Mattel lines up TV deal for Barbie

Marketing Week

The tie-up between Mattel’s top-selling dolls Barbie and her boyfriend Ken and popular US TV series Baywatch is just one of the hundreds of licensing deals which have been revealed at this year’s British International Toy & Hobby Fair at Olympia. Baywatch Barbie comes with red swimsuit, rescue outfit, whistle, binoculars and float: other accessories […]

No Title

Marketing Week

Mates Healthcare has awarded its ú750,000 condom advertising account to start-up agency Knight Leach Delaney, after a competitive pitch involving Kelly Weedon Shute, KHBB, Cowan Kemsley Taylor, Mustoe Merriman Herring & Levy and D’Arcy Masius

ITC unveils new rules on food, drugs

Marketing Week

The Independent Television Commission is to unveil new rules covering the advertising of food, slimming products and pharmaceuticals this week. The move brings the ITC in line with public and private sector opinion, and follows the publication of new advertising rules by the Advertising Standards Authority last month (MW January 20). The revised ITC guidelines […]

INVENTIVE INCENTIVE

Marketing Week

As more firms realise the importance of motivating their staff, the use of incentive travel schemes is becoming increasingly commonplace. The real skill, however, is matching employees with their most cost-effective motivator.

UNRAVELLING OF BENETTON?

Marketing Week

In 1989, Benetton embarked on an advertising strategy to sell jumpers on the back of conscience-provoking images. Now it is in internicine warfare with its own retailers who claim the campaigns have damaged product sales and brand image.

EC duty revisions to inflate toy prices

Marketing Week

The EC has revised the rules governing duty on goods imported from developing countries, including China and India. This puts an end to the duty-free status held by certain products including motorised toys, puzzles, weapons and some soft toys. Human-type dolls will continue to be duty-free, except for those from South Korea and Hong Kong. […]

Measuring the ad offput effect

Marketing Week

The purpose of advertising is, I am led to believe, to persuade people to buy a particular product or service. This being so, why do so many firms use such awful and off-putting advertisements on TV? I have just seen one such – an ad for Bird’s Eye’s new chicken steaks. It was noisy and […]

As you sow, so shall you reap

Marketing Week

It’s easy, at first sight, to dismiss the retailer rebellion against Benetton as “a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing”. Actually, it isn’t that far away and, though confined to one country at the moment – Germany – it could easily spread to a number of others. In fact, […]

No Title

Marketing Week

Bartle Bogle Hegarty’s first work for Zyma Healthcare breaks on February 5. The campaign is made up of a press push in national newspapers, including review sections of weekend supplements, and in trade titles. The £2m campaign is to launch Savlon Baby, a new range of baby products and Woundwash, an antiseptic spray for children’s […]

Angry WPP halts Portland deal

Marketing Week

Poster specialist Portland Outdoor has been forced to halt its acquisition of rival specialist Poster Publicity following instructions from shareholder WPP. WPP senior management is angry about the lack of consultation it received from Portland chairman Dennis Sullivan before the deal was announced in October. WPP feels the asking price of about £3m is too […]

CALL WAITING

Marketing Week

No sooner has Mercury quit the consumer telecoms market, than BT’s Mike Biden proclaims a marketing revolution. But if the company is to develop a `pioneering’ role it will first need to convince the conservative UK public of the emotional ben