The Meat and Livestock Commission is considering an advertising
campaign for spring, when British beef will once again be sold in Europe
following this week’s vote to lift the two-year export ban. In the
meantime, the MLC is concentrating on maintaining its relationship with
overseas importers.
BT has rubbished marketing trade and national press reports that it will
drop the ’It’s good to talk’ slogan from its advertising after next
March’s statutory review of its pounds 135 million business. Abbott Mead
Vickers BBDO, its lead agency and creator of the slogan, will be among
up to six shops shortlisted before Christmas to contest the
business.
The London-based brewer, Young’s, is looking for an ad agency to promote
its beers, which include Young’s bitter and Young’s special. The brewer
is planning to spend around pounds 2.5 million in London and the
South-east.
Patrick Collister, the executive creative director of Ogilvy & Mather,
has been named chairman of the British Television Advertising Awards
jury for 1999. The awards, for which entry forms have already been sent
out, take place on 10 March at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
Peroni beer is looking for an ad agency and has asked three un-named
shops to pitch for the account before Christmas. Peroni has not
previously embarked on a national ad campaign, but the client is keen to
extend its appeal beyond the Italian restaurant market and into the
mainstream. The initial budget is expected to be less than pounds 1
million.
180, the Amsterdam-based agency which set up on the back of an Adidas
win last month, has recruited a fourth partner. Guy Hayward, previously
the senior vice-president at Octagon, Interpublic’s sports and
entertainment arm, joins Larry Frey, Alex Melvin and Chris Mendola next
month.
Three candidates have been elected to the executive committee of D&AD
for next year. They are Chris O’Shea of Banks Hoggins O’Shea, Graham
Watson of Bartle Bogle Hegarty and Michael Johnson of Johnson Banks.
They will take up their posts at the end of January, following the
AGM.
The Central Office of Information has invited Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO,
BMP DDB, Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicam to pitch for a pounds 2
million national press and radio campaign to publicise the national
minimum wage, which will be introduced next April. The campaign will
target low-paid workers as well as employers who are worried about the
red tape involved.
BT’s search for a direct marketing agency to take on its 0800 free-phone
service has been called off after four months because of changes in its
marketing department. Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray is responsible for
BT’s existing 0800 direct marketing.
Delaney Fletcher Bozell has hired Andy Smith as its first board-level
operations director. He moves from St Luke’s where he was the creative
services director. Smith, who takes up the new job in early December,
will oversee traffic and production.
Fred Olsen, the cruise line, is ending its four-year relationship with
the London Advertising Partnership in spring amid speculation that it
will put more emphasis on direct marketing. The company asked five
agencies to present strategic proposals on how its pounds 750,000 budget
could be used to differentiate it from giant US rivals such as Royal
Caribbean.
The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers is to launch a free
early-warning system, alerting advertisers to possible legal pitfalls in
their campaigns. The service is administered by the solicitors, Field
Fisher Waterhouse, which specialises in ad law.
Carlton Communications has appointed Steven Cain, the Asda Group’s
marketing director, as its new chief executive. Cain, 34, takes over
from June de Moller who announced her retirement in September.
