±±¾©Èü³µpk10

Mushroom growers are clubbing together to launch their first major

advertising in Britain for almost a decade in an effort to revitalise

sales.

The initiative reunites the account management and media executives who

were running the last campaign when it ended in 1989.

The creative assignment is being handled by Wrightson Dale whose

management partner, Philip Dale, was in charge of the account at the

then Lindsey Dale Starkey in the early 80s.

At the same time, Bygraves Bushell Valladares and Sheldon returns to its

role as media buyer on the business.

Budgets are not being disclosed for the autumn promotion but Dale

promised it would be ‘significantly more’ than the pounds 500,000 annual

spend that supported the last campaign.

It is also believed that the new advertising will be a marked contrast

to the earlier effort, which began in 1983 under the theme: ‘Make room

for the mushrooms.’

The decision to return to advertising was taken by the Mushroom Bureau,

a group of 17 companies funding the campaign. Mushroom sales boomed

during the 80s on the back of consistent advertising and growing

consumer interest in healthy eating.

But demand stalled at the end of the 80s as growers changed the focus of

their promotional activity to support individual retailers.

‘The fact is that the market won’t grow unless there is advertising to

fuel it,’ said Dale, whose agency won the business in a pitch against

Advertising Principles in Leeds.