A brief to reposition Brand's Essence of Chicken beverage comes with advertising duties for Brand's Herbal Range, Essence of Chicken for Juniors, Bird's Nest Range and Health Supplement Range, wresting the business from Y&R.
Effective in December, Lowe is tasked with repositioning the mental alertness drink as a daily health requirement with the line 'Stay alert, stay ahead, drink Brand's Essence of Chicken every day'. Radio ads will go on air this week, with TV and print to follow.
In one radio execution, a quiz show contestant is so sharp he answers the questions before the quizmaster can finish asking them. In another, a super-alert waiter recounts every detail of a huge order to perfection.
"Brand's Essence of Chicken is what Vegemite is to Australians. It's an iconic brand," said Khairudin Rahim, MD of Lowe Malaysia, who estimates the brand spends US$1.2 million annually on advertising. "Originally, people used the product as a problem-solver, to boost alertness before exams or when they were feeling below par. Our job is to make the product part of daily routine."
Back-to-back wins end a lean new business spell for Lowe Malaysia. Rahim added: "We're feeling on top of the world after two successive wins. I was concerned with our new business performance for the first three quarters of the year. Business just wasn't forthcoming."
