Paul Longhurst, who recently quit his role as the chief executive
of Quantum New Media, is joining The Allmond Partnership.
Longhurst will take the role of consultant at TAP's interactive TV
division, Ape TV. At present, the division works for TAP's biggest
client, BT, and COI Communications on interactive TV projects.
A founder of Quantum in 1998, Longhurst was previously executive media
director at Ammirati Puris Lintas. He left Quantum after his strategy
for growth, both geographically and in terms of interactive solutions,
was put on hold. He sold the majority of his 50 per cent stake in
Quantum to its co-founder, BLM Group.
Longhurst said: "I'm going into TAP to help improve its interactive
capability and to develop Ape TV."
"Interactive TV has been through the dotcom problem and is about to
experience a renaissance. Sky, Carlton and the BBC are getting to grips
with it and it's now up to advertisers to play with formulas," he
added.
TAP has developed several interactive TV solutions for BT. The latest of
these was an interactive version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?,
developed with Carlton, which launches on Saturday.
Part of Longhurst's role is to widen Ape TV's client base beyond BT.
He said: "My involvement with TAP is based around the need to find ways
of bringing new thinking to clients."
TAP handles BT's media buying and some of its interactive activity.
Its other clients include Callaway Golf and Media Insurance Services.
