Grey pips D'Arcy to win the Mars sugar business

HONG KONG: Mars has replaced D'Arcy with Grey as the agency

handling the creative work for its sugar account in Hong Kong and

China.

Grey, which already services Mars' Pedigree dog food account, clinched

the sugar business - which includes the well-known Skittles brand -

after making a presentation to demonstrate the strength of its marketing

knowledge for the two markets.

Grey Hong Kong and China chairman and chief executive officer Viveca

Chan said: "The presentation's aim was to demonstrate that we have a

good understanding of the local China and Hong Kong markets as well as

possess unique marketing insights. And we also showed that we have a

steady team."

The account move comes just two months after Francis Cleetus quit as

group creative director at D'Arcy to take up the post of creative

director at Doe-Anderson Advertising, a creative hotshop in the United

States.

Cleetus was one of the driving forces behind the Skittles' Greater China

campaign, which had "Fruit with Attitude" as its tagline.

However, despite the loss, D'Arcy remains in charge of the Mars

chocolate and catfood accounts.

The media account, currently with D'Arcy, will likely go up for pitch

soon.