Marks and Spencer is looking to cement its position as a leader in sustainability with a new integrated campaign fronted by Joanna Lumley.

The reputation-building, non-product campaign will see the actress become the global face of the firm’s ethical programme, labelled Plan A, which aims to make it the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

Involving TV, print and online marketing activity, the Schwopping campaign is attempting to change the way people think about buying clothes.

Central to the campaign, all M&S stores ...

Community leaders in the Scottish village of Dull are embarking on, ironically, one of the most interesting publicity stunts of late, forming official links with the town of Boring in the US.

Eyeing the potentially lucrative tourism boost of a partnership, leaders of the tiny community in north-west Perthshire have forged links with the Oregon town, obtaining a “declaration of sistership”.

With a population under 100, Dull is too small to be officially twinned with Boring, which counts around 10,000 people in ...

Foster’s has been named the title sponsor for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival amateur comedy competition, So You Think You’re Funny?, where finalists have included the likes of Peter Kay, Lee Mack and Dylan Moran.

The agreement will see the Heineken International brand sponsor this prestigious event for the next three years, beginning on May 21st during the first regional heat in London.

Foster’s will sponsor the event from the heats through to the final at the Edinburgh Festival in August, which will ...

Businesses must understand how Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) new filtering practices will impact their marketing emails or risk losing sales, it has been claimed.

Many companies are failing to realise how spam-blocking filters could prevent their email marketing campaigns from hitting home, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) says in a new white paper.

It highlights how companies need to use email campaigns carefully to encourage subscribers to read messages, in order to reinforce the sender’s reputation.

ISPs, the DMA report explains, have introduced ...

Auto Trader is turning to website design to reposition the brand as a one-stop information source for motorists.

The website redesign contains a number of new features that move the brand forward from a place where people can buy and sell cars to an indispensable point of contact for motorists.

Jonathan Williams, consumer marketing director at Auto Trader, told Marketing Week that he wants the brand to “own buying and selling and all that is in between”.

New rich media content includes video ...

John Lewis will support the roll out of its new broadband service with a £1.2 million marketing campaign, which will emphasise the trustworthiness of the brand, it has been revealed.

The retail partnership’s marketing director, Craig Inglis, told Marketing Week that customers expect the same “honest and trustworthy experience” they would expect from any other product from the firm.

“Trust is the word that our customers use most when describing why they value the John Lewis brand – because they believe that ...

Bupa is using affiliate marketing for the first time to support the launch of its new Bupa By You health insurance product.

The private healthcare insurance provider has used this launch to test the effectiveness of the marketing channel, working closely with solutions network Affiliate Window.

Email, true content, health forums and vertical lead specialists were all tested through the platform in an effort to drive additional leads.

The Bupa By You unique selling point is that customers can choose to pay for ...

Foursquare is set to launch paid search ads in June, providing a platform for brands to promote check-in deals when users search for local specials.

According to AdAge, the new ads will work on the same basis as Foursquare’s “explore” search tool that recommends businesses, such as shops, restaurants and bars, based on their previous check-ins.

It reports that Foursquare is developing the new platform with brands it has worked with previously, which include Pepsi, Whole Foods and RadioShack.

Online pharmacy Walgreen is ...

Online clothing retailer Zaggora is hoping to build brand awareness and target mobile shoppers with a new marketing campaign featuring wraps on London taxis.

Black cabs across the capital will be adorned with a yellow advertising wrap featuring the humorous strapline, What’s black and burns calories? (It’s not this cab).

The idea is to generate “curiosity” in the company, which makes “technology-enabled” clothes designed to help people shed weight, as well as encourage people to visit its website to find out more.

Moving ...

The British Heart Foundation has announced a bespoke partnership deal with ITV and Coronation Street, which will form the core of a new TV advertising campaign.

The charity will run a series of ads for its Helpline service during an episode of the soap tonight (April 23rd), in which the character of Audrey Roberts suffers a heart attack.

Three TV ads will be shown, while the BHF also plans online and social media activity to support the campaign.

ITV is keen to stress ...