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Unilever has appointed Zentropy Partners, part of the

McCann-Erickson group, to lead the interactive strategy across its

entire brand portfolio for the UK.

The appointment reflects a bid by the FMCG giant to develop a consistent

approach and explore new opportunities on the internet and interactive

television.

It also represents its first attempt to work with a lead agency for new

media projects. Unilever developed the UK's first interactive TV ads

through J Walter Thompson for its Chicken Tonight stir-in sauce brand,

which aired on Sky Digital in spring 2000.

Zentropy, one of Unilever's new media roster agencies, won the account

after a pitch against Outrider, Quantum New Media and Initiative

Media.

The brief for the pitch required agencies to come up with a proposal to

launch a hypothetical brand across all digital media.

Zentropy is expected to work alongside Unilever's other new media roster

agencies, which are unaffected by the appointment.

Existing Unilever agencies include Modem Media, which has worked on its

Lynx toiletry and Persil soap powder brands, and Ogilvy Interactive,

which has created a Creative Kitchen site on the Open interactive

television platform.

Zentropy has worked on online projects for the Birds Eye frozen food

brand.

The pitch was co-ordinated from the outset by Unilever's interactive

brands communication centre and was overseen by interactive marketing

manager Joshua Pert. Unilever's divisional marketing directors are

understood to have been involved in the final stages of the pitch.

Zentropy has also worked for clients including Compaq, Johnson &

Johnson, Reebok and car manufacturer Opel across continental Europe.

Unilever's focus on its digital strategy comes as many corporations

re-evaluate their ad budgets in the light of the economic downturn.