TBWA Tequila has been the incumbent agency for Ballantine's below-the-line work for over three years, whereas Publicis is the global aligned agency for above-the-line, driving the account from London.
TBWA has been charged with executing a new strategic and creative direction for the brand, including developing a unique engagement platform.
“The TBWA team put forward a pitch-winning strategy and a great creative idea,” commented Pierre Berard, marketing director of Pernod Ricard China. “They appreciated the great depth and potential of Ballantine’s. This is a very exciting new dawn for the brand.”
Ballantine is a premium whisky which is popular in Korea, Japan and Europe, though it is not currently as popular as Chivas and Johnnie-Walker in China.
TBWA Shanghai represents an additional four Pernod Ricard brands in China: Absolut, Royal Salute, Helan Mountain and Martell.
Publicis Shanghai created a ALT campaign titled 'Leave an impression' for Ballantine in China last November.