Marketing Week
10 March 2005

AA Insurance embarks on £10m relaunch blitz

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

AA Insurance is being relaunched as an autonomous business as it embarks on a heavyweight &£10m advertising campaign.

Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO appointed to support launch of Bluephone

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, BT's roster agency, has been appointed to develop a multi-million pound campaign to support the launch of Bluephone, which will switch calls between landlines and mobile networks when it is introduced in the next few months.

Aegis pre-tax profits up 17 per cent

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Aegis has reported pre-tax profits up 17 per cent to £39.9m in 2004 and turnover up 21 per cent to £747m.

ASA clamps down on TV alcohol ads

Wed, 16 Mar 2005

ASA's strict interpretation of new Ofcom rules could mean the end for Bacardi party ads

BMW to launch at least one new variant of Mini

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

BMW is planning to launch at least one new variant of its Mini marque, according to insiders. Since its launch in 2001, sales of the new Mini have rocketed.

British Heart Foundation reviewing its £7m advertising account

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

The British Heart Foundation is reviewing its £7m advertising account, held by Euro RSCG London. The pitch is being handled by the AAR. Euro RSCG will pitch.

BT Retail to begin internal trials of a mega-fast 8Mbps broadband

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

BT Retail will begin internal trials of a mega-fast 8Mbps broadband in April, with the aim of rolling it out to consumer and business customers by the end of the year. A larger trial is planned for the summer, if the initial trials are successful. BT says it is responding to user demands and is also likely to offer new services such as video-over-broadband.

Can brief-taking staff be called to account?

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

When agency executives leave, accounts often mysteriously follow them to their new employer. Branwell Johnson looks at the legal avenues for companies whose staff leave with more than a P45

Channel 4 expected to take 51 per cent shareholding in Oneword

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Channel 4 is expected to take a 51 per cent shareholding in digital speech station Oneword following a deal with owner UBC Media Group...

Channel 4 to run interactive horseracing service

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Channel 4 will run a special interactive horseracing service during the Cheltenham Festival.

Coca-Cola launches on-pack text promotion

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Coca-Cola has launched an on-pack text promotion offering the chance for fans to 'win a player' worth up to &£250,000 for their favourite Coca-Cola Football League or Scottish Premier League club. The winning fan will also receive a &£10,000 cheque. The promotion runs for 80 days from yesterday (Tuesday).

DM Private Equity announces purchase of the Unwins Wine Group

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

DM Private Equity has announced the purchase of the Unwins Wine Group, the high street wine retailer.

Electric appointed by Canterbury of New Zealand

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Electric has been appointed by Canterbury of New Zealand, the rugby equipment manufacturer, as its lead advertising agency in the UK with a view to taking on the role globally. Canterbury, which makes kits for Australia, Ireland and Scotland, spends $8m (&£4m) on global advertising.

Ex-Aer Lingus head to be BA chief executive

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Give some credit to a card's design

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

As financial service providers fight over which of them offers the lowest interest rates, research flags up another feature that shouldn't be overlooked - credit card design

Grade takes conciliatory line with commercial rivals

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

BBC chairman Michael Grade threw out some olive branches to advertisers and commercial broadcasters at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers' annual conference yesterday (Tuesday).

Hachette Filipacchi to publish glossy L'Oreal Hair Supplement

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Hachette Filipacchi is to publish an A5 glossy L'Oreal Professional Hair Supplement with the April 2005 issue of Elle magazine...

Heineken to tap Interbrew for marketer

Wed, 16 Mar 2005

If only Gordon Brown knew the ABCs of exports

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Over the past couple of years, newspapers and magazines have been full of the rise of China as an economic superpower. Already dominant in toys, sporting goods, small electrical goods and, increasingly, textiles, the country is poised to conquer the automotive and computer industries. Chinese brands are growing in importance as the nation moves away from its traditional role as a mass-producer of cheap goods, as can be seen in several recent Premier League sponsorship deals.

Is chocolate's appeal in danger of melting?

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

The repositioning of Nestlé Double Cream shows how difficult it is for new concepts to break into the chocolate market.

ITV1 plans push to boost viewers

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

ITV1 is planning a big marketing push this spring to boost ratings, which have slumped severely in the past two months.

Leith Advertising creates anti-cocaine TV ad for Scotland

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Leith Advertising has created an anti-cocaine television ad for Scotland, which will also run in cinemas. The ad focuses on the fact that users are 24 times more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Marriott marketing chief's future in doubt

Tue, 15 Mar 2005

Marriott marketing director Gerard Tempest’s position is under threat following owner Whitbread’s decision to sell the UK luxury hotel chain.

McDonald's chief: 'more children's ads'

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Light calls for more advertising to children in order to educate them about healthy lifestyles

Mercedes boss likely to depart

Wed, 16 Mar 2005

Miles Calcraft beats three to £6m Subaru business

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Nestlé gives Aero 'luxury' boost

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Nestlé Rowntree is boosting the Aero brand with the launch of an indulgent variant, Aero Chocolate Truffle, later this year.

Nethouseprices picks OTPmedia for ad task

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

NSPCC thought to be talking to media planning and buying agencies

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is thought to be talking to media planning and buying agencies about its £5.57m business. The account is handled by Zenith Optimedia.

Ofcom chief backs product placement within TV shows

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Product placement in television programming has been given backing in principle by Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter.

Oxford to launch poor students' bursary drive

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Phil Barden leaves First Choice

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

First Choice group marketing director Phil Barden has left the company after being made redundant. Marketing director Sam Turnbull had already announced his resignation to pursue personal projects, but has agreed to stay on in the short term.

Royal British Legion launches new campaign

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Sainsbury's shortlists Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Leo Burnett, JWT Abbott Mead Vickers

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Sainsbury's has shortlisted Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Leo Burnett, JWT and incumbent Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO for its £47m advertising account.

ScreenSelect announces latest partnership deals

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Shell considering launching unmanned petrol stations

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Shell is considering launching unmanned petrol stations in the UK under the name Shell Express. The company already operates unmanned petrol stations in the Netherlands.

Sky's Star attractions seek the Asian pound

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

BSkyB has major expansion plans for its Asian TV channel Star, and it is not the only broadcaster to see potential in this sector. So why aren't advertisers on the case?

Telegraph Group marketing chief plans to revamp team

Tue, 15 Mar 2005

TfL keeps faith with GfK data collection for radio campaign

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Transport for London (TfL) will continue to use data from GfK Media's broadcast survey to plan a second radio campaign, despite the GfK/Telecontrol MediaWatch being dropped from Rajar's electronic meter tests last month.

The Guardian to carry a free CD this Saturday

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

The Guardian will carry a free CD featuring bands such as British Sea Power and Bloc Party this Saturday (March 12). The CD will be supported by a national television, radio, print and online campaign created by DDB London and Tribal DDB.

The Left's quest for Utopia will make Charlies of us all

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Whatever the fate of Ground Force, the BBC will never raise standards while the intelligentsia are hell-bent on dumbing down Britain's culture, says Iain Murray

The RAC receives an approach

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

The RAC has received an approach that may lead to the motoring organisation being bought.

Trinity Mirror reports profit before tax and exceptional items of £216.8m for 2004

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Trinity Mirror has reported profit before tax and exceptional items of £216.8m for 2004, up from £172.5m. The group has stated it will seek to invest in its telephone directories and online services business.

TV was the first, radio followed

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

I'll let Nick Higham off his lack of homework, but just this once. He wrote: "So television at last has a marketing bureau... 50 years after the first television commercial" (MW February 17). In fact, TV was the first medium to have a marketing bureau, the British Bureau of Television Advertising (BBTA), jointly owned by all the separately independent (at that time) ITV contractors. Its offices, with a staff of about eight, were situated in Mortimer Street.

United Utilities signs £2m deal with Liverpool Culture Company

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

United Utilities has signed a £2m deal with Liverpool Culture Company to be the Official Community Partner for Liverpool City of Culture 2008.

Walkers Sensations launches ad campaign

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

WPP faces P&G £300m switch

Thu, 10 Mar 2005

Procter & Gamble is expected to move its $600m (£311m) media planning and buying account for Gillette out of WPP agency MindShare following its $57bn (£30bn) acquisition of the shaving business. MindShare recently won the planning and buying b