Nabarros launches tough ad campaign

Nabarro Nathanson has launched a £50,000 advertising campaign to promote its new National Centre for Law in Industry in Sheffield.

The campaign, which targets the legal and business sections of the national, regional and trade press, features an image of molten metal being poured into a mould of the Nabarro Nathanson name and logo.

The firm says it has deliberately set out to avoid the "bland" and "ad hoc" campaigns usually run by firms.

The National Centre for Law in Industry, which is part of the firm's large commercial practice in the region, puts lawyers from different areas of legal expertise such as environment, health and safety, intellectual property, pensions, and company commercial law into industry-based groups.

Marketing director Kevin Wheeler said: "We set out to develop a unique style of advertising for the firm. Most legal advertising is extremely bland and organised in an ad hoc way rather than in a campaign form."

Robert Mitchelmore, media director at Citigate advertising agency, producer of the campaign, said: "We are witnessing a second generation of legal advertising. The profession is more hard-nosed and competitive so the advertising is tougher and more specific."

The firm also mounted an advertising campaign when it established itself in Sheffield 18 months ago.

Then it posted billboard slogans around the city. One showed a football branded with the firm's name next to the slogan "Now there's a new premier legal team in Sheffield".

A second poster had the slogan "Now there's a legal team in Sheffield to give your business an edge" next to a stainless steel knife.