Global body care brand Nivea calls digital pitch in China

The agencies tipped to be involved are wwwins Isobar, local digital agency Starnet, Tribal DDB and an undisclosed agency.

The pitch is at the early request-for-proposal stage, with agencies submitting their company credentials. A source close to the client said that the winning agency will handle not only the Nivea brand but also some assocated sub brands.

In China, the brand currently does not have a digital creative AOR. Carat China confirmed with Campaign Asia-Pacific that it has been handling all of Beiersdorf's media business since this year. 

In November 2010, Beiersdorf appointed DraftFCB as the global lead agency on its estimated US$700 million ad account. Last November, DraftFCB China rolled out a series of winter commercials to drive awareness of its Q10 revitalising moisturiser for men. 

On the global level, last May Nivea hired international R&B diva Rihanna as the brand ambassador for its US$1.4 billion 'Skincare for life' 100th anniversary campaign. Some questioned whether Rihanna's sexy image was a good fit with Nivea's more traditional brand image, and Nivea recently dropped her. In fact the new CEO of Beiersdorf, Stefan Heidenreich, was quoted as saying, "‘The advert starring Rihanna was a no go. I do not understand how Nivea can be brought into association with Rihanna. Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability.”