Thursday 28 August 2008

News from Ocado

Ocado becomes first to disclose ‘life expectancy’ online

(LONDON, August 19, 2008) – Independent online grocer, Ocado (www.ocado.com), has become the first online grocer in the world to detail the guaranteed minimum life of fresh food and drink on its website. This will display to customers, while they shop, the number of days until the “use by” date of each product.

The revolutionary move underscores Ocado’s leading position when it comes to food freshness. In a recent survey, 76% of the company’s regular customers stated that their food was fresher from Ocado than from other online supermarkets.

Ocado sees the development as an opportunity to tap into the hundreds of thousands of customers who still do not do their weekly shop online because they perceive that home-delivered groceries will not be as fresh as those they pick themselves from a supermarket shelf.
CEO Tim Steiner comments, “Ocado has always exceeded customers’ expectations on freshness but today we’ve taken a revolutionary step that sets us further apart from the rest of the industry. Ocado customers will have the ability to see product life information just as in a store, reassuring them about the freshness of the food and drink that will be delivered to their homes.
“A further benefit is that Ocado customers will find that meal planning becomes much easier. They will know, at the point of ordering, exactly what they can use at various points throughout the week.”

The initiative has involved considerable re-structuring of the Ocado supply chain and has generated a number of additional benefits. For instance, the turnaround time of fresh produce has been reduced, allowing fruit and vegetables to get from field to plate in a shorter time. For example, bananas spend less than one day with Ocado before reaching the customer and organic onions now come with seven days of guaranteed life compared with five days last month.
What’s more, Ocado now has information at its fingertips to provide customers with a new-look receipt which details when fresh food needs to be eaten.

Tim Steiner explains, “Our receipt will double up as a meal planning tool which means, without rummaging through the fridge, customers can see what needs eating on a given day. We hope that this will further support our ongoing efforts to reduce food waste which, at 0.5% of sales, is far lower than the typical industry ratios of 3-4% of sales.

“This announcement represents one of our most important innovations since opening for business in 2000 and we truly believe that it will set a new standard for online grocery shopping.”

Over the next few weeks, a limited number of Ocado customers will be able to access life information and the new-look receipt as the company makes final refinements to the new system. A full roll-out is expected within a month.

ENDS

Friday 22 August 2008

News from Alton Towers


Alton Towers Resort to Put Riders in the Picture


To commemorate the 80th birthday of Andy Warhol, the Alton Towers Resort are giving thousands of theme park visitors their “15 minutes of fame” by featuring guests in replicas of Warhol’s creations as part of a new exhibition called The Big Smile.

The exhibition recreates Warhol’s most famous pieces using photos of visitors smiling and having fun on attractions at the Alton Towers Resort. In addition to the original images of icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O, Liza Minelli and Audrey Hepburn, a selection of more modern day images including Madonna, Kylie and Kate Moss have also been created.

The images pay tribute to the phrase “15 minutes of Fame” coined by Warhol, giving everyone the opportunity to be famous for at least 15 minutes. Furthermore, hidden within each image are a number of celebrities seen to be enjoying themselves whilst at the Resort, including Michael Owen, Ralf Little, Chris Evans, Kim Ryder, McFly, and Jonathan Ross to name but a few – see if you can spot the rest!

Morwenna Angove, Sales and Marketing Director for the Alton Towers Resort said: ‘As the UK’s Number 1 short-break destination for families, people come to Alton Towers Resort for the fun, thrills and the escape from everyday life that it provides, which is why the campaign is entitled ‘The Big Smile’. In creating these images, we’ve captured the essence of the Resort, whilst giving the public their 15 minutes of fame.’
The photographic mosaics can be viewed by visiting http://bigsmile.altontowers.com/ and any guest who has visited the theme park between the 1st July 2008 and 6th August 2008 may have been featured and could be one of the lucky riders to be catapulted to fame.

Wednesday 20 August 2008

News from Hovis


12th August 2008

A BRITISH ICON MAKES ITS COMEBACK AT HARRODS THIS SEPTEMBER


The iconic Hovis Little Brown loaf, first introduced in 1886, is making a comeback, in response to demand for traditional British bakery bread that’s tasty and naturally healthy.

The Hovis Little Brown Loaf is a delicious, unsliced, wholemeal loaf, which has the Hovis logo embossed on both sides. Available exclusively from Harrods’ in-store bakery from 1st September, the loaf is priced at £1.05, and will be sold nationwide throughout supermarkets later in the month.

Harrods of Knightsbridge will also be exclusively stocking 122 limited edition ‘Bake Your Own Hovis Little Brown Loaf’ kits in-store. Priced at £24.95, the premium kits will contain a Hovis baking tin and Hovis wholemeal flour, so you can bake your own delicious Little Brown Loaf at home. All profits from the sale of the kits will go directly to Cancer Research UK.

-ends-

For more information, please contact:

Frank PR, 020 7693 6999

hovis@frankpr.it

News from Ladbrokesbingo.com



Giant bingo balls run amok in European Capital of Culture


Ladbrokesbingo.com takes to the streets of Liverpool to film a new TV ad campaign


The people of Liverpool are in for a shock this week as Ladbrokesbingo.com, one of the UK’s leading online bingo sites, has taken over this city to record a fun and fast-paced television ad campaign that celebrates the nation’s love of bingo. On location in the European Capital of Culture’s red terraced streets and taking in some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the exhilarating shoot features a number of 13-foot giant spheres rolling around the city in an enormous invasion of bingo balls.


The advert, devised by advertising agency M&C Saatchi and produced by cutting-edge production company Serious Pictures for Ladbrokesbingo.com, will continue to close off busy areas of Liverpool until Thursday. Directed by Ben Quinn and with a total campaign budget of over three million pounds, the action-packed spectacle will feature over 180 extras including two ‘fat ladies’, two ‘little ducks’ and a real-life ‘legs eleven’. Promising to represent the fun that can be had playing the nation’s favourite game, the advert will feature the giant multi-coloured bingo balls hurtling past a selection of Liverpool’s finest features including The Liver Building, The Steble Fountain, St George’s Hall and Museum Steps, as well as terraced streets of Badminton Avenue and the quaint Lark Lane when it airs in September.


Charlie Goodenough, Acquisition Marketing Manager at Ladbrokesbingo.com says, “This is a really exciting project for Ladbrokes Bingo and we are delighted to be bringing bingo on such a big scale to the streets of Liverpool. We wanted to represent the fun, exciting nature of the game and we’re sure the giant bingo balls will make an impact on both Merseyside and across the country.” The advert will air from mid to late September and customers should visit Ladbrokesbingo.com to experience the thrill of the game and for more information.





News from Cancer Research UK



SINGER SANDI THOM AGES 30 YEARS TO WARN YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT SUNBEDS

Singer/songwriter Sandi Thom, aged 27, has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to warn youngsters about the dangers of using sunbeds. The charity has today published shocking images of how Sandi could look in thirty years time through overexposure to UV rays, which in some sunbeds can be 10-15 times higher than those of the midday sun.

The images, created using age-modification technology, show Sandi as she could look at 57 with severe skin damage, such as could be caused by overexposure to UV from sunbed use or regular sunbathing. The image shows Sandi with deep-set wrinkles, sagging skin, drooping eyelids, large bags around her eye area and skin discolouration, which are associated with the skin losing its suppleness and elasticity.

In contrast, another image shows how Sandi might look at 57 with natural age progression – depicting a natural more fresh-faced look with 70 per cent fewer wrinkles and far less sagging skin.

Sandi used to be a regular sunbed user and would visit her local tanning salon up to three times a week while at university in Liverpool. Using a recent picture of Sandi, the images were created taking into account Sandi’s lifestyle, images of her parents, and her typical UV exposure.

August is a key time for sunbed use in the UK as people returning from their holidays attempt to keep their summer glow. Cancer Research UK commissioned the age modification images of Sandi as part of its SunSmart campaign, which this year is encouraging young people to think twice before they next get on a sunbed.

Sunbeds not only damage people’s appearance, they also significantly increase the risk of skin cancer. Using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by up to 75 per cent.

Sandi Thom said, “I’m in a state of shock and the thought of looking like this at 57 is terrifying. Having seen these images I can honestly say I am never going to use a sunbed again.

“You can so easily get brown from a bottle these days, there is just no point in ruining your looks and risking skin cancer by using sunbeds. I hope the horrible image of me will make other young people think twice before they next use a sunbed.”

Caroline Cerny, SunSmart campaign manager at Cancer Research UK added, “We want to provide young people with a shocking visual representation of how sunbeds and over exposure to the sun can dramatically affect the way you look further down the line.

“While young people may be using sunbeds as they think they make them look good now, in the long term they are doing serious damage to their looks.”

For more information on SunSmart please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/sunsmart


Tuesday 19 August 2008

News from Honey Monster Foods


HONEY MONSTER RECORDS CHARITY SINGLE WITH SAMANDA

The Honey Monster has shown that his taste for honey is not just limited to his breakfast cereal, as he has teamed up with the sweet voices of Big Brother 8 twins Sam and Amanda Marchant to record a charity single called ‘Honey Love’.

‘Honey Love’ will be available to download exclusively on iTunes from w/c 18th August and all the proceeds from the single will go to The Variety Club Children’s Charity.

The single is a reworked version of the Annette Funicello track ‘Puppy Love’, which was made famous by Donny Osmond in 1972. The song is about the Twins’ love of the Honey Monster, which is perfectly understandable given his fun and caring nature.

The Honey Monster and Samanda had a ball making the single, with HM even showing off his creative side and helping produce the track. All the antics from the recording studio can be seen in the ‘making-of’ video which can be seen on http://www.honeymonster.co.uk/ from 18th August.

Since leaving the Big Brother house, Sam and Amanda have been keeping busy with various projects including having a hit single ‘Barbie Girl’. The girls commented, “We think the work that The Variety Club does is brill and we’ve always loved the Honey Monster – meeting him at the recording was absolutely fab, he’s really huggable and recording a song with him was great fun”

Honey Monster has also been kept busy with his work this year for The Variety Club – including designing his own charity t-shirt. He said, “I just love to feed the fun – and working with the twins on this single has certainly been FUN!”

Norman Kaphan, Chief Barker of The Variety Club said, “The Honey Monster has been a friend to The Variety Club for a while; he’s been great to work with and the kids absolutely love him, so we’re really excited about the single and can’t wait for everyone to hear it!”

News From Kit Kat Senses


KIT KAT® SENSES™ reveal exclusive celebrity designed charity t-shirts

Style icons Girls Aloud, renowned for their impeccable dress sense and stylish trend setting, have swapped music for fashion – creating five exclusive t-shirt designs for KIT KAT® SENSES™, in support of Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK*.

The five girls created these great designs during their break time on their recent ‘Tangled Up’ tour. Being worked on during their own me-time means that the designs highlight each of their personalities and give a real insight into what really matters to them as individuals – making these unique t-shirts a must have for Autumn 08.

There are 165 of the girls’ t-shirts from KIT KAT® SENSES™ to be won every day for six weeks from 18th August. To be in with a chance to win, simply text the last four digits of the barcode found on KIT KAT® SENSES™ wrappers, plus SENSES, to 66226, or enter online at http://www.kitkat-senses.co.uk/.

Sarah Harding’s design captures her rocky style perfectly. Inspired by her love of the UK, Sarah says, ‘I think we should be proud of our country and our flag which is why I wanted the Union Jack on it. This is really important to me and I love being in the thick of things so it made sense to put myself bang smack in the middle!’

Nicola’s design incorporates the iconic words of fellow Liverpudlians, the Beatles. Nicola explains, ‘‘Let It Be’ is a song I hold dear to my heart as it speaks of hope and desire. I wanted my t-Shirt to encourage people to dream of a perfect world filled with happiness, love and friendship, and to never forget their goals.’

LA based Nadine is ultra glam and her t-shirt is no exception; describing the inspiration behind the clean simple design, Nadine said, ‘I love the glamorous style of the old silver screen era, the 30’s and art deco period. The era symbolised progress and optimism which I wanted to reflect in my t-Shirt.’

Kimberley’s t-shirt is designed to combine Britain’s traditional heritage with the multi-cultural mix of the country today. Kimberley said, ‘I’m proud to be living in a country that can accept different cultures, colours and creeds with open arms and wanted my t-shirt to reflect the diverse attitude of modern Britain.’

Cheryl’s design highlights her love for her hometown - Newcastle. Using a magpie to communicate the fun cheeky side of her fellow Geordies, Cheryl said, ‘I wanted my t-Shirt to give people an insight into what it’s like to be a Geordie and highlight that Newcastle is a really special place to me – after all it’s the Jewel of the North East!’

Monday 18 August 2008

News from Budweiser


BUDWEISER SPRINTS TOWARDS A WORLD RECORD
Budweiser Creates the World’s Longest Outdoor Bar on Banks of River Thames

LONDON (August 14, 2008) – Budweiser, official international beer sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, today unveils a world record breaking addition to London’s Southbank.

In recognition of the dedication shown by the British team out in Beijing, Budweiser has built a 100-metre long bar for adults of a legal drinking age to come and enjoy a beer in the run up to the 100m Olympic Games final. The bar, a record breaking 63 metres longer than its nearest rival, has been submitted to the Guinness Book of Records for verification as the world’s longest outdoor bar and an official adjudicator was present at the unveiling.

Mark Lewis Francis MBE, who won gold in the 4x100m sprint relay in Athens four years ago, would have been leading the British chase for medals in the Olympic Games in Beijing had it not been for injury. He is, however, back in London and is thrilled to be part of Budweiser’s record breaking attempt.

“I’m working with Budweiser to celebrate our country’s Olympic spirit and cheer on our athletes, who are some of the most dedicated and talented in the world. The members of Team GB have devoted their lives to training and preparation, and they are ready to take on the best talent the Olympic Games has to offer.”

Vicki Kipling, Budweiser’s UK marketing director said: “We are toasting our athletes’ Olympic Games performances in a way that only Budweiser can – by inviting adults to join us today at this world record-breaking bar to raise a cold Bud to the team’s dedication and say cheers to their successes.”

News from BlackBerry


THE FEELING AND ALEXIS TAYLOR AND JOE GODDARD (HOT CHIP LIVE DJ SET) CELEBRATE SUMMER IN STYLE AT THE BLACKBERRY® BOLD™ SUMMER PARTY

The BlackBerry® Bold™ launched in style with guests from the worlds of fashion, TV, music and film flocking to celebrate summer at a private party in the Victorian splendour of Number One Piazza, Covent Garden; London.

Celebrities on the red carpet included, Henry Holland, Rachel Stevens, Petrina Khashoggi and Ozwald Boateng.

And that wasn’t all, guests got the chance to be bold on the dance floor when The Feeling took to the stage followed by a live DJ set from Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard from award winning band Hot Chip while guests including Rachel Stevens rocked out to the sounds of the silent disco.

Celebrity attendees included:

Henry Holland
Petrina Kashioggi
The Automatic
Marios Schwab
Hugo Speer
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Ozwald Boateng
Amy Molyneax
Rachel Stevens
Issac Ferry
Natt Weller
Julian Bennett

What they drank:
Blackberry Bramble: Gin, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Crème de Mure served over crushed Ice and garnished with a Blackberry

Summer Breeze: Vodka, Elderflower Cordial, Apple Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Crème De
Cassis served over Ice garnished with Pomegranate Seeds

What they ate:
Rare Roasted Tuna with Black Sesame seeds, Wasabi mayonnaise, Oysters Kilpatrick
Rare Roast Beef with Salsa Verde, Potato and Chive Salad with Organic Salmon
Sausages and Mash with Onion Marmalade, Lemon Cup Cakes and
Chocolate Dipped English strawberries

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone is the latest premium full QWERTY* addition to the BlackBerry family. With its elegant and confident design encompassing the most vivid and bold display ever introduced and newly designed keyboard the BlackBerry Bold makes it easy to stay connected to the people and information that matter most; whether its work or play. The BlackBerry Bold is designed to give professionals and power users superior performance and is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi. In addition the BlackBerry Bold offers a rich set of multimedia capabilities including a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability and an enhanced media player to display pictures and slideshows.

News from Metro Ski and Snowboard Show


22nd – 26th October 2008. Olympia, London


You don’t have to be a winter sports fanatic or a regular on the slopes to enjoy a memorable and exciting day out at the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show.

This year, the show is a fully interactive experience, showcasing a host of new features including “have a go” Curling and a chilled out Ice Bar, alongside existing favourites such as the Ice Rink and the World Resorts Village.

Whether it’s watching a fashion show, checking out the pros in action, doing some shopping or simply sitting back with a drink and soaking up the Alpine atmosphere, there’s something for everyone.

Snow Sports
The centrepiece of the 2008 show will be the 40ft Kicker, allowing some of Europe’s top riders the opportunity to get more air at the show than ever before. The show is hosting the British Snow Tour Invitational Championship (
www.britishsnowtour.com) and the London Ride competition (www.thelondonride.com).

Ice Kingdom
For visitors wanting the perfect place to chill out, look no further than The Ice Kingdom. Adults can kick back in a sub-zero environment and listen to DJ’s in the real ice bar or get a little bit more active with the kids on the 150m2 ice rink. The Ice Kingdom even features two Curling sheets where visitors can try out the Winter Olympic sport or take part in some broom hockey with a beat the keeper competition. The visually explosive ice sculpting competition and loveable husky dogs are also must-see features at this year’s show.

Fashion
For the fashionistas amongst you, head straight to the Brand Arena, where practical apparel meets high fashion, with iconic brands such as Westbeach, Columbia and Salomon launching their winter collections. With Land Rover presenting a highly charged, visually explosive fashion show including some slick dance routines, you’re guaranteed to find an outfit and equipment to set you apart from the crowds on the slopes this winter.

World Resorts Village
If you’re craving a taste of something a little continental, experience fine cuisine from across the world, without having to leave the show. Mouth watering delights from France, Austria, Italy and Japan will be sure to satisfy even the finest of palates.

Entertainment
2008 sees the return of the hugely popular Gigloo – the gig in an igloo – playing host to live bands & DJs. With a bigger stage and bigger acts in conjunction with XFM, the Gigloo will be hosting an awesome line up of live music every evening and feature the ever popular DJ and Breakdance workshops during the day.

Get away from it all…
If all the excitement of the Metro Ski & Snowboard Show is getting a bit too hectic, there are several new ways to have a bit of down time. Visitors can take five in the soothing, Northern Lights Experience or head to the World Resorts Village to catch up on what’s new this season with talks from some of the world’s best resorts.

Opening Times

Wednesday 22nd – Friday 24th October: 11am – 10pm
Saturday 25th October: 10am – 8pm
Sunday 26th October: 10am – 6pm

News from Sure for Men

GLOWING FOR GOLD: LONDON’S TUBE COMMUTERS PRODUCE ENOUGH SWEAT TO FILL THE BEIJING OLYMPIC POOLS

This month 313 British athletes compete in 29 different disciplines at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but it won’t just be Team GB that are feeling the heat.

Research from leading deodorant manufacturer Sure for Men has shown that over the course of the 16-day sporting spectacular, London’s three million commuters who use the Underground system for an average of 50-minutes a day, will produce over 4.5 million litres of sweat – enough to fill nearly two Olympic size swimming pools
[1].

London’s underground system is notorious for its sweltering conditions, which rose to 47°C (117F) during the summer of 2006. Despite the average temperature in London this August only being around 24°C with humidity levels exceeding 85RH, the conditions on the Underground have been more like those in Beijing.

Technicians at Sure for Men have shown that the average person produces 1 litre of sweat every day in moderate temperatures. This can rise to more than 10 litres in extreme conditions – and around three litres in 24-hours if one were to stay on the Tube network all day.

During the average daily commute to and from work, Londoners will produce around 9.4ml of sweat – which amounts to a staggering collective total of over 280,000 litres per day!

Louise Gullidge, Brand Manager for Sure for Men said: The research finding are shocking and go to show that it’s not just world class athletes that need to protect themselves with a good antiperspirant”.

Sure for Men is proven at 58°C, the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth. It is unbeaten in competitive testing and responds to increases in adrenaline providing protection when you need it most. Visit
www.sureformen.co.uk

[1] An Olympic sized swimming pool must hold a minimum of 2,500,000 litres of water

News from WWE



FRANK WIN BOUT FOR WWE


World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a recognised leader in sports entertainment for more than 25 years and one of the most popular and sophisticated forms of global entertainment, has appointed Frank PR as the company’s new PR and communications agency.

The pitch process was an extensive one. After receiving 25 agency credentials, seven short-listed agencies were whittled down to three in the second stage, with Frank PR winning the third and final round.

Frank’s brief is to take WWE to new heights of brand fame in the UK and deliver WWE to new audiences. Along with a creative consumer campaign, development of WWE’s CSR platforms and business media strategy will form a key component of their remit.

WWE is an integrated media and entertainment company that creates, markets and distributes original content for its loyal customer base. The WWE formula is straightforward. The business develops compelling content anchored by their Superstars. The content is dynamically marketed to drive television ratings, which, in turn, drive pay-per-view buys, live event attendance, WWE.com traffic and branded merchandise sales. WWE programming is broadcast in over 130 countries in 23 languages across the globe.

Claire Murphy, WWE Director Communications, Sponsorship & Promotions, Europe, Middle East & Africa, said: “The team are thrilled to be working with Frank whose creativity was key to winning the account. It was this ingenuity, combined with Frank’s enthusiasm and energy, which confirmed Frank PR as the agency to take the WWE brand to a new level in the UK.”

Andrew Bloch, Founder and Managing Director, Frank PR, said: “We’re delighted to be working with WWE, a brand that is known throughout the world and one that is at the cutting edge of consumer entertainment. Our ongoing objective is to engage with diverse groups of consumers through various activities that will come to life over the coming months.”

Andrew Whitaker, WWE President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The appointment of Frank PR in the UK reflects our business strategy across the region - to deliver real brand impact by partnering with agencies that we regard as local experts.”

Notes to Editors
All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ECW is a trademark of WWE Libraries, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.