MARKETING MIX: That was the week that was

15 years ago: United Biscuits fights back against imported

continental biscuit brands with the launch of McVitie’s Continentals, a

top-of-the-range speciality biscuit; Midland Bank sells its Thomas Cook

Travel interests in the US - excluding its travellers cheques - to Dun &

Bradstreet, for an eight-figure sum; malt whisky brands, the only real

growth sector in the pounds 1.4bn whisky market, promise record ad

spends and record sales for the Christmas period.

10 years ago: The RAF launches a pounds 4m recruitment campaign in a bid

to compete for the declining number of school-leavers; the IBA bans a

series of children’s TV cartoons funded by cereal maker Kellogg, because

a mirror device featuring the company’s trademark ’K’ features in a live

action introduction to each cartoon; The Times postpones the launch of

free children’s supplement The Thunderer after production problems.

5 years ago: United Distillers ditches Gordon’s Gin ’green’ ads, which

focus on its distinctive bottle. New ads will launch the following year,

backed by increased marketing spend; supermarket chain Somerfield

announces it is to eject one-third of its suppliers over the next two

years; Mercury One 2 One says it will offer new customers free calls

anywhere around the world on Christmas Day.

This article was first published on Marketing