Marketing articles from October 2005

Marketing archives from October 2005

Pepsi in football reality show ahead of World Cup.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Pepsi is to make its biggest investment to date in branded content with the launch of a reality TV show that will air in 12 countries before next year's World Cup. Pepsi Max World Challenge will feature Pepsi's roster of football stars,...

Government adspend up to record level of pounds 203m.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The government has come under fire after revealing record advertising expenditure in an election year. COI Communications spent a record pounds 203.2m on advertising in 2004-05, a rise of pounds 14m on the previous year. Its total...

Coke gives AKQA pounds 3m global task.(Coca-Cola Co. (Atlanta, Georgia))(advertising agencies)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Coca-Cola has hired AKQA as its global digital agency for what insiders are describing as one of the biggest online assaults by an FMCG brand. AKQA won the business, worth an estimated pounds 3m, following a pitch believed to include...

Pernod Ricard reviews pounds 100m media business.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Wine and spirits giant Pernod Ricard is to review its pounds 100m global media planning and buying account following the completion of its pounds 7.4bn acquisition of Allied Domecq in July. The company, whose brands include Malibu and...

Asda president warns of dangers of celebrity ads.(ASDA Group PLC)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Just one month after parting company with Sharon Osbourne, Asda president Andy Bond has warned companies against using celebrities to front advertising campaigns. Speaking at the Institute of Grocery Distribution conference last week,...

Luxottica to pool pounds 40m media job.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Luxottica, the Italian eyewear manufacturer that owns Ray-Ban and produces sunglasses under licence for companies including Prada and Chanel, is reviewing its pounds 40m pan-European media account. The company has invited media networks,...

New campaign: 02 i-mode.(cellular telephone services)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Mobile operator O2 is taking the campaign for its i-mode internet service onto TV from the end of this week. The company is spending pounds 8.5m on the launch, which has so far been supported by teaser and reveal ads at poster sites...

BT reassigns TV spend to digital.(British Telecommunications PLC)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... BT is cutting its TV adspend as it refocuses on below-the-line media including online and email. The decision comes as the telecoms giant launches a consumer ad campaign fronted by actor Kris Marshall that will demonstrate how modern...

Npower to offer gas price freeze.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Npower is to step up its price war with British Gas with the launch of a new service, Gas Guardian, offering to freeze customers' bills until 2007. Gas Guardian is being backed by a multimillion-pound advertising campaign that will...

Waitrose moves to single agency.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Waitrose has dropped Clemmow Hornby Inge from its pounds 10m ad roster, consolidating its business into HOW. CHI was appointed last year, but never created any advertising. Waitrose said the agency had been providing strategic...

Co-op pounds 10m task goes to McCann.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The Co-op has moved the pounds 10m advertising account for its supermarket business out of Euro RSCG London to McCann-Erickson. The move ends a six-year relationship with Euro RSCG. Partners BDDH, which won the business in 1999, merged...

Lipton Ice Tea moves European account into DDB.(DDB Worldwide, advertising agencies)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Unilever Bestfoods has dealt a blow to JWT by moving the pan-European advertising business for Lipton Ice Tea to DDB from the start of next year, as it prepares to boost the brand's adspend. DDB had shared the business with JWT, which...

McDonald's faces up to 'long-term UK problems'.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... McDonald's is struggling to turn around its UK business despite investing millions to revitalise its brand. The fast-food giant's third-quarter results suggested its European business was improving, but that the UK market was continuing...

Kellogg introduces Coco Pops chocolate straws.(Kellogg Company of Great Britain Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Kellogg is to expand its Coco Pops brand with the launch of Coco Pops Straws - wafer straws with chocolate inside. Expected to launch early next year, the cereal will be promoted as a fun way to persuade children to drink more milk. ...

Getty sets sights on consumers.(Getty Images Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Getty Images, the photographic and film company, is preparing a major push into the consumer market following the appointment of DDB London to develop its marketing strategy in Europe and Asia. The company has traditionally sold...

Aviva bolsters RAC spend in customer drive.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Insurance group Aviva is boosting its RAC brands with a hiked marketing spend, to expand its customer base by 1.4m in the next three years. It is aiming to bolster RAC Insurance's customer base by two-thirds to reach 900,000, and is...

Sony to back Bravia debut with pounds 5m ads.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Sony is phasing out its Wega widescreen TV engine and replacing it with a range called Bravia, which will be backed by the firm's biggest UK ad campaign of the year. Bravia is a range of 26in-40in digital LCD TVs, which is being rolled...

Diageo supports Portman's role.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The chief executive of drinks giant Diageo has backed the under-fire Portman Group to spearhead the battle against alcohol abuse in the UK. Addressing the company's AGM last week, Paul Walsh highlighted his support for the drinks...

AOL moves into digital TV with Top Up TV tie.(America Online Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... AOL is taking its first steps into digital TV by linking up with pay-TV company Top Up TV. The ISP is to offer discounts on subscriptions to Top Up TV and on Freeview set-top boxes until the end of the year. It will promote the offer...

News brief: Barclays to attend court.(Cooper Parry, accountancy firm)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Barclays has been ordered to attend a High Court hearing on 12 December to defend its use of the strapline 'Now there's a thought' in a multimillion-pound ad campaign. East Midlands accountancy firm Cooper Parry claims it has used the same...

News brief: Kinetic wins account.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Unilever has awarded its pounds 40m UK outdoor media planning and buying account to Kinetic following a review that included both Kinetic and incumbent Concord. Unilever is the biggest outdoor spender in the UK.

News brief: Full Tilt Poker shortlists.(Beattie McGuinness Bungay)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Full Tilt Poker has shortlisted Clemmow Hornby Inge, Delaney Lund Knox Warren, Lowe London and Beattie McGuinness Bungay for its pounds 3m advertising business.

News brief: Audi channel.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Audi has launched a 24-hour digital TV channel on Sky. Audi TV will broadcast coverage of the Le Mans 24-hour race, documentaries on models such as the Audi Quattro and celebrity interviews.

News brief: Crown Paints account.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Crown Paints is reviewing its creative account. The business is currently with BDH\TBWA.

News brief: Heineken freezes spend.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Heineken is to freeze its TV spend at pounds 6m in 2006 as it focuses on its sponsorships, including deals with the Champions League and Heineken Cup. Clemmow Hornby Inge will remain its ad agency.

News brief: Signet looks for agency.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Signet is looking for an agency to handle the ad business for its H Samuel jewellery chain through the AAR, 18 months after handing the business to McCann-Erickson. The jeweller has worked with three agencies in as many years.

News brief: Rasmussen leaves easyMobile.(Frank Rasmussen)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... easyMobile has confirmed that chief executive Frank Rasmussen has left the mobile network, although he remains on the board of easyMobile's parent, Telmo International. Rasmussen's departure, which follows that of marketing chief Sandy Munro,...

MCC defies Test match drink ban.(Marylebone Cricket Club)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is to enforce a blanket ban on supporters taking alcohol into grounds during international matches in the UK from the start of next season. In effect, the decision guarantees exclusivity to brands...

Bisto to plough pounds 3m into gravy activity.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Bisto is spending up to pounds 3m on a relaunch to persuade families to use its gravy for more than Sunday roasts. McCann-Erickson has created a TV, radio and press campaign in its first work for the RHM-owned brand. The agency was...

New campaign: Grolsch.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Grolsch is to launch a campaign called 'Green Light District' to encourage consumers to visit city-centre bars which serve the Coors-owned Dutch premium lager. Activity will include poster ads and a fleet of 50 cabs carrying the strapline...

London Zoo revamps to lure back visitors.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... London Zoo is to radically overhaul its brand identity in an effort to boost its visitor numbers. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which runs the zoo in Regents Park, has appointed North-East advertising agency Cravens to handle...

This week: Marketing news from the national press.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Coca-Cola plans to boost sales among children by using mobile phones and the internet to push its carbonated drinks. Details of the strategy were contained in a memo to executives at Coke and AOL - The Mail on Sunday. Virgin Mobile is to...

One.Tel ties with C4 season.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Telecoms and broadband provider One.Tel has not renewed its long-running sponsorship of ITV's British Comedy Awards in favour of backing Channel 4's 'UK Music Hall of Fame' season of programmes. The Channel 4 sponsorship deal starts on 6...

Little Chef set to review pounds 1.5m job.(Starcom UK )(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Little Chef is to review its pounds 1.5m media account with Starcom UK after being bought by the People's Restaurant Group. Restaurant entrepreneur Lawrence Wosskow paid former owner Permira pounds 52m for the ailing roadside restaurant...

Media choice: The Daily Telegraph.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The Daily Telegraph promised 'Impact not compact' at its relaunch. However, one section has gone compact - sport. The Telegraph has always had an excellent sports section, and now that it is compact it is extremely handy when commuting....

News brief: Goodfella's sponsors Awards.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Goodfella's Solos frozen pizza line will sponsor The National Television Awards on ITV, now in its 10th year. The deal, negotiated by ZenithOptimedia, covers the event on ITV1 and behind-the-scenes coverage on ITV2.

News brief: Aegis Media recruits.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Aegis Media has recruited Mainardo de Nardis, chief executive of Mediaedge:cia, as global chief executive. His appointment comes as Aegis faces the prospect of a takeover, with Mediaedge:cia's owner, WPP Group, having expressed an interest in...

News brief: BSkyB buys Easynet.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... BSkyB has bought broadband supplier Easynet for pounds 211m. The deal will allow Sky to distribute content via the phone line.

News brief: MasterCard sponsors.(MasterCard Priceless Evening on Channel 4)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... MasterCard is to sponsor a MasterCard Priceless Evening on Channel 4, featuring live music from artists such as James Blunt and The Corrs. Freedom Media will produce the show, to be screened on 19 November.

News brief: Practical Parenting sponsors.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... IPC SouthBank's Practical Parenting is sponsoring The Baby Channel's twice-daily Pregnancy & Birth programme.

News brief: NTL to launch service.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... NTL is to launch a personal video recorder service next year. The cable firm has chosen Scientific-Atlanta to supply the technology.

News brief: Premium TV signs deal.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Premium TV, the digital-rights company, has signed a deal with the Professional Darts Corporation to show vintage darts matches via broadband and mobile phones.

News brief: Kerrang! 105.2 campaign.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Kerrang! 105.2, Emap's West Midlands radio station, has launched a campaign to try to dispel its thrash-metal image.

Branding news: UB in revamp for Christmas.(United Biscuits PLC)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... United Biscuits has revamped the Christmas packaging across its key product lines, including its KP, McVitie's and Mini Cheddars brands. The work, which has been handled by branding agency Ziggurat, is intended to boost sales in the...

Branding news: Boots 17 ties up with designers.(Boots Company PLC)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Boots has signed designer duo Sadie Frost and Jemima French to launch a make-up range. The frostfrench range, which will sit under the Boots 17 brand, goes on sale next spring. Products will include nail varnishes, entitled Frost Bite...

Branding news: Design choice - Nokia 8800.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 26, 2005... As you can imagine, it is somewhat of a gadget cavalcade here at FHM, with seemingly just about everything shiny and chip-stuffed passing across one desk or another. So it takes something a bit special to light a fire under our complacent...

Branding news brief: Humvee to appear on goods.(CCL, licensing agency)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Humvee, the US military vehicle marque, will appear on a range of branded goods, including toys, footwear and electronic equipment, after licensing agency CCL acquired the European rights from US agent Global Icons.

Branding news brief: Highland Spring 'snowflake'.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Highland Spring, the mineral water brand, is to introduce limited-edition 'snowflake' packaging for Christmas. The design will appear on 1.5 litre bottles and multipacks during November and December.

Branding news brief: Rainbow deal.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Rainbow, the children's brand made famous by the TV show, is to produce men's T-shirts, sleepwear and underwear following a deal with FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide. Fremantle is also looking to extend the brand into women's fashion and...

Branding news brief: UKTV commissions indents.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... UKTV has commissioned BBC Broadcast to create a series of idents to support its 10-part series UKTV Sport, which aims to inspire people to become more active.

Branding news brief: Pentel revamp.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Pentel has revamped the look of its retail displays. The work, by branding and design consultancy Flb, is intended to unify the pen brand's appearance across Europe.

Branding news brief: Weston Spirit identity.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Weston Spirit, a charity that tackles issues affecting young people, is developing a brand identity. The design by Lambie-Nairn includes a 'lifeline' logo, which will form a central part of its brand communications Sony Computer Entertainment...

Direct news: Digital UK plans direct push.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Digital UK, the public body co-ordinating the switchover from analogue to digital TV, is to appoint a direct agency to create a campaign that will get its message across to UK viewers. The broadcaster-funded organisation, which is...

Direct news: Direct choice - Saab 9-3 SportWagon.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 26, 2005... When I opened this pack for the Saab 9-3 SportWagon, a small paperback book fell out, which I suspected contained a million or so words, when I was in the mood to read just seven or eight. At this point, I had the feeling that Saab was trying...

Direct news: Nationwide plots investment drive.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Nationwide is launching a direct campaign to promote its investment products. The month-long drive will build on the relaunch of the building society's investment services earlier this year and includes in-branch activity, direct mail...

Direct news brief: Dyno-Rod campaign.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Dyno-Rod has launched a direct campaign for in2, its no-dig pipe-replacement technology. The work, created by WDMP, uses the line 'There's light at the end of the tunnel' and will run across exhibition and conference stands.

Direct news brief: Evolution DM appointed.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Digital One, the DAB digital radio network operator, has appointed list and insert management agency Evolution DM to handle its consumer database.

Direct news brief: Samsung Mobile competition.(The Lounge)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Samsung Mobile is running a competition aimed at boosting its student database. 'Band on your Campus', developed by experiential agency The Lounge, will offer one university the chance to win a live performance by band The Bravery.

Direct news brief: Flourish and ARM appointed.(All Response Media)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Chelsea Building Society has hired Flourish and All Response Media (ARM) to work on its pounds 2m direct response business. Flourish will create an ad campaign, due to break in January, promoting the company's mortgage products; ARM will...

Direct news brief: Lawton hired.(Lawton Group)(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Hayes and Jarvis, the travel operator, has hired Lawton Group to create a direct campaign to boost awareness of its destinations. The activity will include direct mail, press and online advertising.

Direct news brief: Innocent Drinks shortlists.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Innocent Drinks has shortlisted Draft London, Tequila\London, Meteorite and Clark McKay and Walpole for its direct business. Last week it appointed Lowe London to its pounds 7m advertising account.

Direct news brief: Clarification.(Correction Notice)
October 26, 2005... Investors in People's redesigned magazine will be distributed to the employment organisation's 1500 practitioners and not its 37,000 member companies as was reported in last week's Marketing.

Retail news: Tesco builds non-food offer.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Tesco is set to roll out its mezzanine non-food concept across its biggest stores next year as part of an ongoing bid to make non-food items a core part of its offer. Earlier this summer Tesco trialled the concept at a store in Barhill,...

Retail news: Co-op develops fair-trade pack.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... The Co-op is to launch 'Fairtrade Friendly', a free inter-active pack, which will be sent to schools and describes how ethical trading benefits developing countries. Schools that apply for a pack will be sent a guide and CD-Rom...

Retail news: Retail choice - Debenhams, Oxford Street.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Oh dear, this revamped Debenhams store is more Changing Rooms than changing perceptions. Even the budget remains faithful to the programme's parsimony - cheap speakers have been gaffer-taped onto the main supporting pillars, and the in-store...

Retail news brief: Birmingham Bullring campaign.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Birmingham Bullring is to run an advertising campaign to entice consumers from across the UK. The TV and radio campaign for the shopping centre, produced by Isobel, uses the line 'Be at the centre of things'.

Retail news brief: SCS extend contract.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... SCS, the furniture retailer, has extended the contract of former Eastenders actor Martin Kemp to be the face of the brand foranother 12 months. Kemp will feature in five advertising executions as well as appearing in the store's point-of-sale...

Retail news brief: Boysstuff.co.uk deal.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Boysstuff.co.uk, the boys' toys retailer, has signed a deal with DHL covering the Christmas period, for guaranteed next-day delivery on products ordered by 7pm.

Retail news brief: Woolworths kiosk trial.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Woolworths is to trial self-service online kiosks at 18 of its stores this month. The terminals, which will carry credit-card readers, will also allow customers to buy products from the retailer's website.

Retail news brief: Blacks revamp.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Blacks is revamping its out-of-town superstore concept. The project, which is being handled by Dalziel & Pow, will involve a redesign of the outdoor sports retailer's logo.

Retail news brief: Morrisons' stabilises.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Morrisons' market share has stabilised over the past three months, according to TNS. However, the supermarket's losses for the first half of the year were pounds 73.1m, compared with a pounds 121m profit in the previous period.

Retail news brief: Brand Response appointed.(Brief Article)
October 26, 2005... Screenselect.co.uk, the DVD rental service, has appointed Brand Response to explore generating advertising revenue through its site and mailings. The company is considering allowing targeted offers from third parties.

Helen Dickinson on Retail: It Pays to Make Salaries Work Harder
October 26, 2005... If there is one thing the retail industry has in common with the hospitality sector it is a reputation for losing staff. Retailers can have a staff turnover in excess of 100% a year as a result of large numbers of people on the shop floor...

News Analysis: Time to Think Big
October 26, 2005... Start-ups must take the plunge into the mass media to fulfil their potential. But when should they do it, asks Bill Britt. Advertising from global giants such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's has long dominated TV breaks. But would either have...

News Analysis: Cleaning Up at the Olympics
October 26, 2005... The government is acting early to prevent ambush marketing at the 2012 Games. Will it work, asks Drew Barrand. Ambush marketing, guerilla marketing - whichever way it is phrased, the inference is of a hostile attack on the mainstream, and...

Awards Preview: Better by Design
October 26, 2005... This year's Marketing Design Awards will once again demonstrate the impact of visual creativity on brands' profits. High-quality design can have a real impact on a brand's bottom line; that much is clear from the entries for the 2005...

Raymond Snoddy on Media: In-Store Radio Is on Right Wavelength
October 26, 2005... Commercial broadcasters from GCap to ITV are united in bewailing the advertising revenue that has just gone walkabout. Some of the loot has clearly moved online, as the latest interactive statistics show, or to any of a series of more...

Media Analysis: Platform for Change
October 26, 2005... BSkyB's move into broadband is about more than taking on a merged NTL-Telewest, writes Jeremy Lee. BSkyB's decision to enter the high-speed internet market with its pounds 211m purchase of broadband company Easynet is likely to be the first...

Brand Health Check: Poultry
October 26, 2005... The spread of bird flu threatens a fresh crisis for the UK meat industry. Joanna Bowery asks how it should respond. The UK chief medical officer's warning that up to 50,000 people in the UK could die from bird flu is unlikely to inspire the...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Barclays Odyssey Does Homer Proud
October 26, 2005... Barclays is the Homer Simpson of the financial services world. The bank appears set upon a recurring form of marketing behaviour. It develops an ambitious new brand positioning that seems good in theory, but goes horribly wrong. Like Homer,...

One to Watch: OYBike
October 26, 2005... This automated bike-rental system is profiting as city travellers get out of their cars and into the saddle. Sitting in a motionless taxi while late for a meeting, with the meter running and blood pressure rising, could soon be a thing of the...

Profile: Awake to Change - Helen Buck, Director of Brand Communications, Sainsbury's
October 26, 2005... There are several retailers to which the analogy 'turning around a tanker' could be applied when it comes to the task of reversing a slide in their fortunes, but perhaps none quite as appositely as Sainsbury's. It is almost 10 years since it...

Adwatch: The weekly analysis of advertisement recall.(Illustration)
October 26, 2005... Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? Last Brand Agency/TV buyer % week 1 (-) Sainsbury's Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/PHD 67 2 ...

Adwatch: NSPCC - 'Talk 'Til It Stops'
October 26, 2005... The ads in this table primarily come from the usual suspects: the FMCGs and quick-service restaurants. Then there is the NSPCC. I chose the one with the striking animation, beautifully crafted and with a heartfelt and emotional message - the one...