Ex-McDonald’s marketer joins Ladbrokes

Gambling company Ladbrokes is to appoint ex-McDonald’s marketer Chris Edgington to lead its retail marketing team.

Edgington, who is to be retail marketing director, replaces Paul Hilburn, who left the company earlier this year (MW September 11). It is not known whether Hilburn had a job to go to.

Previously, Edgington held various marketing positions at McDonald’s and has spent time working as a marketing consultant. He will be head of Ladbrokes’ retail division, which involves responsibility for about 2,000 stores across the UK. Keith Oliver remains marketing director for Ladbrokes’ online business.

Edgington will be charged with taking the company through the forthcoming gambling deregulation, which will relax the rules on when and where gambling can take place.

One of the first decisions to be made by Edgington will concern the retail division’s agency. The company has used ex-Bates agency 141 on the business, but its position is unclear since its absorption by Ogilvy & Mather this year.

Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB, which handles the advertising for Ladbrokes’ online business, has been asked to pitch for a branding project against an undisclosed number of agencies (MW last week).