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Friday, 27th January 2006 (5040 views)

The Austrian Mint is hoping to thrust its way back into the hearts and minds of Japanese gold buyers by advertising its coins on the side of aircraft.

The mint makes Japan's most popular gold coin, the Vienna Philharmonic, but has seen Japanese sales drop from 136,485 ounces in 2002 to 73,454 ounces last year as the price of gold rose.

Feeling that drastic measures were called for, the mint has teamed up with Austrian Airlines in an imaginative advertising campaign designed to win favour once again.

Austrian Airlines jets flying between Tokyo and Vienna have been decorated with a motif of the 'Harmony' gold coin – as it is known.

The Austrian Mint's Japanese boss, Miko Ikedo-Takano, hopes that the aerial advertising stunt will prompt sales to soar back up to 10,000 ounces in 2006, although he told Dow Jones Newswires that "it all depends on the market situation and gold price".

If that wasn't enough, the mint will also try to tempt back Japanese gold investors by offering a free Mozart CD with each of its Harmony coins.

Gold coin sales are seen as a key litmus of interest in gold bullion among individual investors as they can easily be purchased in small quantities.

Sales of gold coins in Japan have suffered since spot gold prices surged past the historic $500 an ounce barrier late last year.

 

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