The Singapore Airlines-owned carrier handed JWT a two-year contract, ending fellow WPP agency Ogilvy & Mather’s six-year term as incumbent. The original short-list also included BatesAsia, Saatchi Lab, Y&R and Grey, but Bates and Grey were removed from contention for the second round.
Agencies were also asked to recommend a partner to handle tactical and strategic media buying, and incumbent MindShare was selected as SilkAir’s media agency.
According to SilkAir’s briefing document, the airline wants to continue growing its passenger capacity by more than 10 per cent per year amid rising competition from lower-cost airlines.
Taking into consideration the work done in the past five years, which includes Ogilvy’s ‘Where the world unwinds’ tagline and the latest ‘You never forget a SilkAir holiday’ campaigns, SilkAir wants JWT to build the brand over the long-term. Angus Fraser, MD of JWT Singapore, said: “The travel market is growing and changing rapidly in Asia. The JWT team was inspired by the huge potential of the SilkAir brand and how an unexpected approach could fulfil that potential. It’s an exciting company with lots of opportunities.”
