Pizza Hut is to centralise its international advertising and is ditching its ú2.8m (Register-MEAL) Hit the Hut campaign, developed by Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters.

Coca-Cola is building on its `All colas are not the same’ sales drive with a new campaign, which goes on air this Monday. The new commercial, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, is set in Prohibition New York and based on a true story. Shot in black and white, `Feds’ features a raid by the New […]

How do you turn defence into attack? Look no further than Omnicom. It is fast becoming the world’s largest marketing services group. Is this the result of a masterplan or merely naked opportunism combined with a superabundance of cash? By Jon

Has anyone noticed the startling resemblance between Abbey National, the building society that converted to plc bank status in 1989 (spending £10m on marketing the fact) and the Abbey National which happily picked up an award at this month’s Building Society Marketing Awards? Are they by any chance related? TEXT:

Soap-to-food giant Unilever revealed that the Power manganese “accelerator” crisis of the past year will cost the company ú57m worldwide to write off the original Power formulation and stocks of its ingredient. Unilever had spent ú200m developing the Power range. Unilever chairman Sir Michael Perry says: “The lessons of the Power fiasco have been learned […]

Following the opening of the Dr Martens department store in London’s Covent Garden last November, the footwear brand has been extended, with the launch of an album of `indie’ music entitled Unlaced. The album features 20 tracks by major British and US artist including Suede, New Order, Pulp, Blur, Radiohead, James and The Levellers, and […]

Channel 4 presented a strong case for the movement of traditional women’s magazine advertising onto television (MW February 10). This is not the least bit surprising since the research used was commissioned by a broadcaster. Channel 4 has an enterprising business team, with the goal of persuading fashion and cosmetics houses that the women’s magazine […]

A streamlining drive and a new marketing chief could be just the ticket for Thomas Cook.

Chris Evans is to take over the Radio 1 breakfast show from Steve Wright. He will present and make the programme as an independent producer from April 24 until the end of the year… …Steve Wright is still discussing his exit details from Radio 1. Talk Radio UK would not comment on speculation that Wright […]

Citroân UK is overhauling its advertising in an effort to sharpen its identity. The manufacturer has developed a three-year programme designed to build its brand awareness in a market spending ú450m per year on advertising.

In the past, commissioning market research could be very much like playing Russian roulette, in terms of the quality and honesty of the end results, but advances in computer-aided techniques mean that clients can expect a faster, more accurate

Taunton is launching its own ice cider under the Diamond White brand, following Bulmers’ move into the sector before Christmas with the launch of Strongbow Ice. The company is poised to launch Diamond Ice in the on- and off-trades, with a limited supply until May when the launch will go national. The launch comes as […]

Retail giant Kingfisher is considering shutting down nearly a quarter of its Comet stores in a fresh attempt to remove excess capacity from the overcrowded electrical retail market. Kingfisher, which owns Woolworths, Superdrug and B&Q, as well as Comet, has told City analysts that a review of the chain’s operations could include the closure of […]

The global review of Mars’ $400m (ú263m) business has been thrown into confusion by Ogilvy & Mather’s surprise withdrawal from the pitch.

When Lever Brothers managing director Andrew Seth stepped down, it was inevitable that his departure would be linked to the Persil Power fiasco. Here he sets the record straight on both Persil Power and Lever. By Sean Brierley