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British Airways chief

voted advertiser of the year

LONDON: British Airways Plc (BAY.L) chief executive Robert Ayling will be named as Advertiser of the Year by the International Advertising Festival, a spokeswoman for the festival organisation said on Wednesday.

The BA chief will receive the accolade in June at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in southern France, she said.

Ayling will assume the title from last year's winner Alfred Heineken, the chairman of Heineken Holding.

Previous holders include the heads of PespiCo Inc, Volkswagen, Levi Strauss & Co (9836.Q) and Nike Inc (NKE.N).

The advertiser awards - part of the Cannes Lions - were introduced in 1991 and honour clients who inspire innovative and effective marketing of their products or services.

The advertising festival itself started in 1954 and was based on the well-known feature film festival in Cannes, founded six years earlier. The judges are chosen from among executives at the top advertising agencies worldwide, the spokeswoman noted.

BA's Ayling had not been officially notified of the award and so could not immediately comment.

The award comes just as 'the World's Favourite Airline' prepares this month to review its multi-million pound advertising spending programme.

Industry sources close to the account do not expect any major changes but they say the internal inquiry will give the high profile company the chance to review its public face.

In a surprise move, the airline last year dropped its former advertising agency Cordiant Plc's (CRI.L) Saatchi & Saatchi, instead handing its 100 million pound account to M&C Saatchi, the breakaway group formed by ousted Saatchi head Maurice Saatchi.

M&C Saatchi this January produced the show-piece of BA's latest media campaign - a 90 - second television commercial aimed at business travellers which cost 1.0 million pounds to make.

The campaign supported a 500 million pound three-year overhaul by the airline which wants to improve every aspect of its customer service, BA said at the time.

The lavish commercial, which featured a bizarre montage of surreal images, such as people pushing huge metal dollar signs across a desert, has met with mixed critical success.

British trade magazine Marketing Week said this week the commercial had been accused of lacking focus being glossy without being memorable, monumental but without heart, comparing it unfavourably with less epic, more affable TV campaign for British entrepreneur Richard Branson's Virgin Airline.-Reuter