Guangdong Advertising beats 4A agencies to win Shenzhen Metro’s Longhua Line anniversary ad business

Reported in January, Shenzhen Metro has called a creative agency pitch in search of an agency to handle the first anniversary celebrations of its Longhua Line, and to drive passenger traffic from Hong Kong and Shenzhen commuters.

The new agency ppointment was made last month. Guangzhou Advertising outperformed other 4As including McCann and Y&R on pricing, according to a source close to the pitch. "The client has informed me but there is no formal annoucement," the source said.

McCann-Ericsson Guangming Guangzhou was the incumbent creative agency for Shenzhen Metro.

The Hong Kong MTR Corporation operates the Shenzhen Metro Longhua Line, and its main group of travellers are Hong Kong business travellers commuting from the factory districts in China to Lo Wu, and fun-seeking travellers heading into Shenzhen's town centre for entertainment and dining.

Earlier this year Y&R Guangzhou won the creative business for the Guangzhou Metro network. The agency says the US$300,000 win comes after a six-month competitive pitch, which also featured Newsun, GDAD, Saatchi & Saatchi, and McCann Guangzhou.

Last year, VisionChina Media, one of China's largest OOH digital television advertising networks on public transportation systems, signed a five-year contract for Shenzhen's three new subway lines.  Since 1 July, 2011, the company has had the exclusive rights to operate digital mobile television advertising on close to 5,400 screens in Shenzhen's subway network.