The accounts, worth an estimated US$10 million in combined spend for the agency, were both won in competitive pitches. Aux, which is planning to reposition itself from a mass to a premium brand in early 2008, selected Publicis following a pitch thought to include Saatchi & Saatchi, Dentsu and four local agencies. The $5 million brief will see the agency handle creative strategy, new product launches and media planning in a bid to better compete with key rival, Haier. Buying will be handled in-house, in conjunction with local shops. “At the moment, in the minds of the consumers, the brand is priced quite cheaply, and the quality is good, but it has not had a lot of brand value,” said Emily Wang, GM, Brand X, a unit of Publicis China.
Seaweed brand Yi Shui, positioned as a premium brand and expected to launch by October, is one of the first food products from JRHTC, which typically concentrates on the tech sector. Publicis beat M&C Saatchi and DraftFCB for the business, also estimated at $5 million. “We’re focusing on getting the packaging right, the visual identity and positioning,” said Wang.
