REVIEW

BSkyB has offered England’s top football clubs just under pounds 1

billion for exclusive television rights to the Premier League for the

next three years. The broadcaster has made the informal bid, even though

the existing four-year, pounds 743 million deal still has 18 months to

run. Financial Times

Matalan, the discount clothing retailer, has shortlisted four

advertising agencies for its account, thought to be worth up to pounds 6

million. J. Walter Thompson, CDP, McCann-Erickson Manchester and the

incumbent, Willox Ambler Rodford Law, will fight it out over the next

two weeks. Marketing Week

The Government is reviewing its pounds 6 million Northern Ireland

advertising agency roster. The winning agencies will be eligible to

pitch for a range of government office accounts. Marketing Week

Robbie Williams, the pop superstar, has been named as the new face of

Pepsi. The pounds 2 million deal will allow him to be the first Pepsi

star to have full creative control of the ads. Britvic’s marketing

director, Andrew Marsden, said: ’His unpredictability means we could end

up anywhere.’ The Mirror

Psion, the hand-held computer company, is reviewing its creative and

media accounts as it gears up to its planned domination of the

pan-European software market for mobile phones and mobile computers.

Marketing Week

Saatchi & Saatchi has consolidated its relationship with Toyota by

scooping the task to create the first pan-European branding campaign for

its luxury car marque, Lexus. The agency handles both Lexus and Toyota

in the UK. Marketing Week

The BBC’s financial efficiency will be scrutinised by a team of

consultants, to be hired by the culture secretary, Chris Smith. He

announced the move in a Commons debate this week, challenging the

corporation to prove that it needed its requested pounds 650 million

spending increase. Financial Times

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has won the pounds 5 million account

for Quorn, the meat substitute brand best known for its TV ads starring

Will and Julia Carling. Marketing Week

Carlsberg is attempting to shake off the park-bench image of its

extra-strong lager, Special Brew, in a pounds 1 million advertising

campaign which shows god-like figures in mythical settings holding cans

of the drink. The Independent

The Sport Newspapers group, the publisher of the Daily and Sunday Sport

owned by David Sullivan, has dived into the red. The latest annual

accounts show the company plummeting from a pounds 6.3 million profit to

a pounds 3.5 million loss. Sullivan claims that the loss is the result

of pounds 9 million management consultancy fees. The Sunday Times

The oil giant, BP Amoco, is planning to rebrand all of its petrol

stations around the world under the BP logo. The group currently has

three brands in play: BP, Amoco and Arco. The Sunday Times

Martin Sorrell, WPP’s chief executive, has warned agencies of the

pitfalls facing those which take equity from internet start-up

businesses in lieu of fees. Marketing.

This article was first published on Campaign