Kawasaki in European ad agency review

Motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki is reviewing its European advertising account, which is handled by Publicis.

Since its appointment in 2003, Publicis has been running the account from its Dutch office. As well as motorcycles, the account covers products such as jetskis and all-terrain vehicles.

Kawasaki, which has a presence in the UK, France, Sweden, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, consolidated its advertising for the first time when it appointed Publicis. But Marketing Week has learned that, just 18 months later, it is again talking to agencies from the UK and Europe.

Before 2003, Kawasaki’s advertising was handled by individual agencies in each European market. Middlesex-based Orchard handled the UK account, which consisted mainly of specialist press ads.

The pitch is being co-ordinated by Kawasaki’s European head office in the Netherlands, with the appointment overseen by the marketing team, headed by European marketing manager Jan Willem van der Straten.

Kawasaki is famous for its distinctive green, white and blue branding, used across its range of sports and trail bikes. Its main competitors in the motorbike market are Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha.

No one from Kawasaki was available for comment as Marketing Week went to press.