Orange ditches £10m Animals work after a month

by James Quilter, Marketing 25-Apr-06, 08:30

LONDON - Orange is to axe its £10m 'Animals' ads after just four weeks in favour of promoting its global rebrand from France Telecom.

The press and poster work for Orange UK, created by Mother, used various creatures to represent the types of people at whom the mobile operator's tariffs are aimed.

It was originally planned that the activity would run until the end of the year, but Orange said the poster ads will be replaced by a drive to promote its rebrand. No decision has been made about the press campaign.

Although Orange would not comment on why it is scrapping the animals activity, it is believed to be because the tone of the rebrand work, created by Publicis-owned Fallon London and Marcel Paris, is substantially different. The brand campaign is expected to break on June 1, dubbed "O Day" by insiders.

Orange took its £50m UK account out of Mother last month, having moved the consumer brief into Publicis and its business work into Euro RSCG, following a six-way pitch for its £200m international business.

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