Three-year incumbent CTWCM, as well as TBWA, Grey Global Group and Euro RSCG, are believed to be gunning for the business (estimated at US$3.1 million). Sources close to the pitch say the account will most likely shift to Grey.
The creative brief has been handled by CTWCM, the agency set up by BBDO's former creative chiefs Paul Chan and KC Tsang, who spearheaded the brand's creative direction since 1998, about a year after the telecom operator launched in Hong Kong.
Sunday was initially seen as an upstart operator with little future when stacked against bigger rivals. The brand used irreverent images (such as a man breaking wind) and a brash approach to become one of the city's best-known brands in five years.
However, since then, the brand has "stagnated" while competition has intensified, said one source: "The problem was that once they had done the communication they focused on expanding the business of existing subscribers for revenue. Now, the issue is how do they go forward and cope with 3G activity. The market is seriously hotting up."