Lingerie rivals switch direction in bra battle

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

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