The famous Nimble balloon is set to disappear from its advertising
following the appointment of a new agency - Gotham - to help relaunch
the weightwatchers’ bread as a health brand next year.
The British Bakeries-owned Nimble, which counts Hovis among its
stablemates, became famous in the 70s for ads featuring a girl ’flying
like a bird’ in a hot air balloon. A modernised version in which a girl
in leggings bungee-jumped out of the balloon, surfaced briefly last
year.
However, the balloon as a symbol of lightness has now been deemed
irrelevant, as public tastes have moved on and slimming products have
lost their cachet to more general health foods, such as low-fat
margarine and whole-meal bread.
As well as reviewing its advertising, Nimble has changed its ingredients
and will relaunch next spring with a new advertising campaign. Industry
sources confidently expect this to concentrate on a new eye-catching
idea that can generate additional press coverage, although an official
spokesman declined to be drawn: ’It’s still up for debate how we go
forward,’ he said.
Gotham picked up the business after a final shoot-out with Griffin Bacal
and the incumbent, Wrightson Dale, following which each idea was put
into consumer research.
Ali Large, managing partner of Gotham, declined to give any details
other than to confirm the appointment: ’It will be a wonderful challenge
to make the brand famous again,’ she said.
British Bakeries initially asked the Advertising Agency Register to help
shortlist five agencies for the account, and early stages of the review
included Banks Hoggins O’Shea and Court Burkitt & Company.
Media on the business remains with BBJ Media Services.
