Leagas Delaney to drive Italian designer furniture brand Kartell's push into China

Kartell will be opening two to three stores in Shanghai and Beijing this year. The first will open in high-end shopping mall Jing An Kerry Centre in Shanghai in April.

Kevin Lee, ECD and partner of Leagas Delaney, told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the agency won the account without a pitch, but through good chemistry with the client. “They came to our office and liked our case studies, including a recent one for Toblerone," he said.

“We love this independent designer brand, as we are an independent agency too, and it is nice to get our foot in the first designer furniture account category,” said Lee who has been at the agency for more than a year since leaving Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai.

Lee said there are many other designer furniture brands in China now, but Milan-based Kartell is famous are its transparent chairs designed by Philippe Starck.

Leagas Delaney will be responsible for brand consultancy, including website design, activation programmes, branding strategies and execution, and sales brochures. "Our goal is to establish a clear brand proposition in China, connecting to its target audience: young, entrepreneurial, elite groups who are keen to keep themselves up-to-date with the trendy lifestyle," Lee added.