Creative agency news & analysis

Out and About 3 May

This week, Out and About gets a sneak preview of the new MTV 'Geordie Shore' house in Cancun, drops in on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women party, sees Kasabian with Absolute Radio, and attends the Sport Industry Awards and the IPA Members' Lunch.

Liam Gallagher's Pretty Green brand hires Holler

Liam Gallagher's fashion brand Pretty Green has hired the creative agency Holler to handle its advertising.

Gravity Road lands content brief from Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire, the Bacardi Group gin brand, has added Gravity Road to its global roster to lead its content partnerships.

Private Hear: April 2012

With work from BAA/Heathrow, Elastoplast, Batchelors, Calm, The Range and Ikea

My Media Week: Steve Hyde

This week Steve Hyde, chief executive of 360 Executive Search, scouts the globe for media and advertising talent, swears to invest in a new BlackBerry battery, and is back on for a meeting with his former boss when Andy Tiley's car receives a suspect...

Martin Sorrell's salary swells 56% in 2011 to £12.9m

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, was paid £12.9m during 2011, an increase of 56% year on year after his basic pay rocketed 30% and a long-term incentive scheme paid out £5.6m.

Bellwether reveals ad budgets rise for third quarter in a row

Annual marketing spend for the financial year has risen for the first time since 2008/09 and marketing budgets have been revised up for a third-successive quarter, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report.

Reggae Reggae Sauce brought to life in Aardman TV ad

Reggae Reggae Sauce, born after a successful pitch by Levi Roots on the BBC's business show 'Dragons' Den', is set to launch its first ad campaign next month, featuring claymation from Wallace & Gromit creator, Aardman Animations.

News Int appoints WPP's Grey, M/SIX, OgilvyOne and Ogilvy Change for Team News

News International has appointed WPP's Grey, M/SIX, OgilvyOne and Ogilvy Change to handle the consolidated £28 million media, advertising, direct and strategic responsibilities behind its news operations for multimedia brands The Times, The Sunday Ti...

Private Hear: March 2012

With work from the Austrian National Tourist Office, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Weetabix, Kwik Fit, the Metropolitan Police service and Nationwide

Advertising and media industry in youth opportunities push

Mother, Facebook and PHD are among a hundred companies from a range of creative sectors that have signed up to an IPA-led initiative to help get 300 young people into employment.

Octagon buys creative and music agency FRUKT

Interpublic Group (IPG)-owned sports and entertainment agency Octagon is building its presence in the music-marketing business with the purchase of UK-based FRUKT, which counts Coca-Cola and Southern Comfort among its clients.

Appointment to View: Behind the scenes of the remote-controlled café

Finland's capital city Helsinki is celebrating its status as the 'World Design Capital 2012', with a marketing campaign featuring an internet-controlled café. We take a look behind the scenes.

WPP breaks records with billion pound profit

WPP's annual pre-tax profits have grown 18.5% to a record £1.01bn while revenues climbed 7.4% to a record £10.02bn.

Brave picks up el Jimador tequila

Brown-Forman, the US-based wine and spirits giant, has appointed Brave to the UK creative account for its el Jimador premium tequila following a competitive pitch.

Omnicom nearly back to 2008 profit heyday

Omnicom is getting closer to regaining the $1bn (£638m) annual net income level it hit before the global financial crisis, as profits climbed 15%, helped by double-digit revenue growth in the UK.

Appointment to View: How the AA made its own horror film trailer

McCann London took inspiration from horror movies for its recent campaign for the AA's Home Emergency Response service, showing a suburban family under attack from Jack Frost. We take a look at how it was conceived and made.

Lynx unleashes the chaos for both sexes

Lynx is today launching the above-the-line brand campaign for Lynx Attract, the line that has fragrances both "for him" and "for her", as the brand advertises its first women's variant.

L'Oréal anti-wrinkle cream ad thwarted by MP

A magazine ad for L'Oréal, the premium beauty brand, featuring actress Rachel Weisz has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), after a complaint was received from Jo Swinson MP.