Hamleys is making a break with the past by scrapping its traditional store layout that has toys for girls on one floor and items for boys on another.

Store signage, which listed the girls’ section in pink and the boys’ in blue, is also being ditched ahead of the vital Christmas buying season.

Instead, toys for both sexes will be arranged throughout the Regent Street store with no distinction made between items for boys and girls.

Red and white signs now display toys ...

Drinks maker Diageo is stepping up its efforts to position itself as a promoter of responsible drinking by sponsoring free travel on the London Underground on New Year’s Eve, an annual scheme organised by Transport for London (TfL) designed to make it easier and safer for revellers to return home.

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton will support the scheme, which forms part of the firm’s broader campaign to support responsible drinking and its commitment to “a safer night out”.

He said: “While ...

The opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics could be worth £5 billion in advertising revenue, organisers have claimed.

Brands will be presented with an unrivalled degree of exposure to a global audience as the ceremonies to the Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to be watched by four billion people in over 200 countries.

Sir Martin Sorrell, a leading advertising figure, said: “The London 2012 opening and closing ceremonies will be four of the biggest moments in TV history.

“The ...

Lego will use the forthcoming 3D film on the toy to create a “lifestyle brand” for children, according to the Danish firm’s marketing director David Buxbaum.

Speaking to Marketing Week, he explained the Warner Bros movie, due for release in 2014, will be used to deepen engagement with consumers through a range of new products such as t-shirts and computer games.

“We [have] become more of a lifestyle brand and I think that’s why the movie will be such a success, because ...

BMW is strategically positioning its outdoor advertising to target high-earning professionals working in the City of London.

The German car maker is the first firm signed up to advertise on Two Towers East, new digital advertising structures near Canary Wharf.

BMW’s aim is to appeal to people working in the financial district who are a prime market for its high-end vehicles.

“The location of these sites is absolutely critical for top tier brands wanting to communicate with a high value audience and the ...

Procter & Gamble is going all patriotic with its new brand ambassadors in a bid to tap into Olympic fever ahead of the 2012 Games.

Mark Cavendish, Jessica Ennis and Sir Chris Hoy will be among those fronting new advertising campaigns for the firm’s products from January of next year.

Victoria Pendleton will replace Liv Tyler as the brand ambassador of shampoo brand Pantene, while Hoy will project a clean image for Gillette.

Cavendish will front campaigns for Head & Shoulders and Ennis ...

McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Unilever and Nestle are among 19 major food brands that have taken a bold step to deliver a healthy eating message to children under the age of 12 as well as to the wider consumer market.

From January 2012, they will promote only healthy, nutritious products on their websites in a bid to build a more responsible brand image.

It brings the companies’ online and social media marketing strategies in line with a 2007 commitment to only advertise “better for ...

Drambuie is seeking to create a fresh image appealing to younger drinkers with a new advertising campaign launching in London this week.

The iconic Scottish drinks brand’s A Taste of the Extraordinary campaign is described by the firm as a “major departure” from previous marketing efforts and signals a directional shift in its image.

It will incorporate outdoor ads across the London Underground and on more than 300 taxis in the capital with an integrated social media and PR strategy in the ...

Volvo will drive home its new fresh brand image to a younger audience through a tie-up with boy band JLS.

Keen to distance its new XC60, C30 and S60 R-Design models from the traditional family estate car image, the firm will use the pop group to target younger drivers who would never have considered a Volvo.

Volvo Facebook fans were among the first to see JLS’s video for their latest single, “Do You Feel What I Feel”, which features band members Marvin, ...

EA Sports has signed Barcelona star Lionel Messi to front its latest range of Fifa titles, hoping that having the biggest name in world football on the front of the packaging will give it a leg up on the opposition.

For the last three years, Messi has appeared on the cover of the biggest rival of all – Pro Evolution Soccer, while Fifa has featured Wayne Rooney, a player whose reputation has been dogged by controversy.

Being associated with the best player ...