M2M wins £5m Yakult brief

M2M has been appointed to handle the £5m media planning and buying account for pro-biotic drink Yakult.

Yakult is a long-standing Japanese brand launched in the UK in 1996 and is positioned as a premium health product targeting upmarket consumers. Competitors include Danone’s Actimel and Müller’s Vitality Drink.

The Yakult account was previously handled by defunct agency Mediahead Communications, which was folded by its parent Mediaedge: CIA in August. M2M managing director Peter Thomson is the former managing director of Mediahead. The appointment was made by Yakult commercial director Jim Munday.

Cdp-travissully handles the advertising business and Yakult was originally launched by Travis Sennett Sully Ross. Cdp-travissully created a radio campaign to run on Classic FM last September. A television campaign, featuring a geeky dinner party guest who is very clued up on health and bacteria launched last April. A new campaign is expected at the beginning of January.

Yakult claims annual sales of more than £20m and launched a Yakult light variant last year.

M2M has now picked up all the significant Mediahead accounts including Swatch Group, Mark Warner Holidays and Estée Lauder.