Japan Tobacco calls creative pitch in Taiwan

An agency source in Taiwan close to the pitch stated that the company was conducting an annual review in preparation for 2010. The source was unable to disclose which agencies were involved. Representatives from JTI did not respond to Media’s request for comment at press time.

JTI, the international division of Japan Tobacco (JT), was established ten years ago when JT acquired US tobacco firm RJ Reynolds’ non-US brands. JT is the world’s third-largest tobacco company.

Brands under the JTI umbrella include Winston, Camel, Mild Seven, Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut, Sobranie, Glamour and LD, in addition to a range of cigar and rolling tobacco products. Competitors for the brand in Taiwan include the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL) among others.

According to a report published by JTI in October, sales decreased by 3.7 per cent year-on-year between January and September to 325.6 billion cigarettes. The company attributed the drop to market contraction, down-trading and increasing excise taxes.

A recent report by Euromonitor predicted a continued decline in cigarette consumption in Taiwan due to the imposition of strict government regulations. In January, the country became the second in Asia to introduce a ban on indoor smoking.