Yasmin has been in the market for “five years,” estimates Ellen Chou, group account director, BatesAsia Taiwan, but promotion has been limited because advertising of oral contraceptives is restricted. Bates won the account in a pitch against J. Walter Thompson and local boutique, Kwanfang Chen late last year.
The upcoming campaign, slated for March, will not position Yasmin as an oral contraceptive. Instead it will “educate consumers about its ingredient, DRSP, which has benefits for treating acne and pre-menstrual symptoms,” said Chou. It will also seek to “disinfect” negative perceptions that Taiwan women have about oral contraceptives.
To generate buzz, Bates will use celebrities as endorsers above-the-line, through TV news placement and in digital media. Educational programmes will target college and high school students.
