Daihatsu awards account to Oze

JAKARTA - Japanese carmaker Daihatsu Motor has handed a car launch account to Oze after shortlisting two agencies including Grey Advertising.

Prior to this the company had called five agencies to pitch for the account. Oze has been tasked to develop a campaign to introduce Daihatsu’s new MPV car model in Indonesia.

The company’s existing four roster agencies include Dwi Sapta, BN Pratama, Macs 909 and Oze. Daihatsu, which considers Suzuki as its biggest competitor in Indonesia, will launch the as-yet-unnamed brand in the first quarter of next year. The carmaker’s most popular brand in Indonesia is Gran Max, and the country’s largest selling car is Toyota Avanza.

Astra Daihatsu Motor, the Indonesian distributor of Daihatsu Motor, recently announced plans to lift domestic sales by 50 per cent in 2008 to 75,000 and boost its exports to 46,000 units this year. Indonesia's automotive market is currently recovering from a slump in 2006 after the government lifted fuel prices.