The Week in marketing: 11 November 2008

Budweiser in Proud tie-up

Budweiser has signed a sponsorship deal with London's Proud Galleries making it the official beer of the venues' exhibitions and special events.

Earlier this year the beer brand moved away from its Americana positioning with the roll-out of ads featuring real musicians jamming with Budweiser bottles in Nashville.

Budweiser marketing director Vicki Kipling described the link-up with Proud Galleries, which specialises in photographs of popular culture, music and entertainment subjects, and the brand as a 'perfect fit'. Pictured is a booth in one of the galleries decorated by Budweiser.

Gossard revamps site

Gossard has launched a website with ecommerce capability, making its whole lingerie collection available online for the first time. Designed by agency Twenty Six, the site has a fitting guide to help customers choose the right size, as well as styling tips to help achieve a perfect look.

O2 joins Academy

O2 will replace Carling as the title sponsor of all Academy music venues across the UK when the lager brand's contract expires at the end of the year. The mobile brand has struck a deal with music promoters Live Nation/AMG to rename the 11 venues O2 Academy from 1 January 2009. The venues are majority-owned by Live Nation in conjunction with promoters Metropolis Music and SJM Concerts.

Wispa seeks UGC

Cadbury is asking fans to help it create a TV ad for Wispa as part of its campaign 'For the love of Wispa'. A series of press, bus and online ads, created by Fallon, directs Wispa-lovers to the website Fortheloveofwispa.com.

Devon ambassadors

VisitDevon is launching an integrated campaign called Lovemydevon, created by Space, to find the most passionate people to represent the county as ambassadors. Three finalists, who will be chosen through auditions, will be paid to travel the UK in January and gain as much media coverage as possible. The finalist judged to have generated the most positive nationwide media value will win £10,000.

Fox targets students

20th Century Fox is promoting this week's DVD release of season seven of cartoon series Family Guy (right) as cruder, ruder and the filthiest season yet. Youth marketing agency Don't Panic is running a campaign in university towns featuring promotional material on bar mats, floor stickers in public urinals and calling cards in phone boxes. 

VisitBritain exit

VisitBritain chief executive Tom Wright is stepping down after six years. He is to head a charity formed from the merger of Age Concern England and Help the Aged. Wright is expected to take up the post early next year, to allow the tourism group time to find a replacement.

Subway growth spurt

Subway has more outlets in the UK and Ireland than McDonald's for the first time following a period of massive expansion. The sandwich chain now has more than 1300 outlets across the UK and Ireland and aims to have more than 2010 by 2010.

IPC chief exits

IPC Advertising managing director Caroline McDevitt is leaving the media company at the end of the year. Her responsibilities will be rolled into the existing remit of Evelyn Webster, managing director of IPC Connect.

Really Useful tie-up

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group has made Viagogo its official premium ticketing partner. The deal follows the secondary ticketing service's partnerships with Manchester United and Chelsea FC, and Madonna's tour earlier this year.

Boots presents...

Boots has launched a multimillion-pound Christmas TV campaign focusing on affordable gifts. The ad, created by Mother, is based on an office 'secret Santa' premise. While the male staff are clueless about to what to buy, the women head to Boots for gifts under £5 and its three-for-two mix'n'match offer.

Santander reviews

Santander is reviewing the media planning and buying accounts for its Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley savings businesses. The bank said Abbey and Alliance & Leicester's incumbent agency, Carat, and Bradford & Bingley's agency, MediaCom North, had been informed of the decision.

Firefly adds to range

Firefly Tonics is launching a 'Recharge' variant with a campaign, created by JWT, encompassing press, online, social networking and flash-mobs. It focuses on 'escaping the crunch', and a message on the drink's label reads: 'Feeling sub-prime? Boost your body's credit rating with a Recharge.'

Europcar to relaunch

Europcar has appointed MediaVest to its media planning and buying account ahead of a multimillion-pound relaunch to position the brand as the UK's number-one vehicle rental operator, and promote the benefits of car rental during a recession.

Uncle Ben's mag push

Mars is using a national press campaign for its Uncle Ben's sauces to target busy mothers who convenience-shop, but are concerned about the ingredients used in meals for their family. The drive, created by Proximity London, uses images by 'foodscape' photographer Carl Warner, and runs in women's weeklies including OK! and Woman.

FA Cup goes on tour

The Football Association and lead FA Cup Sponsor, E.ON, have teamed up to launch a nationwide tour of The FA Cup. The interactive tour, aimed at seven- to 11-year-olds and their families, is intended to give young fans the chance to find out more about the history and heritage of the world's most famous domestic football cup competition.

Ubisoft plots ads blitz

Video-games developer and publisher Ubisoft is launching a £4m TV campaign for its games for Nintendo DS and Wii. Its new Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party game for the Wii is supported by a £1m TV campaign comprising multiple ads in each ad break during ITV1 family shows The X Factor and Harry Hill's TV Burp. Ubisoft is also launching a TV campaign on Friday, featuring TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton, for its Imagine games for young girls.

This article was first published on Marketing