Let's do lunch inside the world of advertising

Abbott Mead Vickers' ongoing client-conflict dilemma is on the point of being solved. The ad giant, which recently took over media independent PHD (then wittily restyled it "New PHD"), is to launch an additional, smaller, media arm to manage clashing business. This is likely to include Tambrands, Cellnet and Kiss FM. The new launch, called Rocket (geddit?), will be headed by one of the most colourful characters in the entire world, let alone the ad industry: Alan Brydon. Hitherto media director at AMV - where he built up close relationships with Pizza Hut and Apple, among others - the smooth Mr Brydon is famed for a number of unrelated reasons. He's dated pop stars, and he himself took a leading role in one episode of the Sun's regular photo-story, "Deirdre's Casebook". Widely praised for his clever use of the Corby trouser press, Brydon has also been described as a "poor man's Richard Gere". With an operator like Brydon in charge, Let's Do Lunch feels sure Rocket will be a great success.

The hitherto sleepy London outpost of US agency Griffin Bacal has made another high-profile hiring. The agency, which recently announced its wish to join the UK's top 20, has followed up the July appointment of creative director Alan Tilby by luring Glen Fraser to be its business development director. He will also look after the agency's flagship client, Hasbro. Less than a month ago, Fraser suddenly quit K Advertising, where he'd worked on Carlsberg, the agency's, erm, flagship client. With Griffin Bacal still lacking a managing director, two questions remain: will Fraser prove good enough for that leading role, too? And unless Griffin Bacal really does shake itself up, will anybody care?

Last week we revealed that star creative partnerships at Bartle Bogle Hegarty have been broken up by outsiders. Now we must report another sad divorce. Vaughan and Anthea have parted company. This marks a sad end to a highly successful period for the pair, both of whom had already made a mark in other fields. Some years ago Vaughan put aside his baton and quit composing symphonies, while Anthea chucked in her job on TV's Generation Game. Together at Lewin and Watson, and then at Federation, they went on to direct highly regarded ads for Smirnoff, Vauxhall's Vectra, George Michael and Entenmann's cakes. Most famous, perhaps, was their work for Levi's. They shot the "spaceman" film, and won two Designers & Art Directors awards for Levi's "Creek" ad in 1994. What on earth will they do next?

Remarkably similar ads, No 473. Earlier this summer Saatchi and Saatchi launched a "clean streets" cinema ad for Islington Council, in which a man defecates on a road, called "Don't let your dog". Now Lisburn Council in Northern Ireland has produced a poster in which a boy appears to do the same in a park. The caption reads: "You wouldn't let your child do it, so why let your dog?" Which side will dare to claim the idea as its own?

'S good to towk. But it's not so good to force Bob Hoskins on viewers for ever. So when the lugubrious-and-yet-chirpy cockney's contract with BT runs out later this year, he'll be replaced. For some time now, clever money has tipped Billy Connolly as next in line after Busby, Beattie and Bob. Now Billy has pulled out, however, citing a busy schedule as his excuse.