Claire Beale on Advertising

It's official. We're fat. And we know we are; we didn't need another survey into the state of Britons' wobbly bits to know that ours is a nation of bloaters.

But last week the Government's new Health Profile report provided us with a new international league table of lard-arses. We're premier flight: top of the table of obesity - almost doubling Germany's score.

And whose fault is it? That's right, advertising's. If you're an ad person who has even so much as sniffed a fast-food mood board, you're culpable. The nation's cellulite lies on your conscience. As everyone knows by now, advertising is being asked to take the largest portion of blame for encouraging overeating of unhealthy food. Forget the demise of the school playing field or the pitiful funding for school meals - it's advertising that is making our kids fat, say the lobbyists. And so far, the politicians seem to agree.

The good news is that another survey - also unveiled last week - found that the punter is on adland's side: most consumers do not want a ban on junk-food advertising. The study was commissioned by the media regulator Ofcom. Yes, it did find that 80 per cent of adults are broadly in favour of restricting fast-food ads that target children; they want fewer ads to be shown when children are likely to be watching. But crucially, the vast majority also believe that a full ban on food advertising to children would be going too far.

OK, perhaps it's not surprising that consumers in the fattest country in Europe should take a relatively moderate approach to the advertising of all that scrummy stuff that thickens the arteries. But the study is a major new weapon in adland's fightback against the extremist pressure groups. Hitherto the trouble has been that the politicians, sniffing a potential vote-winner, have been pretty supportive of the anti-fat factions. But with consumers now voicing their concerns about a nanny state that bans junk-food ads, politicians could be forced to think again.

If popular opinion favours a more moderate approach, chances are the Government will follow suit. And with observers now suggesting that Ofcom's final recommendation could see all junk-food advertising prohibited before 9pm but healthy foods allowed to advertise within children's programmes, it seems as though compromise might just be achievable.

Exactly what's healthy and what's not is the obvious next battleground. But the ad industry can now rejoin the fray with renewed vigour, knowing that consumers are voting for a "middle way".

* IF YOU'RE interested in advertising creativity then you'll be familiar with Fred and Farid. Frederic Raillard and Farid Mokart built a name for themselves here five years ago while at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, where they created the award-winning "mosquito" film for Xbox. They also behind Robbie Williams' "Rock DJ" promo.

As you might imagine, it takes a special talent for a foreigner to win the approval of British advertising. Hopeless parochials, we Brits still tend to consider ourselves at the apex of creativity and can still be pretty sniffy about life outside Soho. Fred and Farid, though, have a formidable international reputation. So there was much excitement 18 months ago when the pair were lured from New York back to Paris by a handsome offer from Publicis's Maurice Lévy, who set them up in their own (Publicis-owned) agency, Marcel.

At the time it smacked of a Lévy play to put Paris more firmly on the creative map. Now the duo (itchy footed at the best of times) have abruptly bailed out and launched their own agency with fellow Publicis employee Christophe Lambert.

But Fred/Farid/ Lambert is not exactly an independent start-up. Step forward Vincent Bolloré, Lévy's rival for the title of France's No.1 adman, and the boss of Havas. Bolloré is backing the new venture, taking a 30 per cent stake, and delivering a very public two fingers to his Publicis rival.

It's the sort of embarrassment that is sure to get Lévy lusting for blood. And Bolloré is not a man to be crossed either. Having made an enemy of the mighty Lévy, Fred and Farid had now better put their famous wanderlust to bed if they are not to make an enemy of their new patron, too.

* MEANWHILE, OVER at the Havas-owned Euro RSCG London it's been a good couple of weeks. First the agency snared the £7m WeightWatchers account and last week added the £5m Staples to its client roster.

OK, these are not advertising's most coveted accounts. But they are early signs that the new management team of Mark Cadman and Russ Lidstone is really starting to gel the agency together. In fact, Cadman and Lidstone are fast becoming one of the industry's most convincing double acts.

The pair have forged such a strong partnership in the five years since they met over a Tesco brief at Lowe that it's increasingly hard to think of one without the other; they even get on so well they take family holidays together.

Now at Euro, and buoyed by an attractive profit share package, the pair have been tasked with turning around one of the most wounded agency brands in London. The Euro international network, a motley and relatively uncoordinated affair, is already showing signs of turnaround under the impressive steerage of global CEO David Jones, scooping the $1.5bn Reckitt Benckiser global account in July.

But London needs work. The agency is in remission from the effects of its previous CEO Ben Langdon. Cadman and Lidstone have already re-energised the team, injecting a clear sense of purpose, determination and fun into the company.

Next on the agenda, though, must be the creative product. The latest wins are not the sort of opportunity likely to effect a real step-change in the agency's creative reputation. Fabulous as creative chief Gerry Moira is, the Euro portfolio desperately needs some showcase work. Until that happens the agency will never really shake off its mediocre image.

Beale's Best In Show: Boots

Is there anything less likely to make you feel glam than a tour round Boots' make-up aisles? Tatty, poorly stocked and generally unloved, this is war paint for emergencies only.

It's certainly a far cry from the lavish and sensuous scenario created by the latest ad for Boots No.7 range. This is another beautiful ad from Mother, whose work for Boots really seems to have found its pace. It's Alice in Boudoir Wonderland: arty, moody, wonderfully shot and utterly aspirational. OK, it's also fairly impenetrable, but when an ad looks this good you just drink it in. And the Jefferson Airplane "White Rabbit" soundtrack is class.

But this is luxury brand advertising territory and as such ultimately jars painfully with the high street experience: a classic case of great ad, shame about the product.

I know that some flagship Boots stores have been tarted up, but for your average Boots shopper this ad makes a promise that the shop is simply not delivering yet. No.7 might be a good product but until it gets a better pedestal it will find it hard to justify this sexy positioning.

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