CLIENT

Npower is to sponsor ITV police soap The Bill in a deal believed to

be worth pounds 2 million. The sponsorship will run until the new year

and will comprise idents and a series of light-hearted 30-second ads.

Npower plans to become a bills aggregator, providing customers with one

bill for water, telecoms and financial services.

Marketing

Sainsbury’s will unveil an upmarket store on the Cromwell Road in London

this week. This latest initiative is intended to mark the start of

Sainsbury’s fight-back against Tesco, which took over as market leader

in 1995. The new store marks a move upmarket, with specialist wine and

bakery counters. AMV Advance is handling the store’s launch campaign,

which includes direct mail and a press ad in the Evening Standard.

Marketing

Birds Eye Wall’s is to spend pounds 20 million on the launch of a range

of high-quality frozen meals aimed at young professionals.

McCann-Erickson has been developing advertising for the new brand over

the past six months. The range is scheduled to appear on shelves early

next year.

Marketing

Compaq UK and Ireland are on the lookout for a chief marketer. Hamish

Hynes, the former director of marketing and communications, is expected

to become director of corporate communications. Hynes became chief

marketer last August but fell victim to a reshuffle instigated by Rene

Schuster, the new managing director of Compaq UK.

Marketing

Lever Brothers is to put pounds 6.5 million into the launch of a product

that is set to take on Procter & Gamble’s impending Dryel brand. Persil

Revive has been created to enable people to refresh their dry-clean-only

clothes at home and will cost pounds 4.99. J. Walter Thompson is set to

handle the TV launch campaign, which will air later this year.

Marketing

Elida Faberge, the Unilever-owned personal care company, is planning to

open a chain of hair salons and grooming stores under the Lynx brand.

The first Lynx Barbershop will open on London’s Oxford Street at the

start of October and two further stores are expected to open over the

next six months. Elida Faberge has a 40 per cent share of the

fast-growing men’s toiletries market.

Marketing

UCI Cinemas is to launch a cinema concept called The Filmworks, which

will offer customers ticket options, bars, cafes and conference

facilities. The first venue will open in the Printworks, Manchester, in

November, followed by a circular venue in Greenwich. The launch campaign

will be handled by BDH TBWA.

Marketing

Anheuser-Busch is to launch a clothing range for men called the Genuine

Article. It will comprise three ranges and target 18- to 30-year-old

men. Genuine features denim jackets and sweatshirts; Contemporary

includes kagouls and short-sleeved shirts; and Basic includes t-shirts

and shorts. The brand is scheduled to launch in 2001.

Marketing Week

Procter & Gamble is dropping its Solo range of hair products from the

Vidal Sassoon Wash & Go range. The move follows evidence of a decline in

two-in-one haircare brands. Products to be axed include Solo Universal

shampoo, Solo anti-dandruff shampoo and Solo conditioner. The products

were launched 18 months ago.

Marketing Week.

This article was first published on Campaign