Not the usual beast!

London Gatwick Airport, the UK’s second biggest airport has appointed Brando to run a four month PR and experiential campaign over the summer.   Part of a major marketing campaign to increase retail spend at the airport during the peak summer months, Brando will be running an intensive media relations and event-led programme to remind holiday-makers about the great shopping and money savings available at the airport.   The account will be headed up by Brando’s Managing Director, Mandy Sharp, and one of the first jobs will be organising an exciting ‘Gatwick Fashion Week’ at the North Terminal with TV fashion presenter, Gok Wan confirmed as celebrity host for one of the days.     The experiential event will show-case retailers’ products through a series of glamorous fashion shows and holiday makers will be treated to hair, make-up and fashion makeovers from top stylist Kirsty Drury who has worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Rachel Stevens and Claudia Schiffer.   Brando joins forces with other top agencies including advertisers Naked, media planners MindShare and BTL agency DNX as part of the external marketing team for this project.   Mike Luddy, London Gatwick Airport Commercial Director, said: “We’re really looking forward to working with Brando over the next few months. Brando responded to the brief with creative, yet strategically sound and deliverable ideas.”   The activity will be supported with an extensive social media programme, run by David Cushman from Brando Social. 

The Cossette-owned Band & Brown Group has launched a full service social media agency with support from some of the biggest names in the business.   Brando Social is led by ex-JWT digital specialist Jamie Burke and has a roster of non-executive consultants including Euan Sample, former BBC Director of Knowledge Management and Dr Chris Thorpe, technology advisor to MySpace and The Guardian.   Burke has appointed leading social media strategist and top blogger David Cushman to run the consulting business.   Cushman said: Our people are global authorities - published authors, world-class speakers, deeply ingrained and experienced in social media .We advise organisations on how to adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape and flourish in a networked world”   Burke added: “Social media is now the largest of all media, accounting for 50% of all time spent by consumers. Brands and organisations can no longer ignore that or expect that social media can be something they consider fringe or experimental activity – it should be core to what they do.”   In addition to consultancy, Brando Social will offer a full range of social media services from monitoring and outreach through to widget and application build.   Through a network on international alliances, the firm is able to offer a truly global service.   The new agency will be part of Cossette’s UK network which includes, MCBD, Dare, Elvis, Spike, Identica, Band & Brown and Brando.     WWW.BRANDO-SOCIAL.COM