JWT Taiwan retains Sakura creative account

Sakura also invited BBDO along with JWT for the pitch, which was called in January. Evan Teng, MD of JWT Taiwan, confirmed the news.

JWT Taiwan has worked with the client since winning the creative account from FCB in 2007.

“We really thought BBDO would have won the pitch as the results were very close. But Sakura's chairman thought JWT’s client servicing and creative fit its requirements,” said an undisclosed agency source close to the pitch.

Sakura brought rival brand Topax in March 2009 and subsequently became its main stockholder.

According to an industry insider, many consumers are not aware of that, and Sakura seems not to want people to know about it either. "It might be their brand strategy to maximise market share," said the source.

The company sells its products under the Sakura brand through distributors in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, the United States, Canada and many other countries.