MSN ‘leading online media owner’ campaign

Marketing Week

MSN, Microsoft’s Web portal, has announced a $100m (£70m) global campaign to promote itself as the leading online media owner. The initiative – MSN Advantage Marketing – was unveiled last week by MSN vice-president Richard Bray. He described it as a “formalised worldwide programme for MSN’s digital marketing, focused on delivering comprehensive products, technology and […]

Innogy scraps its Yorkshire Electricity brand

Marketing Week

Power group Innogy, the parent company of npower, is planning to scrap the Yorkshire Electricity brand and integrate the business with the npower brand. The regional brand, which was acquired by Innogy in February this year, will be phased out over an unspecified period. It is unclear whether Yorkshire Electricity’s advertising agency Rapier, will retain […]

Andrex ads to focus on price cuts

Marketing Week

Kimberly-Clark (K-C) is launching a radical advertising campaign for its premium toilet tissue brand Andrex, that for the first time will mention the fact that it has reduced its prices. The new discount message is part of an advertising blitz for the “improved” toilet paper, but will not mark the end of its “soft, strong […]

Lowe Live wins £3m RBS Shell Visa brief

Marketing Week

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has appointed Lowe Live to the £3m below-the-line advertising account for the Shell Visa card, RBS’ joint venture with oil giant Shell. Lowe Live pitched against incumbent Tequila, Ping and Miller Bainbridge. Tequila has held the work since the card was launched in October1999. The move strengthens the relationship between […]

Renault employs banner ad parody in new Clio campaign

Marketing Week

Renault this week begins the second phase of its “Va Va Voom” online campaign for the Clio – with a banner ad that parodies the apparent ineffectiveness of online advertising. The integrated onand offline campaign was created by Publicis, with media buying by Carat Interactive. Renault hopes the campaign will continue building awareness in the […]