JWT wins $6m rail deal after Burnett resigns account

<p>HONG KONG: J. Walter Thompson has won the Kowloon-Canton Railway </p><p>Corporation (KCRC) account, worth around HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) over two years. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Government-controlled corporation's business was formerly with Leo </p><p>Burnett, which resigned the account. A formal pitch did not take place; </p><p>instead several 4As agencies were asked to submit tenders to the </p><p>KCRC. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>JWT was the agency for Hong Kong's other major rail service, the Mass </p><p>Transit Railway (MTR), between 1985 and 1998. "We have some expertise in </p><p>the transportation area," said Hong Kong chief executive William </p><p>Lau. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The advertising account just covers promotion of the company's routes to </p><p>consumers in Hong Kong, although some of the routes promoted go into </p><p>mainland China. JWT will initially promote specific routes, but Lau said </p><p>it would be moving onto producing corporate branding work in the near </p><p>future. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We're trying to humanise the railway a bit. Generally, with public </p><p>transport, people just see it as hardware, and often they take it for </p><p>granted. We'll be trying to introduce something more emotional." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The KCRC is currently going through a period of massive expansion, </p><p>developing its Light Rail service into West Rail, and linking it up with </p><p>its other line, East Rail. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>