Marketing Week articles from June 2004

Marketing Week archives from June 2004

Advertisers face feeding frenzy.(This Week)
June 3, 2004... In war, a US senator once remarked truth is always the first casualty The obesity issue is certainly a war of sorts a media-fuelled one--and the facts relating to it are increasingly the casualties. In reflecting our readers' interests,...

Avis future in doubt after M&S shake-up: former Arcadia chief picked to oversee marketing at M&S, which could spell the end for Avis.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The future of Marks & Spencer marketing director Alice Avis is in doubt following the appointment of former Arcadia group marketing chief Steven Sharp to oversee marketing at the retailer. Sharp joined the retailer, which is preparing to...

AA raids Vodafone for Salmon replacement.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The AA has appointed Vodafone's Emma Kenny as its new market-director after a six-month hunt for a replacement for Clare Salmon. Salmon, who was sales and marketing director, was promoted to managing director of the AA Financial Services...

Teaching group slams teen mags over sex content after PPA declines to intervene.(News)(Periodical Publishers Association)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Teenage glossies have again come under attack after being spared stricter controls on their editorial content, despite a high-profile campaign led by teachers against glamourising sexual promiscuity The Periodical Publishers Association...

Audi selects regional chief for global role.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Audi has appointed Michael Renz as its global marketing chief after the departure of Michael Trautmann. Trautmann, who Joined Audi two years ago from advertising agency Springer & Jacoby, is understood to be starting up his own agency in...

Dixons group chief quits.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Dixons Group director of advertising and direct business Steve Borges has quit the electrical retail company. It is not known whether Borges, who left the group a couple of weeks ago, has a job to go. It is thought that his departure...

Gillette to expand its Venus brand.(News)(Gillette Co. )(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Gillette is to create a female personal care "master brand" around its Venus shaving range with plans for a Venus skincare product range as well as the launch of a battery-powered Venus Power razor. An industry source says the company...

Ladbrokes head of marketing leaves to join rival Gala.(News)(Dominic Harrison)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Ladbrokes marketing chief Dominic Harrison is to leave the gambling company next month to take up the new role of trading director at rival Gala Group. Harrison has headed the marketing team at Ladbrokes for the past four years as...

Ex-Ford man takes helm at Alfa Romeo.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Alfa Romeo has appointed Andrew Lester, a former Ford marketer, as its UK managing director. He replaces Glyn Owen, who is leaving the company. The appointment follows a management reshuffle in March, which saw Alfa Romeo move its UK sales...

Coca-Cola marketer to head Ferrero UK team.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Ferrero UK has appointed Coca-Cola marketer Dave Tucker as UK marketing director. He replaces Neil McIntosh, who was moved to the company's German division to oversee its praline products last November (MW November 13, 2003). Tucker,...

Virgin Games may take a gamble.(News)(Virgin Interactive Entertainment Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Virgin is considering a move into the high street casino business following the deregulation of the gambling industry should its online gaming venture prove successful when it launches this summer. Virgin Games, which is a wholly owned...

Internet bank Egg launches second, blue credit card.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Internet bank Egg is launching a second, blue credit card, its first new product since it was put up for sale by parent Prudential earlier this year. Until now, Egg has only bad a single, green, credit card, which has been the mainstay of...

BA launches campaign for web benefits.(News)(British Airways)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... British Airways is introducing an in-flight advertisement on long-haul flights to promote the benefits of its website, ba.com, and self-service check-in kiosks. The ad has been created by M&C Saatchi's global marketing team and the...

Starbucks marketing chief defects to Pizza Express.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Pizza Express has appointed Helen Benedict to the new role of commercial marketing director. She joins the pizza chain from Starbucks, where she was vice-president of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Benedict will oversee...

GSK pulls Solstis and plans for summer launch.(News)(GlaxoSmithKline AB)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is axing its energy drink Solstis to pave the way for a new product, possibly under the revived NRG brand. Experts say that GSK's Nutritional Healthcare division is working on the new energy drink, with plans for a...

Aquados challenges Finish with first brand extensions.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Laundry products company Aquados is to add its first extensions to its core range with a raft of products in the dishwashing and household cleaning market. Aquados will launch a line of soluble dishwashing powder sachets to challenge the...

Mates Condoms is making a concerted effort to target 16- to 21-year-olds with the launch of a youth brand called Xplore.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Mates Condoms is making a concerted effort to target 16- to 21-year-olds with the launch of a youth brand called Xplore. The launch will be supported by a 1m [pounds sterling] marketing and PR campaign. The...

Electronic Arts reshuffles team.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Computer games giant Electronic Arts (EA) has reshuffled its UK marketing team and is about to begin a 2.5m [pounds sterling] ad campaign to mark the release of its summer games. Keith Ramsdale, previously sales director for the company,...

Weight Watchers to offer low-carb option.(News)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Slimming brand Weight Watchers is to give in to pressure from low-carbohydrate diets, and other food manufacturers, with the launch a range of low-carbohydrate ready meals this autumn. The range, which will be made under licence by Heinz,...

Volkswagen.(Digests)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Volkswagen has said 'Aus Liebe zum Automobil' (For the love of cars) will be its new strapline for all its global advertising. The slogan will be kept in German in the UK as Volkswagen wants to emulate the success sister marque Audi has with...

Sainsbury's.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Sainsbury's has appointed trading director Stephen Nelson as marketing director and replaced him with Mike Coupe, former managing director of Iceland. Nelson assumes the responsibilities of Sara Weller who stood down as deputy managing director...

Beiersdorf.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Beiersdorf is to extend its Nivea deodorant brand with a range of Nivea 'Fresh' 24-hour anti-perspirant sprays and roll-ons.

Ryanair.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Ryanair has reported a dip in full-year profits for the first time, down to 228.5m [euro] (152m [pounds sterling]) from a pre-tax profit of 264.6m [euro] (176m [pounds sterling]) in 2003.

Anheuser-Busch.(Digests)(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.)
June 3, 2004... Anheuser-Busch has been forced to pull one advertisement in the US after a federal judge ruled as misleading a campaign saying its arch-rival 'Miller is owned by South African Breweries'. However, other ads with slightly different wording are...

Burger King.(Digests)(Burger King Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Burger King, the fast-food chain, is aiming to take on cafe chains by rolling out smaller format restaurants. The chain would not disclose if this would lead to a development of its Grill 'N' Go concept, which was launched last year (MW March...

Kimberly-Clark.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Kimberly-Clark is to offer a free pack of its Huggies Super-Flex nappies to every parent in the UK in a promotional push that will be backed by a 3m [pounds sterling] television, print and radio ad campaign. The strap line 'Look mum... free'...

Mackays.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Mackays, the value chain, has appointed former Debenhams and Laura Ashley marketing chief Jillie Lyons as its head of marketing.

Odeon.(Digests)(Rival cinema services)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Odeon, the cinema chain, is in the middle of a bidding war after minority shareholder Robert Tchenguiz offered an estimated 380m [pounds sterling]. Rival cinema companies are expected to put in offers for Odeon, which has just appointed Tim...

The Consumers' Association.(Digests)(Peter Vicary-Smith appointed )(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Consumers' Association has appointed Peter Vicary-Smith as its chief executive to replace Sheila McKechnie, who died earlier this year. Vicary-Smith is board director for fundraising and marketing at Cancer Research UK.

Drinks Works.(Digests)(Pater Aisher appointed)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Drinks Works, the specialist drinks branding and New Product Development agency, has recruited Cadbury Schweppes European beverages area director Pater Aisher to work on its npd monitoring programme.

O&M retains 150m [pounds sterling] BP global advertising task.(Agencies)(British Petroleum Company PLC)(Ogilvy and Mather)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has retained its grip on BP's 150m [pounds sterling] global advertising business despite the oil giant speaking to other agencies. In March, the disclosure that BP was talking to other advertising agencies fuelled...

ASA to look into complaints over Grey London Slim-Fast 'D-Day slur'.(Agencies)(Advertising Standards Authority)(Unilever Group)(Grey London)(AOL (UK) Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... A Grey London campaign for Unilever-owned Slim-Fast that featured five bikini-clad girls with the caption "We'll fight them on the beaches" has triggered 11 complaints over making an offensive reference to D-Day, the Second World War Allied...

Mother has created an advertising campaign for Coca-Cola Great Britain's Dr Pepper soft drink brand to support its sponsorship of MTV programme Punk'd.(Agencies)
June 3, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Mother has created an advertising campaign for Coca-Cola Great Britain's Dr Pepper soft drink brand to support its sponsorship of MTV programme Punk'd. The four 30-second executions, which will run on MTV,...

Brandpool wins 2m [pounds sterling] rail rebrand.(Agencies)(Jojo Communications)(Southern)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Brandpool, the new agency set up by John McWilliams, the founder of Jojo Communications, is believed to have been awarded the 2m [pounds sterling] marketing business for recently rebranded rail network Southern. Southern is the former...

GM hands 20m [pounds sterling] account to Draft.(Agencies)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Draft Worldwide has won the combined UK below-the-line account for the General Motors-owned car brands Vauxhall and Saab, believed to be worth up to 20m [pounds sterling] a year. The Vauxhall business moves from TBWA GGT. Draft, which is...

AMV scoops 11m [pounds sterling] Norwich Union brief.(Agencies)(Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Norwich Union has awarded its 11m [pounds sterling] brand, life and pensions advertising business to Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO (AMV) after a final contest against Fallon. The move consolidates all the insurer's advertising with AMV, which...

Little Chef.(marketing contracts)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Little Chef, the roadside restaurant chain, is understood to be talking to agencies about its 4m [pounds sterling] advertising account. It appointed Sheffield-based agency Dig for Fire last October without a pitch (MW October 23, 2003).

FCBi.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... FCBi, the Interpublic-owned direct and digital marketing network, has poached Martin Wright from TBWA/GGT as European marketing director. Wright was board director responsible for marketing at TBWA/GGT.

Advertising Principles.(Digests)(Principles Agency)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Advertising Principles, the Leeds-based agency, is changing its name to Principles Agency after 18 years.

Publicis.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Publicis has created an outdoor and radio campaign for Buxton Natural Mineral Water to support its role as the official mineral water for the Wimbledon Tennis Championship. The ads carry the strapline 'Quenching Britain's two week thirst for...

Banks Hoggins O'Shea.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Banks Hoggins O'Shea has created its first campaign for organic dairy brand Yeo Valley Organic. It uses the strapline 'In a world gone mad, it's sanely delicious' and breaks at the end of June.

The Ingram Partnership.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Ingram Partnership has recruited Glyn Britton, founder of Omnicom branding agency Innocence, to work alongside joint managing partner Leslie Butterfield. The company has also recruited Mintel European retail analyst Neil Barrie to head the...

Bartle Bogle Hegarty.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Bartle Bogle Hegarty has created a television campaign for Audi's new A6 saloon using illusions in the style of Dutch artist, Escher. It will be supported by press ads with cars made out of its 'Vorsprung dutch Technik' slogan.

Saatchi & Saatchi.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Saatchi & Saatchi has promoted UK marketing director Mickey Denehy to global marketing director. He will be replaced by Kathleen Saxton, who joins from agency PHD.

Publicis.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Publicis has launched a new experiential network under the name Saatchi & Saatchi X. It follows the acquisition of US agency Thompson Murray.

BDH/TBWA.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... BDH/TBWA has created a 1.5m [pounds sterling] campaign to support Imperial Leather's sponsorship of Alton Towers' Flume ride. The campaign will also include promotional offers on more than 10 million Imperial Leather product packs.

Cheetham Bell JWT.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Cheetham Bell JWT has created a TV campaign for Reckitt Benckiser's Senokot Laxative brand. It breaks on June 7.

Boy meets Girl S&J.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Boy meets Girl S&J created the so-called 'Black Friday' campaign for the last episode of Friends and the launch of Big Brother 5 on Channel 4. It is the first project the agency has completed since it took over design agency Foundation 33,...

COI set to review 135m [pounds sterling] media planning roster.(Media)(COI Communications)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... COI Communications is expected to start a review of its 135m [pounds sterling] media planning roster in the autumn. The statutory contract, which was put in place in September 2001 and would last between three and five years, expires next year....

Ebay appoints PHD Media to 3m [pounds sterling] media planning account.(Media)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Online auction site Ebay has handed its 3m [pounds sterling] media planning and buying account to PHD Media, after a four-way pitch involving Starcom Motive, Mediaedge:CIA and the incumbent MediaCom. The move comes as Ebay ramps up for its...

Revived Tour of Britain looks for sponsors.(Media)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Tour of Britain cycling race is searching for a number of sponsors before it returns to the UK for the first time in five years in September. The race is hoping to relaunch itself as the British equivalent of the Tour de France, which...

WRU swaps Rockport for Welsh brewer.(Media)(Welsh Rugby Union sponsorship contracts)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is to sign Welsh brewer Brains as the sponsor for the national team's shirt to replace the Reebok-owned outdoor clothing and footwear brand Rockport. The Rockport brand has been the main sponsor of the Welsh team...

Advertising chief leaves Business.(David Walsh leaves Financial Times Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Business is parting company with its advertising chief David Walsh after less than a year. Walsh, the former global advertising director for the Financial Times, is not believed to have a job to go to. He was appointed to head...

Evening Standard to sponsor Fashion Week.(Media)(London Fashion Week)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Evening Standard is to take over as title sponsor of the twice yearly London Fashion Week from Proctor & Gamble. The deal, worth at least 1m [pounds sterling], will see the London newspaper working with the British Fashion Council for...

Viacom.(Viacom Stations Group appoints Tom Freston and Leslie Moonves )(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Viacom's president and chief operating officer Mel Karmazin has unexpectedly resigned from the group that includes MTV, CBS and Paramount Pictures. Karmazin's position will be taken on jointly by Tom Freston, chief executive of MTV and Leslie...

Hallmark.(Digests)(spending on a multi-media advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Hallmark is spending 1m [pounds sterling] on a multi-media advertising campaign promoting its new season of programmes. The campaign which, will have a fashion theme, will be broadcast on a number of TV channels including GMTV and ITV2 and...

Channel Four.(Channel 4 plans to launch a national radio station )(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Channel Four is understood to be looking at plans to launch a national radio station with entrepreneur Simon Fuller, the creator of the Pop Idol TV series. It aims to build Popworld, a Sunday morning pop show, into a radio brand in the UK.

Swinstead Publishing.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Swinstead Publishing has closed down. Around 30 people are believed to have been made redundant. Sleaze magazine, formerly Sleaze Nation, and dance title Jockey Slut have folded.

Kraft Foods UK & Ireland.(Digests)
June 3, 2004... Kraft Foods UK & Ireland has confirmed the appointment of Starcom MediaVest to its 15m [pounds sterling] planning and buying account, as revealed in Marketing Week last week.

Telegraph Group.(Digests)(down to its last three bidders)
June 3, 2004... Telegraph Group is down to its last three bidders, believed to be the Daily Mail & General Trust, venture capital firm 3i and the Barclay brothers. Final binding bids are expected to be submitted next week.

Guardian Media Group Radio.(Digests)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Guardian Media Group Radio has set-up a dedicated sales team for its three radio brands--Jazz FM, Smooth FM and Real Radio. The team will be led by Jazz FM managing director Carter Tanner and is examining setting up associated Web services,...

... Jazz FM.(signed Comet as the sponsor for its flagship Dinner Jazz show)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... ... Jazz FM, the GMG Radio-owned station, has signed electrical goods retailer Comet as the sponsor for its flagship Dinner Jazz show. The sponsorship starts this week.

Capital Radio Group.(partnership with iTech)
June 3, 2004... Capital Radio Group has formed a partnership with iTech, part of the Hutchinson Whampoa Group, to develop a Xfm branded DAB digital radio in time for this Christmas. The 5m [pounds sterling] deal will include the design, manufacture and...

The Guardian.(publishing guide to the Euro 2004 football tournament )(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The Guardian is publishing a 92-page full-colour guide to the Euro 2004 football tournament next week (June 7) while the Observer Sport Monthly is to sponsor Channel 4's England's Dream Team programme on Saturday (June 5).

Nationwide Building Society.(Mercury music award)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... Nationwide Building Society has signed a four-year sponsorship deal for the title rights to the Mercury music award. The company will use the sponsorship to launch a new Nationwide Mercury Art competition.

NatMags hunts silver lining with new weekly; NatMags aims to make its mark in the weeklies sector with a title aimed at older readers. But will this point of difference enable it to survive in a cluttered market?(Media Analysis)
June 3, 2004... It was four years ago that the National Magazine Company first plunged into the cut-throat world of the weeklies when it bought Best as part of the acquisition of Gruner & Jahr (G&J) UK magazines. The move was a first for NatMags' parent...

Too many campaigns are wide of the post when it comes to football: football fans are a captive audience on match day, but too many brands fail to understand their potential and miss the chance to score.(Media Comment)
June 3, 2004... With Euro 2004 around the corner and the culmination of the domestic football season last weekend, football is at the forefront of many people's minds. With the mass hysteria and loyal following associated with football's fans, they make a...

A broadcast media survey of radio & TV audiences.(Illustration)
June 3, 2004... National BBC Radio Weekly Reach ** Previous Stations in 000s % Change *** Results (%) BBC Radio 4 16,461 37 A (38) BBC Radio 2 ...

Advertising takes the flak but others share the blame; whoever replaces Niall FitzGerald at Unilever will have to be prepared for an onslaught of media criticism over the obesity 'epidemic'.(Media)
June 3, 2004... There was a curious hiatus at the annual Advertising Association lunch last week. The AA's president, outgoing Unilever chairman Niall FitzGerald, is stepping down but in his valedictory speech at The Savoy, he was unable to say who his...

Nestle sinks its teeth into pet-food sector; the larger packaged goods companies have invested heavily in the pet-food sector in recent years, and competition is about to hot up with the launch of Nestle Purina's One.(News Analysis)
June 3, 2004... The fur is set to fly between three of the world's most powerful corporations over which of them makes the healthiest, tastiest pet food. The trigger will be when Nestle Purina, the world's largest manufacturer of pet food, launches its Purina...

Is the pizza market sliced up too thinly? Despite enjoying healthy sales in the UK, there are signs that the pizza market is becoming crowded, with big names such as Pizza Hut and Pizza Express feeling the pinch.(News Analysis)
June 3, 2004... More and more companies are muscling in, trying to grab a slice of the increasingly crowded high street pizza market. The largest chains, Pizza Hut and Pizza Express, have been on the high street for many years, enjoying growth in their...

Time to turn off-licences-on their heads.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 3, 2004... I think Onwins marketing director Ian McLernon hits the nail on the head when be says "the off-license needs to reinvent itself" (MW last week). There is no place for blandness or mediocrity in a market as pressured as drinks retailing,...

TalkSport needn't be so cocksure.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 3, 2004... At the risk of appearing to suffer from paranoia, I feel I must write to comment on the new depths to which TalkSport's advertising in the marketing press has plunged in terms of both taste and business sense. Once more it attacks Classic...

PR industry must rise above cynics.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 3, 2004... Alan Mitchell's analysis of the impact the increasing cynicism of consumers is having on marketing covered a number of interesting changes marketers are having to make to achieve cut through (MW May 13). However, although it mentioned the...

Defusing the time-bomb; the House of Commons Health Select Committee published its report on obesity in the UK last week, and while a number of factors are blamed for the UK's obesity epidemic, it was made clear that the advertising industry must change the way it markets unhealthy food or have change imposed upon it.(Cover Story)
June 3, 2004... The food industry faces a ticking time-bomb on the issue of obesity. Food manufacturers and retailers have been put on notice to clean up their act or face legislation that would prevent them from advertising unhealthy food to children on...

Imagination seems to be in short supply at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo--especially where music preferences are concerned.(Diary)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Imagination seems to be in short supply at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo--especially where music preferences are concerned. It seems execs at the soft drinks giants are partial to the pounding rock of Freddie...

Whicker--basket case or groovy grandad?(Diary)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... It's refreshing to find some forthright opinion being put forward by marketers and agencies. and just such an opportunity occurred at the Cimtig Television Travel Advertising Showcase. Lined up on the panel to watch 20 television ads in...

Power breakfast fails to light up.(Diary)(Abbott Mead Vickers.)
June 3, 2004... Spotted one morning: a disconsolate Doug Flynn, chief executive of media buying powerhouse Aegis, all on his tod at the Connaught. He broods for 15 minutes, then walks out. A bad day with investors, perhaps--who have just rejected his...

P&G mag just doesn't cut it with Mustard ...(Diary)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2004... The news that Procter & Gamble is launching a lifestyle magazine targeted at mothers called Mustard came as a shock to stand-up comic Alex Musson, as he has been editing his own magazine, also called Mustard, for the past three years. An...

Making the food industry a scapegoat won't work; fat is a political issue, but the Government won't admit its social policies are failing, so it lays the blame elsewhere. What a farce, says George Pitcher.(Business)
June 3, 2004... Events surrounding the publication of the Parliamentary Health Select Committee report on obesity were truly hilarious--and I don't just mean its chairman David Hinchliffe's po-faced complaint on Radio 4's Today programme that the BBC had...

How the American dream became a global nightmare; perceptions of US brands outside North America are at an all-time low, and regaining the world's trust is not going to be an easy task, says Polly Devaney.(America)
June 3, 2004... At a recent marketing conference in Manhattan, attended by delegates from some of the biggest brands in the US, a stark warning was issued. Global market research organisation NOP World reported that for the first time since 1998, when its...

Sportswear rides on fashion wave; while sports clothing has become a highly lucrative market, retailers are vulnerable to the vagaries of fashion and could regret turning their backs on genuine athletes.(Factfile)
June 3, 2004... There has been a significant change in the sports market over recent years driven by a number of key factors, including the high-profile media coverage of sport, the huge marketing budgets of the global brands and the increasing fashion appeal...

Is London falling down? London venues have countered the threat from rural locations by cutting costs. But growing security fears in the capital and cheap travel means other destinations are beckoning.(Special report: venues)
June 3, 2004... It used to be a certainty that using an out-of-town venue would save you cash, but this is no longer the case. London's tourist and entertainment industries took a hammering post-9/11 as tourism dropped off and the events industry faced a...

Showing your true colours: as consumers become increasingly colour literate, designers are having to think up new ways of making a brand's packaging stand out.(Special report: packaging)
June 3, 2004... For a humble toilet cleaner, the launch of Domestos Pink Power was decidedly over the top. First came the press events featuring drag queens and a touring glamour bus; next the ad campaign depicting scenes of domestic mayhem, finally the...