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