Coconut flavoured rum Malibu is adding to its successful can portfolio with the arrival of a Sparkling Pineapple flavour in time for summer.

The new variant aims to address two customer preferences – pineapple flavour and sparkling drinks.

The flavour comes as a direct result of Malibu listening to its fans on Facebook, with 35 per cent of fans citing pineapple as their favourite Malibu mixer, making it the third most popular mixer behind coke and lemonade.

“This new variant gives a fresh reason for both consumers and retailers to engage with the brand, and responds to direct feedback from Malibu’s loyal fans. We listen and take on board feedback from our audience and we endeavour to create exciting, innovative drinks that will appeal to our target group while helping retailers to boost their premix sales. We are confident this will become a key drink of choice over summer,” commented Patrick Venning, marketing director at Pernod Ricard, UK.

Malibu has now backed a teaser campaign and Facebook activity to support the launch, coinciding with the key summer trading period.

The BBC has appointed former Channel 4 News editor Jim Gray as its newly created head of BBC TV current affairs and deputy head of news programmes.

Gray will be responsible for driving editorial across the current affairs department and overseeing programmes such as Panorama and Newsnight.

Gray said: "I am delighted to be joining the BBC in this exciting new role. The range and breadth of the output is truly impressive, and I am really looking forward to working with the team to pursue great journalism which is both ambitious and high impact."

BBC News head of prgrammes, Ceri Thomas, added: "Jim will be a fantastic addition to the team. He did an outstanding job as editor of Channel 4 News and I'm sure he will show the same sort of commitment and drive in highlighting the power of our analysis and investigative journalism right across the department."

Gray worked for the BBC prior to his time at Channel 4 News, from which he stepped down last year after 14 years.

Dior has confirmed Robert Pattinson as the new face of its Dior Homme fragrance.

Pattinson joins the likes of Natalie Portman and Charlize Theron as a Dior fragrance ambassador and will star in a campaign photographed by Nan Goldin and filmed by Romain Gavras.

The confirmation follows rumours of Pattinson’s appointment by the fashion brand which surfaced in late 2012.

A statement from Dior reads: “The House of Dior is delighted to announce that actor Robert Pattinson is to be the new face of Dior Homme fragrance.”

It goes on to praise Pattinson’s acting career and reveals that the new campaign will “broadcast exclusively in Europe (except UK) and Asia (except China and Japan).

Warwickshire’s Church End Brewery has turned to creative and digital agency RBH to unleash a muscular new campaign to promote its latest ale.

The ale, an 8 per cent ABV beer called Brewt, is the latest concoction from the brewery which has a long tradition of creating one-off’s and special brews.

Devised by RBH creative directors Stuart Jackson and Mike Kalin, the creative aims to dramatise the ale’s core attributes and bring to life the strong pale ale proposition with a series of posters shot by Martin Brent. The creative itself shows perfectly-sculpted, alabaster-white body builders posing with the pint.

Speaking of the campaign, Jackson commented: “Church End never fail to surprise us with their ideas and this is another ale that gives us the opportunity to create something unique.
It's important for us to create work that has stand out and an impact on the consumer. And with Martin Brent on board again, we think this work takes the brand to another level.”

Whitley Neill Gin has unveiled new packaging as the brand looks to build upon its heritage of ‘African Discovery’.

The bottle is matt black and looks to provide a greater on-shelf presence. The packaging describes the nine botanicals and African ingredients that go into the gin.

Richard Clark, director of innovation at Halewood International, said: “Whitley Neill has been recognised for many years as a premium, smooth and balanced gin, and we have now developed a design which reflects the brand’s style and origins.

“We were immensely proud to win the International Spirits Challenge award this year, which again demonstrated that Whitley Neill’s unique botanicals provide bartenders and consumers with an opportunity to develop a new range of cocktails.”

The British Fashion Council is teaming up with online video marketing and monetisation experts Rightster to launch a portal giving publishers access to content from the London Collections: Men show next week.

The portal will enable the British Fashion Council and Rightster to manage the distribution of video-on-deman assets to online fashion publishers, with content including official runway videos, daily highlight and interview packages, pre-collection content from designers and branded content from event sponsors.

The strategy ensures press publishers can access content to increase coverage without sending dedicated reporters and all of the content will come pre-monetised.

Head of press at the British Fashion Council, Gemma Ebelis, said: "Working with Rightster's technology platform and content marketing expertise enables us to raise the profile of both the showcase and the designers to the broadest network of fashion publishers from around the world."

Co-founder and senior fashion director at Rightster, Tabitha Goldstaub, added: "Video coverage is a key tool for driving broader interest in fashion weeks, and building audiences, and Rightster aims to support both rights holders and publishers in the sourcing and monetisation of this content through its combination of funtionality and expertise."

The collection runs from 16-18 June.

Sainsbury’s boss Justin King has called on the British Government to introduce an online retailers tax similar to that introduced by the US.

Having revealed the latest results for the supermarket chain, King called on the UK to follow the lead being set in the US with the introduction of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 where online retailers will pay tax on the good they sell, which will level the playing field with high-street retailers.

“The burden of taxation falls very heavily on bricks and mortar retailers,” Mr King said of business rates, The Telegraph reports. “I think we need to rebalance the tax burden.”

However, questions have been raised in the US about how the tax for online goods will be collected when each transaction is made.

Yesterday, Sainsbury’s revealed a sales growth rate of 3.6 per cent.

Celebrity Big Brother Winner and X-Factor finalist Rylan Clark shed his clothes to star in the latest campaign for Peta.

The poster sees Clark, the new host of Big Brother’s Bit on the Side, appear on the poster naked alongside the caption ‘Fur free and proud’.

Rylan is latest in a long line of celebrities to appear naked on a poster to campaign for the organisation that is against the use of animal fur as clothing, including Eva Mendes, Alicia Silverstone, Dennis Rodman and The Situation.

Electronic cigarette brand Nicolites has welcomed the decision to license the product as a medicine.

The ruling was made yesterday by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHPRA) to allow E-cigarettes to be classified as a medicine in aiding cessation.

Nicolites managing director Nikhil Nathwani described the ruling as “a good decision” by the MHPRA which will see e-cigarettes regulated as medicines.

“We have always supported the concept of regulating the industry as it will provide a safety framework which will protect consumers from inferior products. Licensing e-cigarettes is the responsible thing to do because health really matters and consumers want to understand just how safe these products are," said Nathwani.

Nathwani added that he was certain that Nicolites would gain the necessary licence to receive the classification before the 2016 deadline and added that following that deadline he expected no change to the sale or marketing of the product.

An investigation into Google’s tax arrangements in the UK should be implemented a committee of MPs has decided.

Google’s bosses have been questioned on the amount of tax it is paying to operate in the UK over recent weeks, with the Parliamentary Accounts Committee’s report stating that Google’s argument to avoid paying UK corporate tax, by claiming its sales to UK clients came from Ireland, was ‘deeply unconvincing’.

Said Margaret Hodge, chair of the committee: “Google brazenly argued before this committee that its tax arrangements in the UK are defensible and lawful. It claimed that its advertising sales take place in Ireland, not in the UK.

"This argument is deeply unconvincing and has been undermined by information from whistleblowers, including ex-employees of Google, who told us that UK-based staff are engaged in selling. The staff in Ireland simply process the bills. Google also conceded at this second hearing that its engineers in the UK are contributing to product development.”

As a result, an investigation into Google’s tax activities is expected to be launched.

Last month, The Drum ran an online survey of media buyers which found that 80 per cent of media buyers had dealt with the London office rather than the Irish office when it came to buying advertising.

IAB reveals May's Creative Showcase winner and runners up.

Velux has appointed Union Direct to promote its recently launched modular skylight and range of flat roof window products.

The agency will liaise with architects and contractors involved in non-domestic projects, in what is the first direct approach to the sector with a product designed specifically for commercial application.

Brand manager at Velux, Andrew Lumsden, said: "Union Direct showed us an approach that put absolutely the right emphasis on both strategy and creative. In particular, their methodology for managing prospect data hit the nail on the head."

Union Direct MD Gus Chalmers added: "We're delighted to be working with Velux and are looking forward to helping them keep the sales funnel filled in this new market."

Union Direct counts Scottish Enterprise, VisitScotland and Scottish Widow among its clients.

Harriet Harman has suggested a 15 per cent ownership cap across newspapers, broadcasting companies and online sites to stop companies from feeling like they are above the law.

The shadow culture secretary has also suggested that there should be a robust 'fit and proper person' test, which would “cover impropriety and failures of good governance, and allow for interventions in a merger on propriety as well as plurality grounds."

Speaking at the annual Charles Wheeler Lecture on journalism later today, hosted by the University of Westminster and the British Journalism Review, Harman is expected to say: "The Leveson Inquiry focused on the complaints system and the impunity which came from the lack of a robust, effective complaints system was undoubtedly a key part of the problem.

"But so too was something else in Leveson's terms of reference which he was not able take forward in such depth. The invincibility that came with too much power concentrated in the hands of one man.

"Media monopoly matters in a democracy. The concentration of unaccountable media power distorts the political system. The media shapes how we see ourselves and how we see the world. In a democracy, the free flow of information, of different points of view, is crucial for open debate.

"Too much power in too few hands hinders proper debate. Plurality ensures that no media owner can exert such a damaging influence on public opinion and on policy makers. It ensures that no media company can have so much influence that it feels itself immune, above the rule of law. It ensures no private interest can set itself above the public interest.

"But we don't have a proper regime for protecting against this. The system doesn't work - its inadequacies and complexities were laid bare by the News Corp bid for the whole of BSkyB. And the system is out of date - this is an age of great change in the media, where we have print newspapers, broadcast media and new media, and a convergence of all three.

"Now is the time for reform, to tackle this problem that has persisted for many years. We feel it would be best for the government to go about this in a cross-party way."

At Leveson, Labour suggested a 30 per cent ownership cap within the newspaper industry.

Westons organic cider brand Wyld Wood has turned to BOS: Design for a new look as part of a relaunch strategy.

BOS: was appointed to redesign the packaging and branding of Wyld Wood following its work on Westons Old Rosie in 2012. The brief challenged the agency to amplify the existing brand assets and create a personality for Wyld Wood.

By introducing the image of a man with an apple/pear cart BOS: hope to inject some much-needed personality to the brand, with textures and colours used to retain its premium organic quality. A metal stock and matt finish has been used on the bottles labels to reflect the brand’s USP and organic offering.

Brand manager for Westons, Matthew Langley, commented: “This is our organic offering so it is extremely important that the design of Wyld Wood reflects the natural, wholesome approach that we take to producing this cider. The design achieves that hierarchy of messages whilst importantly keeping the brand within the Weston’s family look.”

As well as designing the brand identity and packaging BOS: has completed the roll out of the design across all platforms including cases, pump clips, bag in boxes and retail ready trays.

BOS: has also completed sales presenters for on and off trade and an exhibition counter.

Last night saw the winners of the Online Media Awards for 2013 revealed, with Channel 4 taking home an impressive haul of trophies. But where the awards end, the fun and dancing begin - so here's some pictures from the overall ceremony, which took place at Arsenal FC's home ground, The Emirates in London.

Pictures by Ed Waring - @edhombre

The Orangutan Foundation has worked with The One Off to create a new brand identity and collateral for the charity.

The One Off employed its TOO Green approach to the project after establishing the sustainable design solution from working with a number of charitable projects where sustainability, global climate change or protection were central to the brand's ethos.

The One Off felt as The Orangutan Foundation’s previous brand marque had heritage and authenticity the new identity had to communicate how the charity had evolved.

A single graphic icon was employed to allow the charity to tell its brand story at speed and across all collateral including gifts, clothing and event backdrops.

Supporting patterns and fonts have also been developed to further explain and differentiate the specialist areas the charity operates in, a primary colour palette of natural tones was chosen as a reflect the animals at the heart of the charity and in need of conservation.

Yahoo and Sky News have struck a content-sharing deal which will see the creation of an online hub on Yahoo for Sky's Sunrise programme and the launch of original content on the site covering politics, tech and business.

Yahoo News UK will host the Sky News Sunrise programme, presented by Eamonn Holmes and Charlotte Hawkins, while three original content shows - current affairs programme Thinking Aloud; personal finance programme Loose Change; and series of short films on young UK inventors The Lab - will be available on demand globally.

Yahoo vice president and head of partnerships EMEA, Jean-Christophe Conti, said: "Thanks to data driven audience insight, we know the topics that our users are most interested in. As a leading news provider, Sky News is the perfect partner to deliver and co-create content on news, politics and business that we know our users want."

It is estimated Sky News video content currently reaches over 107 million homes across 117 countries, while the UK arm of Yahoo News reaches approximately 6.5 million users.

Voting for The Drum Mobile Top 50, a list celebrating the 50 most influential mobile marketing individuals, has launched today.

A shortlist of 100 individuals has been compiled by The Drum's editorial team but we need your help to decide who will make it into the top 50. The final list will highlight the key players in the UK mobile industry, ranking individuals in order of their contribution to the world of mobile.

“Mobile is the biggest game changer in the history of the marketing industry,” said The Drum's editor Gordon Young. “Now we're calling on the marketing and digital industries to help determine the list of those individuals who have made the biggest impact over the course of their careers – and who will continue to influence mobile.”

The Mobile Top 50 will be published in the next of The Drum's quarterly mobile supplements on 16 August.

Voting is quick and easy – you can nominate up to three shortlisted individuals in order of preference. Voting will remain open until Friday 21 June.

Keep up to date with The Drum Mobile Top 50 using the Twitter hashtag #TheDrumMobile50.

How would you feel if you were minding your own business at the bus stop, only to find you'd be turned into the star of your own billboard using Photoshop?

Adobe has hit the top spot of the Viral Video Chart this week, with its Photoshop bus stop prank from Stockholm, which has received over 12.5 million views, but a Department for Transport ad, snuggling bunnies and the new Tango ad all proved popular.

Also making the list is the Cheerios ad which has caused a lot of controversy be featuring a mixed-race family. The ad has received over three million views, and has clocked up over 33,000 Facebook shares.

The charts are compiled with the Viral Ad Network and are based on the number of shares each video has received on social media over the last seven days.

Gluten free brand Genius Foods has appointed Maynard Malone to handle the digital aspects of its 'My Perfect Toast' campaign.

The campaign will involve an app which allows users to make and share their own virtual 'perfect toast': from the type of bread to the level of toastiness.

Mari Laidlaw, marketing manager at Genius, said: "Maynard Malone's proposal interlinked the physical and digital trial of our products, leading festival goers to online channels and therefore increasing our database and potential for on-going engagement and retention. We feel this new interest in Genius products will encourage consumers to discover delicious gluten free eating for themselves.”

The campaign will also include a sampling tour, where people will be able to receive an e-voucher for money off their next purchase through a QR code.

Maynard Malone's managing director, Ameet Chandarana, added: "'My Perfect Toast' is an innovative and refreshing app. Taking an offline, personal experience and bringing it to life in the digital environment, the campaign strengthens the customer's relationship with Genius and bridges the gap between creating their perfect toast online, to making a purchase in store. The digital element is central to the campaign and this, combined with user generated content, will leave behind a long-lasting legacy with consumers."

This follows a recent brand redesign with Pearlfisher.