John Nicolson is relinquishing his role as the marketing director
of Scottish Courage and the chairman of Beamish to take a central
strategic role within its parent company, Scottish & Newcastle. Nicolson
will become the corporate development director, reporting to Brian
Stewart, Scottish & Newcastle’s group chief executive. Nicolson will be
succeeded by Collin Wood, the trading director, North. - Marketing
Week
The Independent Television Commission has ruled that the takeover of the
HTV Group by United News and Media is not against the public interest.
The ITC assessed the takeover and invited public comment. It noted that
the takeover would not affect the number of newspapers circulating
within the ITV region. - General release
Gabi Baron, Premier Beverages’ marketing director of three months, has
left the company by mutual agreement. Baron’s brief was to boost the
growth of the company’s beverage brands and she was responsible for the
appointment of Saatchi & Saatchi to handle Typhoo. - General release
Chris Evans’ assistant, Holly Samos, has been recruited by Gossard to
promote its Ultrabra range. Evans is appealing for listeners to his
Virgin breakfast show to come up with slogans for the ads, and the name
of the creator of the chosen slogan will appear on the poster. - General
release
Carat Business has won the pounds 10 million pan-European media account
for Apple Computer Europe following a two-way shoot-out with Optimum
Media Direction, the European media arm of Omnicom. TBWA International
recently won the creative account after a pitch involving Bartle Bogle
Hegarty and Leagas Delaney. - Marketing.
Don Cruickshank, the director-general of OFTEL, has called for tighter
regulation of British Sky Broadcasting to ensure it sells programmes on
fair terms. Cruickshank, who steps down from his post next spring,
called for BSkyB to be barred from using its sports and movie channels
to force other distributors to supply its other channels to viewers. -
Financial Times
Harlequin Mills & Boon, the publisher of romantic fiction, is attempting
to scotch its old-fashioned image by pitching its novels as contemporary
reading in its latest national poster campaign through Davies Little
Cowley. The pounds 1 million campaign, which broke on Monday, carries
the slogan: ’Mills & Boon. Makes any time special.’ - General
release
Bruce Burnett, Trebor Bassett’s marketing director, has lost his job in
a management restructure. Burnett’s role is to be merged with that of
sales director to create a new role, although it is not known what will
happen to John Tweedale, the sales director. - Marketing Week
British Sugar is reviewing its advertising account, which includes
Silver Spoon, out of DMB&B. The company is reported to be working with
the Advertising Agency Register and to have drawn up a shortlist that
consists of three agencies. - Marketing Week
Filofax is courting controversy with a Christmas campaign that purports
to show God’s personal organiser. The ads, which also feature the
fictional entries of Tarzan, Scrooge and Alfred Hitchcock, will be
placed on London bus routes and underground sites. They were created
originally for the Dutch market by the Amsterdam based agency, BSUR. -
General release
Procter & Gamble is to relaunch Old Spice aftershave to reach a younger
audience. The aftershave, to be called Old Spice Whitewater, will be
repackaged and advertised with a TV campaign through Euro RSCG Wnek
Gosper. - The Express.
