Imperial Tobacco ditches Mustoes after global review

Imperial Tobacco has shifted its global rolling tobacco account out of Mustoes following a review of all its rolling tobacco accounts.

The move comes as the company is attempting to beat ad bans with a new strategic direction for its Drum and Golden Virginia brands.

The company has handed its global Drum account to Grey Matter, which will develop an ad campaign to break across the 46 different countries in which the best-selling brand is sold.

Meanwhile, the Golden Virginia business has moved to Dutch agency BSUR Communications, following a three-way pitch last year (MW November 20, 2003). BSUR will be asked to help launch Golden Virginia, which is primarily sold in the UK, into new markets across the world.

Mustoes won the Golden Virginia account from Lowe Howard-Spink in 1998 (MW December 3, 1998), and the agency has worked on the Drum account in the UK since the brand launched in 1999.

The majority of the advertising for Drum and Golden Virginia will be rolled out in western Europe. Work in the UK will be severely curtailed by the ban on tobacco advertising, although the company has asked its agencies for strategic direction and brand development for the brands in the UK.

Grey Matter already has links with Imperial Tobacco, as two of its directors have worked on Imperial Tobacco brands while at previous agencies.

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