Seagram picks TBWA for Royal Salute overhaul

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.

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