Mastercard and UK banks strike 40m Access deal
Marketing WeekBy Sean Brierley
By Sean Brierley
Volkswagen has made a good start to the year with a 31 per cent increase in sales during the first quarter. New car registrations released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders show that Volkswagen sold 25,996 cars during the first three months of this year compared with 19,699 last year. A spokesman from […]
With its ‘typically Swedish product range’ and rigid philosophy of sameness, Ikea is going from strength to strength.
UK banks are believed to have pulled the plug on funding for Mastercard’s generic UK advertising campaign in the run-up to its sponsorship of the Euro ’96 football championships. They are also understood to be resisting pressure from rival card issuer Visa to run a generic campaign in the UK to fight Mastercard (MW July […]
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea is reviewing its 4m account at Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, after eight years. The agency has refused to repitch for the business, though it is still under consideration by Ikea and could retain the account if no other agency comes up with suitable work. “We’ve been with them for eight years and […]
Mastercard’s attempts to secure top-up financing from UK banks for a 4m to 5m pre-Christmas advertising push are understood to have collapsed. The new campaign through Publicis is believed to have been approved and scripts agreed for a new ad burst in the autumn. Mastercard’s first round of generic ads – worth 3.5m – began […]
NEWS Personal leasing plans created by car companies to boost retail sales have been slammed for being confusing, misleading and short-term by industry sources.
Swedish home-furnishings chain Ikea has lost its head of marketing as it launches its first national brand-building TV campaign. Ikea is seeking a new head of UK marketing to replace marketing manager Herman Gewert who leaves the chain this month for “family reasons”. Gewert quits the post after ten months. He will take up the […]
NEWS Personal leasing plans created by car companies to boost retail sales have been slammed for being confusing, misleading and short-term by industry sources.
Despite denials from Access and a resounding “no comment” from the more involved parties, there is no longer any doubt that the four UK clearing banks are in talks in New York to sell the brand to Mastercard for more than 100m. Lloyds, Midland and NatWest all own a 30 per cent stake in Access. […]
Visa International is planning a stand alone advertising campaign for its UK credit card business if global rival Mastercard buys the Access brand from the banks. Sources say it plans separate ads for Barclaycard – which has combined the two brands as Barclaycard Visa for a number of years . “Visa is worried that it […]
Volkswagen has received pitches for a multimillion-pound sales promotion drive to exploit the car company’s sponsorship of this summer’s Rolling Stones tour. Four agencies – IMP, Interfocus, CBH & Partners and incumbent Barraclough Hall Woolston Grey – pitched last week for the UK business. The account underlines the increasing emphasis on direct marketing and sales […]