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Peugeot is putting a member of the French Peugeot family in charge

of its UK advertising and moving Kel Walker, its ad chief, to a new

post.

Xavier Peugeot will become UK director of advertising and sales

promotion, replacing 49-year-old Walker who has been with the company

for 20 years and has handled its ads for the past six.

Peugeot, who is thought to be in his 30s and has held a series of senior

positions in France, will take up the new job in April. He will report

to Rod Philpott, UK marketing director. The Peugeot family owns about

23% of the firm.

Walker has been assigned a regional director’s role in the Midlands,

where the French firm’s UK division is based.

Walker has been responsible for some high-profile campaigns. In 1997, he

commissioned the raunchy 306 ad, where a car-washing hunk turns out to

be an ogling woman’s husband.

Last year, the 306 ad featured another steamy couple who are interrupted

by an older man who, we first assume is the woman’s husband, only to be

revealed as his father.

Walker was also behind the pounds 12.5m ’Search for the Hero’ launch of

the 406 in 1996, a black-and-white film broken only by a young girl’s

red coat.

He was also responsible for the latest 206GTi spot, with its 115 seconds

of a magician performing card tricks and just five seconds of the

car.

Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper has held the creative account, worth pounds 26m,

since 1994.

Last year the Peugeot 206 became the UK’s third best-selling vehicle in

the UK retail market. The 306 was the best-selling car in the diesel

sector, with the 406 in second place.