In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Unilever is understood to be planning to launch a range of “natural” soups under the Knorr brand later this year. Knorr Colour Soups will be made of ingredients of the same colour and will have no artificial colourings. The range will come in five different colours and will be positioned as healthy as they claim […]
The gambling industry has been forced to establish a new body to draw up a voluntary code for socially responsible advertising, weeks before the Gambling Act 2005 comes into force. The group will monitor the code, adding to the plethora of different bodies, including the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), already regulating the industry. Members will […]
The Co-operative Bank is partnering with new eco-friendly housing developer Living Space 21 in a bid to boost its “green” credentials and commitment to first-time buyers. It will work with the developer to offer new-build studio apartments for £59,950 excluding land. The homes will be constructed from timber frames sourced from sustainable forests. They will […]
Virgin Media claims that it is toning down campaigns that pit it against rivals such as BSkyB because consumers are getting confused and being patronised. The u-turn also follows the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) decision to uphold complaints against two Virgin Media “real deal” press ads on grounds of substantiation, truthfulness and comparisons with identified […]
Nissan is launching a campaign to promote its sponsorship of Sky Sports’ flagship football show, Soccer AM. The campaign, created by TBWA/London, will promote Nissan’s Navara pick-up truck and will run across TV as well as mobile and online. The It Gets Respect campaign breaks on August 11 and the idents will use iconic football […]
Cagney, the marketing services group that includes ad agency Chick Smith Trott (CST), is expanding into media ownership after signing a long-term alliance with University Choice TV (UCTV). The deal with UCTV, the online social network and information service for students, will give Cagney exclusive rights to manage advertising sales and corporate partnerships. Separately, CST […]
Western companies are “living with a false sense of security” and underestimating the threat from Asian rivals, according to a leading brand consultant. Corporate Edge chairman Chris Wood says the success of companies such as Toyota and Samsung should act as a warning to those who believe that brands from the Far East offer nothing […]
Major manufacturers are gearing up for an onslaught on the environmentally-friendly detergent market, once a niche sector dominated by Ecover. Reckitt Benckiser (RB) is poised to launch an eco-friendly laundry detergent (MW last week), the latest assault on the burgeoning “green” detergent sector. In a U-turn by RB’s chief executive, Bart Becht – who last […]
HSBC has put plans to launch “drive-thru” banks in the UK on hold after failing to find suitable sites. The banking giant mooted launching drive-thru services last year as part of a strategy to modernise its branch network (MW November 30, 2006). The first was expected to launch this year, but traffic flow at an […]
Mini is launching a range of branded trainers after signing a deal with Japanese footwear brand Onitsuka Tiger. The limited edition range goes on sale across the UK on December 1. The launch of the shoes has been timed to coincide with the arrival of Mini’s latest model, the Clubman, which will available from November […]
Betfair has appointed former Virgin Games managing director Oscar Nieboer as brand director on an interim basis. He will advise on brand development in time for the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 next month.
Fopp, the bankrupt independent music chain, is being resurrected after HMV Group bought the brand, six of its most profitable stores and the website for an undisclosed sum last week. Fopp went into administration in July after its purchase of 67 Music Zone shops stretched the company to breaking point, resulting in the closure of […]
Royal & SunAlliance (RSA) has appointed brand consultancy Interbrand to work on the overhaul of its global brand, alongside DDB London, which will handle the global advertising business.
Live & Breathe has been appointed to create a $12m (5.9m) global advertising push for sports shoe brand Hi-Tec following a three-way pitch.
Ford is extending its television sponsorship of Sky Sports’ Barclays Premier League coverage into mobile, broadband, interactive and teletext. The three-year deal with BSkyB is the car marque’s 16th consecutive season of support for English football, making it the UK’s longest-running TV sports sponsorship. In addition to sponsoring 92 live Barclays Premier League matches, Ford […]