Two leading advertising agencies recently announced a merger in a first step towards the formation of a pan-Asian marketing communications network.
Zenith Advertising, which counts over 40 years of service in the local advertising industry and Advantage Sri Lanka, a constituent of the Advantage network spanning four Asian countries, announced the merger in a move towards the realization of Asia's first advertising network that would span 14 countries in the region.
According to a company official, the new BOI-approved firm would be known as Advantage Sri Lanka and would be part of the Advantage group that spans Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar.
He said that plans are already afoot to include India and Thailand into the fold in 1997 and that discussions with prospective partners in Australia and the Phillipines are in the initial stages.
He said that thereafter the network hopes to move northward to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Korea, and finally to Japan.
Advantage Sri Lanka would be handling public relations activities and marketing and research besides advertising activities.
Mel Ads recently celebrated 25 years of service in the advertising field.
The company founded in 1971 is one of the few fully Sri Lankan owned advertising firms. The company's first Chairman was the late Lal Jayasundara, of Hayleys.
Melville Assauw became Chairman of the Agency in 1989, making Mel Ads an independent firm with a new outfit.
Mel Ads have since come up with a number of innovative ideas and is today one of the market leaders in the Sri Lankan advertising scene.
The agency was the first in the country to use the medium of the Sinhala teledrama 'Dimuthu Muthu' on Rupavahini in 1982 for Jinasena Ltd. to promote water pumps to the agricultural sector.
Before Sri Lanka became world cup champions Mel Ads initiated a sponsorship contract for 5 years between Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association and Horlicks. A brand Mel Ads have created in Sri Lanka for Smithkline Beecham Mackwoods.
The Horlicks trophy junior circket tournament for under 13 and under 15 age groups is the premier schools circket tounery which will produce our national cricketers for the year 2001.
Royal Palms Beach Hotel, commenced operations this month.
The 124-room hotel, situated in close proximity to the Kalutara beach at Waskaduwa, two kilometres from Kalutara town and bordering the Tangerine Beach Hotel entailed a total investment of Rs. 550 million according to the General Manager Jan Van Twest.
He said the hotel, which occupies a total land area of six acres with beachfront plans to employ a staff of 450-500 persons shortly.
The hotel has two royal suites, five executive suites, lounge bar, pool bar, coffee shop, discotheque and pub.
The main restaurant serves a varied cuisine ranging from international breakfast buffet to continental and oriental accented luncheon and dinner menus while a speciality restaurant would be serving a variety of international and south east Asian seafood dishes.
As for recreational facilities, a 100 metre long swimming pool with Jacuzzis and bubble bath, as well as tennis, badminton, volleyball and squash courts and an extensive lounge for indoor games such as billiards and snooker, are available.
Other facilities include a shopping arcade where local jewellery and handicrafts could be readily obtained, health centre, hair-dressing salon, laundry service and a taxi service with chauffeur-driven air-conditioned automobiles for excursions to sites islandwide.
Conference and banquet facilities are also available.
The hotel is an associate company of Mercantile Investments, which also owns Tangerine Beach Hotel and Nuwara Eliya Grand Hotel.
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