BBH reels in Sony and Ericsson global work

<p>SINGAPORE: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has appointed Bartle </p><p>Bogle Hegarty (BBH) as its global advertising agency just days after the </p><p>two mobile communications equipment vendors formally launched their </p><p>joint venture last week. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The worldwide account will be handled out of London, with Asia being </p><p>looked after by the agency's office in Singapore. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>BBH was responsible for the Ericsson account, while Dentsu was Sony's </p><p>agency prior to the roll-out of the joint-venture. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>BBH was appointed without a pitch on the strength of its track record </p><p>with both Sony and Ericsson, according to the agency's Asia-Pacific </p><p>chief executive officer Chris Harris. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We've done some strong work for Ericsson, but we have also been heavily </p><p>involved in the strategic development of the two companies, including </p><p>with regards the joint venture," Harris said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The joint-venture between Sony Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM </p><p>Ericsson is the culmination of talks between the two mobile telcos, </p><p>which began in May. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Sony Ericsson will be offering communications products for people who </p><p>appreciate the possibilities of powerful technology, according to the </p><p>company. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Behind the branding is a new logo and a mission to become the number one </p><p>player in mobile multimedia products within five years. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Katsumi Ihara, president of Sony Ericsson, revealed that the </p><p>joint-venture would be "launching our first products during next </p><p>year". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, the advertising campaigns, which will be developed by BBH, is </p><p>expected to roll out globally before Christmas. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Sony-Ericsson joint-venture is seen as a means for the two companies </p><p>to seek new ways to try and gain the upper hand in the </p><p>fiercely-competitive telecommunications industry. One competitive </p><p>advantage is that the venture presents a good geographical fit - in </p><p>Asia, for instance, Ericsson is strong in China and Taiwan, while Sony </p><p>is dominant in Japan. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>