How do you grow a brand and increase sales with limited access to the consumer?
That’s the challenge when you’re working on a tobacco account. Most countries have extremely restrictive laws on tobacco advertising, and today some even have a complete ban on any type of marketing by tobacco brands.
Agencies and admen don’t tend to talk about their cigarette accounts any more, at least not in polite company. Long gone are the days when cigarette advertising was sophisticated, glamorous and even award winning.
So, when you’re asked to work on a cigarette brief you know you’re being handed a poisoned chalice that could potentially damage your career. For some reason my art director, Chris Sharp and I decided to take it on.
We decided that where possible, we would push for global promotional concepts that would shock and awe all the local markets and their consumers. These promotional concepts would be truly integrated across all possible touch points and would be supported by on the ground events.
The events were critical in markets where advertising was restricted, as they would be subtly ‘branded’ (as much or as little as local market regulations allowed) and give consumers a brand experience connected to the promotional idea.
Cutting a long story short, we successfully increased sales across all JTI’s local and international brands. As the lead creatives on JTI, Chris and I grew the account from one of the smallest to the largest in the agency, with billings that accounted for a third of TBWA\Tequila total annual revenues.
Winston Freedom Tour
The eagle has long been part of Winston’s brand identity, representing freedom and American quality flavour. We created the Winston Freedom Tour as a chance for consumers to experience the ultimate escape to a life of freedom, sailing around the south of France (and in later years, the Caribbean) on a superyacht with their own crew including onboard chef.
In the first year we gathered a flotilla of six superyachts and three catarmarans carrying prize winners from half a dozen countries. Three years later the flotilla was a fleet with nearly twice as many boats hosting more prize winners from more countries. The Winston Freedom Tour became one of the biggest ongoing global promotions in the world.
The success of the Freedom Tour helped Winston grow from the fourth biggest selling cigarette brand in the world, to the number two slot. It’s fair to say the client was pretty damn happy with us.
We also managed JTI owned, iconic brands: Camel, Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut and Mayfair.
Agency: TBWA\Tequila London
Copywriter: Steve Chung
Art Director: Chris Sharp
Copywriter: Steve Chung
Art Director: Chris Sharp