Rivella wants to show its colors once again

Things are hot in the beverage market, even if temperatures in Switzerland do not always encourage consumers to drink as they would like. Coca-Cola Zero celebrated a dream start. When Rivella Yellow was launched, the managers who were used to success - Rivella is one of the 20 strongest brands in Switzerland - had to swallow a flop for once. The discussion about the opportunities and dangers for a new edition of Rivella Yellow has become a minor media topic. Independently of this background, Rivella's corporate communications department has now also announced that it has dissolved its cooperation with the Walker advertising agency. Walker won the budget for the traditional Swiss brand in January 2009 without a pitch, as part of an intensive and multi-stage agency evaluation. But the campaign has been put on hold by Rivella so far. "The agency presented us with some really surprising and creative ideas," Cornelia Marending of Rivella marketing explained in an interview as recently as mid-July. Now the corporate communications department announces in a "newsflash": "After the first conceptual phase, Rivella AG has decided not to continue the cooperation with the Walker advertising agency. As of the end of August, a pitch process will begin in a small, defined group of agencies with the goal of implementing a new Rivella campaign in spring 2010."
Pius Walker did not want to comment on the situation and said when asked by Werbewoche: "We want to take the customer's wishes into account and not discuss the matter publicly. In addition, Walker generally does not comment on current and past customer relationships." The Walker agency has nothing to do with the currently hanging posters for the new Rivella Yellow with the newly applied "Zero Black" and the claim "Refreshingly different".
Andreas Panzeri