The Week

PR Week UK, Friday, 24 April 2009, 12:00am,

- Vero Communications has been hired to handle PR for Olympic, World and Commonwealth 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu.

- Panasonic has handed a pan-European b2b PR brief to tech specialist AxiCom Cohn & Wolfe. The brief relates to its broadcast technology and professional plasma and projectors business units.

- Margaret Street, the new PR agency set up by ex-Walt Disney V-P corporate comms Joyce Lorigan, has landed a brief with The Jury Inns hotel group.

- YouTube has appointed Aaron Ferstman as its first comms and public affairs manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

- The World Heart Federation has brought in Weber Shandwick as its retained comms agency after a three-way pitch.

- First Direct has charged Brando with an initial three-month programme to drive awareness of its offset mortgage offering.

- Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival has attracted about 400 PR agencies and in-house teams, including 60 from the UK, to enter the new PR category. The festival runs from 21 to 27 June. Go to www.canneslions.com.

- The CIPR Excellence Awards 2009 finalists have been announced, chosen from more than 900 submissions across the 27 award categories.