TV ride is not over yet

ADVERTISING may be in the doldrums, but as the award-winning Guinness 'white horses' ad suggests, good things usually come to those who wait.

The eye-catching commercial, which shows galloping white horses riding the waves with surfers in Cornwall, was voted best British TV ad of all time last year.

The booming track Phat Planet by defunct dance duo Leftfield also topped a poll by compilers of a new album called Classic Ads. It is proof, say the experts, that TV ads remain a powerful advertising tool, particularly when it comes to building and reinforcing brands.

No matter what direct marketers claim, their medium alone cannot be used to launch a new brand. Television remains the most powerful marketing weapon simply due to the fact that is the last bastion for reaching large numbers of people quickly and efficiently.

That might also explain why the TV market is starting to move towards a model based on effectiveness, rather than one based purely on price. After all, it is when TV costs outpace effectiveness that advertisers start to shop around for supposedly better options.

But it will be no easy ride. Television will have its work cut out if it is to remain the king of advertising.

McDonald's online move

WHEN McDonald's decided to take a healthy new direction with its menus last month, it made sense also to try something new with its marketing.

The fast-food chain launched its New Tastes Menu online and appointed interactive agency glue London to handle the promotion.

Faced with declining sales worldwide, McDonald's realised it had to change, like the teenagers who are its core customers. To promote its new brand, McDonald's booked every advertising spot on the Yahoo! website in Britain. Ads were themed to match various sections of the portal. An internet user clicking on the sports index saw a McDonald's advert carrying the message: 'Winning team'.

McDonald's says the online work complements its above-the-line strategy handled by Leo Burnett.