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Wonderbra will introduce its line of push-up plunge brassieres in Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines after a successful launch in Hong Kong.

  William Kwan, regional marketing director for manufacturer Sara Lee Personal Products, said sales had topped 10,000 since its March 19 debut.

  The bra, to be introduced in Singapore early in the summer and in Taiwan and the Philippines next year, caused a sensation in the United States when it was introduced two years ago.

  The company said one bra was bought every 15 seconds in New York City alone during the initial launch. In Britain, retail sales hit 20,000 per week.

  'Our research told us that there was demand for a product like this in Asia and sales confirm this,' Mr Kwan said.

  The company is aiming to sell 100,000 bras in Hong Kong this year, generating $250 million in retail sales. The bra is available at about 30 outlets in the territory.

  The Sara Lee launch in Hong Kong and Singapore will cost more than $5 million.

   It plans to introduce the bra throughout Asia during the next five years.

  More than $500,000 has been spent promoting the product, with billboard campaigns in all 52 MTR stations and print advertisements in Eastweek magazine and Sunday newspapers.

  The company has benefitted by the free publicity generated by interest in the product and through the endorsements of prominent designers and models.

  'Those were not paid advertisements, so it really helps in giving a lot of credibility to our brand,' Mr Kwan said.

  'Top models have been using the Wonderbra for some time and it has been beneficial in creating interest in the product.'   The company is relatively late in getting into the Asian market because competitors Triumph and Wacoal have been selling their products - the Maximizer and the Good Up Bra - in Hong Kong for a number of years.

   'In terms of the launch in Asia, it took us some time because we had to be sure our product would fit Asian women,' Mr Kwan said.

  'In terms of the physical build of Asian women, they are quite different from Westerners and this product is built specifically for Asian bodies. This is not the Wonderbra designed for Western women.'   Wonderbra is distributed and sold in Hong Kong by Siber Hegner.



Lingerie line stays abreast of times