Bartle Bogle Hegarty has been hired to create a launch campaign for
Project J, the weekly entertainment title due to be launched early next
year by Emap Metro. The magazine has been in development for more than a
year and its name is still under wraps.
BBJ Media Services has denied speculation that it is on the brink of
losing its Volkswagen business in the UK to MediaCom/TMBG, saying it has
just signed a new contract for 1999 with the client. Carat Europe has
also denied that its VW account is in trouble in Spain, Italy and the
Benelux countries, explaining that it has always worked on a
market-by-market basis, and is therefore unaffected by the loss of VW in
Germany earlier this year.
River Island, the high street fashion chain, is looking for its first ad
agency. Its managing director, Clive Lewis, is understood to be talking
to three agencies about the pounds 3 million account.
Fallon McElligott has lured Jamie Barrett, a former joint creative
director of Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, to be the creative director of
its New York office. Barrett, a copywriter, was closely associated with
W&K’s much-awarded Nike campaigns. He previously spent four years at
Fallons in Minneapolis.
Mars is understood to have clashed with the ITV sales house, Granada
Sales, over its airtime deal for 1999. The two sides are said to be in
dispute over the structure of the Mars deal and it is unclear whether a
solution will be in place in time for Mars to be on air in Granada
regions at the start of January.
CKBT has joined the Emap Metro roster and will handle the relaunch
campaign of its film title, Neon. The advertising breaks in January and
will focus on the magazine’s unbiased editorial style under the theme,
’Film in a different light’.
Paul Smith has appointed Alan Aboud of the incumbent agency, Aboud
Sodano, to oversee its advertising following a review involving St
Luke’s, Wieden & Kennedy and Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper. Red Media has
retained the media buying account.
Cabal Communications is to launch its third title, Crime Weekly, on 29
January. The magazine will be aimed at 25- to 44-year-old women who are
interested in real-life and fictional crime stories. It will be edited
by Keith Wilson and have an expected settledown circulation of 85,000.
The first three issues will cost 50p, increasing to pounds 1 from the
fourth.
MindShare Hong Kong has formed a media planning and buying
alliance with the Euro RSCG Partnership under a new brand, Motivator.
The business will include Euro’s accounts in Hong Kong, Taiwan and, in
the near future, China.
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has pulled out of the pounds 3 million Bisto
pitch because of a possible client conflict. Saatchi & Saatchi has taken
its place on the pitch-list alongside Grey and DMB&B.
Moben Kitchens and Dolphin Bathrooms have moved their media planning and
buying accounts from Carat into MBS. The businesses - both owned by MKD
Holdings’ Limelight Group - spent pounds 8.5 million last year, which is
expected to rise to pounds 10 million in 1999. The win consolidates
MBS’s hold on the Limelight business, as the agency won Portland
Conservatories and Kitchens Direct in January.
The deadline for tenders for the BT advertising account is 9
December. More than 200 applications are expected, from which the
company will draw up a shortlist.
The Advertising Brasserie has hired a stand-up comedian to work
alongside its creative partners, Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton. James
McCarthy, who has also worked on the hit comedy series, the Fast Show,
has no previous agency experience.
The cruise line, Fred Olsen, has picked HDM Linx to handle its pounds 1
million through-the-line account after it split with the London
Advertising Partnership (Campaign, last week). Senior King, Travis Sully
Harari, Citigate and Camp Chipperfield Hill Murray were among those
contesting the business.
Omnicom chiefs plan to replicate AMV’s successful model globally.
