Loewy scoops £10m Hitachi Europe branding business

Japanese consumer electronics brand Hitachi has appointed branding and advertising agency Loewy to develop a brand strategy for its European business. It is estimated that the account will be worth &£10m.

The appointment follows a competitive pitch against five undisclosed agencies, which included shops from across Europe.

Hitachi head of brand and communication Mark Wilkin says the aim is to develop work that will act as an umbrella for the group and will benefit each business. It does not affect relationships between individual companies and their existing agencies. He says: “It is not about replacing an agency or replacing work, it’s about developing activity for the corporate brand.”

In the UK, Mustoes handles advertising for consumer products.

Loewy has been briefed to develop a pan-European strategy that will raise awareness of the Hitachi brand and its associated businesses. Hitachi has 24 companies in Europe, which work in a variety of electronics sectors including consumer products and data storage.

Meanwhile, Hitachi is using Stephen Spielberg’s latest film, War of the Worlds, to promote its Picture Master flat-screen televisions. Hitachi products are featured in the film and there will be a press and in-store campaign to promote the tie-up, which launches next month.