Pepsico partner for Moscow Advertising Ball

Moscow, Russia — 25/08/2004 —

Pepsico Russia, the giant soft drinks firm, has today committed to being the Carbonated Soft Drinks Partner for the 2nd Advertising Ball and 4th MR Awards to be held in Moscow on Saturday November 6th. The Awards offer recognition to the Marketing and Advertising industry in Russia and are being organised by Bonar Media.

The soft drinks giant whose brands include Pepsi Cola, Mirinda, Irn Bru, Gatorade, Adrenalin Rush energy drink, Aqua Minerale water and Tropicana juice will provide carbonated soft drinks and bottled water for the event as well as providing financial support. Pepsico sponsored the 1st Advertising Ball and 3rd MR Awards in 2002.

They join Stella Artois beer as beverages partner for the event which will be held in the Odessa Ballroom at the Renaissance Moscow Hotel. The beer brand's distributor, Star Distribution, a subsidiary of Sun Interbrew, concluded an agreement last year to support the event which raises funds for a Moscow children's home and for advertising education in Russia.

"We are delighted to have Pepsico continuing their partnership with us," said Andrew Bonar, founder of Bonar Media which is organising the event this year. "With some 350 guests expected for the prestigious event and rising hotel and catering costs, event partnership and sponsorship is essential for us to keep ticket prices below $200," he said.

The awards, founded by Andrew Bonar's father, John Bonar, in 1998 as a morale booster for the Russian marketing industry following that year's financial default, seek to recognise professional excellence by marketing agencies and clients. As the Russian marketing industry has rebounded from its 1999 low, with growth in marketing expenditure averaging some 30% a year in the last three years, so the Awards have expanded.

"This year we seeking to honour marketing campaigns, big and small, which have achieved measurable results for clients in terms of brand awareness, sales, profits and appreciating shareholder value," said Michael Kravchenko, Bonar Media's director for Russia. "To this end we have assembled an international jury chaired by William F. Arens, the consultant and educator from San Diego, USA."

The campaign awards are in addition to the established Client of the Year and Agency of the year which are based on a rating system compiled from polls of the country's leading marketing communications agencies and the top advertisers.

Details, rating forms and campaign entry forms are available at: http://www.mrawards.org


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Editors Notes

Bonar Media is based in Nottingham, in the 'Heart of England'. Working with partners Bonar Media is represented via its wide range of interests spanning the Information and Communication sectors; encompassing the complete spectrum of Media, Marketing, Advertising and PR.

Bonar Media
Mercury House
Northgate
New Basford
Nottingham
NG7 7FN

UK Tel: 0845 22 55 88 7
Int'l Tel: +44 115 964 8200
Fax: 0115 964 8201
Web: www.bonar.co.uk
andrew@bonar.co.uk

Pepsico Russia Agency contact: julia_danilcheva @ utech.ru