THE:HOURS Expands Global Network to Include UK Operation

LONDON, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the MIDEM annual conference in Cannes, France, Havas Worldwide Global CEO David Jones has announced the expansion of THE:HOURS to the United Kingdom, reinforcing the importance of the collaboration of music and advertising. THE:HOURS London will be part of the Euro RSCG UK Group's EHS Brann 4D agency on Briset Street and will be led by Anouchka Bala, Managing Director. This announcement comes after nearly two years of success that THE:HOURS has had partnering with Euro RSCG Worldwide to create a new business model that incorporates its record label, publishing, publicity (High Rise PR), and music marketing agency activities into Euro RSCG's New York and Paris offices.

"The music and communications industries have both gone through dramatic revolutions as digital technology has made CDs and 30-second TV commercials less and less relevant. The success of THE:HOURS is proof that this new decade will belong to those companies that understand both the world of music and the world of brands and that can leverage the power of digital content -- the London launch is the next exciting phase in THE:HOURS' global expansion," said David Jones, Global CEO of Havas Worldwide and Euro RSCG Worldwide.

In addition to being part of EHS Brann 4D in London, THE:HOURS will also work closely with Euro RSCG's luxury advertising agency, Euro RSCG Luxe. THE:HOURS expertise with luxury brands, including Cartier, Michael Kors, Estee Lauder, Tommy Hilfiger, and DKNY, will no doubt prove useful for this new partnership.

Euro RSCG Worldwide and THE:HOURS are launching this expanded network at this year's MIDEM in Cannes, France, where David Jones will serve as a keynote speaker, participating in a live discussion about music and advertising alongside Billboard's Editor-in-Chief Bill Werde. The session will take place in the Debussy Theatre at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 24.

THE:HOURS is also serving as the co-host of the Music & Brands Luncheon during MIDEM where it will be showcasing its achievements and strategy for 2010 and beyond. British up and coming talent Dan Black will also participate in MIDEM. Black is currently gaining strong momentum in North America with commercial radio air play as well as a recent collaboration with Kid Cudi. His debut album will be released February 23, 2010 on THE:HOURS Records in North America.

"THE:HOURS illustrates how the music and advertising industries are increasingly rubbing shoulders, seeking to develop new business models, along with new sources of revenue and exposure," said Alexandre Sap, CEO of THE:HOURS.

About THE:HOURS

THE:HOURS is a music company founded by Alexandre Sap, Leslie Dubest and Fabien Moreau, operating from New York, Paris and London, boasting a record label signed on Universal for distribution worldwide, as well as a creative music production and consultancy platform for brands. In July 2008, THE:HOURS became the first ever record label to be acquired by a major advertising network when Euro RSCG Worldwide took a 51% stake in the venture, creating a new business model. THE:HOURS artists roster includes Dan Black, Elbow (FR), Dada Life, Cazals, AutoKratz (US) and clients such as Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum, Cartier, Michael Kors, Estee Lauder, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Citroen and Heineken, among others.

Euro RSCG Worldwide, a leading integrated marketing communications agency, is made up of 233 offices located in 75 countries throughout Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Euro RSCG provides advertising, marketing services, corporate communications, and interactive solutions to global, regional, and local clients. Headquartered in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications (Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA).

SOURCE THE:HOURS