Burger King picks Y&R as creative agency in Vietnam to boost expansion

Y&R Vietnam has been selected to launch Burger King’s new menu as well as lead the fast-food chain’s first anniversary celebrations in the country. The new campaign is set to roll out from the end of September across multiple channels and will have strong activation and digital engagement components.

"Y&R displayed a great understanding of our category and challenges,” said Eric Dew, GM for Burger King Vietnam. “Once their insight and creativity was added into the mix, their appointment was the right choice for us at the right time.”

A spokesperson for the agency did not name the other participating agencies.

“We're at a crucial time in the brand’s development, but now is not the time to be complacent,” said Matthew Collier, CEO, Y&R Vietnam. “With more competitors coming on stream over the next year, we've got a window to own the hamburger market in Vietnam and that's what we'll be aiming to achieve."

Collier is referring to McDonald’s recent decision to open its first restaurant in Vietnam next year through a franchise deal with Henry Nguyen, the influential son-in-law of the country’s prime minister.

According to data provided by Euromonitor, the US$543.6 million fast-food market in Vietnam saw growth of 13.9 per cent in 2012 and is expected to grow 15 per cent in 2014. At present, KFC leads market share in the category with 16 per cent of the market, followed by Lotteria with 5.8 per cent and Jollibee at 1.6 per cent. Burger King, launched in 2011, has about 0.4 per cent of the market.

The emergence of Western culture in Vietnam, a young population and higher disposable income presents a significant opportunity for multinational fast-food joints in Vietnam.

Burger King currently has 20 stores in Vietnam, with another handful more to open by year end.