Accurist plans ad campaign to push speaking clock website

LONDON - Accurist is planning to launch a winter ad campaign to promote a website it is setting up to rival the BT speaking clock, which the watch brand used to sponsor.

The campaign is being created by ad agency Albion, which was hired by the watchmaker in June and helped it to come up with the new concept.

Accurist revealed near the end of August that it was ending its 22-year sponsorship of the speaking clock, which began life in 1936. Call volumes have fallen from 250m a year two decades ago to 70m.

It is building its British Real Time website in-house, the site which will feature thousands of members of the public telling the time to the nearest second.

Filming for the project has started today with a session at the International Jewellery Fair at Earl's Court today followed by public sessions at shopping centres including Lakeside tomorrow.