Coca-Cola hires BBH man as Euro chief…

Coca-Cola is appointing one of its agency account directors to the new post of European marketing manager.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty account director Neil Simpson, who joined the agency four years ago, will move to Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters this week.

He will join Coca-Cola’s European marketing team and co-ordinate its $250m (155m) advertising account across Europe.

Simpson will be responsible for all of Coca-Cola’s sports sponsorships advertising worldwide, including the Euro 96 Football Championships. He is also expected to work with the local Coca-Cola team on sponsorship of the League Cup.

Simpson will also oversee the handover of Coca-Cola’s creative account from McCann-Erickson to Publicis on September 1 .

He will continue to work with BBH, although Coca-Cola says Simpson’s appointment should not be seen as strengthening the agency’s hold on its UK account.

Simpson will report to Coca-Cola vice president and director of advertising David Wheldon.

Wheldon is also an ex-agency man. He joined Coca-Cola from Lowe-Howard Spink.