Nike has put its entire dollars 250 million US advertising account
up for grabs. Goodby Silverstein & Partners, which recently won dollars
50 million of business and a place on the sportswear company’s roster,
has been invited to a showdown pitch this week against Wieden & Kennedy,
Nike’s main agency of record.
Tony Blair demanded a halt to the ’vast expense’ of poster, press and
direct mail campaigns at general elections on Wednesday, a concern first
raised in Campaign (24 January). An inquiry into political funding will
now consider his call for a ’level playing field’ for all parties.
Bartle Bogle Hegarty has made it on to the shortlist for Levi Strauss &
Co’s dollars 90 million US ad review. The other contenders against the
incumbent, FCB San Francisco, are BBDO Worldwide, Los Angeles and New
York; TBWA Chiat/Day, Venice, California; and DDB Needham Worldwide, San
Francisco.
Sky Television is to launch its pay-per-view service, Sky Box Office, on
1 December, months earlier than scheduled. Each movie will be priced at
pounds 2.99, with around ten new titles available each month. Films on
offer in the first month include Michael Collins, the Long Kiss
Goodnight and Courage Under Fire.
Publicis and its media dependant, Optimedia, have landed a pan-European
brand-building task from Yahoo!, the US-based Internet search engine.
The companies will be briefed next week on promotional plans to extend
Yahoo! beyond the UK.
Stanley Bendelac, the chief operating officer of Bates Europe, is taking
on the additional role of regional director for Latin America. He will
take charge of the equity negotiations that are nearing completion with
a number of affiliate offices of the network, which will break from its
Cordiant group parent next month.
D&AD is holding a second ballot to decide which of two dead-heat
candidates - Alexandra Taylor, a creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi,
and Kevin Thomas, a creative director of M&C Saatchi - will make it on
to its executive committee. If Taylor wins, she will be the single
female among eight male committee members.
Wendy Proctor, group account director on the Royal & SunAlliance
business at Leagas Shafron Davis, has been made redundant by the agency
after the loss of the account to McCann-Erickson, which is to handle the
business on a project basis.
Netto, the Danish-owned retailer specialising in low prices and
no-frills merchandising, has appointed FCA! to handle the creative work
on its pounds 1.4 million UK account after a three-way pitch.
Television, press and radio advertising will break next year under the
theme, ’Netto, it’s Scandinavian for value.’ Media buying remains with
Media Lane.
Chivers Hartley, the jams and preserves manufacturer, is understood to
be lining up agencies to pitch for its business. The account was said to
be worth pounds 500,000 when it was won by Kelly Weedon Shute - now part
of FCA! - in 1995, but it has been dormant for more than a year.
The Government is to review television and radio regulations next year
after an inquiry by the House of Commons culture, media and sport select
committee, which is to look into the convergence of broadcast, telecomms
and computer technologies.
MediaVest has been appointed to handle Norwegian Cruise Line’s pounds 1
million media account. The next activity from the company will roll out
in January with new creative work developed by Good Business, the
start-up formed by the ex-M&C Saatchi staffers, Giles Gibbons and Steve
Hilton. Norwegian Cruise Line is the fourth largest company in its
market.
British Sky Broadcasting Group has released its third quarter results
for the three months to the end of September. Pre-tax profits were down
pounds 4.7 million year on year at pounds 61.6 million, because of
channel launches and investment in British Interactive Broadcasting.
Turnover was up 24 per cent to pounds 330.2 million.
