IPG Agency: DLKW Lowe Launches Retail Activation Agency

    SHANGHAI, September 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

    - UK Launches as key Part of Global Launch Across 7 Countries

    - Kevin Frost, Former Arc Retail and Shopper Marketing CD to
      Head Open With MD Niki Cook

    - Agency Launches With Morrisons and Burger King Clients

    - Eminent Behavioural Economist Ziv Carmon Joins the Team

Lowe + Partners today announces the multi-country launch of its retail activation network, OPEN. The new network launches in London, Shanghai, Prague, Bangkok, Jakarta and Sao Paolo across this week, with Lowe Lintas in India and Lowe Poland set to follow.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100923/409648 )

Key to the launch of the new network is Open's UK operation, led by MD, Niki Cook, and newly appointed ECD, Kevin Frost. Frost has joined Open from Arc and brings over 20 years of retail expertise to Open from Tequila, Triangle and more recently Leo Burnett's Arc. Frost has worked for leading brands including P&G, Morrisons, Lloyds Banking group, Diageo, Cadbury and Britvic across multiple regions.

MD Niki Cook's experience spans 15 years including retail and promotional roles at PurchasePoint, Interfocus and The Communications Agency. She joined DLKW as Head of Promotional Marketing for their BTL arm, Dialogue DLKW in 2007 and has worked across a range of brands including News International, Blockbuster, Visa International and Burger King.

Richard Warren, Joint CEO, DLKW Lowe said:-

"This is a very exciting time for us having recently merged with Lowe - a great deal of our most successful and populist work has been for retail clients and with Open we are now set to offer dedicated in-depth and specialist expertise. Niki and Kevin are seasoned players in both promotional and retail marketing and are set to deliver great campaigns that really make a tangible different to our clients' businesses. Retail has never been more competitive, fast-moving or challenging - and we love to meet a challenge!"

Lowe + Partners Chairman, Tony Wright, said of the launch: "DLKW Lowe has a world class client roster of retail brands, including Morrisons, WH Smith, Burger King and the newly won Halfords. The UK is pivotal to the new Open network's success. DLKW Lowe has a proven track record in the UK retail sector - leading the way in populist creativity. It's a robust, well timed offering that clients have welcomed."

The new agency will focus on delivering big retail ideas, fuelled by a better understanding of how today's shoppers choose between brands. Open and its clients will work together, using proprietary tools specifically designed to help explore consumer choice behaviour in retail environments.

OPEN has also formed a partnership with the eminent Behavioural Economist, Professor Ziv Carmon. Leading Marketing at INSEAD Singapore, Professor Carmon is an expert in human judgment and decision-making. He'll be working with OPEN to explore brands, environments and consumers, across a number of categories.

SOURCE Lowe + Partners