LONDON – ITV1’s new primetime drama ‘Trial and Retribution’ shed more than a million viewers following its opening episode last week, but still won its slot with an average audience of 5.4m viewers.
LONDON – The freesheet bubble appears to have burst in the US as publisher Metro International makes 27 employees, around a fifth of the workforce, redundant at its three Metro US editions, amid speculation it is preparing to sell them.
LONDON – Rupert Murdoch has said that the Wall Street Journal’s website will not go entirely free and will instead retain an element of subscription.
LONDON – The Weight Watchers food range is running a sampling roadshow to drive sales of its licensed food ranges during the New Year health kick.
Looks like the creative group at Jung von Matt had a lot of fun when they created this ad for the Dortmund Concert Hall to show that said hall has music for everyone. Even porn stars and pierced people.
WASHINGTON: The Travel Industry Association (TIA) has launched a campaign encouraging presidential candidates to talk more about solutions to US travel problems, such as long security lines.
LONDON – OMD has promoted Peter Magnani to the newly created role of director of international clients.
Campaigners calling for stringent regulation of the public affairs industry were given a rough ride in the House of Commons yesterday.
LONDON – The Meningitis Trust has signed a licensing deal with games brand Hasbro to launch a fund and awareness raising promotion based on its Subbuteo game.
Grey Melbourne wants people to know that cigarette butt’s are made of harmful plastic acetates which practically last forever, so they are using the tried and true method of setting up an Ebay Auction to spread the word. In it they’re selling Kurt Cobains cigarette butt.
(I wonder if anyone told ebay that this is actually an ad/ad-stunt? eBay tend to kill “false auctions” so it seems wise to have let them in on the idea…. I’d test this by reporting a fraudulent listing but one needs an eBay account for that and I can’t be arsed.)
The auction reads:
This butt is 13 years old but in amazing condition. Luckily butts are made of plastic acetates and are full of toxic chemicals that last forever. They are not made of paper and cotton, which is what most people mistakenly think.
So rest assured this valuable piece of rock n’ memorabilia will be a valuable part of any collection for years to come.
LONDON – Ogilvy Group Poland has appointed Maciej Lissowski as managing director of the newly launched below-the-line specialist OgilvyAction.
LONDON – Independent direct marketing agency WDMP has hired Stephen Beasley, head of digital operations at DraftFCB, to head up its own digital operations.
Former X-factor winner Shayne Ward is parting company with Neil Reading PR and will now be promoted by Hall Or Nothing,
Online dating software company White Label Dating has brought in support for both its consumer and corporate business.
ASIA-PACIFIC – Saatchi & Saatchi CRIB (China, Russia, India and Brazil) and Asia CEO Jim O’Mahony is departing his role, with a search believed to be underway for his successor in Asia.
LONDON – Sir Martin Sorrell has attacked rival Maurice Levy at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, suggesting that Publicis Groupe’s partnership with Google lacked substance.
NEW YORK – CBS Radio faces a $4m lawsuit involving its ex-presenter Don Imus, after a book publisher that bought ad time from the broadcaster claimed the DJ made insulting remarks about one of its books, instead of sticking to his script.
LONDON – The government has appointed Andy Burnham, chief secretary to the Treasury, as culture secretary, after moving James Purnell to the Department of Work and Pensions.
LONDON – BT is on the brink of signing an £80m deal to become the official telecoms partner of the London 2012 Olympics.
LONDON – The long-running takeover battle for UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle has reached a conclusion after it agreed to be bought by Heineken and Carlsberg for £7.8bn.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
