Diageo in Windsor Korea creative pitch
by David Blecken Media Asia 11-Jun-08, 06:18
SEOUL - Multi-national beer, wine and spirits producer Diageo has called a creative pitch for its Windsor Premier whisky brand - the company's largest brand in Asia and the world's top-selling super premium Scotch - in the Chinese and Korean markets.
Three agencies are believed to be competing for the account, including incumbent McCann Erickson and JWT. The pitch follows Diageo’s regional review of its Guinness brand in March.
Launched in 1996, Windsor is Diageo’s key brand in Korea, where it competes with Pernod Ricard’s Imperial, the former market leader, as well as Ballantines and Scotch Blue, distributed by domestic giants Jinro and Lotte Chilsung respectively.
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Diageo suffered a setback in Asia-Pacific last year following the loss of its Korean import licence, which has necessitated distribution through a third-party operator.A senior agency source in Korea said that although expensive, whisky was the most popular alcoholic drink after beer and soju, consumed primarily by an older, male audience in hostess entertainment establishments or at business functions. The source added that while many imported brands had failed to attract a following, Windsor and Imperial had been blended to appeal to the Korean palate.
Last year saw investment of US$14.3 million in advertising for whisky brands in Korea, with a focus on print and outdoor due to regulations banning TV ads for high alcohol-content spirits.
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