Davies Baron takes on the SAS

ITV has launched a 5m ad campaign complete with a new identity designed by advertising group M&C Saatchi, which is responsible for devising the year-long promotion.

The green luminous identity featuring the strapline Britain’s Most Popular Button will be used throughout the campaign on outdoor and press advertising, below the line and on-screen. Meanwhile, ITV will retain its ordinary identity for non-campaign uses.

Davies Baron has been appointed to the redesign and branding of 2.7bn Scandinavian airline SAS. The project is believed to include interiors work.

SAS, which is the carrier for Denmark, Sweden and Norway, has its headquarters in Stockholm. It is among the world’s top 20 airlines, carries 18.82 million passengers a year and has an alliance with Lufthansa and Thai Air.

The airline is due to receive a delivery of 41 Boeing 737 600’s in 1998, with options on a further 35. A large aircraft order such as this is often seen as a window of opportunity for rebranding, as the costly exercise of applying a new livery is lessened.

Davies Baron is believed to have been involved in a six-way credentials pitch, the selection process for which started last December. It is not known who the other contenders were.

The London group plans to form a partnership with a Scandinavian design consultancy to get some local input into the project. No date is given for the launch of the new designs.

See News Analysis, page 8.