EA overhauls marketing department

Computer games giant Electronic Arts (EA) is searching for a European consumer marketing director and an advertising director following an overhaul of the company’s marketing team.

The marketing rejig has been instigated by Jan Bolz, who was appointed to the newly created position of vice-president for sales and marketing in Europe last year (MW October 16, 2003).

As part of the overhaul, European director for consumer marketing Al King has voluntarily left the company. King, who was previously UK marketing director for EA, says he is in talks to a number of organisations about joining at a “senior marketing level”.

The company is understood to be close to appointing a successor to King from the marketing team at entertainment giant Disney, although no announcement has been made. King’s successor will hold the title of European marketing communications director.

Bolz is also understood to have created a new creative and advertising director position for Europe to help reposition the company as a mainstream entertainment brand, rather than purely a games publisher.

The company has See Advertising, formerly Odiorne Wilde Narraway & Partners, and Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam on its creative roster, while MediaCom handles media duties.

The company is to launch a &£1m television, print and radio ad campaign at the beginning of May to support the launch of UEFA Euro 2004. The campaign will feature football star Ronaldinho and carry the tagline: “He won’t be playing. You will.”