TBWA/Upstart in £2m Euro launch for Pioneer TVs

Pioneer plasma television has appointed TBWA/London to handle its &£2m pan-European launch.

The project will be run by TBWA/Upstart, a division of the agency. Upstart pitched against McCann Erickson in France, German agency Sixpack and LG&F in Belgium.

The brief is to position Pioneer as a premium brand of high-definition plasma TVs. The campaign will run across outdoor, print, point of sale and online from September. Media planning and buying will be handled by incumbent agencies, including McCann Universal in the UK.

Four new “high definition” models will be launched in September. High-definition television, which offers crystal clear images, will be introduced in the UK from next year. Sky Sports is rumoured to be using the technology to cover football’s World Cup 2006. The models will form part of Pioneer’s “Pure Digital Home Theatre” concept.

Flat-panel technology has reinvigorated the home electronics market, with companies vying to capture the mass market through lower prices and improved offerings. Sharp Electronics has launched a range of LCD televisions, Aquos P50 Series, aimed at the mass market (MW last week).

Upstart, now almost a year old, was set up to appeal to clients with smaller advertising budgets. As well as working with TBWA’s clients, such as Eurostar Ski, its first project, the division pitches for business independently.