KT&G appoints JWT to creative and media business in Korea

JWT Adventure will be charged with providing integrated advertising solutions for both companies. The remit will include digital and media planning and creative development, retail design and broadcast communications. The accounts will focus on the domestic market.

KGC currently holds an 80 per cent share of the Korean red ginseng market. According to marketing director Kwang-hyok Bang, the division is looking “for additional growth in the market” and plans to embark on a long-term brand building initiative for its red ginseng brands.

Speaking on behalf of KT&G in a statement, marketing director Chang-hyun Park noted that JWT adventure “delivered an exceptional strategic presentation that made us confident in our choice to assign them as the creative and media agency across all products”.

According to Euromonitor, KT&G held around 60 per cent of the domestic tobacco market in 2009. Its cigarette brands include Arirang, Esse, Indigo, This and The One, among others. The account is reported to be worth in excess of US$30 million.