Bass Taverns has appointed a new commercial director to head the company’s sales and marketing, and is poised to restructure its marketing department after the takeover of Forte’s Harvester restaurant chain. The Bass retail arm has recruited Michael Bramley as commercial director from Bass Brewers, where he was managing director for sales of Bass North. […]

Following the host nation’s poor performance at Cannes, the knives have been out for the jurors. Yet French agencies have no one to blame but themselves.

EURO RSCG Institutionnel has been appointed by Microsoft to handle a forthcoming campaign aimed at combating youth unemployment in France. McCann-Erickson Frankfurt is to resign the Spalt analgesic account, blaming ‘strategic differences’ over the current campaign. The agency will continue to handle other brands marketed by Much Pharma, including Clear Blue and Fibrosine. The Publicis […]

Britain’s largest fridge manufacturer, Lec Refrigeration, is about to appoint Banks Hoggins O’Shea as its advertising agency. BHO and Cowan Kemsley Taylor fought for the account, which is worth 4m over three years. BHO is reported to have won the account, although Lec says it will not announce its decision until September 4. BHO creative […]

Bass Taverns has appointed a new commercial director to head the company’s sales and marketing, and is poised to restructure its marketing department after the takeover of Forte’s Harvester restaurant chain. The Bass retail arm has recruited Michael Bramley as commercial director from Bass Brewers, where he was managing director for sales of Bass North. […]

Manufacturers, facing a squeeze on traditional markets, are expanding into the financial sector

Coca-Cola UK marketing director George Bradt has publicly rubbished PepsiCo’s heavyweight Pepsi Challenge promotion as a flop, three months after its launch. Market research figures from Nielsen suggest Pepsi’s market share has fallen since the promotion started on May 1. The high-profile campaign includes TV ads, 2 million coupons and a roadshow covering 60 cities […]

Can anyone spot the odd one out from Mellors Reay, GGT, Butterfield Day Devito Hockney and Walsh Trott Chick Smith? All were on the pitch list for the 3m Burton Menswear account which Mellors Reay won; two of the agencies were created this year. But only one of them failed to turn up to the […]

Channel 4 this week launched what it claims is its strongest autumn schedule to date, with new investment in late night and daytime programming as well as new drama. Alan Bleasdale’s six-parter Jake’s Progress will be the channel’s flagship drama for the season. Channel 4 is also planning to put out a teenage soap from […]

The final word on Maurice Saatchi, his links with higher beings – most notably the Gods who inspired the Saatchi name – and what that name really stands for. For anybody who is confused at this point, please consult MW Diary July 21 and 28. Duncan Willoughby at Thomas Kean Advertising has blown any chance […]

Arc Advertising has won the 3m account for home decorating chains Homestyle and Fads, owned by Boots subsidiary AG Stanley. Arc’s brief is to develop an integrated brand-building campaign for the chains. Both have seen their sales slide in the depressed home-decorating market. The marketing budget will be increased from last year’s 500,000. Television advertising […]

Advertisers and ad agencies are voicing their fears about the increasing concentration of commercial radio airtime sales following EMAP’s acquisition of Metro Radio Group and GWR’s purchase of Chiltern Radio. Agencies are briefing their clients about the possibility of Capital Radio controlling 65 per cent of local radio airtime sales through its sales house, Media […]

Abbey National is appointing Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters to handle an advertising blitz for its new general insurance arm. The account, believed to be worth 5m, is expected to increase substantially next year. A spokesman for Abbey National General Insurance (ANGI) says the new agency’s role will be to make the Abbey’s “bancassurance” services more […]

Flora has pledged to give The London Marathon unprecedented support after confirming plans on Monday to sponsor the event for the next three years in a 6m deal. It is the biggest sponsorship of the event to date. “Not all previous sponsors have been able to exploit the event,” says Andy Duncan, marketing controller, fats […]

The Danone Group has completed the realignment of its estimated $30m (19m) European biscuit business by handing it to EURO RSCG. In the UK, the 5m Jacobs Bakeries account shifts to EURO RSCG Wnek Gosper out of McCann-Erickson. Danone’s UK brands include Twiglets, Club Biscuits and Ritz Crackers. EURO RSCG already holds the Danone biscuit […]