Marketing articles from May 2005

Marketing archives from May 2005

Freedom identity to underpin PlayStation growth.(Sony PlayStation)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sony PlayStation has launched an umbrella brand identity called Freedom as part of a pounds 5m drive to reposition itself as a mass-market entertainment platform. The introduction of Freedom, which will underpin all PlayStation's summer...

FIFA forced to backtrack over World Cup ticketing.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Football's global governing body FIFA has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown over World Cup ticket sales that risks upsetting MasterCard, one of its primary tournament sponsors. FIFA had planned to use a controversial sales system,...

Budvar gains EU 'origins' backing.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Czech lager Budweiser Budvar has been awarded 'protected geographical status' by the European Union, aiding its fight against Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser brand. The EU mark applies to food and drink manufactured in a region or specific...

Lloyds TSB orders pitch for pounds 50m direct account.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lloyds TSB is to consolidate its pounds 50m direct marketing business into one agency to create one of the biggest below-the-line accounts in the UK. The bank has invited its roster agencies - WWAV Rapp Collins, Partners Andrew Aldridge,...

Slazenger extends into sports drinks and bars.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Slazenger, the classic English sports brand, is planning a radical brand extension with the introduction of its first range of sports hydration and nutrition products. The range, which comprises three Hypotonic sports drinks and three...

Kidspace pours pounds 3m into launch.(Crayon)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Kidspace, a new children's entertainment centre brand, is planning a pounds 3m UK launch and has hired Crayon as its ad agency. The business was handed to Crayon without a pitch, includes radio, door drops, direct mail, and national and...

Lacoste secures Andy Roddick tie.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lacoste has signed up tennis star Andy Roddick as the face of the brand following the end of his contract with rival Reebok. The US player, ranked fifth in the world by the ATP, will become part of the Lacoste Tennis Team, which includes...

Autobytel shifts media into Zed.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Autobytel has moved its media planning and buying out of MediaVest Manchester into Zed Media as it gears up for a big increase in advertising activity. The online car retailer has spent little on media in recent years, but is set to raise...

New campaign: Christian Aid.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Creative agency: Campbell Doyle Dye Media: John Ayling & Associates

Pret ties up with Maldon Sea Salt.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Pret A Manger has joined forces with Maldon Salt to introduce a 'More than Mozzarella' sandwich in its first third-party sandwich tie. The sandwich will be promoted via shelf advertising in the chain's 130 UK shops. It is the chain's first...

DFS attacked in 'flytipping' row.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A DFS TV ad that showed old sofas dumped in the street has attracted 70 complaints from viewers who felt it condoned flytipping. The ad, which showed abandoned sofas in roads, parks, under bridges and in a canal, was accompanied by the...

Chelsea searches for eight second-tier sponsors.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Chelsea Football Club plans to sign up to eight second-tier sponsors in the next few months as part of an overhaul of the commercial side of its business. The initiative, spearheaded by group business affairs director Paul Smith, follows...

SCA's Tena hands pounds 34m European work to DLKW.(appointed Delaney Lund Knox Warren to handle European advertising business)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... SCA Hygiene has appointed Delaney Lund Knox Warren to handle the EUR50m (pounds 34m) pan-European advertising business for its Tena range. DLKW won the business after a final pitch against Fallon and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. The business...

COI hunts shop for pounds 4m stakeholder pension ads.
May 5, 2005... COI Communications is talking to advertising agencies about a pounds 4m advertising campaign to publicise the Treasury's shake-up of stakeholder pensions. The government has launched two stakeholder products to encourage people on lower...

Powergen moves online media job.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Powergen has shifted its online media planning and buying business out of Initiative into Zed Media. The move is believed to be a precursor to reviewing its offline account, which is also held by Initiative. The combined business is worth...

Clear Channel streamlines group management.(promoted Julie France to managing director)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Outdoor media company Clear Channel is bringing its brands under a single management structure and has promoted the managing director of its Adshel division, Julie France, to the role of group managing director. France will oversee all...

Benjys develops prepay card to cultivate loyalty.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Benjys, the low-cost sandwich retailer, is aiming to boost customer loyalty with the rollout of a prepay card. It is planning to use information gathered from the cards to target new audiences and tailor promotions by offering discounts at...

Players required for charity game.
May 5, 2005... The second annual football match between senior marketers and advertising agencies will take place on Thursday 12 May at 5pm at Highbury football stadium in North London, home of Premier League side Arsenal. Marketing is supporting the...

Macleans repositions brand as beauty essential.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Macleans is launching a major summer offensive to reposition itself as a beauty brand. The 'Start something beautiful with Macleans' campaign is intended to establish the GlaxoSmithKline-owned oral care brand as an integral part of a daily...

Peperami backs noodles online.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Unilever is putting digital marketing at the heart of its launch activity for Peperami Noodles. The company is launching the block-noodle product using viral marketing and downloadable digital media such as ringtones and mobile wallpapers...

Morgan Stanley in card activity.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Morgan Stanley is embarking on its first TV campaign for three years as part of a pounds 5m marketing drive for its Platinum credit card. The two-month activity will use TV, press, direct mail and online work to show credit cards as an...

Green & Black's in ice cream ads.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Green & Black's is set to run its first national press ad campaign to boost interest in its ice creams ahead of the peak summer period. The organic chocolate brand will run ads from 9 May in weekend newspaper supplements, upmarket food...

US poker operators plot UK launch blitz.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Two of the biggest US online gaming operators are planning multimillion-pound assaults on the nascent UK poker market. UltimateBet is launching UltimatePoker in the UK this week, backed by a pounds 4.2m campaign. It has hired FCB London and...

News Brief: Nokia unveils sub-brand.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Nokia has unveiled an Nseries sub-brand, under which it plans to launch a range of high-end multimedia phones. A campaign by Lowe London will promote phones in the range, including the N91, Nokia's rival to the iPod.

News Brief: Portman to campaign.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Portman Group is to run a poster campaign focusing on women's safety. Using the line 'Who's looking out for you?', the posters will convey the message that drinking too much can make young women vulnerable. They will run in bars nationwide....

News Brief: Coors strikes deal.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Coors Brewers has struck a deal to market and distribute the Sol and Dos Equis Mexican beer brands in the UK. It will take over the business from Ubevco in October.

News Brief: Mini starts review.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Mini has started a review of its direct marketing through the AAR. Incumbent brand experience agency Cunning has resigned the account and will not repitch.

News Brief: Adidas-Salomon sells.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Adidas-Salomon will sell its Salomon winter sports arm to Finnish sports equipment company Amer for EUR485m (pounds 329m), subject to regulatory approval in the EU and US. The move will eventually see Adidas-Salomon rebrand as Adidas AG and...

News Brief: SUIO signs up.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... SUIO, the premium water brand, has signed up as official supplier to the first Visa Paralympic World Cup in Manchester. SUIO will provide water for all competitors at the event, which takes place from 12-15 May. The deal was brokered by Fast...

News Brief: Virgin Mobile drive.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Virgin Mobile is to launch a print and radio drive for the roll-out of its contract offering, which will initially be sold exclusively through Carphone Warehouse.

News Brief: FHM hires The Lounge.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... FHM has hired youth agency The Lounge to boost entries to its High Street Honeys competition. Its network of youth 'ambassadors' will drive entries from students.

People moves: Young's Seafood.(James Turton)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... James Turton has been promoted to the new role of marketing director at Young's Seafood. Turton's remit is to capitalise on the brand's booming sales, which it expects to reach pounds 200m this year. He was previously head of marketing....

People moves: Walmart.com.(John Fleming)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... John Fleming, president and chief executive of Walmart.com, has been promoted by Wal-Mart to the post of executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. He replaces Robert Connolly, who is retiring. Fleming will continue to head the...

People moves: Northern Foods.(Graham Hunter)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Graham Hunter, the former marketing director of Jacob's, has joined Northern Foods in the new role of group marketing director. He will be responsible for manufacturing, marketing and sales development.

People moves: Arla Foods.(Hanne Sondergaard)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Hanne Sondergaard, Arla Foods' UK marketing director, has been promoted to the board as executive director of marketing. His promotion comes as Tim Smith, executive director for corporate affairs, has been named chief executive of Arla UK. He...

People moves: Ford of Britain.(Stephen Odell)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Stephen Odell has been named chairman-elect of Ford of Britain. He joins the company as present chairman Roger Putnam retires after 40 years in the motor industry. Odell will take up the post on 1 July and will gradually assume the...

People moves: Sainsbury's.(Bob Hetherington)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Bob Hetherington, former managing director of Big W, has been appointed to the new role of director of retail change at Sainsbury's. He will report to retail director Ken McMeikan.

People moves: Best Western.(Rachel Barnes)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Rachael Barnes has been appointed to the new role of marketing manager at Best Western, the independent hotel group. She joins from Centrica, where she was senior marketing executive.

People moves: Loans.co.uk.(Patrick Bamford)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Patrick Bamford has been appointed affinity director at credit broker Loans.co.uk. Prior to joining the company, he was sales director at First National.

People moves: Unwins.(Ian McLernon)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Ian McLernon, marketing director of Unwins, has had his remit expanded to include that of operations director following the company's acquisition by DM Private Equity in March. The role had been filled by interim managers. In addition to...

Burger King in global Star Wars promotion.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Burger King is linking up with Lucasfilm for a multimillion-pound global promotion for the latest Star Wars movie, which hits UK cinemas on 19 May. The activity, which is running across more than 60 countries, will launch on 9 May. It is...

Brylcreem backs Sky's Soccer AM.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Brylcreem is to sponsor Sky Sports' irreverent football show Soccer AM, replacing Yorkie, which has backed the programme for the past five years. Under the terms of the two-year, six-figure agreement, Brylcreem will run credits and break...

O2 set to trial concept store amid expansion.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... O2 is to open its first concept stores as part of a renewed focus on the high street, which will see it add 95 outlets in the UK in the next few months. The mobile network will initially roll out six destination stores, in Bath, Mansfield,...

New campaign: Triumph International.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Triumph International has embarked on a six-week nationwide campaign to promote its latest lingerie range. The activity will see the brand's 'Amazing curves' poster, showing a model wearing Triumph lingerie, appear on the side of 130 lorries...

This week: Marketing news from the national press.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sainsbury's has re-signed Jamie Oliver as the face of its brand for another 12 months. The pounds 1m deal comes a week after the supermarket re-appointed Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to its pounds 45m advertising account - Financial Times ...

Media news: Sony pounds 30m job goes to Manning Gottlieb.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sony BMG Music Entertainment has consolidated its pounds 30m UK media business into Manning Gottlieb OMD and begun a review of its European media roster. The moves follow last year's pounds 3.5bn merger of Sony Music Entertainment and BMG....

Media news: TalkTalk renews Big Brother deal.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Carphone Warehouse's landline brand, TalkTalk, is renewing its sponsorship of Big Brother. TalkTalk will back the show's sixth series on Channel 4 this summer. It is believed to have paid pounds 3m for the rights to the fifth series...

Media news: Canon backs SLR with short films.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Canon is promoting its SLR digital camera range through two short films on photography that will be screened in cinemas. The films, created by Coast Productions, will run before movies at Odeon and UCI cinemas this month and in June. They...

Media news: Media choice - Celebrity Wrestling.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Taking over Ant & Dec's Saturday evening slot, Celebrity Wrestling is the latest reality TV offering. As if D-list celebrities had not humiliated themselves enough eating bugs, we now see them in bizarre costumes grappling one another. Who...

Media news brief: Sony promotes game.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sony PlayStation is promoting its SingStar Popworld singing game through a tie-up with the Galaxy radio network. In a two-week on-air breakfast karaoke contest, listeners will be able to win copies of the game, a PlayStation2 and a Sony...

Media news brief: Loot launches service.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Loot is to launch a music download service, www.loottunes.com, with an average price of 49p a track. The initial choice of 500,000 songs is set to double in July.

Media news brief: Buena Vista uses posters.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Buena Vista International will be the first advertiser to use interactive audio-visual six-sheet posters developed by JCDecaux and Carat. The Disney-owned movie distributor will use the posters to promote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Media news brief: Vue runs campaign.(Vue Entertainment)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Vue Entertainment is to run a radio campaign in London promoting its cinemas. The month-long activity, created by Radioville, breaks on 8 May and will be rolled out nationally at a later date.

Media news brief: Total 911 debuts.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... 9 Publishing is debuting Total 911, a magazine devoted to the Porsche 911 model, on 12 May. It will have a cover price of pounds 4.25.

Media news brief: Teletext Holidays travel service.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Teletext Holidays is planning TV advertising to raise awareness of its travel service ahead of the summer holiday period. The activity will be supported by national press and six-sheet poster executions.

Media news brief: Virgin aims for increase.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Virgin Radio Classic Rock, the SMG-owned digital radio station, is to broadcast via the Sky Digital platform. It is aiming to increase its listener base of 165,000.

Media news brief: Classic FM concerts.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Western Provident Association is paying pounds 1.5m to sponsor Classic FM's 23 outdoor summer concerts to be held at English Heritage sites. Equi=Media will manage the sponsorship.

Media news brief: Motability awards contract.(The Big Agency)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Motability, the scheme for disabled drivers, has awarded a three-year contract to The Big Agency to publish Lifestyle, its quarterly magazine that is distributed to 400,000 members.

Branding news: Isle of Man plans to push independence.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Isle of Man is aiming to lure more tourists and businesses with the creation of a brand identity. The island has appointed market research firm HPI and branding consultancy Acanchi to develop an identity that will raise awareness of...

Branding news: Fullers expands cask beer range.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Fullers is to launch its first permanent cask beer for more than 20 years with the addition of Discovery to its beer portfolio. It will be sold alongside sister brands London Pride and ESB in all Fullers pubs and bars from this month, as...

Branding news: Tour operator in image overhaul.
May 5, 2005... Tour operator Kirker Holidays has revamped its brand identity to broaden its appeal ahead of the introduction of luxury long-haul destinations including Dubai and Hong Kong. The rebranding, by Hatt Owen Partnership, includes a logo redesign...

Branding news: Design choice - Gaggia Baby D.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... There are so many well-designed, visual and tactile must-haves out there these days to make us creative types get all excited. Only recently I overheard someone in a store, clutching the latest gadget and consumed by the desire to consume, say...

Branding news: Sun Valley expands range.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sun Valley Foods has expanded its range of chicken-based meal products and reworked its brand identity and packaging design through Blue i. The packs are designed to have a more premium feel, focusing on the high quality of the ingredients.

Branding news: Universal Pixel appointed.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Anglo Chinese Ventures has appointed Universal Pixel to develop branded marketing materials to promote Beijing's European business park, which is targeting European SMEs.

Branding news: Discover adds products.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Discover, the Mediterranean-style cheese range, is adding three products to its range: Tomini, Creamy Blue and Mozzarella Slices. The launch will be supported by a PR campaign and a series of advertorials in She magazine.

Branding news: Linney Design appointed.(by Keele University)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Keele University has tasked Linney Design with developing its Love:Keele brand identity. The 2006 prospectus will feature the identity on the front cover, replacing the standard logo.

Branding news: University brands recalled.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Endsleigh, Barclaycard and Red Bull are the most recalled brands on university campuses this year, according to research in Targeting students: a marketing guide.

Branding news: Aurora brand identity.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Aurora, the chamber orchestra whose patron is Sir Colin Davies, is working with The Partners design agency to create a brand identity that will be used to promote concerts.

Branding news: Colleges sign agreement.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Twelve US colleges have signed an agreement to launch branded clothing in the UK. Manufacturing and branding company OTL has acquired the official US college team licences and will design and produce high-end clothes using the official logos...

Branding news: Ardill leaves Imagination.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Ralph Ardill, marketing and strategic planning director at Imagination for the past 10 years, is to leave at the end of April to start an experiential consulting venture. He has worked on projects for Coca-Cola, Diageo and Castrol.

Direct news: ATOC to offer brands data from railcards.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is to open up the customer data from its Young Persons Railcard, Senior Railcard and Family Railcard to brands for the first time. ATOC will release the information through Holistic List...

Direct news: Dunhill global job goes to Snowball.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Alfred Dunhill, the luxury men's brand, has hired direct agency Snowball to develop a global customer relationship management strategy for its products, which span clothing and accessories. The initiative will focus on bolstering the...

Direct news: Pernod appoints sole direct shop.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Pernod Ricard has handed the UK direct business for its flagship spirits brand Pernod to Attention. The drinks firm, which is seeking to acquire rival Allied Domecq, has briefed the direct agency to capitalise on a sales increase among 18-...

Direct news: Direct choice - Cisco Breakaway Schools.
May 5, 2005... I am instinctively suspicious of box mailings because the first creative director I worked for used to say they were produced by people who have too much budget and cannot come up with a better idea. But against my original judgement, I liked...

Retail news: Tesco revises trolley advertising system.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Tesco is changing the way it places advertising on shopping trolleys for the first time since the service was introduced in 1999. It is ditching the double-sided ad placements at the end of its trolleys in favour of a more prominent handle...

Retail news: Asda overhauls egg production.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Asda is pledging to release 500,000 hens from battery cages into open barns this year as it changes the way it sources its eggs. In partnership with the RSPCA, the supermarket is phasing out the use of battery production for any of its...

Retail news: Retail franchise to target expats.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A network of British-style grocery shops planning a global roll-out has launched with two stores in the Netherlands. The outlets, which have opened in Amsterdam and The Hague, will target both expat Britons and the local population. They...

Retail news: Retail choice - Selfridges.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... As the world's gambling capital, Las Vegas usually conjures up images of housewives maniacally clawing at one-armed bandits, cowboy-hatted gangsters dripping with gold, or a sequinned Elvis ordering one last double cheeseburger before a visit...

Retail news: Sainsbury's launches Index.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sainsbury's is the latest grocer to launch a Glycemic Index (GI) labelling system as part of its 'Wheel of health' scheme. GI, a rating of foods based on the rate at which they raise blood sugar levels, has gained in popularity since Tesco...

Retail news: Budgens launches campaign.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Budgens is launching a press, promotion and point-of sale campaign supporting its range of summer produce. The activity, created by WFCA, supports the company's 'Helping you to shop locally' brand positioning.

Retail news: Sock Shop refurbishes stores.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sock Shop is refurbishing two of its central London stores. The revamp has been undertaken by agency SRI, with an updated logo designed by Manchester firm Ikon. If successful, the redesign will be rolled out across its store network.

Retail news: John Lewis invests in store.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... John Lewis is investing pounds 40m in a department store in Leeds. Scheduled to open in 2010, the store will form the centre of the Eastgate and Harewood Quarter development in Leeds city centre.

Retail news: Stylo trading conditions tough.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Stylo, owner of shoe retail brands Barratts, PriceLess and Shellys, has warned that trading conditions are tough, despite reporting a return to profitability last year. It posted pre-tax profits of pounds 4.3m, compared with a pounds 5.5m loss...

Retail news: Eisenegger sells 29 stores.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Eisenegger, the clothing retailer that went into administration in March, has sold 29 of its 70 stores to its management team. The deal saves 300 jobs and ensures that the brand stays on the high street.