Freeserve has accused arch-rival AOL of “peddling wild and extravagant claims”, as the battle to be the UK’s number one Internet service provider (ISP) hots up again. Freeserve chief executive John Pluthero slammed AOL, while announcing his own company’s “strengthened position” as market leader. He says: “Given that AOL has been sanctioned by the Advertising […]
You like sex. You work in marketing, so that’s a given. But where do you like to do it? The sex, that is. If you’re anything like the women in a recent survey by carmaker Toyota, you like nothing better than a bunk up in the back of a motor. A whopping 68 per cent […]
The Diary has noticed something rather disturbing. Slowly but surely our glorious leader Anthony Blair is morphing into everyone’s (someone’s? Anyone’s) favourite ageing magician, Paul Daniels. No longer is Blair the pouting, luxuriously coiffed young Turk who came to power in 1997. As his hair recedes, his ears become even more prominent and as his […]
FCB, WCRS breakaway shop steals chunk of mobile phone brand’s ad business from AMV.BBDO
Tesco has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Procter & Gamble to launch its up-market Physique haircare brand in the UK.
Virgin Trains executive commercial director Mark Furlong is to take the same post at online rail booking operation Thetrainline.com. The move creates a husband and wife marketing team, as his wife Louise Furlong is already marketing director of the online joint venture, which is owned by Virgin and Stagecoach. He will be replaced at Virgin […]
There’s going to be a lot of heifers around London this year. No, the Roly Polys aren’t reforming – CowParade is coming to town. From June, the capital will be full of life-size model cows, painted and decorated by celebrities. Artists include Des Lynam (cow with bushy moustache wearing tweed jacket), Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (cow covered […]
Energy regulator Ofgem and consumer watchdog Energywatch are at loggerheads over the number of complaints about the high-pressure selling techniques, including direct selling, used by energy providers. According to Ofgem, the number of complaints is decreasing. Energywatch insists that such complaints are on the rise. Energywatch is planning to launch a consumer campaign on January […]
Procter & Gamble has shifted its £7.9m UK Clairol haircare business out of Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB and into Leo Burnett and Grey Worldwide, London.
Reckitt Benckiser plans to axe its air freshener product Air Wick and merge it into the Haze brand, in what appears to be a second phase of a product portfolio rationalisation. Last year, the household goods company announced its decision to axe its Dettox cleaning brand, a rival to Unilever’s Domestos and Cif. Dettox, which […]
Legoland Windsor has appointed Leah Kalboussi as sales and marketing director.
There’s going to be a lot of heifers around London this year. No, the Roly Polys aren’t reforming – CowParade is coming to town. From June, the capital will be full of life-size model cows, painted and decorated by celebrities. Artists include Des Lynam (cow with bushy moustache wearing tweed jacket), Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (cow covered […]
Energy regulator Ofgem and consumer watchdog Energywatch are at loggerheads over the number of complaints about the high-pressure selling techniques, including direct selling, used by energy providers. According to Ofgem, the number of complaints is decreasing. Energywatch insists that such complaints are on the rise. Energywatch is planning to launch a consumer campaign on January […]
The US hasn’t got a monopoly on pastiche and parody. On this side of the Atlantic it’s the established church that’s become a theme park sideshow
Sportswear company Puma has promoted its European marketing director, Paul Gautier, to the new position of global head of marketing. The move is part of a global management restructure at Puma, which has also resulted in international marketing director Tony Bertone being promoted to global brand director. Gautier, who will report to Bertone, has been […]