Littlewoods invests big in mass media

ONLINE retailer Littlewoods Direct, part of the Liverpool-based Shop Direct Group, is launching a £5.5m advertising campaign in the run up to Christmas.

The campaign includes TV, print and online adverts and is its biggest investment in mass media advertising to date, according to the company for which the Christmas period accounts for around 40% of annual sales.

Fifty-second TV adverts, which shows residents of a lunar planet enjoying gifts from a Littlewoods Direct spaceshuttle, will be shown nationally on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Satellite TV channels.

The print campaign will see 121 adverts appearing in 130 million copies across a range of national magazine and newspaper titles.

Shop Direct Group aims to have 70% of its sales through the internet by 2010.

The group has also made several senior appointments.

Justin Young has joined as sales director, following a management restructure. Previously he was at Phones4U as e-commerce director, and buying and merchandising director.

Carl Dawson, currently the group chief information officer for Thomas Cook, will start as chief information officer before Christmas.

Ann Bryon has joined as group corporate communications director, from B&Q where she spent three years as director of corporate communications.