CGU is talking to agencies about a pounds 5 million to pounds 10
million advertising account. The launch is code-named Project Seattle
and is being overseen by Rod Butcher, senior marketing assistant. The
main account is held by McCann-Erickson.
M&C Saatchi and Ogilvy & Mather have been picked by the Central Office
of Information to contest the final pitch for the pounds 4.5 million
campaign to raise awareness for the 2001 census. The original shortlist
included D’Arcy and FCA!
Sainsbury’s Homebase is understood to have shortlisted three agencies to
pitch for a project to launch a chain of ’mega stores’ in conjunction
with the builders’ merchant, Jewson.
The Conservative Party has shortlisted five agencies for a January pitch
for its general election campaign, after scrapping plans to rely on
volunteers. They are Banks Hoggins O’Shea FCB, Bell Pottinger,
Hype,Yellow M and the Immediate Sales Company, a subsidiary of M&C
Saatchi.
News International’s News Network broadcast what it claims were the
first live radio ads last week during the Pepsi Chart Show. The ads,
created by Rocket and TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, were for the News
International website, FiredUp.com.
Cadbury has renewed its sponsorship of ITV’s Coronation Street for
another year. The deal, which will run through to the end of 2000, is
now in its fourth year.
Kevin Shute, the business development director at CIA Medianetwork, is
leaving the company. Shute joined the agency at the beginning of the
year from the poster contractor, Mills & Allen, where he was sales
controller.
Bob Willott, one of the founding partners of the specialist accountancy
firm, Willott Kingston Smith, has retired. He will continue to act as a
consultant and edit the annual survey on the performance of the
marketing services industry. Amanda Merron has assumed responsibility
for WKS’s client work in the marketing services sector.
Trinity Mirror and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising will
meet early in 2000 to discuss how to resolve the row over compensation
following the admission last month by the newspaper group that three of
its Birmingham titles had overstated their circulation figures.
The Havas-owned Campus network has made its first acquisition outside
Europe with the purchase of a 40 per cent stake in Age, the Brazilian
agency set up by the creative directors of DM9/DDB.
Auto Trader is to run a series of anti-drink-drive ads in the classified
section of its Christmas issue. The ads appear at first to be normal
classified, but a closer look reveals that the car has been crashed.
Travis Perkins, the UK’s second largest building contractor, is
splitting its pounds 2 million account following a review. Paradigm in
Sheffield will handle the main brand while the Newcastle-based Yellow M
will run Keyline, the company’s specialist chain.
Delaney Potter Cawley, McCann-Erickson and RPM3 have been shortlisted to
pitch for the Somerfield advertising account.
A man was remanded in custody by Camberwell magistrates on Monday
charged with the murder of the former Campaign journalist, Margaret
Hood. Canadian-born Nicholas Brian Clarke, 39, a cable TV engineer, is
accused of killing Hood, 43, who died from multiple head wounds, at the
home they shared in Clapham.
Campaign is taking a three-week break over the festive season. The first
issue of 2000 will appear on the 13 January. In the meantime, we wish
all our readers a very happy Christmas.
