ADVERTISING & PROMOTION: BRIEFS

McCann’s PR coup

McCann-Erickson Worldwide has acquired public relations company The

Weber Group for an undisclosed sum. The Massachusetts-based company was

ranked as the 8th largest independent PR firm in the US in 1995, with

reported fees of dollars 12.3m pounds 7.9m).

Free and easy

Martin Anderson, managing director of BDH, Manchester, told a meeting of

the North West Marketing Society last week that free ad pitches

encourage client promiscuity. In his talk, entitled ‘Why advertisers

should pay for pitches’, Anderson argued that UK companies place low

value on expertise which is given for free’.

Film review

The British Film Institute has appointed Conran Design Group to review

its brand communications. A new corporate identity is expected to be

unveiled in April 1997.

RNIB’s target agency

The Royal National Institute for the Blind has appointed marketing and

advertising agency Target Direct to manage all its direct and legacy

marketing from April 1997.

Bathing samples

Johnson & Johnson is using door-to-door sampling, through MRM

Distributions, to launch their new pH5.5 2-in-1 Shower Gel and 2-in-1

Bath Foam.

ASA gets Rich

Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank has appointed Harry Rich, managing director

of Tandem (UK), to join the council of the Advertising Standards

Authority. He is the third person to be appointed from outside the

advertising industry and will replace Elizabeth Firkin.

Ruddles rebranded

Ruddles Brewery has appointed Marshall Advertising to handle its Ruddles

Best Bitter and Ruddles County brand. The account was formerly held by

BST BDDP.

Dead or alive

Mexican beer Sol is revisiting its heritage in a promotion themed around

the traditions of the ‘Day of the Dead’.

Reebok’s rugby tackle

Reebok has unveiled a new poster ad featuring New Zealand rugby player

Jonah Lomu. Titled ‘Accident’, the 48-sheet poster, through Lowe Howard-

Spink, taunts English supporters by recalling Lomu’s 1995 World Cup

performance when he flattened the English defence.

Northern energy boost

Northern Electric has appointed Robson Brown to handle an energy

campaign promoting its ‘dual fuel’ in the North East.

Poster assets

Hill Samuel, the Lloyds TSB-owned asset management company, is to launch

a pounds 2.5m press and poster campaign next year, through Citigate

Albert Frank.

This article was first published on Marketing