Category: MAM

MUMBAI: The Festival Of Media Awards 2010, which was held in Valencia on 20 April, has named MPG Mexico as agency of the year for its work on Snickers Urbania and Nike.
 
Havas received the jury president‘s special prize – the service award. The award was given to recognize Havas‘ consistent quality of work submitted for the Festival of Media Awards and its agencies‘ commitment to providing innovation and service across a wide range of countries and marketing challenges.
 
Meanwhile, MediaCom won the media agency network of the year title for the work done by its agencies in India, China, Turkey, the UK and the US.
 
Additionally, The Financial Times won the media owner of the year title and Yahoo! won the media innovation of the year.

The People‘s Award, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal Europe and hosted by Cream Global, went to “It Doesn‘t Have To Happen”, a campaign against knife crime entered by Manning Gottlieb OMD, UK.

BANGALORE: Celebrating the chutzpah and razzmatazz around the frenetic DLF IPL frenzy, Royal Challenge from the house of United Spirits Limited has unveiled a Gold Bat which is up for grabs for that one fan who is game for the DLF IPL challenge.
 
Royal Challenge has launched a limited edition DLF IPL pack with a contest that allows every individual to create their own virtual DLF IPL team comprising members from Royal Challengers, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab.

Now you can have Jacques Kallis, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in your own team. All you have to do is sign up for the contest and start building your own team and every time a player of your virtual team scores runs or takes wickets in the DLF IPL matches, you get to score points that brings you closer to winning the coveted winning prize: a commemorative memoir in the shape of a bat that of 24 carat plated gold, studded with 90 real diamonds and 188 rubies sponsored and manufactured by Gitanjali Lifestyle Ltd. The bat will be autographed by the players themselves.
 
Debashish Shyam, Business Head, United Spirits Limited, said, “In sports everyone enjoys a true royal challenge to create that differentiating mark. Royal Challenge has seized this opportunity to make this year‘s DLF IPL a more memorable one. In conjunction with Royal Challengers, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab, the brand has truly upped the ante to mark this DLF IPL season in gold. This initiative is to provide a platform for DLF IPL fans to choose their favourite cricketers and experience their own victory that will stand in gold. This Limited edition pack from Royal Challenge is an effort from our side to add more cheer and festivity around this year‘s DLF IPL celebrations.”
 
Anil Prabhakar, Vice President – Business Development, Gitanjali Lifestyle Ltd said, “We at Gitanjali are pleased to support the consumer scheme being implemented by United Spirits Limited. This will reinforce our association with Cricket in general and USL in particular. By sponsoring the cricket bat and gold coins we also hope to generate goodwill among the consumers.”
 

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, RK Swamy BBDO Mumbai has bagged the creative duties of CMS Computers, an IT solutions provider.
 
RK Swamy BBDO chairman and MD Srinivasan Swamy confirmed the account win. This is the first time CMS Computers have got on board an ad agency. 
 
Initially, the RK Swamy BBDO will focus on the media mix that will involve print and out of home (OOH) initiatives. 
 
CMS Computers provides services including networking, training, outsourcing, customising & implementing solutions and onsite service & support.

MUMBAI: Quadrant Communications has bagged the creative duties for Alliance Tire Group and TBZ Nirmal Zaveri.

The account size of both the businesses together is valued at Rs 100 million.

While Quadrant Communications pitched against four other agencies for the Alliance Tire Group account, there was no formal pitch for the TBZ Nirmal Zaveri account. 
 
“We had worked with TBZ Nirmal Zaveri from 2005 to 2008. Last year, the company didn‘t focus much on media and hence we parted ways. With media again becoming their focus, they approached us,” says Quadrant Communications CEO and president Rajan Narayan.

For the Alliance Tire Group account, the company would be handling the communications for the brand in India. The agency would mainly be using print, outdoor and events as part of its media mix for the accounts.
 
For the TBZ Nirmal Zaveri account, the target is to reach the premium clients. “TBZ Nirmal Zaveri caters to a niche segment. We will be targeting the premium customers. Also, we will be promoting the company‘s premium silver brand ‘Shaze‘. We will focus on one to one marketing for this business,” adds Narayan.
 

MUMBAI: Ogilvy India has appointed Rohan Deshpande as chief information officer (CIF), a newly created position in the organisation. Deshpande will be based out of Mumbai.
 
Prior to this, Deshpande was Hungama Digital Media Entertainment associate director, wireless technology.
 
Deshpande has around eight years of experience in the telecom sector and has worked with Tata Infotech and Bharti Cellular in the past.

MUMBAI: Dutch consumer electronics major Philips has entered into a five-year brand licensing pact with Videocon for managing its television sets business in India.

As per the deal, Videocon will manufacture and sell Philips television sets. It will also provide the after-sales service, making use of its vast task force spread across the country.
 
“We have entered into a brand licensing agreement with Videocon under which it will assume the responsibility of selling and after sale services of Philips consumer television sets in India,” Philips India CEO Murali Sivaraman said.

The TV sets, manufactured by Videocon Industries under the Philips brand, will, however, have to match the specifications and standards maintained by Philips globally.

Videocon has a large integrated presence in the country and with the help of its sales and distribution network Philips will increase the presence of television sets in the country significantly.
 
Philips is eying a bigger pie of the TV segment in India, where it has so far failed to make much impact. The Indian market is flooded with international players like Sony, LG, Samsung Electronics and Panasonic.

Earlier, in 2008, Philips had entered into a similar agreement with Japanese electronics firm Funai to manufacture, distribute, market and sell Philips TV sets in the US and Canada. With the model being successful there, the company has decided to replicate the same in India.
 

BANGALORE: United Spirits Limited (USL) announced Kevin Pietersen as brand ambassador for Scotch whisky brand Whyte & Mackay.

Pietersen is supposed to be a connoisseur of scotch and single malts
 
Whyte & Mackay is a team sponsor of the IPL team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The team features some of the world‘s best players including Pietersen, Mark Boucher, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Jacques Kallis.

MUMBAI: Lowe Lintas has bagged the creative duties of Nirulas India, beating other agencies like Saatchi& Saatchi, M&C Saatchi and T.A.G. Ideation in the contest.

Under the alliance, Lowe Lintas will be responsible for Nirula India‘s brand communication including strategic planning and brand launches.
 
The business will be headed by Lowe Lintas executive director Naveen Gaur. “We are really excited to partner with Nirula‘s India. Our philosophy of high value ideas has merited us the challenge to recreate a new brand image for Nirulas. It is an exciting category and it‘s a massive opportunity for the brand,” he says.
 
Adds Nirulas India VP marketing Vinayak Shourie, “We are very confident that through our association with Lowe Lintas and their expertise we will be able to not only strengthen the Nirula brand image but create a distinctive identity for the brand. This is a very important phase in the brands evolution and we intent to bring about a number of significant changes over the coming months. With the Lintas strength behind us we are sure that this phase is going to turn the brand into an even stronger entity.”

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, Leo Burnett Delhi has won the creative duties of Kohler India.

The agency was awarded the duties after two rounds of selection meetings.

Says Leo Burnett chairman and CEO Arvind Sharma, “Yes, we have bagged the Kohler India business.”
 
This is the first time Kohler has got on board a creative agency.

“Kohler is truly a global brand with a heritage of being an innovator in the category. Their wide range of stylish, superior performance products provides us the perfect platform for making it as admired a brand in India as it is globally,” says Leo Burnett executive director Samir Gangahar.
 
Kohler India president Vikas Gupta says, “We are happy to appoint Leo Burnett as our creative agency. Leo Burnett is known for its ability to aptly partner with brands and provide unique creative solutions that help brands in creating a space in the minds of the customers.”

Headquartered in the United States, Kohler deals in manufacturing kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors.

The brand entered the India market in 2006 with the launch of bathroom products including toilets, lavatories, faucets, bathtubs, whirlpools and showers and is headquartered in Gurgaon.
 

MUMBAI: Kurl-On has rolled out Teenz collection, bed linens exclusively designed for the new generation.
 
Said Kurlon director marketing and sales G.Sivaram, ” Teenz collection, that has been specially developed and designed for the go-getting stylish Indian youth, focuses on intensity and the power of various cocktail colour combinations that bring out the temperament of a cheerful, vibrant and chic youngster. The new trendy collection emphasises our commitment to keep innovating.”
 
This new Kurl-on collection exhibits a mix of fun-loving style featuring an eccentric combination of bold and colorful hues, cultivated to the teens. Priced at Rs 1450, the ‘Teenz Collection‘ is available in five designs.