Campaign articles from April 2008

Campaign archives from April 2008

Agencies line up for Sony direct account.(contracts)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Sony is on the hunt for an agency to handle its UK direct marketing account. The company has held talks with several undisclosed below-the-line shops, although a formal pitch has yet to begin. Mikah Martin-Cruz, Sony's general...

Robert Campbell to launch over-50s agency.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Robert Campbell is launching a new agency called tgi50, which will specialise in marketing to the over-50s. His partner in the venture will be Toby Constantine, the former marketing director of The Times and The Sunday Times. The pair...

Stolichnaya kicks off global ad pitch.(contracts)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Stolichnaya, the Russian vodka brand, has called a review of its global advertising account. A representative for SPI, the brand's Russian owner, has contacted London agencies with a view to putting together a longlist to pitch for the...

I-level pens private equity deal.(acquisitions)
April 25, 2008... UK's largest independent digital media agency prepares to sell majority stake to ECI investment group. ILG Digital, the parent company of i-level, is close to signing a deal to sell a majority stake in the business to ECI, a UK-based...

Mini moves media planning in-house.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Mini, the BMW-owned car brand, has moved its media planning in-house, ending a three-year relationship with PHD Rocket. Rocket won the account in 2005 as part of a wider pounds 25 million BMW media review. However, since the win, Mini has...

Rowe and Finney start consultancy.(Henry Rowe and Dominic Finney start digital consultancy)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Henry Rowe, the managing director of Carat Digital, and Dominic Finney, the head of commercial and futures at BLM Quantum, are to launch a digital consultancy. Called FaR, the business will focus on helping clients generate more money...

Moffatt hired by R/GA London.
April 25, 2008... R/GA, the Interpublic Group-owned digital agency, has hired AKQA's Jim Moffatt as the managing director of its two-year-old London office. Moffatt's brief is to manage R/GA London's day-to-day operations, meet financial targets and grow...

MPs want tougher rules on junk-food spots.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Almost 200 MPs have signed a motion calling for a 9pm watershed for junk-food commercials on TV, and a total ban on non-broadcast ads for unhealthy food and drink aimed at children. The backing for the Food Products (Marketing to...

Albion scoops pounds 5m Remington account.(contracts)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Albion has won the pounds 5 million pan-European advertising account for Remington after a pitch against three undisclosed agencies. The agency will initially create TV, print and online advertising to promote the company's haircare...

Starcom creates two MD roles.(appointment of Alastair Bannerman and Steve Parker at Starcom MediaVest Group )(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Alastair Bannerman and Steve Parker hired to head Starcom and MediaVest in bid to split agencies. Starcom MediaVest Group has appointed Alastair Bannerman as the managing director of Starcom and Steve Parker as the managing director of...

Tucker exits Fallon after seven months.(Adam Tucker leaving from Fallon)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Adam Tucker, the creative head at Fallon, is leaving the agency without a job to go to. His departure, after seven months, is thought to have been prompted by a clash of creative styles. Tucker was recruited from DDB London in...

Nina Jasinski takes new role at Cossette.(Cossette Communication Group UK)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Nina Jasinski, the former group marketing director at Leo Burnett and Arc, has joined Cossette Communication Group UK as its marketing director. Jasinski will spend half her time working on marketing for Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy...

Adland's finest drop places on Rich List.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The financial fortunes of adland's finest have taken a knock during the past year, according to the latest version of The Sunday Times Rich List, to be published this weekend (27 April). Sir Martin Sorrell, the WPP chief executive, has...

Invesco and Shop split after two years.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Invesco Perpetual has parted ways with Shop, just two years after the agency was appointed to the pounds 5 million business. It is not yet clear whether the company plans to call a pitch for the account. It is understood that lawyers are...

COI shortlists two agencies for digital anti-smoking brief.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Department of Health is seeking a digital agency for its anti-smoking account. COI, which is handling the review, has shortlisted two agencies to pitch for the three-year contract, with a final shoot-out set to take place in two...

Euro RSCG poised to take global Chivas task.(Euro RSCG Worldwide Inc.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Euro RSCG is poised to land a place on the Pernod Ricard advertising roster. The network's London agency is in final fee negotiations with the drinks giant that, if successful, will see it take over global advertising duties on the...

The Week: Best of the blogs - Suit/client relationships.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... One of the problems with account people is that their entire mental universes are constructed upon the whims of their clients. Q. How many account people does it take to change a lightbulb? A. How many would you like? Now I'd...

The Week: Advertising news - Govt plots anti-binge drive.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The second part of the Government's planned anti-binge-drinking ad campaign is expected to highlight the fact that alcohol can impair sexual performance and even cause impotence. The campaign, which will be created by VCCP, is due to launch...

The Week: Advertising news - Avon seeks new Avon Ladies.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Avon is launching a multimillion-pound ad campaign to find a new generation of Avon Ladies to sell its products. The new ads will use the strapline 'hello tomorrow', and feature six young, fashionable saleswomen. The company is also...

The Week: Advertising news - Asda drops McLoughlin.(Coleen McLoughlin)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Asda has dropped Coleen McLoughlin as the face of its advertising after her pounds 3 million two-year contract came to an end. According to reports, the supermarket chain feels that at 22, McLoughlin is too young to represent the brand's...

The Week: Advertising news - 'Trucks' attracts complaints.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Advertising Standards Authority has received two complaints about Cadbury's Dairy Milk 'trucks' ad, created by Fallon, on the grounds that it was in poor taste in the context of the problems at Heathrow Terminal 5. The regulator will not...

The Week: Advertising news - Govt to review placements.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Government is gearing up to launch a consultation on whether the UK should legalise product placement. Product placement is included in the European Union's Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which allows individual member states...

The Week: Advertising news - Shareholders blast Coke.
April 25, 2008... Coca-Cola shareholders attacked the company's sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics at its annual meeting last week, and Free Tibet protesters called for it to use its power to improve human rights in China. Several sponsors of the Games,...

The Week: Advertising news - BT Business signs up Jones.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... BT Business has signed the Dragons' Den business tycoon Peter Jones to replace Gordon Ramsay as the star of its TV ads. The new campaign breaks on 5 May and features Hollywood guest stars to show how small businesses can solve IT problems

The Week: Media news - Express reopens Mail spat.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Daily Mail has raised its cover price by 5p to 50p, prompting accusations of hypocrisy from the Daily Express. The Express accused its rival of bringing in a price rise, while also publishing stories about the effect of rising living...

The Week: Media news - BBC moots bid for Virgin TV.(BBC Worldwide Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... BBC Worldwide is talking to ten private equity companies, including Cinven, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Providence Equity Partners about a bid for Virgin Media's TV arm, according to reports. Virgin's TV channels are valued at pounds 800...

The Week: Media news - FT plans Saturday redesign.(Financial Times)(Financial Times Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Financial Times is redesigning its Saturday paper and relaunching FT Weekend Magazine in a larger format in a bid to compete with the Sunday papers. The FT Weekend news section will be merged with Companies & Markets, which is a...

The Week: Media news - Viacom consolidates sales.(Viacom Brand Solutions Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Viacom Brand Solutions, the sales house for MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy, is consolidating its TV, digital and sales teams into one unit to provide a single trading point for advertisers

The Week: Media news - ITV signs series sponsors.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... ITV has signed Toyota, Carling and Churchill Insurance to sponsor three of its series. Toyota will sponsor all ITV1 primetime and daytime mystery dramas, including Foyle's War, Poirot and Wire in the Blood, in a deal brokered by...

The Week: Brand news - Protestors target Unilever.
April 25, 2008... Greenpeace campaigners, some dressed as orang-utans, have staged demonstrations at Unilever sites to protest against the use of palm oil in products such as Dove, which protestors say is causing destruction of the Indonesian rainforest....

The Week: Brand news - Vodafone is top UK brand.
April 25, 2008... Vodafone has been named the most powerful British brand for the third year in a row, according to Millward Brown's annual global brand ranking. The telecoms giant increased its brand value by 75 per cent in the past 12 months, according...

The Week: Brand news - BK to launch pounds 85 burger.(Burger King Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Burger King is planning a limited edition of the UK's most expensive burger, which is set to cost at least pounds 85. The burger, which is likely to include ingredients such as wagyu beef, will launch next month in upmarket London outlets...

The Week: DLKW on alert as Halifax calls pounds 18m creative ad review.(Delaney Lund Knox Warren and Partners)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Halifax has called a review of its pounds 18 million advertising account. The pitch, which is being handled by Agency Assessments, will be held in June, with a brief expected to be sent out to agencies in May. The incumbent, Delaney Lund Knox...

The Week: i-Q - The Internet Question - Is the time right for a Halifax review?(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... About time - get shot of the annoying ads. A bank looks after my money; I don't need entertainment value. I want security and value for money. - Andrew Clarke If it takes the credit crunch to get rid of Howard and his cronies, then bring...

The Week: City news - Two interested in ITV stake.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... BSkyB has received expressions of interest in its 17.9 per cent stake in ITV from the European broadcaster RTL and the US billionaire Haim Saban, reports claim. The Competition Commission ordered BSkyB to reduce its shareholding to less than...

The Week: City news - Google's share price rises.(Google UK Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Google's share price rose by almost 19 per cent to dollars 532 after the company revealed a 31 per cent rise in profits to dollars 1.31 billion (pounds 655 million) for the first quarter of 2008, backed by 20 per cent year-on-year growth in...

The Week: City news - Havas' revenues increase.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Havas recorded a 2.5 per cent rise in revenues to EUR345 million (pounds 277 million) in the first quarter of 2008, thanks to EUR510 million in new-business wins and strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Overall organic growth, using...

The Week: City news - Creston maintains growth.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Creston's performance for the financial year to March 2008 was in line with expectations, with revenue up 16 per cent year on year. The company added that Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners, which completed its earn-out on 31 March, will...

The Week: People news - Russell lands Titan role.(appointment of David Russell at Titan Outdoor )(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... David Russell, the former director of group operations at Avis, has joined Titan Outdoor as operations director. He will lead a team of 25, focusing on customer service and management of the company's outdoor portfolio. Titan has also...

The Week: People news - Mendoza joins Admedia.(appointment of Marc Mendoza at Admedia)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Marc Mendoza, the managing partner at MPG, has been made a non-executive director of the out-of-home and experiential media owner Admedia. Mendoza will work on identifying commercial opportunities and advising the company on advertisers'...

The Week: People news - Pearch quits Thomson.(Andy Pearch appointed at Thomson Intermedia)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Andy Pearch, the managing partner of Thomson Intermedia, has left his job after almost 14 years with the company. It is not yet known whether he has a job to go to. Pearch became the managing partner for data and content last year, and is an...

The Week: People news - W&K hires Lee Newman.(Wieden and Kennedy Amsterdam)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam has appointed Lee Newman, formerly the senior vice-president and group account director at the Austin-based GSD&M, as its managing director. Newman replaces Tim O'Kennedy, who is leaving to take time out of the...

The Week: People news - MediaVest takes on Bhatti.(appointment of Sal Bhatti at MediaVest Worldwide Inc. )(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Sal Bhatti, a former head of commercial development at Associated Newspapers' Metro, has joined MediaVest in Manchester as associate director. Bhatti will workwith the director Charlie Varley on media planning and strategy for Barratt Homes

The Week: Media reviews - MediaCom nets pounds 18m job.(HomeForm Group)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... MediaCom North has picked up the pounds 18 million media planning and buying account for HomeForm Group, the owner of Moben Kitchens, Dolphin Bathrooms and Sharps Bedrooms. The Manchester-based agency was handed the business after a three-way...

The Week: Media reviews - Arena BLM wins kids pitch.(Children's Workforce Development Council)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Children's Workforce Development Council has hired Arena BLM to handle communications planning for its Early Years Professional Status awards after a pitch against ZenithOptimedia and MediaCom, managed by COI. The agency will work on a...

The Week: Media reviews - MediaCom sees off Carat.(MediaCom-TMB Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... MediaCom has won TUI Travel's pounds 12 million media planning and buying account after a shoot-out against Carat. The incumbents, Walker Media and MPG, were eliminated last month. TUI called the review in December last year in order to...

The Week: Media reviews - Jeweller replaces WWAV.(Compton & Woodhouse Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Direct MediaCom has won the pounds 5 million media account for the collectables and jewellery retailer Compton & Woodhouse. The company, which spends the majority of its advertising budget on direct mail and press, moved the account without a...

The Week: DM reviews - EDF Energy appoints AIS.(Archibald Ingall Stretton)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... EDF Energy has appointed Archibald Ingall Stretton to handle its consolidated UK direct and digital account after a final pitch against Euro RSCG KLP and the incumbent MBA. Tullo Marshall Warren and Proximity, the other incumbent on the...

The Week: BBDO picks up pounds 100m global HP advertising account.(BBDO Worldwide Inc.)(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Omnicom Group's BBDO has won the dollars 200 million (pounds 100 million) global advertising account for HP's imaging and printing products. BBDO will work with its sister agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, the lead global agency...

The World: Chicago - PepsiCo moves duties on Gatorade and Tropicana.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... PepsiCo is moving the creative business on its Gatorade and Tropicana brands to TBWA\Chiat\Day and Arnell Group. The Omnicom agencies take over from Element 79 in Chicago, which has handled the business for the past six years. PepsiCo...

The World: New York - Y&R appoints Tom Sebok to run North America.
April 25, 2008... Young & Rubicam has hired the senior BBDO executive Tom Sebok to run its North American operations as the regional president and chief executive. Sebok, the former managing director of BBDO in New York, succeeds Chris Jacques, who quit...

The World: Bucharest - NBC Universal to launch channels in Romania.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... NBC Universal Global Networks is to launch the Sci Fi and Universal channels in Romania. The localised versions of the channels will run on the TV platform AKTA, offering viewers science-fiction and entertainment programming, including...

The World: Hong Kong - Grey lands dollars 42m Tourism Board creative brief.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Grey has won the Hong Kong Tourism Board's dollars 42 million account after a five-month pitch involving six agencies. The WPP agency got the green light after a final contest against Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB. Media planning...

The World: Beijing - International protests boost Chinese patriotism.
April 25, 2008... Patriotism among Chinese consumers has been intensified by the international protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics, new research says. Surveys by R3 and CSM into consumer behaviour suggest support for the Games, which begin in August, is...

The World: Washington - US government to sue News Corp over reality TV.
April 25, 2008... The US government is suing News Corporation for alleged violations of the country's indecency laws in an episode of the defunct reality programme Married by America. The Department of Justice opted to take action even though body parts...

The World: Washington - BMW signed to sponsor new Mad Men series.(AMC)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... AMC, the cable TV network, has signed BMW as the sponsor of the second series of Mad Men. The broadcaster will spotlight BMW through a number of initiatives, including on-air and online promotions and within its off-channel marketing...

The World: New York - ABC to integrate live ads into Jimmy Kimmel.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. ABC Broadcast Group)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... ABC is set to turn back the clock by integrating live commercials into episodes of its late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live. Provided there is sufficient interest from advertisers, the first live commercials will go on air next month. ...

The World: Singapore - Y&R resigns Sony in Asia-Pacific over LG conflict.(Young & Rubicam London)(Sony Electronics Inc.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Young & Rubicam has resigned its Sony Electronics business in the Asia-Pacific region because of conflict concerns over its newly won global LG account. Sony, which awarded the business to Y&R in the middle of 2006, confirmed it would be...

The World: Sydney - Tourism body invites seven to pitch for ad business.
April 25, 2008... Agencies are angry over a decision by Australia's tourism chiefs to invite seven agencies to pitch for creative and media on their dollars 169 million account. M&C Saatchi, which created Tourism Australia's controversial 'Where the...

The Work: New Campaigns - UK.(briefs)
April 25, 2008... OXFAM - BE HUMANKIND CREDITS Project: Be humankind Client: Julie Wood, director of corporate communications, Oxfam Brief: Reposition the Oxfam brand to reflect what a dynamic, modern and innovative organisation Oxfam is Creative...

Pitch update.
April 25, 2008... Well, here it is. A chunky piece of domestic business, a household name, and it's calling a review. It's just what the new-business market needed. Yes, the Halifax has put its pounds 18 million brief into play. Perhaps the bank feels...

New-Business Rankings: 25 April 2008.(Statistical table)
April 25, 2008... Rank Rank Agency/ Total Total Net Wins this last Last three wins billings billings billings week week gained lost gained ...

Hotline: The Ideas Foundation sets up a Mentor's Council.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Ideas Foundation has set up a Mentor's Council to increase support within the industry for its creativity scholarships for young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. M&C Saatchi, Bartle Bogle Hegarty and McCann Erickson...

Hotline: Rio Tinto looks for advertising agency.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Rio Tinto is looking for an advertising agency to support its sponsorship of the Royal Ballet. The mining company is backing the Ballet's first tour of China in ten years, which takes place this summer. It hopes to make an appointment by...

Hotline: Logitech hunts for direct marketing agency.(Logitech International S.A.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Logitech is on the hunt for a direct marketing agency to handle its pan-European integrated ad account. Two undisclosed agencies are competing for the business, with a result expected in the near future

Hotline: Bet365 looks for agency.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Bet365, the online gambling group, is looking for an agency to handle media planning and buying for its casino operation. The UK-based group, which also has games and poker operations, has recently begun marketing its casino division online...

Hotline: Clark McKay & Walpole appointed by Lotus.(Lotus Cars Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Clark McKay & Walpole has been appointed by Lotus to launch its first new car to be produced in a decade. The agency has been briefed to create all the marketing materials for the new marque, which is set to launch at the London Motor Show in...

Hotline: Aegis board recommends opposition to Bollore's request.(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Aegis board of directors has written to the group's shareholders, recommending that they oppose the Havas chairman Vincent Bollore's fifth request to place two Bollore Group representatives, Philippe Germond and Roger Hatchuel, on the...

Hotline: Omnicom Group reports first-quarter results.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Omnicom Group has reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with net income up 14 per cent to dollars 208.7 million (pounds 104.8 million) year on year, dispelling concerns that a soft US economy would impact on the sector. ...

Hotline: Channel 4 records pre-tax profits.(Channel Four Television Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... Channel 4 recorded pre-tax profits of pounds 1.6 million in 2007, against pounds 21.3 million the year before. Its main channel made a loss for the first time since 1992 after ratings fell by 11 per cent. The pounds 7.8 million operating...

Hotline: Deadline for monthly Thinkbox Awards.
April 25, 2008... The deadline for the monthly Thinkbox Awards, run in association with Haymarket Brand Media, the parent of Campaign, has been extended to Friday 2 May. To submit your entry, go to http://www.thinkbox.tv

Close-Up: Profile - DLKW's founders take the money and stay put.(Creston PLC acquired Delaney Lund Knox Warren and Partners)
April 25, 2008... After the earn-out from its sale to Creston, DLKW has big plans on how to develop its offering further. On Monday last week, a spacious office looking out towards Waterloo Bridge was the home to four very jovial, relaxed and chatty agency...

Close-Up: Campaign Essay - The best creativity comes in building true partnerships.
April 25, 2008... For an agency to be successful, there needs to be a solid partnership at the top, as well as a good executive creative director, Mark Wnek writes. The second-most serious mistake people make when hiring a creative director is...

Close-Up: Live Issue - How can you be a success in the US?(Profero)
April 25, 2008... When opening in the US, agencies need to know how to cross the cultural divide. Last week, Profero announced it was opening an office in New York, terming the move to the US as the 'last step towards building a global independent...

Close-Up: 24 hours with ... Mark Boyd, Bartle Bogle Hegarty.(Diary entry)
April 25, 2008... Name: Mark Boyd Job: Creative director, content, Bartle Bogle Hegarty Professional mission: Better, different Personal mantra: Why not? 7.10am Get on my scooter. Get motorbike envy as my hairdryer stops at the lights. 7.45am...

Media Perspective: Infectious deserves success - if only for breaking the mould.
April 25, 2008... Growth and consolidation at the top of the tree aside, the media agency market has seemed set in stone. A few years ago, experts were suggesting that we'd never again witness the launch of a UK planning and buying agency (citing Walker Media...

Media Forum: Could training be improved?
April 25, 2008... Should media agencies do more on the training front? Mind the gap. That, arguably, was the most worrying conclusion to be taken away from last week's Venice Festival of Media. There seems to be an alarming distance between media agencies'...

Media: Chatter.(Quotation)
April 25, 2008... 'Google's rank has been driven by fantastic financial performance and equity value.' - Peter Walshe, the global account director at Millward Brown, explains why the research company put Google at number one in its annual top 100 global brand...

Media Headliner: Theakstone faces diplomatic test at Group M.(promotion of Nick Theakstone )
April 25, 2008... Nick Theakstone will have to show he's more than a 'mere trader' as he rises to the Group M challenge. Nick Theakstone had better be up for a challenge. His anticipated promotion to the role of the chief executive of Group M UK will test...

Media Lifeline: Richard and Judy.(Richard Madeley)(Judy Finnigan)
April 25, 2008... The presenting duo have often shocked as their TV career has progressed. 1988: Having arrived by separate routes at Granada in the early 80s and marrying in 1986, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan come together to front This Morning, a...

Media Perspective: Brands should think twice about taking to the sporting field.(ESPN Inc.)
April 25, 2008... There's been a PowerPoint document circulating among US media agencies and sport broadcasters in the past couple of months. You may have seen it. It's an anonymous piece questioning the power and credentials of the cable/multimedia giant...

Media: All about ... Media agencies doing creative.
April 25, 2008... Ad agencies could face competition from media specialists. Media agencies are evolving. MindShare's restructure, announced last week, together with debate at the Venice Festival of Media, has placed a firm focus on the changing role of...

Media: Things we like.(briefs)
April 25, 2008... BEACH CRICKET ON SKY SPORTS Forget the hype around the Indian Premier League, we've been enjoying the feast of beach cricket on Sky Sports. Featuring lots of old, fat former cricketers from England, New Zealand and Australia, it's fast...

Media: Double Standards - Getting results from looking at human behaviour.(interview with Peter Mitchell and Mike Colling)(Interview)
April 25, 2008... The chiefs of two direct media agencies on being paid by results, the changing face of the business and why direct departments are no match for years of experience. PETER MITCHELL - CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WWAV RAPP COLLINS MEDIA - What...