• Slow Start, But Experts Predict A Billion-Pound Black Friday
    Businesses are reporting a slow start to Black Friday. UK stores opened their doors early and cut-price deals were put online overnight, with analysts predicting record sales. Consultants Experian and online retail group IMRG are forecasting online purchases will hit GBP1.07bn, the first time they have passed GBP1bn in one day. Visa Europe said GBP1.9bn could be spent online and in-store on its cards alone. Last year's Black Friday saw fighting over bargains, Web sites crashing and delivery companies struggling.
  • GSK Reviews Creative Agency Roster
    A source close to GSK said the company is looking to consolidate agencies within its various product categories. Roster and non-roster agencies are involved in the review. Sensodyne, the toothpaste, Piriton, the allergy treatment, and Panadol, the pain-relief medication, are among the brands under review. The Grey network creates advertising for Sensodyne, Piriton and Panadol. CHI & Partners picked up the global advertising account for the Maxinutrition sports-nutrition range in 2013.
  • House Of Fraser To Use Shoppable Window Tech To Ease Black Friday Queues
    Utilising augmented reality technology, the windows allow users of the House of Fraser app to scan a vinyl shape within the glass in exchange for a full list of the respective store's Black Friday deals. Customers can then avoid the Black Friday queues and only need to collect in-store. Each shoppable window user will also be added into a competition to win a GBP250 gift card as an added incentive to use the service.
  • ActionAid To Launch First Rain-Triggered Outdoor Campaign
    ActionAid is launching a rain-triggered ad this week that will disrupt the Piccadilly Circus outdoor screens to highlight the impact of climate change and raise awareness for the London People's Climate March that is taking place this Sunday. Using real-time data, the system registers rainfall in the local area and consequently triggers a reaction in the software, which sees the existing ad schedule at Picadilly Circus disrupted to reveal a tailored message depending on level of precipitation - drizzle, light rain or heavy rain.
  • Sir John Hegarty's Incubator Invests In Property Site
    Alongside tech investor Thomas Teichman, Hegarty launched The Garage Soho in November 2014 to hot-house start-ups at seed stage. Settled is aiming to disrupt the UK property buying and selling process by empowering homeowners to not use what it calls a "middleman," akin to the likes of so-called disruptors Airbnb and Nutmeg. It aims to enable homeowners to control their own home sale with expert support to help from valuation stage through to completion.
  • Is Science Killing Off Creativity, Experts Ask in House Of Commons Debate
    Charles Vallance, the chairman and founder of VCCP, proposed the motion at the debate, which was sponsored by Thinkbox. He said growing numbers of people are in "danger of putting the precision cart in front of the persuasion horse." Concluding his argument, Vallance said: "We're not really talking about future of art in advertising, we're talking about the future of art in media. Soon we'll have tailored media streams. We will move from one blockbuster creation to more diverse versions for different audiences."
  • Middle-Aged And Gen Z Equally Tech Obsessed At Dinnertimes
    A new report examining the relationship between age and technology usage during mealtimes has busted the myth that young people are more tech obsessed than their older peers, with middle-aged diners more likely to be interacting with some form of screen. Nielsen's Global Generational Lifestyles Report found that while 46% of 15- to-20-year-olds in Generation Z spent mealtimes technology-free, just 41% of Baby Boomers ages 50-64 could say the same.
  • DisneyLife Costs More Than Netflix, And There's No Frozen
    Called DisneyLife, the GBP10 a-month streaming service costs more than a subscription to Netflix, which starts at GBP5.99 a month, or Amazon Prime, which costs GBP79 a year. It also follows the arrival of Google's child-friendly version of YouTube, YouTube Kids, in the UK. Some of Disney's best-loved animations are available to stream, including "The Jungle Book," the "Toy Story" trilogy and "The Lion King." Notably, there is no Frozen, although the eight-minute "mini movie" "Frozen Fever" is available to stream.
  • Disney Life Channel Launched
    Disney has unveiled its eagerly anticipated new family-focused subscription streaming service, DisneyLife, launching in the UK first ahead of a global rollout. The new service, launched days after YouTube launched its own kids app in the UK and Ireland, brings together the Hollywood giant's trove of kids' content, from Bambi and The Jungle Book to Pixar's Toy Story franchise and more modern blockbusters such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series. DisneyLife costs GBP9.99 per month.
  • BBC World Service Gets GBP289m To Strengthen UK's 'Soft Power'
    The government will give the BBC GBP289m over the next five years to invest in expanding the BBC World Service into countries such as North Korea as part of its strategy designed to strengthen the UK's "soft power." The cash injection was announced on Monday as part of the government's National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review, which is its five-year plan "for a secure and prosperous United Kingdom, with global reach and global influence."
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