Seagram picks TBWA for Royal Salute overhaul

<p>SINGAPORE: Seagram has appointed TBWA Singapore to Royal Salute </p><p>whiskey's global account as the company prepares to overhaul the brand's </p><p>image in the coming months. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Seagram believes it needs to revamp the brand's image to expand its </p><p>appeal beyond Taiwan. TBWA participated in a strategic and creative </p><p>pitch last month against incumbent Ogilvy & Mather Taipei, which was the </p><p>lead agency, based on Taiwan's status as the major market for the super </p><p>premium whiskey. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nirmalo Wilkes, TBWA group account director, said the client agreed that </p><p>Royal Salute "was stuck in the past and needed to be rejuvenated". The </p><p>main challenge was to make the brand relevant because "the symbols of </p><p>luxury today are different to what they were in the 1980s". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Royal Salute also needs to develop a brand imagery which is unique in </p><p>the alcoholic beverages category, said Wilkes, adding that the agency is </p><p>looking at creating a campaign that "disrupts the norms in the </p><p>category". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It sought inspiration from luxury brands in other categories which had </p><p>successfully updated their image. Case studies for Jaguar, Louis Vuitton </p><p>and Patek Philippe were presented in the pitch, with TBWA claiming it </p><p>could achieve similar results. TBWA had four creative teams work on the </p><p>pitch. Wilkes said the repositioning would be a tough task because - </p><p>unlike Jaguar which has new vehicles to help promote its new image - </p><p>Royal Salute has remained the same. "We can't even change the packaging </p><p>so we have to change the imagery of the brand," Wilkes said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>