Marketing Week
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WPP revenue tops £10bn for the first time

Thu, 1 Mar 2012

Chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell is optimistic on 2012 after record year for the marketing services company.

Research and insight: endeavour to see how the customer sees

19 January 2012

Five insight experts tell Lucy Handley their high points from last year and their plans for this - including coping with a budget squeeze - and the skill to getting better results from research

Strada owner banks on user-generated-content to drive consumers in-store

Tue, 20 Dec 2011

Restaurant operator serves up social media strategy to increase footfall for restaurants.

Why over-60s rising divorce rate is important to you

8 December 2011

Divorce rates among the over-60s are on the rise, but after the pain of separation often comes major lifestyle changes, offering marketers new targeting opportunities among these ‘silver separators’.

Channel 4 and Barclays unite for peer-to-peer youth game

Thu, 17 Nov 2011

Broadcaster partners with high street bank to showcase young UK business talent.

Chime Communications restructures to focus on sport

Wed, 9 Nov 2011

Chime Communications has restructured to focus on sports and digital marketing after its PR contract with the US Government ended earlier than expected.

Carte Noire returns to screens with interactive 4OD spot

Fri, 4 Nov 2011

Strong digital growth spurs Interpublic to defy analysts' predictions

Mon, 31 Oct 2011

Interpublic Group of Companies has reported a 11% rise in third quarter revenue, thanks in large part to the company’s growing digital offering.

Havas hails digital offering for revenue growth

Thu, 27 Oct 2011

Advertising group Havas has reported third-quarter revenue growth of 5% driven by strong performances of its UK, US and Asian agencies.

Baxters returns to TV advertising after five-year hiatus

Fri, 21 Oct 2011

Baxters TV ad signals the start of a major investment into its marketing strategy.

Creative content will fuel Coca Cola’s growth

Fri, 21 Oct 2011

Coke believes that collaborative creative content will help double the size of the businesses over the next decade.

Publicis Groupe digital growth lifts revenue

Thu, 20 Oct 2011

Publicis Groupe says growing digital spend in Europe and emerging markets helped drive a 7.5% increase in third-quarter revenue.

How to give your image makeover mass appeal

29 September 2011

What’s in a name? Your brand’s reputation if a change in identity fails to win over consumers. Laura Snoad learns how marketers have successfully rebranded their companies and the pitfalls to avoid.

Brands look to long-copy to boost resonance of ad campaigns

Thu, 22 Sep 2011

Brands are increasingly turning to long-copy ads to gain better traction with consumers, say industry experts.

Cancer Research names new trustees

Tue, 20 Sep 2011

The charity is bolstering its board of trustees with advertising and marketing professionals Wendy Becker and Helen Calcraft.

How Renault puts the Va Va Voom in its advertising

Mon, 12 Sep 2011

Campaign Focus - Publicis Modem - ’Kings and Queens of Va Va Voom’ with Simon McCarthy, Planning Director.

Virgin Group appoints Saatchi & Saatchi boss as CMO

Wed, 7 Sep 2011

Virgin Group has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi boss Ian Rowden as its new chief marketing officer, as it looks to place the Group’s brand at the heart of its global expansion strategy.

Creative solutions vital for sales, say CMOs

Wed, 7 Sep 2011

Leading CMOs have backed agency calls to pursue creative thinking to help drive sales in times of economic uncertainty.

Bupa launches campaign to highlight personalisation

Thu, 1 Sep 2011

Bupa is preparing to launch a TV campaign to promote its new health insurance product, Bupa By You, as part of the healthcare brand’s repositioning.

Agencies play musical chairs

01 September 2011

No less than three agency partners advised me of changes to their account teams this week.

Burger King drops The King character in the US

Mon, 22 Aug 2011

Burger King has ditched its brand mascot “The King” in the US in favour of a greater focus on its food credentials.

Toyota ranked top global green brand in Interbrand study

Tue, 26 Jul 2011

Toyota has been named the world’s greenest brand by Interbrand.

DMA to provide grants to young DM “stars”

Mon, 11 Jul 2011

The Direct Marketing Association is to introduce a new service that will provide grants to help fund the development of young direct marketers.

Sony creates digital home for Harry Potter

Thu, 23 Jun 2011

Author J.K. Rowling has partnered with Sony to create Pottermore, the new online home of Harry Potter in a bid to keep the franchise alive beyond the release of the final film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 next month.

Do you want to advertise how much data you hold?

23 June 2011

Marketers are finding that their internet ads provide a more detailed customer analysis than evenmedia buying agencies hold.

UK ad spend growth weaker than forecast, says AA/Warc

Tue, 21 Jun 2011

The forecast for UK advertising spend growth in 2011 has been halved in the latest Advertising Association (AA)/Warc figures.

Lee Cooper jeans looks to British heritage for global push

Tue, 21 Jun 2011

Jeans brand Lee Cooper is to focus its marketing spend on building the brand in international territories, playing on its “quintessentially British” heritage.

DMA relaunches as digital leader

Wed, 8 Jun 2011

The Direct Marketing Association is repositioning itself as a modern, digitally attuned trade body that is “open, friendly and welcoming” to marketers.

Karmarama boosted by investment

Thu, 2 Jun 2011

Karmarama, Marketing Week’s Agency of the Year 2011, is accelerating its plans to become an “international integrated marketing communications group” thanks to investment from private equity group Phoenix Equity Partners.

Quorn owner to buy BBC Magazines

Thu, 26 May 2011

BBC Worldwide has selected private equity firm Exponent as its prefered bidder for its magazines business.

Are your shoes too big to fill?

26 May 2011

Your boardroom may be doing a great job right now, but what happens when staff leave? MaryLou Costa asks an expert panel for their views on succession management and training.

ING launches animated ad campaign

Tue, 17 May 2011

Watch it here

Paddy Power cat kicking ad tops complaint list

Thu, 12 May 2011

A Paddy Power ad featuring a blind footballer kicking a cat was the most complained about ad of 2010, according to the Advertising Standards Authority. See the full Top 10 list, and the ads, here.

Crowd sourcing a crowd pleaser?

Wed, 11 May 2011

Engagement is the Holy Grail for marketers and in the past year crowd sourcing has reared its head as an innovative way for brands to go about earning it. Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have both made a stab at involving their customers in product development this week but to what end?

Waitrose commits to crowdsourcing after pudding launch

Wed, 11 May 2011

Waitrose has unveiled its first customer-created product and plans to increase the use of crowdsourcing in its future product development.

DM needs to re-establish its credentials

Mon, 9 May 2011

Hello, welcome back to Marketing Week’s Direct Marketing bulletin, we hope you enjoyed the bank holidays. We’re delighted to resume normal service.

Cadbury launches dancing clothes ad

Fri, 6 May 2011

Watch Cadbury’s latest Glass and a Half Full Productions’ ad here.

Soft drinks industry thrives despite tough economy

Tue, 12 Apr 2011

The soft drinks industry enjoyed its fastest annual growth rate in seven years last year, fuelled by a strong performance from sports and energy drinks.

Interpublic Group reveals Facebook investment

Mon, 4 Apr 2011

Interpublic Group has invested $300m (£185.6m) in Facebook.

Pick'n'mix or one-stop-shop?

Digital Strategy Supplement - March 2011

The process of selecting an agency has become much more complex since the rise of digital, with its demand for new and niche skills, and there are pros and cons to sticking with the lead agency model or spreading your roster among a group of specialists.

Publicis Groupe meets marketers’ needs with Kitcatt Nohr merger

Thu, 3 Mar 2011

Publicis Groupe is to merge independent agency Kitcatt Nohr with Digitas as part of the drive to create new entities capable of dealing with the fast-pace of change in marketing communications.

ASA launches awareness campaign

Mon, 17 Jan 2011

The Advertising Standards Authority has launched its first above-the-line marketing campaign in five years today (17 January) to highlight that it will be regulating marketing communications on company websites from 1 March.

Data is king, says Sir Martin Sorrell

Mon, 20 Dec 2010

Data will become an increasingly important commodity in the coming years, according to WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell.

Burton’s Foods to focus on “power brands”

Tue, 7 Dec 2010

Burton’s Foods is preparing an “aggressive” growth strategy for its “power brands” - Jammy Dodgers, Maryland Cookies and Cadbury’s Chocolate Biscuits.

Unilever appoints Ogilvy & Mather for corporate brand

Fri, 26 Nov 2010

Unilever, which owns brands including Dove and Persil, has appointed Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide to handle the global creative account for the Unilever corporate brand.

DH appoints M&C Saatchi to £9m cancer brief

Fri, 12 Nov 2010

The Department of Health has appointed M&C Saatchi to handle a £9m advertising campaign to drive awareness around cancer.

YouView appoints agencies ahead of launch

Thu, 4 Nov 2010

YouView, the joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, Arqiva, BT and Talk Talk, has appointed a roster of agencies ahead of its launch.

Ad code body names chair

Thu, 21 Oct 2010

The Committee of Advertising Practice, the body responsible for setting the regulatory codes marketers have to comply with, is to be chaired by advertising veteran James Best.

MTV’s channel ad cleared of being ‘sexually suggestive’

Wed, 20 Oct 2010

MTV has avoided censure after viewers complained ads for its Viva channel were offensive.

Havas revenues up 12.6%

Tue, 19 Oct 2010

Havas, the parent company of UK agencies EHSBrann, Euro RSCG and All Response Media, reported a 12.6% revenue growth to €368 million (£323m) in the three months to September.

Morrisons and BK sign up to Lowe’s new retail offering

Thu, 23 Sep 2010

Morrisons and Burger King have signed up as UK clients of the newly launched retail activation network Open.

Kinetic fuels expansion by creating data analysis arm

16 September 2010

Outdoor agency Kinetic is moving into consumer data analysis with the launch of a new division Meta.

UPS delivers its biggest ever marketing campaign

Mon, 13 Sep 2010

Watch the new UPS ad here.

Former Cadbury marketing chief Rumbol in agency start-up

Wed, 8 Sep 2010

Fallon founder Laurence Green and creative director Richard Flintham are leaving the agency to launch a new start-up with former Cadbury marketing director Phil Rumbol.

AB InBev tasks Vizeum with media account

Thu, 2 Sep 2010

AB InBev, which owns Stella Artois, Beck’s and Budweiser, has appointed Vizeum to handle its UK media planning and buying account, following a review.

Google and Yahoo back ASA in policing online ads

Wed, 1 Sep 2010

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have agreed to remove ads linking to material judged by the Advertising Standards Authority to be breaking its rules, as part of an unprecedented level of cooperation between the regulator and online industry.

Havas reports strong growth in UK

Tue, 31 Aug 2010

Marketing services group Havas, owner of Euro RSCG, Arena, MPG UK and Archibald Ingall Stretton, has posted first half revenue growth of 4.2%, year on year.

Chime boosted by new business

Wed, 25 Aug 2010

Chime Communications, the marketing services group which owns Compare The Meerkat creators VCCP, has posted a better than expected results for the first-half, boosted by an uplift in new business.

SeeSaw signs licensing deal with NBC Universal

Wed, 18 Aug 2010

SeeSaw.com, the online TV service, has entered a multiple-year licensing agreement with NBC Universal to air highlights of shows including Heroes and House.

MCCA becomes MAA in bid to boost awareness

Mon, 9 Aug 2010

The Marketing Communications Consultants Association (MCCA) is renaming itself as the Marketing Agencies Association (MAA) with immediate effect.

ASA clears TV ad by Marie Stopes

Wed, 4 Aug 2010

The UK’s first television advertisement for an abortion service provider has been cleared by the advertising watchdog after an orchestrated campaign by pro-life campaigners led to more than 4,000 complaints.

ASA becomes co-regulator for VOD advertising

Mon, 2 Aug 2010

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will take up its role as co-regulator for VOD advertising on 1 September.

"Sales teams would be wise to use marketers to their advantage"

Fri, 30 Jul 2010

It is that time of year when the sales director and I hold our meetings with the trade. I have always enjoyed meeting the buyers and it became something of an annual roadshow routine with our former sales director. Sadly, he has recently retired and I now have to start over with a new routine with our new sales leader.

Frü appoints Chemistry for sweet promotion

Thu, 29 Jul 2010

Frü, the fruity sister to chocolate dessert brand Gü, has appointed Chemistry Communications to handle its UK experiential account in the UK.

Frozen food heats up as Findus appoints agency

Thu, 29 Jul 2010

Frozen food group Findus UK has appointed Grey London as its strategic and creative agency.

Emirates swoops on StrawberryFrog

Mon, 26 Jul 2010

Emirates has picked the agency StrawberryFrog to drive its £160m global marketing campaigns.

Architect of Co-op dandelion campaign exits

Wed, 21 Jul 2010

The Co-operative marketing director Patrick Allen is leaving the retailer to “develop a senior commercial role elsewhere”.

Sony PlayStation eyes sponsorship opportunities for music channel

Mon, 19 Jul 2010

Sony Playstation is looking to maximise awareness of its VidZone music channel through sponsorship and advertiser funded television (AFP) shows.

Maynards brings back Moose in £2m ad push

Thu, 15 Jul 2010

Maynards, the sweets manufacturer behind Wine Gums, is launching a £2m integrated ad campaign, fronted by Maynard the Moose, a brand icon that first appeared 20 years ago.

National Book Tokens hires Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw

Thu, 15 Jul 2010

National Book Tokens, the multi-retailer gift voucher and card scheme, has appointed integrated agency Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to its integrated marketing account.

Unilever VP leaves to join ad agency

Thu, 15 Jul 2010

Sara Lee’s interim marketing director Jonathan Moore is to leave the company to join WCRS in the newly created position of chief strategy officer.

Portman Group readies digital marketing awareness drive

Tue, 13 Jul 2010

Alcohol industry body The Portman Group is to ramp up its digital marketing training service in a bid to improve online standards.

Why clients need a full-service agency

Mon, 12 Jul 2010

Chris Freeland, managing director at digital and direct agency Tullo Marshall Warren, argues that a full-service agency can become a trusted strategic partner of a client rather than just a supplier.

Clear Channel appoints new CEO

Thu, 8 Jul 2010

Clear Channel Outdoor has appointed former BT marketer Matthew Dearden as its CEO.

Michelin ad promising to save fuel banned by ASA

Wed, 7 Jul 2010

A TV ad for Michelin car tyres featuring the Michelin Man and claiming to “help to save up to 80 litres of fuel” has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being misleading.

Driving value from the single customer view

8 July 2010

Bringing all your data together in a single customer view or single marketing view is a Herculean task for many organisations. Do those who have begun the process believe they are about to reap the rewards for their efforts? Morag Cuddeford-Jones reports.

Small business digs deep into marketing mix

8 July 2010

Small and medium-sized enterprises are bucking the austerity trend and investing an increasing amount of cash in a wide range of marketing activity, according to research seen exclusively by Marketing Week.

Wall's launches Bring it on Britain repositioning campaign

Mon, 5 Jul 2010

Wall’s is launching a new campaign positioning the brand as a producer of “British classics” such as pork pies and sausage rolls. The Bring it on Britain push is the first work for the brand by Saatchi & Saatchi after the agency won the account last year following a 2-way shoot out against the incumbent, Beattie McGuinness Bungay.

Nokia board reshuffle sees new global marketing chief

Fri, 2 Jul 2010

Nokia has promoted its director of global brand management, Steven Overman, to the role of vice president, global head of marketing creation at Nokia, as the handset manufacturer faces increased pressure from its smartphone rivals.

Age UK thanks donors through direct mail

Wed, 30 Jun 2010

Age UK is launching a direct marketing campaign to thank new donors and encourage regular giving.

Peroni looks to Italian director for stylish campaign

Tue, 29 Jun 2010

Italian premium lager Peroni Nastro Azzurro is partnering with Italian film director Gabriele Muccino to create a short film to be used to promote the brand.

Vauxhall shifts focus to customer experiences in board reshuffle

Mon, 28 Jun 2010

Vauxhall is reshuffling its marketing department in a bid to develop new strategies for the struggling company.

GroupM predicts global advertising to increase 3.5% in 2010

Fri, 25 Jun 2010

Global advertising spending is expected to increase by 3.5% in 2010 to $451bn (£302bn), according to WPP’s media network GroupM.

VCCP wins O2 digital account

Tue, 22 Jun 2010

O2 has appointed VCCP to handle its digital account, reported to be worth £15m.

Ribena encourages consumers to "Pick your own" flavour

Mon, 21 Jun 2010

Ribena is launching its latest promotional push, themed “Pick your own flavour”, aiming to raise awareness of the different variants the soft drink is available in.

Post Office calls statutory advertising review

Fri, 18 Jun 2010

The Post Office is calling a statutory review of all its above the line advertising and marketing business, worth at least £12m, which is currently held by Mother.

British Gas retains Carat following marketing restructure

Thu, 17 Jun 2010

British Gas has retained Carat to handle its £50m media planning and buying account, following a reshuffle of its marketing department.

Mercedes Benz promotes SLS with 3D campaign

Tue, 15 Jun 2010

Mercedes-Benz is to launch its SLS AMG car in 3D as part of a £1m integrated campaign featuring former F1 driver David Coulthard.

Harvey Nichols launches summer sale campaign

Tue, 15 Jun 2010

Harvey Nichols is launching a surreal fairground-themed ad campaign to promote its upcoming summer sale. The three ads each depict a classic fairground game and in one of the ads a customer is shown winning a Stella McCartney Jacket.

Dell Services unveils ad campaign to boost awareness

Mon, 14 Jun 2010

Dell is running its first advertising for its services division, which was established after the company acquired IT giant Perot Systems for $3.9bn (£2.7bn) late last year.

Domino’s unveils football-themed ad push

Fri, 11 Jun 2010

Domino’s Pizza is unveiling an integrated football themed campaign to co-incide with the World Cup, which will include its first use of in-game advertising.

Cabinet Office issues guidance on government ad campaign rules

Thu, 10 Jun 2010

The Cabinet Office has sent government advertisers and department heads a guidance document enforcing the immediate freeze on all non-essential government marketing, unless permission is sought from the relevant personnel.

Sky to relaunch broadband service with ads from Engine

Thu, 10 Jun 2010

Sky Broadband has appointed Engine to handle its national relaunch activity, following a competitive pitch.

Plusnet tasks Karmarama with national launch activity

Thu, 10 Jun 2010

Plusnet, the BT Group owned internet service provider (ISP), has appointed Karmarama to handle its integrated advertising account ahead of its national launch later this year.

Orange unveils DM push to target taxi firms

Wed, 9 Jun 2010

Orange has unveiled a direct marketing campaign targeting taxi firms, by communicating the benefits of its network in the shape of a bottle of motor oil.

Lucozade puts its £10m advertising business up for pitch

Tue, 8 Jun 2010

GlaxoSmithKline’s flagship drinks brand Lucozade has put its estimated £10m advertising business up for pitch. It has invited roster agencies M&C Saatchi and Ogilvy to pitch for the business.

Brand loyalty starts from a very early age

10 June 2010

Approaching the children’s market can be a minefield, but investing time and funds to get your message across can pay off handsomely.

The Secret Marketer talks about creatives

10 June 2010

In my column last week, I suggested that an agency creative director may have put their own personal ego ahead of answering my brief. In doing this, I suggested that the agency had completely ignored the rather sensible inputs of his account suit and planning colleagues.

The Car Shop unveils new ads to boost awareness

Mon, 7 Jun 2010

Automotive supermarket The Car Shop has unveiled an integrated advertising campaign in a bid to boost awareness of its services.

Lotus poised to relaunch brand with McCann’s help

Fri, 4 Jun 2010

Group Lotus, the sports car maker, has appointed McCann Erickson Central to handle the relaunch of the Lotus brand.

Aviva encourages the public to nominate local heroes in latest ad push

Fri, 4 Jun 2010

Aviva has unveiled an integrated marketing campaign called “Tell Us Your Story” that aims to engage consumers by associating with their lifestyles. 

Doritos shortlists King of Ads UGC entries

Thu, 3 Jun 2010

Doritos has shortlisted three entries to competed in the final of user generated ad contest, with the winning film becoming the next Doritos TV ad.

Hallmark films father to feature in surprise Father's Day ad

Thu, 3 Jun 2010

Hallmark, the greetings card brand, has unveiled an advert starring one of its customers, timed to co-incide with the expected Father’s Day rush.

David Kenny exit leaves Publicis CEO vacancy wide open

Wed, 2 Jun 2010

Publicis Groupe’s David Kenny, who is managing partner for its VivaKi business, is to resign from the company at the end of the month, after turning down a position at the company’s Paris headquarters.

Keep Britain Tidy looks for new media agency

Fri, 28 May 2010

Anti-litter lobby group Keep Britain Tidy is on the hunt for a media agency to support its ramped up marketing activity.

M&S launches lingerie campaign

Wed, 26 May 2010

Marks & Spencer has launched a lingerie campaign, using the same format as its “we boobed” campaign.

On course to develop social media skills

27 May 2010

Marketing Week research reveals both brands and agencies are failing to keep up with marketers’ desire to update their knowledge, especially in the digital sector.

Ford uses dual screens to target dads and kids

Mon, 24 May 2010

Ford is launching a dual screen digital outdoor campaign for its new 7-seat Galaxy model targeting dads while entertaining their kids.

FTC approves Google’s AdMob takeover

Mon, 24 May 2010

Google’s proposed $750 takeover of AdMob has been approved by US regulator the Federal Trade Commission because other large companies such as Apple are entering the mobile ad market.

London 2012 unveils Games mascots

Thu, 20 May 2010

London 2012 has unveiled cartoon animations named Wenlock and Mandeville as the mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Arena BLM rebrands as Arena Media

Thu, 20 May 2010

Media planning and buying agency Arena BLM is rebranding as Arena Media, with immediate effect.

Sony to screen FIFA fan festivals in 3D

Wed, 19 May 2010

Sony Europe is launching a 3D fan experience at the International FIFA Fan Festivals, to leverage its official partnership of the World Cup.

National Rail hands outdoor contracts to JCDecaux and Primesite

Tue, 18 May 2010

JCDecaux and Primesight have won the £260m National Rail outdoor advertising contracts signalling a revival of innovation in digital advertising platforms.

Simple uses teenage panel to prepare range launch

20 May 2010

Skincare brand Simple has collaborated with young female consumers on its Teen Advisory Board to launch a range and supporting marketing campaign aimed at 13- to 19-year-olds.

Hotels.com unveils TV ad inviting consumers to "Wake Up Happy"

Mon, 17 May 2010

Hotels.com is unveiling a television advertising campaign inviting consumers to “Wake Up Happy” by staying in one of its 120,000 worldwide properties.

Phones 4u brings back hand gesture in £8m ad campaign

Mon, 17 May 2010

Phones 4u is unveiling an £8m integrated advertising campaign called “Hard Working Prison Guards”, which will see the return of the Phones 4u hand gesture.

Associated consolidates Daily Mail and MoS ad accounts into M&C Saatchi

Wed, 12 May 2010

Associated Newspapers has consolidated the ad accounts for the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday into M&C Saatchi, the incumbent on the Daily Mail. BBH, the incumbent on Mail on Sunday loses out.

Chime Communications posts positive forecast for 2010

Wed, 12 May 2010

Chime Communications, owner of VCCP, says it expects to perform ahead of market expectations for the first half of the year with operating profit up from last year, thanks to a series of new business wins.

Carlsberg unleashes England “Team talk” ad

Sun, 9 May 2010

Carlsberg, the official beer of the England football team, has unveiled its World Cup ad that features a panoply of sporting stars and can be seen by clicking into this story.

Birds Eye appoints Glue to set digital strategy

Fri, 7 May 2010

Birds Eye has appointed Glue London to manage its digital account.

Louis Vuitton launches football legends ad push

Thu, 6 May 2010

Fashion label Louis Vuitton is launching a new campaign featuring footballing legends Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane. Celebrity photgrapher Annie Leibovitz shot the campaign, which was created by Ogilvy Paris.

Brother appoints MPG International to handle latest product offensive

Thu, 6 May 2010

Brother International Europe has appointed MPG International Media Contacts to handle a pan-European media planning and buying account for the launch of a specific new product.

i-level placed into administration

Wed, 5 May 2010

Digital media agency i-level has gone into administration, new media age can reveal.

Warner Brothers launches movies on demand with BT Vision

Tue, 4 May 2010

Warner Brothers has launched its UK subscription video-on-demand service, WarnerFilms, on BT Vision.

Glade Shake n’ Vac revives classic ad with Jedward

Tue, 4 May 2010

Glade Shake n’ Vac, is teaming up with The X-Factor stars Jedward to revive its 1980’s advert in celebration of its 30th birthday.

Samaritans appoint TDA for DM ad work

Fri, 30 Apr 2010

Samaritans has appointed TDA as its direct marketing agency after a three-way competitive pitch.

ITN promotes commercial director to head production unit

Thu, 29 Apr 2010

ITN has promoted its commercial director Mark Browning to the role of managing director at ITN Productions.

M&C Saatchi UK Group reshuffles leadership team

Thu, 29 Apr 2010

The M&C Saatchi UK Group is reshuffling its leadership team with Lida’s chief executive Lisa Thomas moving to head the group.

Former Unilever CMO Simon Clift joins Engine board

Thu, 29 Apr 2010

Former Unilever global chief marketing officer Simon Clift has joined the board of agency network Engine as a non-executive director.

Asda seeks to boost growth with price guarantee

Wed, 28 Apr 2010

Asda is launching an “Asda Price Guarantee” as a shift in strategy backed by a television and press advertising campaign.

Travelodge strategy to create 'brand warmth'

Tue, 27 Apr 2010

Travelodge, the low cost hotel company, has unveiled a £10m marketing strategy designed to bring “warmth” to its brand and is returning to television advertising after 20 years.

Liverpool’s talking to the wall

29 April 2010

A new train of thought was employed when Virgin unveiled a talking poster that publicised faster journey times to London

First TV ad in five years for Anchor Cream

Mon, 26 Apr 2010

Arla Foods is launching a new advertising campaign for its Anchor Cream brand.

McDonalds unveils new look for “I’m Lovin It” strapline

Fri, 23 Apr 2010

McDonalds has unveiled its new activation for its “I’m Lovin’ It” strapline, which will run globally from next year.

Disney hires Naked co-founder as president of marketing

Thu, 22 Apr 2010

Walt Disney Company has appointed Naked Communication’s co-founder MT Carney as its president of marketing for Walt Disney Studios.

British Gas reviews media agencies

Thu, 22 Apr 2010

British Gas, the Centrica owned energy supplier, is reviewing its media buying agencies as it looks to consolidate accounts.

Save The Children appoints Adam & Eve to its advertising business

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Adam & Eve has scooped the £4m advertising business for the charity Save the Children following a final shoot-out with Euro RSCG. The pitch was handled by Oystercatchers.

Vodafone head of global media joins OMD

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Vodafone’s head of global media Liz Workman has moved to OMD to work on the Vodafone media and planning account for the agency.

Land Registry looks to ramp up marketing to boost customer service

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Land Registry, the body that records property and land deals, is looking to ramp up its marketing expertise in a bid to become a more a “customer focussed” business.

Omnicom latest to signal improving advertising market

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Omnicom Group, owner of the BBDO, DDB, and TBWA agency networks, says revenue increased 6.3% in the first quarter of 2010.

John Lewis asserts ‘Never knowingly undersold’ position

Tue, 20 Apr 2010

John Lewis is rolling out a £6m advertising campaign to drive its “Never knowingly undersold” proposition.

Flying the flag gives brands a real advantage

22 April 2010

Iconic British brands Land Rover and Hamley’s may have foreign owners, but research by Leapfrog shows that any brand able to demonstrate itshome-grown roots will find favour with consumers.

HiPP Organic to air first TV ad

Mon, 19 Apr 2010

Baby food specialist HiPP Organic is launching its first ever TV advertisement tonight (19 April) to promote its new organic Follow on Milk products.

Kingsmill partners with Britain's Got Talent

Mon, 19 Apr 2010

Kingsmill has signed a partnership with ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent to launch an on-pack promotion offering consumers the chance to win a prizes, including tickets to the live show and live tour.

Havas sees 1.5% growth in first quarter

Mon, 19 Apr 2010

Havas, owner of agencies including Euro RSCG, Arena BLM and Media Planning Group, has reported a sales growth of 1.5% for the first quarter of the year, reversing a drop of 8.4% last year.

Marketing spend rises after ten consecutive quarters of falls

Mon, 19 Apr 2010

Marketing budgets have been revised upwards for the first time since 2007, according to the latest IPA/BDO Bellwether survey published today (19 April).

Oxfam appoints WPN to build supporter base

Fri, 16 Apr 2010

Oxfam has appointed Watson Phillips Norman (WPN) to handle integrated donor recruitment activity in the UK.

Twix hands global brand duties to TBWA

Thu, 15 Apr 2010

Twix has handed its global brand business to TBWA\London, following a competitive pitch

Thomas Cook reviews UK media account

Thu, 15 Apr 2010

Thomas Cook is to review its consolidated UK media planning and buying account, following the company’s spate of acquisitions last year.

Ribena brings back Berry characters in latest ad push

Wed, 14 Apr 2010

Ribena is reintroducing its Ribena Berry characters that were made famous in its advertising during the 1980s, as part of its latest ad push.

Frank Bruno and Trisha Goddard push for an end to mental health stigmas

Wed, 14 Apr 2010

Time to Change, the initiative run by charities Mind and Rethink, is launching a hard-hitting campaign fronted by Frank Bruno and Trisha Goddard, focused on bringing people face to face with their own prejudices.

BBC seeks partners for its magazines business

Mon, 12 Apr 2010

The BBC is seeking a partner for the magazines division of its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, a move that is likely to rule out an outright sale of the business. BBC Worldwide has appointed KPMG to help it find a partner for the magazine business, although no details have been given on the shape of the deal.

‘Ave it’ again as Peter Kay returns as face of John Smith’s

Mon, 12 Apr 2010

John Smith’s is to bring actor and comedian Peter Kay back as the face of its ale.

Arla Foods looks to consolidate pan-European media account

Fri, 9 Apr 2010

Arla Foods is reviewing its pan-European media planning and buying arrangements, aiming to consolidate the account into one agency.

Arla and Starbucks prepare heavyweight push for chilled coffees

Fri, 9 Apr 2010

Arla Foods will support the national launch of Starbucks Discoveries chilled coffees and Starbucks Doubleshot espresso drinks with a heavyweight advertising and marketing integrated campaign.

Fanta unveils new “Friday” themed campaign

Fri, 9 Apr 2010

Fanta is unveiling a new global advertising campaign themed ’Grab a taste of Friday’ in an effort to promote the less serious attitude of the brand.

Sky News launches first major marketing campaign

Thu, 8 Apr 2010

Sky News is to launch its first major marketing campaign in its two-decade history to promote its election coverage.

Steak co-founder Julian Walker steps down

Tue, 6 Apr 2010

Julian Walker, co-founder and head of new business of Steak, has left the media agency to pursue other interests.

O2 reviews £100m European media business

Wed, 31 Mar 2010

Telefónica is reviewing the media planning and buying accounts for its O2 brand across Europe. The telecoms company is looking to consolidate the business, believed to worth about £100m, under one agency.

Stuart Smith on COI

01 April 2010

First there was the unfortunate reminder that public information advertising expenditure has soared to pole position in the past year, comfortably ahead of Procter & Gamble’s.

Eon campaign asks questions about energy

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

Eon is launching a multi-channel campaign that asks the question: “Why on earth would an energy company want me to use less energy?”.

Iris CEO to relocate to Asia-Pacific

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Iris global CEO and co-founder Ian Millner is to head up the marketing agency’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region from this summer.

Iceland appoints Beta for marketing project

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Iceland has appointed advertising agency Beta to work on an advertising project.

Sun launches outdoor campaign to talk up columnists

Tue, 23 Mar 2010

The Sun has launched an outdoor and print campaign in the Carlton TV region showcasing its daily columnists to support its price promotion in the area.

After several minutes of the computer saying no, I eventually teased out a possible solution

25 March 2010

My PA took a well earned holiday last week leaving the marketing team and I in the hands of a temp. I usually find that temps can be a frustrating experience. This is not typically their fault, but more the fact that today’s admin support is as much about knowing one’s way round the internal bureaucracy and systems as it is about covering the phones and typing.

Pulling consumers’ heart strings

25 March 2010

Moulding brand values into a memorable character is proving an effective way to captivate consumers and set yourself apart from the competition.

Premier Foods to bring back 'Oxo Mum'

Mon, 22 Mar 2010

Premier Foods, whose stable of brands include Hovis and Oxo, will be bringing back Lynda Bellingham, making an emotional return to the Oxo brand for the first time in more than a decade. But this time she’s playing herself.

Spicer leaves EHS 4D Group

Fri, 19 Mar 2010

Mike Spicer, group managing director at agency EHS 4D Group, has left his role with immediate effect.

Morphy Richards names Gratterpalm as lead agency

Fri, 19 Mar 2010

Domestic goods maker Morphy Richards has appointed Gratterpalm as its lead creative agency.

Profits soar at Co-op following Somerfield and Britannia mergers

Thu, 18 Mar 2010

The Co-operative Group has posted a 20% increase in operating profit for the year ending 2 January, boosted by the acquisition of Somerfield.

DMA’s brand chief Keitch to step down

Tue, 16 Mar 2010

Robert Keitch, the Direct Marketing Association’s head of membership and brand, is to step down at the end of March after less than a year in the role.

Government climate change ads banned for overstating risks

Mon, 15 Mar 2010

A Government advertising campaign that uses nursery rhymes to warn of the dangers of climate change is understood to have been banned for exaggerating the damage.

G2UK names Tim Hipperson group CEO

Thu, 11 Mar 2010

Integrated agency G2 UK has appointed former RMG Connect chief executive Tim Hipperson as UK group CEO.

Barclays unveils new ISA ad campaign

Thu, 11 Mar 2010

Barclays has unveiled a new television commercial called “Performance”, aiming to promote its ISA ranges.

Chime sees its 2009 pre-tax profits increase by 14%

Wed, 10 Mar 2010

Chime Communications, owners of advertising agency VCCP and PR group Bell Pottinger, has posted a 14% increase in full-year pre-tax profits to £18.8m, thanks to its increased focus on cost efficiencies

SMG and Union form experiential division

11 March 2010

Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) is launching a dedicated experiential marketing division called SMG Experience.

Bing to begin TV advertising push

Mon, 8 Mar 2010

Microsoft is to launch its first UK television advertising campaign for its search engine Bing, five months after it took the search engine out of beta mode.

Guinness marketer takes top MCCA award

Fri, 5 Mar 2010

Guinness marketer Ronan Beirne was awarded the Client of the Year trophy at the MCCA Awards last night (4 March).

NBC Universal appoints MPG International to promote theme parks globally

Fri, 5 Mar 2010

NBC Universal’s theme park division ha appointed MPG International to handle its £3m media planning and buying account.

Mercedes unveils "I am" campaign targeting young car buyers

Fri, 5 Mar 2010

Mercedes-Benz is launching an integrated advertising campaign called “I am Mercedes Benz” in a bid to deepen the connection it has with young car buyers.

Baileys calls global ad pitch for its £40m account

Thu, 4 Mar 2010

Baileys, the Diageo-owned Irish liqueur brand, has parted company with JWT and called a pitch for its £40m global advertising account.

Morgan Stanley appoints Martin as its lead global agency

Thu, 4 Mar 2010

Morgan Stanley has handed its £26.5m global advertising account to Interpublic Group’s The Martin Agency, following a competitive pitch against undisclosed agencies.

Crown Paints appoints BJL to ad account

Wed, 3 Mar 2010

Crown Paints has appointed BJL as its advertising agency following a four-way pitch involving undisclosed Manchester and London Agencies. 

Charles Tyrwhitt hires Kitcatt Nohr for branding task

Tue, 2 Mar 2010

Retailer Charles Tyrwhitt has appointed integrated agency Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to help redefine its branding through a major brand positioning project.

BT’s latest ad confirms Adam and Jane’s engagement

Mon, 1 Mar 2010

BT is launching the latest instalment of its long-running “Adam and Jane” campaign, with the couple set to become engaged.

Starbucks unveils new Fairtrade based campaign

Mon, 1 Mar 2010

Starbucks UK is launching an integrated marketing campaign, promoting its Fairtrade ranges of coffee and brownies.

Frank The Agency closes its doors

Fri, 26 Feb 2010

Frank The Agency Ltd, an integrated marketing specialist agency, has announced that it has ceased to trade with immediate effect.

Public health marketing campaigns will not be cut, says minister

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Public health marketing campaigns will not be cut to pay for other health initiatives, according to a Government minster.

International Herald Tribune appoints Karmarama

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The International Herald Tribune (IHT) has appointed Karmarama as its advetising agency of choice in Europe.

Publicis Modem names JP Maheu as CEO

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Publicis has appointed former Razorfish CEO Jean-Philippe Maheu as worldwide chief executive officer of Publicis Modem.

Heineken and Carlsberg to increase marketing spend

Tue, 23 Feb 2010

Heineken and Carlsberg are both readying marketing drives to boost market share despite reporting mixed performances for 2009.

Disney catches festival buzz

25 February 2010

Disneyland Paris is launching an integrated marketing campaign to promote its New Generation Festival, which celebrates the Disney Pixar 3D characters.

It’ll be our economic loss if we stay stuck on analogue

25 February 2010

Government is dragging its feet over Digital Britain, but our industry and economy have everything to gain from going over to the wired side

Why not take ideas that are proven to work at a local level and run them on a national basis?

25 February 2010

Our ’man on the inside’ provides a view from the top of the marketing tree

Cheapflights launches flight comparison aggregator

Mon, 22 Feb 2010

Cheapflights Media has launched Zugu, a flight comparison site that aggregates results from other flight sites and directly from airlines.

Honda hands consolidated European media account to Starcom

Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Honda has appointed Starcom to handle its €150m (£130m) pan-European consolidated media planning and buying assignment.

Santander hands online banking ad account to Grey

Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Santander has awarded the £20m pan-European advertising duties for OpenBank, its unified online banking service, to Grey EMEA.

TV ad spend by online brands reached £180m in 2009

Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Online brands have increased spend on TV by 172% annually over the past five years to reach £180m in 2009.

BT hands £75m media account to Maxus

Wed, 17 Feb 2010

British Telecom has handed its £75m media planning and buying business to Maxus following after a competitive pitch. 

Academy to coach a new generation of market leaders

18 February 2010

The industry’s big names have put their weight behind a scheme to collectively solve the problem of succession planning by developing the 25 best young marketers

Stuart Smith on agencies in revolt

18 February 2010

Agencies are in revolt over clients’ increasingly arrogant approach to the pitch process.

Virgin Media reviews marketing roster

Mon, 15 Feb 2010

Virgin Media is reviewing its creative, direct and digital marketing agencies, with immediate effect, in an effort to develop an integrated approach to its communications.

Pizza Hut Delivery looks to be “home based entertainment” brand

Fri, 12 Feb 2010

Pizza Hut is launching its first pizza delivery TV advert in eight years in a bid to reposition the brand as "home based entertainment."

BMW adds Synergy and WCRS to its agency roster

Thu, 11 Feb 2010

BMW UK has appointed Synergy as its strategic sponsorship agency partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. WCRS has also won a global brief to handle the launch advertising for BMW’s upcoming 6-Series model.

Cadbury appoints CMW to Trebor digital account

Thu, 11 Feb 2010

Cadbury has appointed CMW to develop and execute the Trebor digital strategy across its portfolio of gums and mints.

Havas’ UK revenues fall 14.3%

Tue, 9 Feb 2010

Havas, owner of agency networks Euro RSCG and MPG, says UK revenues fell 14.3% in the final quarter of 2009.

Unilever reappoints Mindshare to European media business

Tue, 9 Feb 2010

Unilever has reappointed Mindshare to handle its media planning and buying account in Western Europe, North America and Canada.

Brand image at forefront of innovation

11 February 2010

Exclusive research by Marketing Week reveals agencies and their clients agree the impact of design on campaigns can only increase.

FRijj to launch augmented reality campaign

Fri, 5 Feb 2010

Dairy Crest’s flavoured milk drink brand FRijj, is launching a multi-media campaign featuring augmented reality across its entire range, in a bid to drive consumer brand awareness.

Leerdammer launches new UK TV ad

Fri, 5 Feb 2010

Dutch cheese brand Leerdammer is launching a new UK television advertisement campaign, in a bid to raise its profile amongst British shoppers.

COI plumps for GroupM offering for media buying

Thu, 4 Feb 2010

COI Communications has appointed WPP’s media offering GroupM M4C to handle its centralised £250m media planning business.

Futurebrand’s Jasmine Montgomery launches design consultancy

Wed, 3 Feb 2010

Former Futurebrand London managing director Jasmine Montgomery has set up an international branding and design consultancy in partnership with David Grainger.

Snowball to realign Tangent Direct into business

Wed, 3 Feb 2010

Direct marketing and customer insight agency Snowball is to realign its sister agency Tangent Direct under the Snowball brand with immediate effect.

Ryvita launches new TV ads

Tue, 2 Feb 2010

Ryvita is launching a television advertising campaign, aimed at introducing more women to the crispbread brand.

Save The Children hands £4m media business to JAA

Mon, 1 Feb 2010

Save The Children, the independent children’s charity, has appointed John Ayling and Associates, working together with Agenda21, to handle its £4m UK media planning and buying.

DoH partners with charities to warn of “unseen” dangers of alcohol

Thu, 28 Jan 2010

The Department of Health has joined forces with three leading charities to launch a £6m campaign to highlight how alcohol misuse can lead to a range of health problems not just liver disease.

Omega Pharma appoints VCCP

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Omega Pharma, owner of brands such as Buttercup cough Syrup and Jungle Formula insect repellant, has appointed VCCP to handle its £3m advertising business.

Best of the blogs

28 January 2010

Ruth Mortimer on brands to watch

Man on a mission

28 January 2010

He’s the man who is marketing our potential future prime minister. But Havas’ David Jones has many missions, as Louise Jack finds out

Vauxhall to launch pop-art themed ad campaign for Corsa

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Vauxhall is launching a new pop-art themed TV ad campaign to promote the new Corsa range.

Aviva appoints ZenithOptimedia

Mon, 25 Jan 2010

Insurance brand Aviva has appointed ZenithOptimedia as its global media buying, planning and digital agency following a competitive pitch against undisclosed agencies.

Euro RSCG brings music marketing to London

Thu, 21 Jan 2010

Euro RSCG is to launch its music-marketing consultancy The Hours in London, following its success in New York and Paris.

EDF reappoints MPG

Thu, 21 Jan 2010

EDF Energy has reappointed Media Planning Group to handle its media planning and buying account in the UK and France.

The Co-op reveals agency roster

Thu, 21 Jan 2010

The Co-operative Group has appointed TBWA Manchester as its lead agency of a 14-strong roster, following an extensive agency review.

Phones4u appoints Eden to £10m media account

Wed, 20 Jan 2010

Phones4u, the mobile phone retailer, has appointed Eden - adam & eve and the7stars new media division - to handle £10m media planning and buying account.

Media specialists being held hostage by commodity cycle

21 January 2010

The understandable aim of cutting costs is not just having an adverse effect on media agencies, but on clients themselves

The7Stars to help Allied Carpets move upmarket

21 January 2010

Allied Carpets, which re-emerged from administration last year, has appointed media agency the7Stars to help address brand perceptions as the company looks to move more upmarket.

M&S joins WWF Seafood Charter to promote sustainable fishing

Fri, 15 Jan 2010

Marks & Spencer has become the first UK company to sign the WWF’s Seafood Charter, helping to promote responsible fishing. The retailer has taken out full page newspaper ads to raise consumer awareness of the issue.

Ikea appoints Mother

Thu, 14 Jan 2010

Ikea has appointed Mother to handle its UK advertising account.

De-construct and Anorak to merge with Glue London

Wed, 13 Jan 2010

Aegis digital agencies de-construct and Anorak are to merge into parent company Glue London, new media age understands.

TMW wins Kerry Foods digital account

Tue, 12 Jan 2010

Tullo Marshall Warren has been awarded the digital media account for Kerry Foods.

Arla launches ads for Lurpak and Cravendale

Mon, 11 Jan 2010

Arla Foods is launching new television adverts for its Lurpak and Cravendale brands, which will both break today (January 12) in a sign of a new battle for the breakfast table.

Kraft centralises global media team

Thu, 7 Jan 2010

Kraft Foods is to create a global media unit called Kraft Foods One Team, which will be overseen by Publicis Groupe.

BBC calls ad agency review

Wed, 6 Jan 2010

The BBC has called a statutory review of its advertising agency roster with new appointees likely to be working with a reduced budget.

Unilever adds Euro RSCG to global digital roster

Mon, 4 Jan 2010

Unilever has consolidated its digital marketing globally, with the addition of Euro RSCG 4D Worldwide on to its roster.

Travel brands use marketing to focus on customer service

Thu, 17 Dec 2009

TUI UK’s two travel brands, Thomson Holidays and First Choice, have overhauled their annual marketing campaigns to focus on customer service, digital CRM and added value.

When the consultants come...

17 December 2009

Our ‘man on the inside’ provides a view from the top of the marketing tree

Sony Europe hands £50m ad account to Anomaly

Tue, 8 Dec 2009

Sony Europe has handed its £50 million advertising account to Anomaly, after a final two-way pitch against incumbent agency Fallon.

DraftFCB retains Post Office DM account

Tue, 8 Dec 2009

DraftFCB has retained the £15m direct marketing account for the Post Office. The agency beat OgilvyOne and TMW to the business in the final round.

MediaCom to handle WKD brand

Tue, 8 Dec 2009

Beverage Brands has appointed MediaCom to manage the media buying for alcohol ready-to-drink brand WKD and WKD Core Apple Cider.

Nuyuu appoints Trinity Communications

Mon, 7 Dec 2009

Nuyuu, the gym company partly funded by Dragon’s Den judge James Caan, has appointed Trinity Communications to handle its media planning.

UK ad industry shows signs of recovery

Fri, 4 Dec 2009

The UK advertising industry may come out of recession earlier than other countries and see a better 2009 and 2010 than previously predicted, according to WPP’s media agency network GroupM.

Glue and BBH Labs land Google Chrome brief

Thu, 3 Dec 2009

Google has appointed Glue and BBH Labs following a competitive pitch to jointly develop the global communications strategy and creative for a new campaign for the Google Chrome browser. 

BMW calls agencies pitch

Thu, 3 Dec 2009

BMW is reviewing its UK advertising, digital and direct marketing agency requirements.

Government to launch new sexual health ad

Tue, 1 Dec 2009

The Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families is launching a new campaign to help young people understand the importance of using contraception.

Magners owner buys Gaymers

Mon, 30 Nov 2009

Magners owner C&C Group has bought the Blackthorn, Olde English and Gaymers brands in a bid to boost its off-trade portfolio.

COI introduces five-step communications model

Mon, 30 Nov 2009

The Central Office of Information (COI) has unveiled a new five-step plan to put a consistent framework at the heart of Government behavioural change marketing.

Theatre Tokens launches first TV ads

Thu, 26 Nov 2009

Theatre Tokens, the national theatre gift voucher, is launching its first television and radio advertisements as part of a Christmas campaign to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Reckitt Benckiser consolidates media buying

Tue, 24 Nov 2009

Reckitt Benckiser has appointed Havas Media Group and Publicis Group as its two lead global media agencies to handle its £800m media planning and buying for brands such as Lemsip, Nurofen, Dettol and Vanish.

Bauer signs six-figure for Avatar film rights

26 November 2009

Democratic marketing 'good for one-off ideas'

26 November 2009

Advertising agencies believe crowdsourcing can be a valid way for a company to discover marketing ideas but warn there is a lot more effort involved in developing a fully integrated campaign with consistency and longevity.

Simple skincare invests in TV ads and new products

26 November 2009

Simple extends into new categories and launches two TV campaigns.

Digital Marketing Group sees profits fall

Mon, 23 Nov 2009

Digital Marketing Group (DMG) has reported a drop in profit for the first half of its financial year.

Leagas Delaney appointed for Glenfiddich relaunch

Fri, 20 Nov 2009

William Grant & Sons is understood to have appointed Leagas Delaney to handle the global relaunch of its Glenfiddich whisky brand.

MediaVest wins consolidated hire car accounts

Wed, 18 Nov 2009

MediaVest has won the consolidated paid search account for The National and Alamo hire car account.

20:20 appointed by DCSF to underage drinking brief

Tue, 17 Nov 2009

Digital agency 20:20 has been appointed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to create a digital campaign to promote its Youth Alcohol Action Plan.

Mindshare wins pharma giant's global digital and media accounts

Thu, 12 Nov 2009

Mindshare has won the global digital and media account for pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim, estimated to be £50m.

Auto Trader consolidates £10m media account

Thu, 12 Nov 2009

Auto Trader, part-owned by Guardian Media Group, has overhauled its £10m media planning and buying business to consolidate the account into a combined team from Aegis Media’s Carat and Diffiniti.

Flora set to hand DDB its ad account

Mon, 9 Nov 2009

Update: Unilever has confirmed that it has appointed DDB to evolve the marketing strategy for its Flora brand.

After Eight ads back after eight-year absence

Thu, 5 Nov 2009

After Eight mints are being advertised on TV for the first time in eight years.

Asda moves ad account to Saatchi & Saatchi

Thu, 5 Nov 2009

Asda has moved its £75m advertising account from Fallon to SFF stablemate Saatchi & Saatchi.

Ikea appoints Vizeum to media accounts

Thu, 5 Nov 2009

Ikea UK & Ireland has appointed Vizeum to handle its media buying and planning.

TBWA picks UK president after Tim Lindsay exit

05 November 2009

TBWA Europe has appointed Robert Harwood-Matthews as president of TBWA Group UK, replacing Tim Lindsay.

WPP revenue decline slows

Fri, 30 Oct 2009

WPP, the marketing services group that owns Ogilvy and JWT, says revenue decline slowed in the third quarter with further improvements expected over the next six months.

Borders looks to offload online arm

Wed, 28 Oct 2009

Borders is looking to offload the online arm of its business to focus on its core store offering.

Publicis revenues continue to dip

Tue, 27 Oct 2009

Publicis Groupe, owner of Starcom and Saatchi & Saatchi, has seen revenues dip 7.4% in the first nine months of the year but says there is a “gradual recovery” on the way.

Omnicom profit still down

Wed, 21 Oct 2009

Omnicom, the world’s largest marketing services group, has reported a 22.5% drop in third quarter profit to $165.6m (£100m) as it continues to feel the impact of the global recession.

Brand managers need to shape up

21 October 2009

Our ‘man on the inside’ provides a view from the top of the marketing tree

Jameson pushes Irish roots

Mon, 19 Oct 2009

Pernod Ricard has repositioned its Jameson Irish whiskey brand to emphasise the drink’s Irish heritage.

Poppy Appeal to focus on current conflicts

Mon, 19 Oct 2009

The Royal British Legion, the charity that supports serving members of the Armed Forces and their dependants has launched an integrated campaign for the 2009 Poppy Appeal.

BT promotes benefit of landline over mobiles

Fri, 16 Oct 2009

BT is launching the latest instalment of its long-running “Adam and Jane” campaign, with a new spot promoting the benefits of calling from a landline.

C&C Group appoints The Red Brick Road to revive Magners

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

C&C Group has appointed The Red Brick Road to handle the UK advertising account for its Magners brand.

Former Molson Coors marketer launches agency

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Former Molson Coors marketing director Simon Davies has unveiled details of his new integrated agency.

Surf plans integrated drive to push up Twilight sales

14 October

Unilever is launching an integrated campaign to encourage trial purchase and increase penetration of its Surf Twilight Sensations laundry detergent range.

Match.com appoints Mother to ad account

Mon, 12 Oct 2009

Match.com, the dating website, has appointed Mother to spearhead a new marketing push in the New Year.

Dairy Crest in £10m Cathedral City relaunch

Fri, 9 Oct 2009

Dairy Crest is investing £10m in the relaunch of its cheese brand, Cathedral City, supported by new packaging and a marketing campaign.

News Int appoints Clock to Times+ task

Tue, 6 Oct 2009

News International has appointed digital agency Clock to oversee the launch of Times+, its new online membership club and customer retention programme.

The Co-op extends agency review

Tue, 6 Oct 2009

The Co-operative group is extending its advertising agency review to include all creative marketing agencies.

Clear Channel Outdoor CEO departs

Tue, 6 Oct 2009

Clear Channel Outdoor UK chief executive, Barry Sayer, is to leave his role after four years with the company.

Coke hands VCCP 5 Alive brief

Thu, 1 Oct 2009

Coca-Cola has appointed VCCP to create a new advertising campaign for its 5 Alive juice brand after remaining dormant for several years.

EDF launches autumn ad campaign

Wed, 30 Sep 2009

EDF Energy has launched the latest phase of its ‘It’s not easy being Green’ advertising campaign with a new television advertising featuring Eric Morecambe.

Vodafone to focus UK marketing on new web service

Tue, 29 Sep 2009

Vodafone is hoping to boost its brand credentials and attract younger consumers in the underperforming UK market, with a different marketing approach to the rest of the world.

Siegel+Gale names Tom Blackett as chairman

Tue, 29 Sep 2009

Global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale has appointed former Interbrand executive Tom Blackett as chairman of its UK  office.

COI picks DM agency for healthy food voucher push

30 September 2009

The Central Office of Information (COI) has appointed agency CMW to handle direct marketing for the Department of Health’s Healthy Start voucher scheme.

Spanish olive growers pick Big to win over UK women

30 September 2009

Interaceituna, the organisation that represents all Spanish olive producers, has appointed Big Communications to develop an integrated campaign to promote the authenticity and quality of Spanish table olives.

Young’s Seafood appoints Mother

Fri, 25 Sep 2009

Young’s Seafood, the frozen food company, has appointed Mother to its estimated £2.5m ad account.

M&C Saatchi hit by drop in client spend

Thu, 24 Sep 2009

M&C Saatchi, the global advertising network, has seen a drop in pre-tax profit to £5.4m in the six months to the end of June, with Europe and the US particularly hit by clients tightening their spend in marketing.

HMV appoints agency to form customer care programme

Wed, 23 Sep 2009

HMV has appointed customer experience specialist Retail Eyes to create a bespoke customer experience insight programme.

Liverpool readies membership drive

Tue, 22 Sep 2009

Liverpool Football Club is to launch an integrated campaign to drive global membership.

Chime buys Essentially

Tue, 22 Sep 2009

Chime Communications has agreed to buy sports marketing agency Essentially for about £18.23m.

Vodafone in global brand revamp

Mon, 21 Sep 2009

Vodafone is planning to launch a new global marketing campaign as part of its biggest shift in brand strategy in four years.

Premier Foods promotes Ambrosia Puds

Fri, 18 Sep 2009

Premier Foods is launching an advertising campaign aimed at mothers to promote the roll out of a new dessert range under its Ambrosia brand.

Harper Collins chooses Addiction

Thu, 17 Sep 2009

Publishers HarperCollins has appointed advertising and branding agency Addiction London to work across fiction and non-fiction titles in the UK.

Brand marketers and agencies' single goal

Wed, 16 Sep 2009

If you don’t have a strong and trusting relationship with your customers, you don’t have anything. You may have the sexiest brand with the most fantastic premium positioning, but if you aren’t investing in a bond with each and every one of your customers, they are likely to see you as irrelevant.

ITV “welcomes” CRR consultation

Tue, 15 Sep 2009

ITV has welcomed the Competition Commission’s provisional report into the Contract Rights Renewal mechanism, despite the body’s view that it should be largely maintained.

DoH readies fresh anti-smoking push

Mon, 14 Sep 2009

The Department of Health has launched a fresh anti-smoking push featuring real children, not actors, talking about how concerned they are about their parents’ smoking.

Starcom’s Jim Marshall to step down

Thu, 10 Sep 2009

Starcom Media Group (SMG) has confirmed that Jim Marshall has stepped down from his role as executive director of Starcom Media Group UK with immediate effect.

Ancestry website launches TV campaign

Wed, 9 Sep 2009

Ancestry.co.uk is to launch its first television advertising campaign this month.

Ikea in ad takeover of London Lite

Wed, 9 Sep 2009

Ikea will appear in every display advertising space in the Thursday (10 September) edition of free newspaper London Lite to raise awareness of the home furnisher’s new catalogue.

Flora pushes heart health positioning

Mon, 7 Sep 2009

Unilever’s margarine brand Flora is launching a campaign as part of a global marketing strategy to get 100 million consumers to take its online heart age test by 2020.

Lloyds appoints Mediaedge:CIA

Fri, 4 Sep 2009

Lloyds Banking Group has appointed Mediaedge:CIA (MEC) as its new media planning and buying agency.

Inbev appoints DDB London

Tue, 1 Sep 2009

InBev UK has appointed DDB London to handle the Budweiser UK advertising account following the handing of the global advertising business to the DDB network.

Nike Football campaign stars Rooney and Walcott

Fri, 28 Aug 2009

Nike Football is launching the latest advertsiement in its ‘Make the Difference’ campaign starring Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney to inspire football fans.

Aegis sees no upturn as revenues slump

Fri, 28 Aug 2009

Aegis Group, owner of Carat and Vizeum, says that it does not expect any upturn in the market in the second half of the year after reporting a slump in profit and revenues in the first six months.

William Hill looks to streamline DM strategy

Thu, 27 Aug 2009

William Hill has appointed Communisis to its DM account as part of the gaming company’s move to reduce costs and increase the effectiveness of its marketing programmes.

Chinese furniture-maker appoints Fox Kalomaski

Thu, 27 Aug 2009

Chinese furniture maker and retailer Forbidden City has appointed specialist retail and travel marketing agency Fox Kalomaski to develop a brand strategy ahead of a UK launch this year.

Papa John’s hires Brown-Forman chief marketer

Tue, 25 Aug 2009

Papa John’s International, world’s third largest pizza company, has hired Brown-Forman marketer Andrew Varga as senior VP and chief marketing officer.

Chime interim results outperform the market

Tue, 25 Aug 2009

Marketing services group Chime Communications, owner of Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Bell Pottinger, has posted pre-tax profit up 4% to £8.5 million for the first half of the year.

National Trust seeks partners as visitors increase 20%

27 August 2009

The National Trust is looking to significantly boost its number of brand partnerships and has appointed marketing communications agency Initials to lead the initiative.

WPP expected to cut forecast

Mon, 24 Aug 2009

WPP is expected to cut its full-year sales forecast for the second time in six months this week.

Sony to “transform” retail marketing

Fri, 21 Aug 2009

Sony says it is looking to “invigorate and transform” retail marketing activity for its consumer electronics division after appointing newly-launched agency Live & Breathe (London) to handle the brief.

Maximuscle looks to build on share with The Minimart

Thu, 20 Aug 2009

Sports nutrition brand Maximuscle is looking to grow market share by focusing on key relevant audiences and has appointed integrated agency The Minimart to help develop a campaign.

Industry body to encourage recycling

Wed, 19 Aug 2009

Recolight, the not-for-profit compliance scheme for fluorescent lamps, has appointed The Agency to help overhaul Britain’s recycling habits.

Greyhound makes appeal to travellers on leg room

Wed, 19 Aug 2009

First Group will launch the Greyhound coach brand in the UK under the strapline “The Greyhound has landed.”

AB Inbev appoints Publicis agencies

Tue, 18 Aug 2009

Anheuser-Busch Inbev has appointed two Publicis Groupe agencies to handle global creative duties for its Beck’s brand.

Initiative creates new global roles

Thu, 13 Aug 2009

Initiative, the Interpublic Group-owned media agency network, has created several new global lead roles as part of its restructuring strategy.

P&G launches review channel on FMCG brand sites

Wed, 12 Aug 2009

P&G has launched product rating and review functions on its Head & Shoulders and Ariel brand websites as part of a strategy to engage consumers with its brands.

Corporate reporting gives Reckitt and P&G advantage

13 August 2009

Industry body says marketers fail to make their voice heard in the boardroom.

Microsoft sells digital agency to Publicis

Mon, 10 Aug 2009

Microsoft is selling its digital ad agency network Razorfish to the third largest marketing communications group Publicis Groupe for $530m (£318m).

Axa UK appoints Havas to handle buying

Fri, 7 Aug 2009

Axa UK has appointed Havas Media UK to handle its £40 million media buying account in the first stage of an overhaul of its agency roster in a bid to streamline costs and improve efficiencies.

Carer-support charity rebrands

Thu, 6 Aug 2009

Crossroads Care, Britain’s leading carer-support charity, has undergone a brand refresh and for the first time launching marketing activity in a bid to raise its profile.

Health departments eye new sexual health strategy

Thu, 6 Aug 2009

The Department of Health (DH) and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have reappointed Naked to manage media planning activity for sexual health campaigns following a review of how marketing should be used.

Sony Europe reviews ad account

Tue, 4 Aug 2009

Sony Europe is reviewing its pan-European advertising account currently held by Fallon.

Npower consolidates creative account into VCCP

Tue, 4 Aug 2009

Npower has consolidated all its creative business into VCCP.

DoH appoints Billington to handle cancer campaign

06 August 2009

The Department of Health has appointed Billington Cartmell to handle partnership marketing activity to raise awareness of cervical cancer among teenagers.

McCain appoints Priestley as marketing chief

Thu, 30 Jul 2009

McCain Foods GB has appointed chief executive of the Potato Council, Helen Priestley, as its new marketing director.

MEC restructures global management

Thu, 30 Jul 2009

Mediaedge:cia has undertaken a major restructure of its global executive team as part of a strategy to drive integration in the media agency network’s offering.

Interpublic revenues hit by auto industry turmoil

Tue, 28 Jul 2009

Interpublic, the holding company for marketing agencies including DraftFCB, Futurebrand, McCann Erickson and Lowe, has posted an organic revenue decrease of 14.5% for the second quarter of this year.

Guy Hayward appointed CEO of JWT UK

Mon, 27 Jul 2009

JWT has confirmed the appointment of Guy Hayward as chief executive officer for the agency in the UK.

Young’s unveils shortlist for ad account

Mon, 27 Jul 2009

Young’s Seafood, the frozen food company, has shortlisted four agencies for its estimated £2.5m advertising account.

Warburtons parts company with BBH

Thu, 23 Jul 2009

Warburtons, the UK’s leading bread brand, has parted company with Bartle Bogle Hegarty and is now looking to pitch its advertising account.

Publicis downgrades losses to “new GM”

Wed, 22 Jul 2009

Publicis Groupe has downgraded its exposure to losses from client General Motors, after the US carmaker emerged out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy to create a new company.

Government in new ad push for swine flu

Wed, 22 Jul 2009

A major radio, press and online campaign to promote the Government’s new swine flu hotline is launching Thursday (23 July).

Sainsbury’s launches latest cookery-class ad

Wed, 22 Jul 2009

Sainsbury’s is today (22 July) launching the second stage in its ‘Try Team’ campaign aimed at helping shoppers cook from scratch on a budget.

Thomas Cook appoints Campbell Lace Beta to ad account

Tue, 21 Jul 2009

Thomas Cook, the holiday company, has appointed start up ad agency Campbell Lace Beta to its ad account

Karcher appoints HMDG to launch global campaign

Tue, 21 Jul 2009

Karcher, the cleaning machine company, has appointed Hurrell Moseley, Dawson & Grimmer (HMDG) to develop its first global ad campaign.

Samsung asks Imagination to leverage Olympics deal

23 July 2009

Samsung Electronics has appointed Imagination London to leverage its sponsorship of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Bayer reviews global ad and media accounts

Thu, 16 Jul 2009

Bayer AG, the pharmaceutical company, has kicked off a global review of its $1bn (£609m) ad and media accounts.

ESPN creates UK agency roster

Thu, 16 Jul 2009

ESPN, the Disney-owned broadcaster, is understood to have appointed a number of agencies including Wieden & Kennedy and Carat onto its UK roster.

Ogilvy Group UK CEO Gary Leih steps down

Thu, 16 Jul 2009

Gary Leih is to resign his position as chairman and CEO of Ogilvy Group UK to concentrate on a venture of his own and will be succeeded by OgilvyOne chairman Paul O’Donnell.

B&Q awards McCann Erickson £40m account

Wed, 15 Jul 2009

B&Q, the DIY retailer, has award its £40m advertising account to McCann Erickson following a pitch.

RBH wins regional heat of CBS Outdoor contest

Wed, 15 Jul 2009

Midlands creative agency RBH is the winner of CBS Outdoor’s Regional Creative Challenge 2009.

Arla Foods tipped to award AMV BBDO branding task

Tue, 14 Jul 2009

Arla Foods is tipped to appoint Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to create a pan-European branding campaign.

Turner Classic Movies recreates Fame street dance

Mon, 13 Jul 2009

Turner Classic Movies has recreated the famous dance scene from the movie Fame, in the streets of Shoreditch, as part of a major rebrand campaign for the channel.

McDonald’s to move European base to Geneva

Mon, 13 Jul 2009

McDonald’s will become the latest company to move its European headquarters from London to Geneva for tax purposes.

Birds Eye names BBDO as European agency

Fri, 10 Jul 2009

Birds Eye has appointed BBDO to handle all of Birds Eye Iglo Group’s advertising in Europe.

HSE appoints TBWA/Manchester

Wed, 8 Jul 2009

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has appointed TBWA/Manchester to handle its creative account following a pitch.

Government support of Post Office “inadequate”

Tue, 7 Jul 2009

A report released by a committee of MPs claims the Post Office can once again “flourish” if the Government simply listened to local authorities, businesses and individuals.

Tory plans to limit Ofcom's power come under attack

09 July 2009

David Cameron will move regulator’s policy-making powers back to DCMS.

DCSF shortlists comms agencies for underage drinking campaign

Mon, 6 Jul 2009

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has shortlisted three strategic communications agencies to develop a campaign to curb underage drinking.

Volkswagen ad looks on the bright side of life

Fri, 3 Jul 2009

Volkswagen is launching a summer campaign for its Passat model, telling consumers to think positive despite the doom and gloom of the recession.

Alibaba.com in EMEA brand push

Fri, 3 Jul 2009

E-commerce company Alibaba.com has appointed Truly London to spearhead a major campaign across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in a bid to boost its brand awareness.

Vodafone awards LBi digital strategy account

Thu, 2 Jul 2009

Vodafone, the UK’s second largest mobile operator, is understood to have appointed LBi to handle its global digital strategy.

Lufthansa appoints Wunderman

Thu, 2 Jul 2009

Lufthansa, the German airline, has appointed Wunderman London to handle its digital and direct marketing business.

Visit Finland appoints Orchestra

Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Visit Finland has appointed Orchestra to promote Finnish Lapland for the 2009/2010 winter season.

Smirnoff to launch new global positioning

Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Diageo is to launch a £15m global campaign for its Smirnoff vodka brand.

Microsoft to offload Razorfish

Mon, 29 Jun 2009

Microsoft is to sell its digital agency Razorfish, according to reports.

McDonald’s focuses on quality of beef

Mon, 29 Jun 2009

McDonald’s is launching the latest instalment of its “That’s What Makes McDonald’s” campaign focusing on the fact that its burgers are made from whole cuts of real beef.

PSA Peugeot Citroën consolidates Euro media account

Fri, 26 Jun 2009

PSA Peugeot Citroën has consolidated its pan-European media buying account into MPG and OMD, knocking Vizeum off the roster.

BA staff agree on pay cuts to save £10m

Fri, 26 Jun 2009

British Airways says nearly 7,000 staff have volunteered to work unpaid for up to one month, take unpaid leave or work part-time as part of the airline’s drive to save up to £10m this year.

Toshiba appoints agency in SEO push

Thu, 25 Jun 2009

Toshiba is bolstering its digital investment with the appointment of search and social media agency White Hat Media to develop a SEO campaign for its new blogging website.

Nestlé Waters to pitch pan-Euro brief

Thu, 25 Jun 2009

Nestlé Waters, maker of Buxton and Vittel, is understood to be pitching out a pan-European ad brief to create a campaign encompassing all its bottled water brands.

Juliette Lewis to star in Orange Gold Spot

Wed, 24 Jun 2009

Actress and singer Juliette Lewis is to star in the new Orange Gold Spot advert.

Creston upbeat on future

Tue, 23 Jun 2009

Creston, owner of Delaney Lund Knox Warren (DLKW) and Tullo Marshall Warren, has delivered an upbeat forecast after reporting a “robust” performance for last year.

ESPN to build brand presence in UK after football rights buy

25 June 2009

Purchase of Setanta’s UK TV rights will help broadcaster raise its profile

Sapient acquires Nitro for $50m

Wed, 17 Jun 2009

US digital agency Sapient has acquired the Nitro Group for $50m (£30.76m).

The Number appoints ZenithOptimedia

Mon, 15 Jun 2009

The Number 118 118 has appointed ZenithOptimedia to handle its £14m media account following a pitch.

TBWA\UK restructures as TBWA\Media Arts London

Thu, 11 Jun 2009

TBWA\UK is bringing its six London-based UK brands together under the new collective name TBWA\Media Arts London.

118 118 hunts first UK CMO

Wed, 10 Jun 2009

The Number 118 118 is on the hunt to fill the new role of UK chief marketing officer.

GSK appoints agencies for global health brands

Thu, 4 Jun 2009

GlaxoSmithKline has shaken up the advertising rosters for several of its consumer brands.

Holland & Barrett launches Body Shop challenger range

4 June 2009

Health food retailer unveils its first private label personal care range.

WPP reports further revenue slide

Tue, 2 Jun 2009

WPP, owner of Mindshare, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and JWT, says revenues fell 6.7% in the first four months of the year.

Yoplait UK scraps marketing director role

Mon, 1 Jun 2009

Yoplait is understood to be restructuring its UK business, scrapping the marketing director’s role and bringing it under the control of Yoplait France’s sales and marketing director, Stephane Dalyac.

Karmarama is handed safe childbirth task

28 May 2009

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood has appointed Karmarama as its lead UK agency.

Red Bull hunts ad agency for cola brand

Wed, 13 May 2009

Red Bull is understood to be looking for an advertising agency to work on its fledgling cola brand, Red Bull Simply Cola.

Virgin Media appoints Spike for digital work

Tue, 28 Apr 2009

Virgin Media has appointed Spike as its digital creative agency and will also work with Saint to integrate digital elements into the company’s brand and advertising campaigns.

Electoral Commission appoints Farm and Glue

Mon, 27 Apr 2009

The Electoral Commission has appointed Farm and Glue to develop an integrated campaign aimed at reminding people to sign up to the electoral register.Potential voters need to be on the electoral register by 19 May if they want to vote for the European Parliamentary and English local government ...

Understanding consumers in the recession

Thu, 23 Apr 2009

For advertisers to survive the recession and start planning for when consumers regain the confidence to spend again, they need to understand people’s fears and priorities. Joe Fernandez explores insights from Arena BLM’s ‘Crunchonomics’ research

McCann Erickson handles relaunch of Haliborange

Thu, 9 Apr 2009

McCann Erickson Manchester has been appointed to handle the relaunch of the Seven Seas children’s vitamin brand Haliborange.

Lloyds TSB and HBOS start review of media accounts

Thu, 2 Apr 2009

Lloyds Banking Group has started a review of the media planning and buying accounts for the Lloyds TSB and HBOS brands held by ZenithOptimedia and Vizeum respectively.

Status Quo seeks sponsor for 40th anniversary tour with Getmemedia

Thu, 2 Apr 2009

Rock band Status Quo is looking for a sponsor for its forthcoming 40th anniversary tour.

Trinity Comms loses founding partner Nunn

Thu, 2 Apr 2009

Media planning specialist Trinity Communications has parted company with one of its founding partners, Phil Nunn.

Can agencies afford to take on 2012 task?

Wed, 11 Mar 2009

One of the largest goods-in-kind contracts around is on the table for marketing agencies. The search for the marketing services provider for the London 2012 Olympics has begun as the current contract, held by Lord Bells Chime Group, expires at the end of this month.