Marketing articles from September 2003

Marketing archives from September 2003

Sailor Jerry plots debut in UK dark spirits category.(William Grant & Sons to launch new rum)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Whisky firm William Grant & Sons is planning to launch Sailor Jerry, a spiced rum already popular in the US, across bars nationwide in an attempt to compete with Southern Comfort and Morgan's Spiced in the dark spirits sector. Sailor...

New Look plans childrenswear entry.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... New Look is firming up plans for a move into the childrenswear market and is preparing to unveil its visual broadcast advertising debut. The UK's third-biggest women's fashion retailer, which recently began trials of a menswear range in a...

McDonald's signs star to global role.(Justin Timberlake will work to support McDonald's charities in return for sponsorship of his European tour)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... McDonald's has signed US pop star Justin Timberlake as its global brand ambassador, as the fast-food chain embarks on an unprecedented brand revival campaign. The company, which unveiled its first worldwide brand campaign, 'I'm Lovin' it',...

Ex-NTL director takes senior role in Abbey revival.(Jermey David appointed)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Abbey National has further beefed up its senior marketing team with the appointment of former NTL marketer Jeremy Davies to the new role of brand and communications director. Davies is the most senior addition to its marketing team since...

London 2012 bid calls for free media space.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The UK's biggest retailers and some unusual media owners will be urged to back London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games by donating space to promote its logo. David Magliano, London 2012's marketing director, said he would be looking to...

UEFA to highlight anti-racism and grass-roots work.(Union of European Football Associations)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... UEFA, European football's governing body, is to launch a brand campaign that for the first time will position it as a force for good in the fight against racism and the game's grass-roots development. The advertising, created by Amsterdam...

STOP PRESS: Heinz confirms appointment.(Stefan Barden hired)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Heinz has confirmed it has picked Stefan Barden as its area director for UK and Ireland, as predicted exclusively in Marketing (March 20).

STOP PRESS: Coca-Cola to air TV ad in UK.(ad originally broadcast in Spain)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Coca-Cola is to air a TV ad in the UK that was originally broadcast in Spain, featuring the 70-year-old mambo tune Chihuahua. Two versions of the tune will be released this month by rival record companies trying to emulate its success in other...

STOP PRESS: Oxfam hires Richard E Grant for ad.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Oxfam has hired Richard E Grant to star in a cinema ad for its 'Make Trade Fair' campaign. The ad, created and directed by Paul Weiland, whose credits include Mr Bean and Blackadder, focuses on the fact that African dairy farmers' livelihoods...

STOP PRESS: Procter & Gamble considers selling brands.(Pringles and US brand Folgers to finance bid for Beiersdorf)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Procter & Gamble is considering selling off two brands, Pringles and US coffee brand Folgers, to finance its bid for Nivea owner Beiersdorf.

STOP PRESS: Spectator publishes special edition.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Spectator, the UK's oldest weekly magazine, is publishing a special edition, sponsored by DTC (formerly De Beers), later this month to celebrate its 175th anniversary.

STOP PRESS: Trojan condoms to launch in UK.(number one brand in U.S. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Trojan, the number one condom brand in the US, is launching in the UK and will appear in Boots and chemists from October 1. Marketing activity will include online and offline promotions and celebrity endorsements through Media Therapy.

STOP PRESS: McVitie's invests in Go Ahead! relaunch.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... McVitie's is investing pounds 3.5m in a relaunch of its Go Ahead! low-fat range, including new packaging and products, in a bid to reverse a 6.1% sales decline in the past year.

STOP PRESS: Allied Bakeries hires Gabby Logan.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Allied Bakeries has hired TV presenter Gabby Logan to front a pounds 15m campaign, alongside comics Mel and Sue, who already feature in its ads. The campaign includes a loyalty scheme called 'Free Kit for Clubs', which aims to give away pounds...

STOP PRESS: ASA rejects complaints.(Advertising Standards Authority)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Advertising Standards Authority has rejected two complaints about a press ad for Lil-lets Tampons, featuring mock TV presenters Mervin and Sandy discussing Lil-lets Extra Comfort gel-coated tampons.

STOP PRESS: Nestle signs deal with Finsbury Foods.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Nestle UK has signed a deal with Finsbury Foods to produce cake versions of its biggest confectionery brands. The five-year partnership starts next year and aims to earn Nestle pounds 50m a year.

STOP PRESS: Sky One launches press campaign.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Sky One launches a press campaign by HHCL/Red Cell today (Thursday) to back its exclusive coverage of David Blaine - Above And Below, covering the magician's six-week stint in a glass box by the Thames.

STOP PRESS: Debenhams records rise.(sales and profits up)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Debenhams, the subject of a protracted takeover saga, has recorded a rise in its first-half sales of 3.9% and gross profits of 0.7%.

STOP PRESS: Avis Europe chief exec quits.(Mark McCafferty leaves company)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Avis Europe chief executive Mark McCafferty has quit after the company revealed a 69% fall in half-year profits.

STOP PRESS: American Express signs partnership.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... American Express has signed a seven-month partnership with fashion magazine Elle to launch a UK talent search called 'In Your Dreams'.

STOP PRESS: Sony Ericsson teams up with Cartoon Network.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Cartoon Network to offer games, wallpapers and ringtones based on its characters, and has added three phones, the T230, Z200 and Z600, to its range.

STOP PRESS: Southern Comfort renews relationship with FHM.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Southern Comfort has renewed its relationship with FHM for a further 12 months, pledging pounds 700,000 to the deal. The 'Four Musketeers' promotion will search for a group of friends to take part in a series of once-in-a-lifetime challenges.

STOP PRESS: Corrections.(Correction Notice)
September 4, 2003... Marketing's Biggest Brands, with data from Information Resources (Marketing, August 28), omitted bathroom tissue brands from its top 50 table. Andrex, with value sales to June 2003 of pounds 190m-pounds 195m, should appear at number five, and...

Labour launches Pension Credit TV ads.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Pensioners surrounded by piles of money and the strapline 'Pick it up, it's yours' form the creative theme of the government's inaugural ad campaign for the Pension Credit scheme. The campaign broke yesterday (Wednesday), a month ahead of...

Friends Reunited hires first agency.(advertising)
September 4, 2003... Friends Reunited, the web site that connects old acquaintances, has taken another step toward establishing itself as a major consumer brand by hiring Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw as its first ad agency. The company, which made millionaires...

THT drives Hepatitis B awareness.(Terrence Higgins Trust)
September 4, 2003... Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), the charity best-known for its work on HIV and AIDS, is to launch its first national campaign to raise awareness of Hepatitis B. A Public Health Laboratory Service study earlier this year suggested there has...

Birds Eye backs nutritional claims with web launch.
September 4, 2003... Birds Eye has created a web site to build on its message that its food is wholesome and nutritious, and frozen because it negates the need for artificial ingredients. Birdseye.co.uk is being promoted on all packaging and advertising and...

Poundstretcher tests 'upmarket' ...instore name.
September 4, 2003... Poundstretcher is piloting a rebranded name,...instore, in seven outlets as owner Brown & Jackson looks to make the business more contemporary and upmarket. The trial stores, based mainly in the North, opened yesterday (Wednesday). ...

Ex-RAC chief takes top Inchcape job.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Former RAC group marketing director Ken Lee has re-surfaced at car dealership group Inchcape as its UK marketing chief. Lee, who has been without a job for the past six months, joined Inchcape in the new role of UK marketing director this...

BT Yahoo! to aim pounds 10m debut work at families.
September 4, 2003... BT Yahoo! unveils a pounds 10m-plus campaign next week to mark the launch of its broadband internet service. It will be the first work created by BT roster agency Clemmow Hornby Inge (CHI). The joint venture sees BT provide internet access,...

Smirnoff Ice gets 'streetwise' with pounds 8.5m campaign.(Diageo launches new marketing campaign after four years)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Diageo has axed the successful 'As clear as your conscience' Smirnoff Ice campaign after four years. It is replacing it with an pounds 8.5m campaign based on the 'streetwise' slang used by 18- to 24-year-old men, as the brand aims to stay...

Teacher Training Agency recruitment campaign.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The professional boredom endured by millions of people is the focus of a recruitment campaign from the Teacher Training Agency (TTA). The work launches this week, as the profession reels from a cash crisis. The pounds 12m activity replaces the...

Cigarette breath tester set for UK consumer launch.
September 4, 2003... Smokerlyzer, a smoking cessation device that measures the amount of carbon dioxide in a person's blood, is launching in the UK later this month backed by an initial pounds 500,000 marketing budget. Manufacturer Bedfont Scientific has been...

Little Chef picks chief to develop value strategy.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Little Chef, the UK's biggest roadside restaurant chain, has hired former Beefeater marketing chief Ann Elliott as its brand development and marketing director, to promote the chain's return to a value-for-money proposition. She starts...

Ex-Ben & Jerry's marketer tackles kids' food issues.(Ian Hills writes a kids' book )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Ex-Ben & Jerry's and Enjoy Organic marketer Ian Hills has written a kids' book that addresses issues of fast-food addiction and child obesity. Icon Books will publish Eddy Tumble & The Fast Food Fiasco next summer. Although written as...

Consumers vote free samplings as best promotions.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Evening Standard, Daily Mail and Guinness top the list of brands that offer consumers the most popular promotions, according to the first National Incentive Survey. The survey of 431 people examined what promotions influence the public...

M&S to roll out &more credit and loyalty card.(Marks & Spencer)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Marks & Spencer will launch its combined credit card and loyalty programme next month using the brand name &more, nearly two years after the scheme was conceived. The retail giant, which this week confirmed Marketing's prediction that its...

Kate Moss in Rimmel London ad.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Supermodel Kate Moss creates chaos in a palace in a 30-second spot for Rimmel London, breaking tomorrow (Friday). The ad, created by Label, the fashion and lifestyle division of J Walter Thompson, promotes the launch of Rimmel's Extreme...

Big City Network hires Karmarama for pounds 4m creative.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Emap Performance has moved the pounds 4m creative account for its Big City Network radio division out of Faulds Advertising into Karmarama, the agency founded by two former St Luke's creative directors. The Big City Network houses Emap's...

The Met battles domestic abuse via ad campaign.(Metropolitan Police )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Metropolitan Police is to target men who are violent toward their wives and partners in a campaign that forms part of a domestic violence crackdown. The press and outdoor campaign takes the focus away from victims of domestic violence...

Walkers crisps awards top role to media chief.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Walkers Snacks has appointed Carol Garbutt marketing director of its flagship crisps range, named last week in Marketing as the UK's biggest brand. Garbutt has been with Walkers since 1995 when she joined from Unilever as brand manager for...

Sanctuary hands business to Naked.(marketing)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Sanctuary Connections, the distributor of beauty products retailing under the Sanctuary health spa brand, has picked Naked to handle its creative and media communications work. The Sanctuary range comprises 80 beauty products, from body...

Atkins Nutritional faces uphill task to win over public.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The majority of the UK public would not buy Atkins Diet-branded foods, despite the fact that almost everyone has heard of the Atkins Diet, according to this week's OMD Snapshots survey conducted exclusively for Marketing. The research...

Tanner Krolle launches consumer press ads.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tanner Krolle, the leather goods brand, is launching provocative consumer press ads in its first campaign since being acquired from Chanel by Guy Salter and Rupert Hambro & Partners in May 2002. The work will appear in glossy magazines from...

NEWS BRIEF: Tamara Ingram to join WPP Group.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tamara Ingram, who resigned as chairman and chief executive of McCann-Erickson UK in January, is to join WPP Group, taking a senior role at its Kantar marketing services division. Ingram is filling the new role of president at three of Kantar's...

NEWS BRIEF: Times Online launches entertainment channel.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Times Online has launched an entertainment channel to draw on The Times and Sunday Times' expansion of their entertainment coverage, most notably with the latter's launch of a CD-ROM called The Month.

NEWS BRIEF: Budgens launches customer loyalty scheme.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Budgens is launching a customer loyalty scheme across 95 of its stores offering discounted breaks in 210 three- or four-star hotels. Available from September 11 to November 5, it will entitle customers to one stamp for every pounds 5 they...

NEWS BRIEF: Dollond & Aitchison launches print campaign.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Dollond & Aitchison is launching a print campaign on Thursday through dfgw to coincide with store refurbishments, a new identity and below-the-line activity. The theme is 'Far too stylish to take off'.

NEWS BRIEF: Freeserve offers one-month free trial.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Freeserve is aiming to boost its broadband customer base with a one-month free trial. It is also offering a free broadband modem and connection as it marks its fifth anniversary this month.

NEWS BRIEF: Paulaner to launch in UK.(Bavarian beer)
September 4, 2003... Paulaner, the Bavarian beer, is to launch in the UK through a distribution deal with Specialist Brand Development. It will be introduced to the UK at the London Bierfest at Spitalfields Market from September 24 to October 4.

NEWS BRIEF: Associated New Media repositions web site.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Associated New Media is repositioning its personal finance web site, This is Money, toward a less financial-savvy audience. The activity will include poster, radio, press and online work created by DS-JSW, planned by Naked and bought by...

NEWS BRIEF: Scottish Media Group launches multimedia ad offering.
September 4, 2003... Scottish Media Group has launched a multimedia advertising offering, SMG Access, covering its TV, radio, cinema, outdoor and online properties. The initiative builds on recent multimedia deals delivered to Coca-Cola, Boddingtons, Knorr and...

NEWS BRIEF: Ahava breaks in UK press campaign.
September 4, 2003... Ahava, the Israeli skincare brand derived from Dead Sea minerals, is to break its first UK press campaign this month through Team Saatchi. Ads will appear in upmarket women's magazines including Marie Claire, Harpers & Queen and Good...

NEWS BRIEF: Coors appoints Premium TV.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Coors has appointed Premium TV to develop and manage the Carling Cup official web site at CarlingCup.com to support the lager's three-year sponsorship of the football league competition.

NEWS BRIEF: Brannigans launches marketing strategy.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Brannigans, the 15-strong bar chain, is launching an integrated marketing strategy, including a pounds 200,000 bus, taxi and press campaign by 2am Design. The tagline is 'There's a bit of Brannigans in all of us'.

NEWS BRIEF: John Brown to produce Coronation Street mag.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Granada has appointed John Brown Citrus Publishing to produce a Coronation Street magazine. It will appear initially as a 100-page Christmas special, priced pounds 4.95, with a free CD featuring highlights from Corrie's Christmas Day episodes....

NEWS BRIEF: Rachel's Organic promotes initiative.(of National Trust)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Rachel's Organic is promoting the National Trust's learning initiative 'From Plot to Plate' by backing a series of events and courses at Trust properties next year. Details will appear on all Rachel's Organic milk cartons and bottles, and will...

MEDIA: Ex-IPC quartet develop humorous title for men.(Sour Mash is a monthly magazine )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Four former IPC executives have banded together to launch a monthly humorous magazine called Sour Mash, described as a cross between Viz, Loaded and Private Eye. Published by start-up outfit Mash Communications, Sour Mash launches on...

MEDIA: Bonmarche hires River Publishing for magazine job.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Bonmarche, the discount clothing chain for 45-plus women, has appointed River Publishing to produce a customer magazine after a pitch against Specialist Publishing. The magazine will have a 600,000 distribution across bonmarche's 280 UK...

MEDIA: The Times revamps Saturday sections.
September 4, 2003... The Times is relaunching its Saturday edition with three new sections - one devoted to health and wellbeing, backed by a 12-month national TV and London poster campaign with a 300% increase in marketing spend. The package, to be unveiled...

MEDIA BRIEF: Starcom MediaVest parts company with director.(Tim Armes leaves company. Iain Jacob joins as chief executive, replacing Jim Marshall)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Starcom MediaVest has parted company with marketing and new business director Tim Armes, who also oversaw the Associated Newspapers and House of Fraser accounts. This week, Starcom Motive managing director Iain Jacob took the reins at Starcom...

MEDIA BRIEF: Chrysalis Radio promotes LBC 97.3 FM.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Chrysalis Radio is promoting LBC 97.3 FM with a six-figure 48-sheet campaign on 420 poster sites in London. Created by Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest, and planned and bought by Starcom Media-Vest, the campaign breaks tomorrow (Friday).

MEDIA BRIEF: Seven Publishing makes senior appointments.(Suzanne Renton, Mitzie Wilson and Adrienne Moyce)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Seven Publishing has made a series of senior appointments in preparation for the launch of Delicious, a food title due out in spring. Suzanne Renton, former marketing and promotions manager for BBC Good Food, becomes marketing manager for...

MEDIA BRIEF: Sky Sports last-minute deal.(broadcasting of Spain's La Liga for three seasons)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Sky Sports has tied-up access to David Beckham's league matches in a last-minute deal to broadcast live games from Spain's La Liga for the next three seasons. Two live games will be shown each weekend, with a highlights programme on Mondays.

MEDIA BRIEF: Wireless Group signs up for news bulletins.(partnership with UBC Meida in return for adjoining ad slots)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Wireless Group has signed up to broadcast UBC Media's daily Entertainment News bulletins across 11 stations in Scotland, Wales and the North of England. UBC is supplying the bulletins free in return for adjoining ad slots.

MEDIA BRIEF: Appointment at Capital Radio Group.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Capital Radio Group has appointed Starcom Motive group account director Gavin Miller as its commercial marketing director. He replaces Linda Grant, promoted to commercial managing director in May. Miller will be responsible for marketing the...

MEDIA BRIEF: Loaded gets third editor.(Martin Daubney replaces Scott Manson)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Loaded, IPC's struggling lad's mag, is to get its third editor in three years, following the defection of Scott Manson to head a youth start-up concept. Manson took over as editor at the start of the year. He is replaced by deputy editor Martin...

MEDIA BRIEF: JazzFM relaunches web site.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... JazzFM is relaunching its web site, jazzfm.com, to double the capacity for online listening to 10,000 and provide video streaming opportunities for advertisers. The revamp, by Underwired, aligns its online presence with the station's corporate...

MEDIA BRIEF: Public fascinated with Dr Kelly intrigue.(Hutton Inquiry's website very popular)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Hutton Inquiry's web site traffic reflects the public's fascination with the Dr Kelly intrigue. The site, www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk, is now the most-visited political web site, receiving 27% of all traffic on the weekend of August 24,...

MEDIA BRIEF: Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 4, 2003... B3 has pointed out that John Brown Citrus Publishing does not publish all Virgin Atlantic's in-flight magazines (Marketing, August 28,) as b3 publishes Big Air, its children's magazine.

DIRECT: Timberland marks 30 years with data quest.(in a national marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Timberland, the clothing and footwear brand, is embarking on a national integrated marketing campaign celebrating its 30th birthday to capture data on UK consumers. The activity marks the first time the company has used below-the-line...

DIRECT: Government plans COI call centre guide.(COI Communications website publishes customer service guidelines)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The government is to issue guidance to ensure that its call centres do more to meet the UK public's needs. The initiative is the result of a National Audit Office investigation undertaken last year. In the past, guidelines have been...

DIRECT: Stowells backs global wine with roadshow event.(Constellation Wines' marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Stowells, the Constellation Wines-owned brand, is running a through-the-line campaign, including direct marketing, to support the relaunch of its portfolio of global wines. EHS Brann Cirencester worked with Havas sister agency Steam to...

DIRECT CHOICE: The Number.(118 118 direct marketing gimmick)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... I love it when direct mail makes me laugh. It doesn't happen very often and in this instance it wasn't even directed at me. I was drawn to my IT department (a sentence you don't hear very often) to see what they were chuckling at. The...

DIRECT BRIEF: Esure hires Inbox.
September 4, 2003... Esure has hired e-mail agency Inbox to promote its home and car insurance products. The agency will initially be responsible for creating two pilot marketing campaigns this month. Activity will target consumers who have opted in through...

DIRECT BRIEF: Penfolds launches CRM initiative.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Penfolds, the premium Australian wine brand, is launching a CRM initiative to promote its Penfolds Privilege Club. The campaign was created by Liquid Communications and aims to increase loyalty and sales across the range by targeting existing...

DIRECT BRIEF: Disasters Emergency Committee launches e-mail campaign.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Disasters Emergency Committee, an organisation that links humanitarian charities including Christian Aid and British Red Cross, is launching an e-mail campaign to raise awareness of the Liberia Crisis Appeal. The campaign, through database...

DIRECT BRIEF: Carlsberg Breweries launches integrated campaign.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Carlsberg Breweries is launching an integrated campaign to leverage its sponsorship of Liverpool Football Club. The activity, created by Billington Cartmell, features the lines 'You'll never walk alone' and 'Carlsberg - Part of the game'....

DIRECT BRIEF: DMA calls for entries for awards.(Direct Marketing Association)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Direct Marketing Association has called for entries for this year's DMA Awards in association with the Royal Mail. Last year's Grand Prix winner, Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, was given the task of designing creative for the...

DIRECT BRIEF: Cancer Research UK to target internet users.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Cancer Research UK is hoping to increase its legacy donations by targeting over-55 internet users through a microsite. Developed by DNA, the site will also target solicitors, will-makers and executors to promote its expertise in the legacy...

DIRECT BRIEF: DMA admits defeat.(Direct Marketing Association )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Direct Marketing Association has led the industry in admitting defeat in its battle to stop the introduction of the corporate Telephone Preference Service, which will let companies opt out of receiving telemarketing calls from other...

DIRECT BRIEF: Linda Barker launches interiors catalogue.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Linda Barker, the Changing Rooms presenter and I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here! contestant, is launching her first interiors catalogue. 'Really Linda Barker' is initially being mailed to 150,000 recipients who are interested in interior...

DIRECT BRIEF: Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 4, 2003... Smart used The Partnership to handle its direct marketing business, not Maher Bird Associates as reported in Marketing (August 21).

BRANDING: Vision Express unveils flagship concept store.(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Vision Express, the optical retailer, will open a concept store that echoes open-plan cosmetics retailing in Birmingham's new Bullring shopping centre next week. The store, which will become the chain's flagship branch, is an evolution of...