Iceland to choose a customer as new ambassador

The supermarket chain has launched a nationwide PR campaign to find a 'new face of the brand', inviting people to attend live auditions at the end of March. These will be judged by Iceland's chairman, Malcolm Walker, and its current 'face', Coleen Nolan, who said last week that she would be giving up her role.

Members of the public will then be able to vote from an online shortlist of candidates, with a winner being selected in April.

Digital agency And Digital has created a microsite, Newfaceoficeland.co.uk, to promote the auditions.

Iceland has had a tradition of using celebrities in its marketing activity. In 2006, it began sponsoring ITV's 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!', with idents in 2008 featuring former contestants including Kerry Katona, Christopher Biggins and Jason Donovan.

Katona's stint was troubled by several tabloid revelations about her drug-taking and family problems, but the retailer stood by her until last August, when the 'News of the World' obtained secret camera footage that appeared to show her taking cocaine.

Iceland's 2009 Christmas activity featured Donovan and Nolan.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk