The western extension of London’s congestion charge zone is to be abolished following a public consultation led by Mayor Boris Johnson. The move is expected to be welcomed by retailers such as Harrods and Harvey Nichols, which will be excluded from the zone. Johnson says that the charge was scrapped because “the majority” of Londoners […]
Suso, the carbonated drinks brand, has launched a campaign to find new creative ideas it is willing to fund. The initiative, called The Suso Project, will see it provide grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 to help fund the best ideas. As part of the campaign, Suso has created a website, www.susoproject.com (pictured), to showcase […]
Aegis Group chief executive Robert Lerwill is stepping down after almost four years in the role. The chairman, John Napier, will take on his responsibilities on an interim basis. He is due to leave the group at the end of the month. It is not known if he has a job to go to. He […]
Procter & Gamble has bought a 1% stake in online retailer Ocado for 5m. It is the first time the consumer goods giant has invested in a retail business.
Nokia is to stop selling its mobile phones in Japan, except its luxury brand Vertu (pictured). The move comes after the company has struggled to expand its presence in the country. The company has made the decision despite NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest mobile phone operator, including the new Nokia smartphone in its product line up […]
The Financial Times is launching a new outdoor ad to follow up its recent Global Downturn campaign, which urged advertisers to keep spending through the tough economic times. The latest ad aims to highlight the FT’s reputation as a trusted business news source. The execution, created by DDB London, launches on Monday (December 1) and […]
Ed Morris, the executive creative director at Lowe London, is stepping down from day-to-day management of the agency early next year. He will remain with the agency in a consultancy role. It is understood he will take on the new role after the agency’s John Lewis pitch is completed. The retailer called a review of […]
Woolworths, one of UK’s oldest high street retailers, has collapsed after its attempts to sell its retail outlets failed. It went into administration just hours after another retailer MFI also collapsed. Shares in Woolworths were suspended yesterday (November 26) and it confirmed that it has been in talks over the sale of its 40% stake […]
DSG International, owner of Currys and PC World, has reported a half-year loss of nearly £30m. It says the slump is due to a “tough and volatile” retail environment. The retail group reported an underlying pre-tax loss of £29.8m for the 24 weeks ending October 18, an £82.2m reverse compared with the £52.4m profit posted […]
Panasonic is understood to be reviewing its 60m pan-European advertising account following the resignation of incumbent Amsterdam Worldwide. The review will kick off in the New Year.
EBay, once worth more than Google, has fallen behind in the online auction market. It is trying to get consumers to rethink their opinions of the site with its ‘Brand New’ ad push. By Joe Fernandez
The bleak economic climate is being reflected in marketers’ outlook: high numbers fear their own and their company’s prospects will worsen next year, and spend for some sectors will be squeezed
Ryanair has launched a 748m (619m) takeover bid for fellow Irish operator Aer Lingus. It comes two years after a previous bid was blocked by the European Union on competition grounds.
The Aer Lingus board has rejected Ryanair’s 748m (619m) takeover bid saying the offer significantly undervalues the business. The offer, made yesterday (December 1), is half the 1bn bid Ryanair made two years ago.
Schweppes is launching a tongue-in-cheek Christmas campaign that takes a sideswipe at Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling. The satirical Christmas ad, created by Mother, features a bag of gold chocolates coins, with a card addressed to “Darling Alistair”. It has been designed to give consumers a bit of comic relief in the midst of […]