Ogilvy at No.1 in Hong Kong for third consecutive year

Ogilvy & Mather has topped the Hong Kong billings ranking for the

third year in a row, according to figures from the 4As.

For 1999, the agency raked in billings worth HK$1.148 billion, up

about three per cent from the year before.

DDB jumped one place to second spot with a 12 per cent increase in

billings to HK$1.047 billion.

J. Walter Thompson, which held the second spot in 1998, slipped one

place as its billings eased 2.4 per cent to HK$944.63

million.

Total billings of all the 4As members which submitted income reports

came to HK$9.662 billion, virtually unchanged from the year

before.

Bates Asia-Pacific regional director for Greater China Jeffrey Yu, also

the chairman of the 4As, said the figures were expected as Hong Kong and

the rest of Asia were still suffering from the Asian 'flu in the first

half of 1999.

However, Mr Yu predicted that prospects for the rest of this year should

be brighter.

"As Asia slowly comes out of the recession, year 2000 should see some

improvements in billing for Hong Kong and China as clients see gradual

recovery of the consumer markets," he said.

* See also chart and story on page 3.

1999 Hong Kong 4As Agency Ranking

(All figures in HKdollars millions)

1999 1999 1998 YOY 1998

Rank Name of Agency Billings Billings % change Rank

1 Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong 1,147.93 1,111.68 3.3% 1

2 DDB Worldwide 1,047.00 935.81 12.0% 3

3 J. Walter Thompson 944.63 968.09 -2.4% 2

4 * FCB Hong Kong 830.00 878.04** -5.5% 4

5 McCann-Erickson Guangming 744.68 826.23 -9.9% 6

6 Leo Burnett - Hong Kong 731.77 835.29 -12.4% 5

7 Bates Hong Kong 687.70 733.77 -6.3% 7

8 Grey Hong Kong 646.04 533.92 21.0% 8

9 Euro RSCG 492.44 514.44 -4.3% 9

10 Dentsu, Young & Rubicam 470.20 510.22 -7.8% 10

11 BBDO Hong Kong 379.46 320.44 18.4% 11

12 Publicis Ad-Link 315.06 - - -

13 D'Arcy 270.91 301.97 -10.3% 12

14 Saatchi & Saatchi 255.39 278.73 -8.4% 13

15 TBWA Hong Kong 170.94 219.46 -22.1% 15

16 Lowe & Partners/Live 152.12 114.59 32.8% 17

17 Dentsu Inc., Hong Kong Branch 145.55 192.72 -24.5% 16

18 Ammirati Puris Lintas 144.11 231.89 -37.9% 14

19 Fortune 85.04 103.20 -17.6% 18

TOTAL 9,661.97 9,610.49 0.54%

* FCB and Bozell merged in September 1999 reported jointly as FCB China.

** FCB and Bozell billings combined for comparison purposes.