Spirit, the agency launched in April by Michael Dobbs, Richard
Hammond and Mitch Levy, has hired its first permanent creative team. The
copywriter, David Bryant, and the art director, Lucy Hobbs, join after a
period of freelancing at the agency, bringing the number of staff at
Spirit to 11.
The Advertising Brasserie has been appointed to publicise the Disney
Channel’s wider availability. Currently a bonus channel that is free to
dual Sky Movies subscribers, the channel will now be available on all
major cable operators. The TV and radio campaign will position it as the
leading provider of children’s entertainment.
Six candidates are standing for election to the D&AD’s executive
committee for next year. They are Chris O’Shea of Banks Hoggins O’Shea,
Jaspar Shelbourne of J. Walter Thompson, Brian Stewart of Delaney
Fletcher Bozell, Vincent McEvoy of Camp Chipperfield Hill Murray, Graham
Watson of Bartle Bogle Hegarty and Chris Arnold of Stretch the
Horizon.
The Mail on Sunday has increased its ratecard prices by around 4 per
cent on the back of circulation growth. The advertisement sales
controller, Sally de la Bedoyere, has sent a letter to agencies drawing
attention to the newspaper’s circulation performance in September, which
saw an increase in sales month on month of more than 8 per cent to
2,413,584.
The Post Office’s statutory review of its marketing and agency services
continued this week with a call to tender for the Parcelforce sales
promotion account in the Official Journal of the European Community. The
task will be to run point-of-sale campaigns and to handle local and
regional sales promotions. Meanwhile, Post Office Counters began
contacting successful agencies from its recent tender with a view to
setting up credentials meetings.
Hays DX, the business-to-business mail and express delivery company, has
appointed HHCL & Partners to a branding project. The agency will
initially sharpen and redefine the brand.
The US-based publishing company, Weider Publications, has formed a
licensing deal with the UK arm of Mollin Publishing to launch a number
of monthly magazines in this country early next year. Sharon Walker,
former editor of Health & Fitness, and Stephen Ferns, who was launch
editor of GQ Active, will work on the new titles which are rumoured to
be in the health and fitness market. Weider’s US portfolio includes the
women’s health title, Shape, and the health magazine, Men’s Fitness.
Graham Page, the former managing director of MediaCom Direct, is joining
Universal McCann as an associate director to head the agency’s recently
won Somerfield-Kwik Save account. Page resigned from MediaCom Direct in
May.
The former Tory MP, Dr Ian Twinn, is joining the Incorporated Society of
British Advertisers as its first director of public affairs. Twinn, who
lost his Edmonton seat in the 1997 general election, has been a
parliamentary private secretary to three ministers.
Furniture Village, the furnishing retailer which is looking for its
first advertising agency, has shortlisted Saatchi & Saatchi, Young &
Rubicam and Osprey to pitch for its account.
MediaCom has won the pounds 500,000 media planning and buying task for
the liqueur brand, Amaretto Di Saronno. Media buying for the product,
which is distributed by UDV, was previously handled by Court Burkitt &
Company. MediaCom is now working on a pre-Christmas push for
Amaretto.
The Government this week launched a nationwide campaign through FCA! to
promote its New Deal for lone parents. The programme helps lone parents
get jobs by providing personal advisers to help them overcome obstacles
to working. The campaign runs across television, radio, press and
posters.
Schweppes has shortlisted four agencies for its Oasis fruit drink
account. They are TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, the Advertising Brasserie,
Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters and Mountain View.
