Paseo calls pitch in bid to fight Kleenex

The conglomerate is looking to increase consumption of tissue products within its Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) unit, particularly its bathroom and kitchen tissue range.

The company hopes to bite into the market share of Kleenex and other rival local tissue brands through more aggressive marketing.

In 2006, APP spent moderately on advertising, and was inactive last year. JWT was the most recent incumbent, but the agency is unlikely to contest the pitch given its global alignment with Kleenex. The pitch follows last month’s arrival of former Unilever Indonesia marketer Dwi Dewi Permatasari to run Sinar Mas’ tissue business marketing unit.

Saatchi & Saatchi, Lowe, Publicis and local agency Lemonade are contesting the business, with Hakuhodo believed to have pulled out because of time constraints.

Agencies will be presenting on 28 and 29 February. They have yet to be informed of the marketing budget involved, however the budget is estimated at US$1 million. APP pitched its Paseo account last September, which saw JWT, Saatchis and Ogilvy & Mather bid for the creative account.

Meanwhile, Smart, another subsidiary of Sinar Mas, is holding a pitch for its Filma cooking oil. An undisclosed number of agencies have been invited to pitch.

Sinar Mas is Asia’s largest paper and pulp producer, with annual output of seven million tonnes, distributed to 65 countries worldwide. The company also controls 110,000 hectares of palm plantations to produce edible oil and fats, such as Filma.