Close-Up: Profile - Arnold London needs to make a name for itself.

There's a Volvo reason for the move to the UK, John Tylee reports, but will it be enough to win renown for the newcomer?

It may be debatable whether the newly opened Arnold London is an agency born of opportunism or idealism. Or a bit of both.

There's no question that, in establishing a UK outpost, the Havas-owned and Boston-based Arnold Worldwide has significantly bolstered its position with Volvo.

Arnold is the car-maker's lead global agency, while Nitro has its UK assignment. How fortunate, therefore, that two of Arnold London's three founding partners are Paul Shearer and Johan Fourie, respectively Nitro's former creative chief and managing director.

Despite a less-than-happy time at Nitro ('Too much decision-making on the hoof,' Shearer says), he dismisses any suggestion that Arnold was tempted to set up in London only by the prospect of sweeping up the remaining Volvo business not under its control.

Rather, he says, it was a fortunate confluence of events. Arnold was as eager to have a UK presence as Shearer was set to exit Nitro. It was a case of Arnold approaching him, he says, not the other way round.

Demarcation lines were agreed with Nitro's global chief executive, Chris Clarke. 'It's not perfect, but we're having to live with it,' Shearer says. With a pledge not to poach Nitro staff, Arnold London begins life not only with some significant business but the prospect of exploiting Shearer's links with Nike.