HHCL & Partners has joined Elida Faberge’s communications agency
roster to work on the development of a global product. The agency was
invited to work for Unilever’s personal hygiene and beauty division
without a pitch after initial meetings with management. The assignment
is being described by Elida Faberge only as a ’brand development
project’, but it could lead to promotional involvement.
FCB has won the pounds 3 million task to promote Coors, the US premium
lager distributed in the UK by Scottish Courage. The brand, already
handled by FCB in the US, has been without a UK agency since it was
moved out of Court Burkitt & Company in May.
The Health Education Board for Scotland has kicked off a statutory
review of its advertising account, worth pounds 6 million over three
years. The account, one of Scotland’s largest, is currently handled by
the Bridge in Glasgow, which was appointed in 1995.
Ten directors of the Poulter agency in Leeds have negotiated a deal to
buy the agency from Graham Poulter, its millionaire chairman and founder
(Campaign, 21 November). Richard Lewis, the managing director, confirmed
a price had been agreed and said that the buyout should be completed by
the end of January.
Agency chiefs will meet in January to review the ad industry’s dispute
with Equity which has resulted in a commercials boycott by members of
the actors’ union. The meeting, involving managing directors, creative
directors and heads of TV, is expected to discuss how well the industry
has overcome the boycott and whether a new agreement with Equity is
necessary.
Ammirati Puris Lintas has been appointed to handle the pounds .1.5
million through-the-line launch of a range of canned hot drinks from Van
den Bergh. Lintas was handed the assignment without a pitch on the
strength of its other work for the Van den Bergh brands, Peperami and
Flora.
The ABC Council meeting on 18 December to finalise revised rules for
national newspapers has been cancelled at the last minute. It is
understood that the meeting was put off because agencies failed to agree
on an agenda.
The betting consortium formed by Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill is
understood to have whittled the shortlist for its pounds 2.5 million
account down to two. Walsh Trott Chick Smith and Leo Burnett are still
in the race after presentations against Bates Dorland. The consortium
operates 49s, a daily betting game which pitches itself against the
National Lottery.
Rapier Stead & Bowden will officially shorten its name to Rapier from
the start of 1998, to reflect the belief that its business strength
’results from everybody who works here, not from one or two
individuals’. The agency is also planning a move to offices on Tottenham
Court Road and promises to unveil a new corporate identity over the
coming weeks.
Bids for the Reed Elsevier-owned consumer magazine group, IPC, close on
Friday, after which a shortlist will be drawn up. Strong contenders are
the buyout specialists, KKR and CinVen, both of whom have bought from
Reed in the past. Other prospective buyers include Hearst, Bertelsmann,
News International, United News & Media, Emap, Gruner & Jahr and
VNU.
The British Gas pipeline operator, Transco, has put its trade
advertising and marketing function up for review. McCann-Erickson has
held the pounds 1 million account since September 1996.
BARB, the official TV audience measurement system, is extending the
contract for collecting the audience data for a further two years to
July 2000 because of uncertainty over the effect of digital television.
In the meantime, the measurement of digital TV services will be
undertaken by additional measurement projects.
Campaign is taking a Christmas break for two weeks. The next issue of
the magazine will be dated 9 January. We wish all our readers a happy
Christmas and a prosperous new year.
