Euro RSCG secures £5m Yakult account

Yakult UK, the probiotic drink brand, has appointed Euro RSCG to handle its 5m advertising business following a three-way pitch against DDB London and JWT. It is the second win for the agency in less than a week after it scooped the 39m account for 3 at the end of last week.

Yakult UK, the probiotic drink brand, has appointed Euro RSCG to handle its £5m advertising business following a three-way pitch against DDB London and JWT. It is the second win for the agency in less than a week after it scooped the £39m account for 3 at the end of last week.
Lowe London was involved in the Yakult review at an earlier stage but is understood to have a pulled out due to a “conflict of interest”. The pitch was called earlier this year after it parted company with Wieden & Kennedy after just 18 months (MW January 24).
The appointment is part of a wider review of the brand’s European advertising roster, which was called last September. It is seeking a small number of pan-European agencies to develop a creative strategy and help the brand expand into new territories. A number of reviews across the continent are still ongoing.
Alan Jelly, marketing director for Yakult UK, says that Euro RSCG demonstrated an understanding of the brand and how it should be communicated to a wider audience. Mark Cadman, chief executive of the London office, and Gerry Moira, director of creativity will lead the agency team.
Yakult was developed in 1935 by a Dr Shirota, an advocate of preventative medicine, at Kyoto University in Japan. The Yakult Central Institute in Japan and the company work closely to with the scientific and medical communities to increase understanding of friendly bacteria. The brand is currently sold in 28 countries across the world.