Hitachi hands Swarm 10m Euro ad account
Japanese consumer electronics brand Hitachi has appointed Swarm, the conflict shop set up by RKCR/ Y&R, to handle its estimated £10m pan-European advertising business.
It is understood that the agency snatched the account from incumbent Banner. Sue Tucker, Hitachi UK head of marketing has confirmed the appointment.
Swarm has been given a brief to manage Hitachi’s integrated account including advertising, direct mail and in-store promotions. Swarm will work alongside Hitachi’s global agency Dentsu Y&R.
The move comes as the electronics giant pulls out of the personal computer market saying it wants to focus on larger network systems for businesses instead. It is scaling back PC production at its central Japan plant.
The electronics company appointed branding and advertising agency Loewy to develop its brand strategy for its European business in 2005. Loewy developed the brand’s first overall brand TV campaign in more than ten years, which was aimed at 25to 55-year-old business decision makers to raise awareness of the electronics company’s track record in technology innovation.
The campaign used the strapline: “Hitachi’s technology and know-how improves your life” and also included press and online. Loewy handles corporate campaigns for Hitachi.
Hitachi includes 24 companies in Europe, which work in a variety of electronics sectors including consumer products and data storage. Its products include refrigerators, microwaves and washing machines as well as home electronics such as cameras, DVD players and plasma TVs.
Earlier this year, Hitachi closed a parts factory in Mexico and cut 4,500 jobs as part of a restructure aimed at turning around its hard disk drive business.
