Beattie named as Castrol European marketing head
Former Birds Eye Iglo marketer Andy Beattie has resurfaced at BP oil brand Castrol as its European marketing director, following his abrupt exit from the frozen foods company in September last year.
In his new role as Castrol’s top marketer, Beattie will be expected to leverage the brand’s partnership with the FIFA World Cup, in the run-up to the tournament in South Africa in 2010.
The FIFA World Cup deal, which lasts until 2014, represents the largest sponsorship deal Castrol has struck in its 100-year history. It follows the brand’s successful sponsorship of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.
It is believed to be Beattie’s first role since he left Birds Eye in September, after less than a year in his post as marketing director.
It is understood that Beattie had been sidelined by Birds Eye chief executive and former PepsiCo UK president Martin Glenn.
He is thought to have played little part in the brand’s advertising and media reviews, which saw the £15m media account move from MindShare to Carat, and the advertising business shift out of Bartle Bogle Hegarty into Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO.
Birds Eye later drafted in Heinz UK commercial director Ben Pearman to replace Beattie.
His departure from Birds Eye was swiftly followed by that of Caroline Drummond, the brand’s marketing manager of communications. Both Beattie and Drummond were part of the Birds Eye marketing team when the brand was owned by Unilever.
Beattie, then vice-president of brand development for frozen food at Unilever, moved with the brand when it was sold to private equity company Permira for £1.1bn in October 2006.
