BMP DDB and Motive to launch eToys in the UK

- BMP DDB and Motive have picked up the brief to launch the American internet toy retailer, eToys in the UK.

James Bidwell, European marketing director for eToys, declined to say who the agencies pitched against or what the advertising budget would be. He has worked with Motive in two of his previous jobs - at Sega Amusements and Carland.

He said: "Motive is an extremely high calibre organisation which has a good blend of strategic planning skills and the ability to buy well."

Bidwell also said BMP had a good track record in solid brands which would help him grow his business "offline". eToys, which has been selling toys, software and video games online since 1997, will launch here in time for Christmas and current campaign plans include outdoor and print.

Motive has also won the £2 million media brief to launch two partwork products for the publisher, Planet Three. One of the character-licensed partworks is aimed at children under seven and the other is targeted at families.

A test campaign will kick off next month in the West Country with 30- and ten-second TV commercials, with a national roll-out planned for January. The creative brief has gone to Humbug, which pitched against Hooper Galton.

Planet Three managing director Reg Wright said Motive's understanding of the fundamentals of partwork campaigns and its desire to innovate helped it clinch the deal.

He said he picked Humbug because: "They are quite new and young, independent, hungry and imaginative characters. They understood the brief and came back with good creative ideas."

This article was first published on Campaign