Lingerie rivals switch direction in bra battle

<p>TAIPEI: Taiwan's two largest locally-manufactured lingerie brands </p><p>have shifted creative directions, sparking "a tempest in a D-cup", as </p><p>media watchers have dubbed the marketing battle between the Audrey and </p><p>Swear labels. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In their latest television campaigns, the two companies are playing up </p><p>the confidence women gain in using their brands. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Batey Taiwan managing director, Ann Yang, said the shift in positioning </p><p>appears to have started a branding war between the two companies. "It's </p><p>not something you will see in the adspend. It is in the positioning and </p><p>branding." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Batey fired the latest salvo in building up the profile of its new </p><p>client Swear, after an unusual campaign for Audrey launched in February </p><p>by its agency, Target. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Target, which has handled Audrey for nine years, used male celebrity Fey </p><p>Syang to front Audrey's campaign. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Despite the unusual use of a man in the TV spots, Chien said Audrey's </p><p>branding remains unchanged. The singer and actor is serving as a symbol </p><p>of what confidence can do for the Audrey user, according to Iris Chien, </p><p>Target's account supervisor. "Fey Syang is such an attractive man, and </p><p>he appeals to women of all ages. But no one knows who his girlfriend </p><p>is." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The TVC plays up this missing link to relate it to the brand: "Who is </p><p>she? She is Audrey". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the 60-second spot, Fei Syang appears in a revolving door with a </p><p>female model. The mood is romantic, and he says, "It's 10:22. I feel my </p><p>heart beat." The female model promises the encounter will be a 'memory'. </p><p>"I'll keep it where my heart beats," she says. In the next shot, her </p><p>gold bra, and the Audrey logo appear. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Batey has also latched onto the confidence angle for its two television </p><p>commercials for Swear, an account it won in a pitch last year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Yang said: "Both show modern women who can deal with men. That's the </p><p>appeal. These women are very smart." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The men are less so. Unlike beefcake Fey Syang, they are mere character </p><p>foils in Swear's commercials. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the 'A-cup' spot, three men discuss the virtues of a woman within </p><p>earshot. Disgusted, she turns and says, "If all you can think about is a </p><p>woman's figure, then you have an A-cup mind." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the second "Ex-boyfriend" TVC, a man drives through city streets </p><p>following a woman on a bicycle. When he catches up, he asks if they can </p><p>be together again, and she replies: "I'm not recyclable. Now you'll </p><p>never get to see my new bra." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Phrases from the two commercials - "A-cup mind" and "not recycleable" - </p><p>appear to have been accepted in the local vernacular. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"People are talking about it on the web," said Yang. "Our client said it </p><p>was the first time they saw a jump in sales due to a particular ad </p><p>campaign. The response was immediate - in the first week." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Swear and Audrey are claiming to have the third-largest share of market </p><p>after top-ranked Japanese label, Wacoal, and second-placed Triumph. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>