Mercury One2One’s “Ring the World Free on Christmas Day” promotion has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority in its latest monthly report. The promotion, which offered new One2One subscribers un-limited free calls anywhere in the world on Christmas Day 1994, generated over 1,000 complaints to Mercury from consum-ers who claimed they were un-able to […]
Timberland is targeting hill-walking, urban dwellers with a spring campaign underlining the quality of its footwear. The 400,000 “All-terrain” initiative will run on 660 poster sites on the outskirts of cities and reinforce the message for those about to embark on a trek. “Our strategy was to create a simple campaign to highlight the value […]
Nike is understood to have offered the post of UK marketing director to Dermot Cleary, SmithKline Beech-am’s category director for oral care, say SB sources. Nike has been advertising for a UK head of marketing for more than ten months (MW, July 29 1994) after John Trainor left the UK to join Nike in Amsterdam […]
British Airways is understood to be redesigning its first class cabins and, in keeping with its big production advertising style, is looking for a theatrical set designer to develop the new look. The main change will include ripping out the fixed seats and allowing passengers to make their own seating arrangements with movable seats. First […]
Dalgety has hired the managing director of McCormick Foods, Alastair Sykes, to take on the role of managing director of Spillers Foods UK, which includes the newly-acquired Quaker petfood business. Sykes, who will oversee brands including Felix, Chunky and Winalot, steps into the role held temporarily by former Spillers marketing director Simon Esberger, understood to […]
NHS Lotto, a little-known charitable lottery which raises money for hospitals, will relaunch next month as the first serious rival to the National Lottery. It hopes to cash in on bad publicity surrounding the National Lottery, which has been criticised for not giving enough to “good causes” and prizes being too large. It promise to […]
Private Patients Plan, the UK’s third largest health insurance group, has recruited a top marketer from Allied Bakeries to the newly created post of head of brand management. PPP is building its brands in an aggressive assault on market leader BUPA. Chris Webster left Allied Bakeries last week to take holiday before starting at PPP. […]
Private Patients Plan, the UK’s third largest health insurance group, has recruited a top marketer from Allied Bakeries to the newly created post of head of brand management. PPP is building its brands in an aggressive assault on market leader BUPA. Chris Webster left Allied Bakeries last week to take holiday before starting at PPP. […]
Mercury One2One’s “Ring the World Free on Christmas Day” promotion has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority in its latest monthly report. The promotion, which offered new One2One subscribers un-limited free calls anywhere in the world on Christmas Day 1994, generated over 1,000 complaints to Mercury from consum-ers who claimed they were un-able to […]
One year after launch, iced tea brand Liptonice is going back to the drawing board as its backers, PepsiCo, Brooke Bond and Britvic Soft Drinks, admit they got the formula wrong. Industry sources say the sparkling soft drink has been reformulated and the packaging redesigned for a relaunch on May 17. The brand will be […]
Tabloid exposés of supposedly anonymous winners; churchmen denouncing the work of the Devil; retailers grumbling about lengthening queues (while raking in the money); scratchcard-game frauds; and a national furore over the purchase of the Chur
Fastfood giant Burger King has appointed Samantha Smith as head of marketing UK, giving her the same role that she held at rival McDonald’s until last October (MW October 21 1994). Smith replaces Pat Griffin, who left the company to join a management consultancy earlier this year (MW April 7). It is understood Griffin disagreed […]
Beleaguered agency WCRS is suffering from its third senior departure in as many months. Deputy chairman and executive creative director Alan Tilby has left the agency to set up his own business, which he says will act “as an adjunct to a conventional agency”. He will reveal further details later this month. WCRS managing director […]
Many predicted cable would spell the end for video, but with retailers boosting video sales and cable’s image suffering, the battle is far from over.
In a mere 50 years the UK economy has swung from one extreme to another. During World War Two, prices were rigid and big-name companies found themselves forced to co-operate rather than compete. Then came peace and the single most important fa