The pitch for the business took place in April, but it was only recently that an announcement was made because the decision had to be approved by Wrigley's head office in Chicago, said Basic Advertising assistant vice-president account management, Allan Fontanilla. The focus of the pitch centred on how to revive the popularity of the 100-year-old Juicy Fruit brand. "The pitch was not a creative pitch. They were looking for a strategic framework, said Fontanilla.
"I think they chose us because we had the gall to tell them what was wrong with the product. Chewing gum is a dying habit. They are not just competing with other gums, but also the hard candies. There are at least 100 brands of confectionery and gum in the market."
Basic's research showed that Juicy's core target market currently was mainly made up of adults, underlining the need to try to tap into the youth market. The agency will be handling not only Juicy, but also Double Mint, Spearmint and the high-end Cool Air sugar-coated pellets. The opening salvo for the new campaign is expected to be launched either late this year or early next year.
