Arena Media lands Ricola account

It is understood that there was no incumbent agency on the account.

The new Ricola campaign will launch in the New Year with the brand set to invest £3m in TV advertising across 2013 from an overall marketing budget of £5.5m.

According to Arena, the campaign marks a move back to TV advertising for the Swiss confectioner, following "impressive" year-on-year sales growth.

All media will be planned and bought by Arena Media, with creative work being produced in-house.

The new campaign will aim to highlight Ricola as the sweet with a "natural mouthwatering" taste that epitomises the Swiss Alps.

The campaign will target upmarket 35- to 64-year-old women and will launch with a roadblock of programmes on Sunday night.

Andy Richman, Ricola country manager for UK and Ireland, said: "Arena Media was selected for its focused approach, consumer understanding and its stand out creativity."

Pedro Avery, managing director at Arena Media, said: "Having not advertised above the line for the past couple of years, this is a great opportunity for the brand to make a big impact."

Ricola is currently available in 50 countries.

The news follows Arena's recent win of the £2m ZSL media account.

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This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk