News

So, with my new-found loyalty back at KillerShark, I've been on the new business trail again, and appear to have landed a peach of an account that'll hit my targets for a few months, to say nothing of keeping Annie in the manner in which she's, scarily, getting very accustomed.

The latest promotion from 'Small Luxury Hotels of the World' is all about 'luxury escapes', and we're a hair's breath away from getting its UK direct mail and email business. Of course, that will involve staying in the very best of its hotels, just to get just the right flavour of the brand... watch out Langham, here I come!

I must offer my congratulations to Brian Storey and Xanthos Christodoulou, who have finally left Joshua to set up their own shop. However, news that they've apparently been "plotting the start-up for a year" hardly does their decisive and reactive reputation any good, does it? Other than Chris Arnold - who plotted all his life to get his name over the door - this must be the longest start-up incubation ever.

Mind you, you can understand their motivation, when you hear that VCCP - a mere three years old - sold for £30m, and all that dosh against a forecast 2005 PBT of just £913,000, as well. So it seems the going rate multiple in the advertising industry is now 33 times net profit. Old Timmy Bell really must think he's back in the Eighties.

And I guess that deal must have had some effect on VCCP's direct agency, run by Benny Stephens. Of course, they'll be completely distracted by their recent More Th>n win. But it'll be tinged with a bit of resentment for strategist Chris Whitson. It's all very well nicking the business from WWAV, but then WWAV got its own, strange revenge by winning the season ticket direct marketing business for Hearts, Whitson's beloved (and, frankly, crap) football team.

jack.woolfe@killershark.co.uk