Hitachi sack Dentsu overseas
by
David Kilburn
After a sweeping review of how it conducts its international corporate advertising from Tokyo, Hitachi has sacked
Dentsu and appointed Hakuhodo for Asia and the USA and McCann Erickson for Europe. Previously Dentsu
and Hakuhodo shared the European and USA assignments while Asia was handled by Chuo Senko Inc, Tokyo,
a medium-sized Japanese agency.
"We have realigned agencies for the worldwide corporate advertising we carry out from Tokyo, following a series
of competitive presentations about creative and all-round planning and media capabilities" says Mr. Hirano
Kashiwakura, Manager, International Advertising at Hitachi Ltd. In Tokyo. "These changes only affect the
activities we conduct from Tokyo - in each country, individual Hitachi companies select their own agencies for
local activities and those arrangements are not affected in any way by the changes we are making for corporate
advertising ."
The new appointments will be reviewed again in 3-4 years. Hitachi’s worldwide budget for corporate advertising
next year is expected to be US$15-20 million.
Dentsu is also losing out to Hakuhodo in Japan. Over the past year, the company has steadily moved creative
work out of Dentsu and into Hakuhodo. Agency sources reckon that over 80% of all Hitachi creative now
emanates from Hakuhodo. But media buying for Hitachi’s US$ 150 million domestic account is handled mainly by
Dentsu in Japan.
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Originally published in Media International, January 996
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