Advertising for Ford’s new large passenger car, the Galaxy, breaks tomorrow (Thursday). The push, by Young & Rubicam, makes reference to first-class air travel, emphasising its roomy interior. Account director Paul Venn says that it seeks to avoid presenting the car as “a ‘Mum’s taxi’ or a leisure vehicle”. An initial teaser campaign includes two […]

Lunn Poly is planning to join the 400m consumer travel voucher market, dominated by Thomas Cook and Going Places. The travel agency aims to become market leader in travel vouchers within two years. The vouchers are redeemable at travel agents or through Lunn Poly’s national booking centre. Four newly designed denominations will be available at […]

Nintendo and J Walter Thompson are in crisis talks this week about who will handle the computer games giant’s ad account. JWT is understood to be angered at the decision to plough this year’s budget into trade marketing instead of ad support (MW last week). It is also said to be unwilling to continue the […]

The International Wool Secretariat is launching its first global advertising for the Woolmark this Friday in a 35m multimedia campaign through Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO. Friends Provident is understood to have shortlisted agencies for the launch next year of an execution-only insurance sales service over the phone. The insurance company’s 4.5m (Register-MEAL) advertising account is held […]

Scottish Courage marketing director John Nicolson faces a testing time in the months ahead, but those who have worked with him reckon he is more than up to the task. One source says: “He’s one of the best team players around although it’s always clear that he leads the team. When you meet him he […]

Virgin Trading Company is slashing the price of one litre Virgin Vodka bottles – to be launched before Christmas – by 40 per cent. The decision raises speculation that Virgin is finding it hard to maintain the brand’s premium positioning. It will be the first time Virgin Vodka, which launched in May, has been price […]

NEWS Coca-Cola is threatening to withdraw its four-year sponsorship deal with the Notting Hill Carnival, after rival PepsiCo upstaged it by giving away thousands of free drinks at the event.

Media owners, facing saturated UK markets, are eyeing the rest of Europe for ad revenue.

Radio traffic and travel service provider Metro Networks is launching a national advertising package to be sold by Capital Radio-owned radio sales house Media Sales & Marketing. Metro Networks launched earlier this year out of the ashes of Metro Traffic Control, a US-supported operation which collapsed last October. The new company, set up by chairman […]

As ITV’s share of television viewing falls, the cable industry is voicing concern that its impact is being under-represented in the BARB ratings

Ever wondered how the rich manage to make their money work for them? You may need to have a certain breed horseyness or good taste-buds to make yourself a mint

What is the link between Woollams Moira Gaskin O’Malley, which went into receivership with debts of 900,000 last week, and the collapsed Bank of Credit & Commerce International, which went bust in 1991 with debts measured in the billions? Both were popular and successful in their own worlds; both had glamour, bright reputations and apparently […]

Chiat/Day has scooped the 2m Observer account from a shortlist of agencies, including incumbent Leagas Delaney. The other agencies on the list were Ogilvy & Mather and TBWA. Media planning and buying remains with Pattison Horswell Durden. The Observer has continued to fare poorly against the giant of the Sunday broadsheet market, The Sunday Times, […]

Never having watched breakfast TV, the Diary takes a sniffily dismissive view of it and stoutly maintains that it is tawdry, tabloid trash which a man of taste and sensibility should avoid at all costs. So, on glancing at the TV (at a friend’s house, naturally) last Tuesday the Diary was surprised to see Anthony […]