OMD appoints Cohen as US chief executive

NEW YORK – OMD has poached Initiative executive Alan Cohen to take the reins at the media group’s US operations.

Shop closes down after seven years

LONDON — Shop, the agency founded as Campbell Doyle Dye seven years ago, is closing its doors.

Rajar abandons meter testing and plans online diary

LONDON – Radio audience measurement body Rajar is terminating the trial of its electronic measurement system six months early and is instead opting for a new online diary to record listener numbers.

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 4

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 4

Stop the daily rapes in Darfur.

Advertising Agency: DDB Budapest, Hungary
Creatives: Holly Fleming, Giovanni Pintaude, Rodrigo Fernandes
Published: April 2008

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 3

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 3

Stop the daily rapes in Darfur.

Advertising Agency: DDB Budapest, Hungary
Creatives: Holly Fleming, Giovanni Pintaude, Rodrigo Fernandes
Published: April 2008

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 2

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 2

Stop the daily rapes in Darfur.

Advertising Agency: DDB Budapest, Hungary
Creatives: Holly Fleming, Giovanni Pintaude, Rodrigo Fernandes
Published: April 2008

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 1

Amnesty International: Darfur rape, 1

Stop the daily rapes in Darfur.

Advertising Agency: DDB Budapest, Hungary
Creatives: Holly Fleming, Giovanni Pintaude, Rodrigo Fernandes
Published: April 2008

Manning Gottlieb OMD lands Virgin Media account

LONDON – Virgin Media TV has handed its £5m media planning and buying account to Manning Gottlieb OMD and Goodstuff, keeping its media spend within Omnicom.

AIG Memsa: Broken

AIG Memsa: Broken

Advertising Agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
Creative Director: Chafic Haddad
Art Director: Tarek Samaan
Copywriter: Hari Krishna

British swimming champion hires support for TV career

Britain’s most decorated female swimmer has hired PR support to build her profile as a TV and radio host, and to promote her swim school initiative.

AMV unveils new Economist campaign

LONDON – Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has unveiled its latest brand campaign for The Economist.

Metalac weight lifting club: Think you can do it?

Metalac weight lifting club: Think you can do it?

Advertising Agency: Luminus Creative, Zagreb, Croatia
Copywriter: Tonci Klaric
Designer: Mislav Vidovic
Project Manager: Andrej Rubesa
Released: March 2008

Virgin Media TV picks Goodstuff and MG OMD

LONDON – Goodstuff and Manning Gottlieb OMD have won Virgin Media Television’s £5 million media planning and buying business.

WWF / Earth Hour 2008: Light switch stickers

WWF / Earth Hour 2008: Light switch stickers

Lights off, Switzerland. On March 29 at 8 pm, make a difference and help change the world.

Advertising Agency: Publicis Switzerland
Creative Director: Florian Beck
Art Director: Jo-Wayne Peacock
Copywriters: Mario Nelson, Felix Freese
Released: March 2008

The Economist – Red Hotels – (poster) Singapore

From Ogilvy & Mather Singapore comes this poster for The Economist. Look closer. Yep. Teeny little Monopoly hotels.

Executive creative director: Todd McCracken
Copywriter: Troy Lim
Art Director: Ashidiq Ghazali
Photgrapher: Uan

Business airline Eos files for bankruptcy

LONDON – Eos Airlines, the US business airline flying between London and New York, has filed for bankruptcy, becoming the third business-class carrier to halt operations since December.

OFT raids retailers over alleged food price fixing

LONDON – The Office of Fair Trading has swooped on the UK’s four largest supermarket chains, as well as major suppliers Procter & Gamble and Unilever, in an investigation into alleged price fixing of food and toiletries.

HMV set to launch social networking site

LONDON – Music retailer HMV is testing the first stage of a social networking site, called Get Closer, which will allow users to discover and share new music.

Mars set to swallow chewing gum giant Wrigley

NEW YORK – Confectionery giant Mars is nearing a deal to acquire the owner of Wrigley chewing gum, according to reports in the US.

AkzoNobel unveils global rebranding

AMSTERDAM – AkzoNobel has launched a new corporate brand and tagline – ‘Tomorrow’s Answers Today’ – following its acquisition of ICI in early 2008.