PT Leo Burnett Kreasindo Indonesia has promised "exciting and
unconventional advertising" after snatching the Metro Department Store
account from incumbent JWTAdforce.
The pitch was won on creative recommendations and Burnett Kreasindo
chief executive officer Berndt Soderbom said: "We are not going to just
show beautiful products in a beautiful setting.
"We're putting together a campaign that is going to be sophisticated, a
bit controversial and borderline risque in order to underline the core
brand values of the Metro brand, which is a department store that sells
quality and affordable products," he told MEDIA.
Competition amongst department stores in Indonesia is fierce, especially
in the capital Jakarta.
However, Singapore-based Metro faces an extra problem; a significant
number of consumers in Jakarta are confused between Metro Department
Store and Metro Supermarket.
It is for this reason that the strategy and creative behind the
advertising campaign had to be different and out of the ordinary, Mr
Soderbom said.
But while it faces considerable competition from the giant chain stores
such as Matahari and Ramayana - the former operates about 70 stores
nationwide - Metro positions itself as a niche player by targeting the
upper middle class through its only two stores in Indonesia, both of
which are in Jakarta.
"In that sense, they are not in direct competition with the big chains
but although there is competition from them, our campaign will highlight
Metro's strength as a niche player and demonstrate the benefits
consumers can derive from the department store," said Mr Soderbom.
Burnett Kreasindo was chosen over JWTAdforce because the former had
presented "solid solutions" and proved itself to be "dynamic and
creative", according to Christine Barki, president director of PT
Metropolitan Retailment, which runs Metro in Indonesia.
She also said that the incumbent lost out, because the financial crisis
of the late 1990s and its aftermath had taken its toll on the
agency.
She did not elaborate.
