HOTLINE

Royal Mail has drawn up a shortlist of three agencies for a final

pitch for its pounds 14million media planning and buying account. The

incumbent, MediaVest, along with TMD Carat and BMP Optimum, have made it

through to the final stage. The original pitch-list included Mediapolis,

Zenith Media and Bates Dorland, which was pitching for planning

only.

General Motors Europe has put the work of four agencies into research

after last week’s pitches for the pan-European launch of the new

Opel/Vauxhall Corsa. Saatchi & Saatchi Frankfurt, Rainey Kelly Campbell

Roalfe, Lowe Howard-Spink and McCann-Erickson Europe have put forward

campaign ideas. A result is expected in two weeks.

Jazz FM is to advertise above the line for the first time since October

1995 and has hired Ambler Rodford to create the campaign. The last work

for Jazz FM was created by the design consultancy, Wolff Olins, in

October 1995. No decision on media has been taken.

The Department of Trade and Industry has formally approved the Mirror

Group’s proposed acquisition of the regional newspaper publisher,

Midland Independent Newspapers.

Cowan Kemsley Taylor has beaten Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy and FCA! to

the Mr Mash account. Press work for the instant mashed potato brand will

break next year. Mr Mash, the brand leader in France, has previously

advertised on TV in the UK through FCA!.

Optimedia has scooped the pan-European media planning and buying task

for the US appliance giant, KitchenAid. The brand will launch in Europe

at the beginning of 1998 with creative work handled by Wilkens. Budgets

have still to be finalised for 1998.

Eagle Star has shortlisted five below-the-line agencies for a review of

its trade marketing and database development account. They are: Grey

Integrated, Brann, Claydon Heeley, WWAV Rapp Collins and Lovell Vass and

Boddey. A decision is expected within two weeks.

Rupert Garrett, head of radio at BBJ Media Services, is moving to GWR’s

sales house to become an agency group head. He will report to the

national sales controller Peter Charlton who, in turn, reports to Duncan

George, the national sales director. Garrett takes up his appointment

later this year, until which time he will remain at BBJ.

Work from J. Walter Thompson has been substituted for that of GGT in the

research stage of Wesleyan Insurance’s pounds 4 million advertising

review. The move follows GGT’s withdrawal from the pitch against BDDH

last week because of possible conflicts following news of its planned

merger with BST-BDDP.

Virgin One, Richard Branson’s direct banking venture, which launched

this week, is in talks with its media agency, Manning Gottlieb Media, to

come up with a strategy for the project’s national roll-out next year. A

creative agency will be required once a communications strategy has been

devised.

The WPP media independent, Media Insight, has been confirmed as the

official full-time media agency for First Choice Holidays and Flights.

The appointment, which formalises a previous ad hoc arrangement, comes

in the middle of a creative review of the pounds 1.6 million

account.

Tobacco sponsorship of sport will be phased out over several years, the

Government admitted in a House of Lords debate on Tuesday. Lord

McIntosh, a government spokesman, conceded that some sporting events,

such as motor racing, could move outside Europe following a ban. He

said: ’Compromises are going to be necessary’.

Peter Mead, the chairman of the Abbott Mead Vickers group, is to become

patron of the Andrea Adams Trust, which campaigns against bullying at

work. He will help the charity communicate the services it offers to

individuals and companies.