Category: MAM

MUMBAI: Aroma Mobiles, a new entrant into the handset market, has been roped in as the official mobile handset partner of Kings XI Punjab, one of the eight DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.
 
Aroma Mobiles MD Ashwin Kavedi says, “This partnership will help Aroma to create brand awareness and in conjunction with Kings XI Punjab will drive lot of activities for end consumers.”
 
Adds Kings XI Punjab CEO Anil Srivatsa, “Cricket has a huge fan base in north India and this will further strengthen the brand with KXIP fans getting access to special KXIP fan club content on their new Aroma mobile handsets.”

MUMBAI: Following a multi-agency pitch, Scarecrow Communications has bagged the multimedia duties of Shriram Transport Finance and creative duties of Religare Macquaire business. 
 
Scarecrow Communications is a newly launched agency by Manish Bhatt, Raghu Bhat, Joy Sengupta and Vivek Suchanti. 
 
According to industry sources, while the Shriram Transport Finance account size is pegged at Rs 200 million, Religare Macquaire‘s account size stands at Rs 80 million. 
 
The other agencies that had pitched for the Shriram Transport Finance account include RK Swamy BBDO and Madison.
 

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has appointed Fluid World to handle select categories in the ever-expanding Top Gear licensing programme.   
Top Gear is a show about cars and is seen in over 100 countries. Top Gear merchandise first came to market when Marks and Spencer launched a gift range from Peter Black in 2006. An extensive range of Top Gear product hit retail in Autumn/Winter 2009 with categories including board games, toiletries, stationery and remote control cars.

BBC Worldwide has charged Fluid World with developing Top Gear licensing programmes in the UK for new categories including luggage and travel accessories, car accessories and electronics. All other categories will continue to be managed in-house at BBC Worldwide with Fluid World reporting to Head of UK Licensing Richard Hollis.
 
Hollis says, “Top Gear has been our fastest growing merchandising property in many categories, most notably in gift, but the brand licensing potential for this brand – we believe – is bigger still. We have brought Fluid World on board to focus on a select number of categories, to deliver high quality merchandise that reflects the production values of the show.”
 
Fluid World CEO Andrew Lane says, “Fluid World is very proud to be working with BBC Worldwide on such a prestigious property. They have successfully developed Top Gear into a lifestyle brand and we look forward to contributing to its further growth and success.”
 

MUMBAI: BBH has elevated John Hadfield to CEO, BBH Asia Pacific.

Prior to this, Hadfield was MD, Asia Pacific. 

In his new capacity, Hadfield will be based out of Singapore and will report to BBH group CEO Simon Sherwood.
 
Says BBH Asia chairman Charles Wigley, “It‘s fantastic when someone‘s next steps are so clear. Hadfield‘s record here has been exemplary against all counts – the work, the business, the spirit of the company.”
 

MUMBAI: IBD India, Percept-Hakuhoda‘s integrated brand development division, has won the creative duties for Sunil Mantri Realty.

“Based on their portfolio of work and their presentation for taking our brand to new levels of excellence, we have appointed them as our advertising and branding agency,” said Sunil Mantri Realty chairman Sunil Mantri.
 
“In addition to being in the commercial and residential space, Sunil Mantri Realty now is emerging in sectors including hospitality, SEZ and finance. Our first assignment was to change the brand identity and position them as a national player. IBD India‘s division Bydesign worked on this project,” says IBD India COO Evarist Rego.
 
IBD India will provide the Mantri group with services including brand identity, advertising, digital services and production services.

“Mantri group is associated with affordable buying. We would do the transition in a very slow manner and not go premiere all of a sudden, as it will alienate the customers from the brand,” adds Rego.
 
The agency is looking at a 360 degree integrated marketing solution. Currently the agency is working on campaigns of the residential projects – Mantri Park campaign in Mumbai and Mantri Premero and Mantri Royal campaign in Bangalore.
 

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, Saints & Warriors has bagged the creative duties of Skoda Auto India.
 
The agency will be handling the company‘s complete portfolio that includes Octavia, Laura, Fabia and Superb.
 
Law & Kenneth is the incumbent agency. Meanwhile, Mediacom will be handling the media duties for the company.

MUMBAI: With census forms set to arrive in more than 130 million mailboxes next month, the US Census Bureau will continue building awareness about the importance and benefits of mailing back the 2010 Census form with a $5.1 million advertising package during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Said Census Bureau Director Robert M Groves, “The Census Bureau‘s goal with this advertising package is to increase awareness that the Census is coming, Taxpayers save $85 million for every one percentage point increase in the national mail back participation rate for the 2010 Census. Effective advertising is vital to making that happen.”
 
Over the 17 days of the Winter Olympics, the Census Bureau plans to air 132 spots on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and USA. The package includes advertisements paid for by the Census Bureau and value added at no cost to the Census Bureau in the form of improved ad placements. Public service announcements by three Olympic athletes will also run throughout the games – Ben Agosto (figure skater), Jennifer Rodriguez (speed skater) and Julie Chu (ice hockey).

More than 26 per cent of adults living in the United States are expected to watch the Winter Olympics during the next two weeks. As one of the biggest events this year, at least 230 million US residents are projected to view the census ads.
 
“The Winter Olympics are a time of great pride across the world,” Groves added. “Our Olympic advertising campaign is intended to raise awareness about the important role people can play in shaping the nation over the next ten years – simply by taking just ten minutes to complete the Census form‘s 10 questions when it arrives in their mailboxes in mid-March.”

The Olympic advertising package is the latest in the recently launched paid advertising campaign for the 2010 Census. In total, more than 400 ads in 28 languages have been created for the 2010 Census. Placements span TV, radio, print, out-of-home, digital, cinema, social media, events and sponsorships.
 
 
In addition to advertising, the Census Bureau has also implemented other initiatives including a national road tour traveling to communities to increase awareness that the census is coming, a partnership programme that now has more than 185,000 members nationwide, and a Census in Schools programme seeking to educate students about the nation‘s population and how it has changed since the first census in 1790.
 

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, Grey Advertising has won the creative duties of the Ferrero group. The agency will handle the four brands -Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac, Kinder and Nutella in India. 
 
According to industry sources, the account size is pegged at Rs 30 million.
 
Grey Group India COO Jishnu Sen says, “Our commitment to building brands through our knowledge of the consumer along with our ability to produce exciting creative work won us this business. The brands are legendary and we are looking forward to doing them justice in India.”

MUMBAI: McCann Erickson has elevated Namrata Nandan to general manager.
 
In her new capacity, Nandan who prior to the promotion was McCann Mumbai group business director will now be based out of the agency‘s Bangalore office.
 
Says McCann Erickson executive chairman India Prasoon Joshi, “Nandan will be moving to Bangalore and will be working closely with creative director Anil Thomas.” 
 
Nandan has been associated with McCann Erickson since 2003. With approximately 14 years of experience, Nandan has also worked with agencies such as JWT India, Ogilvy and Rediffusion Y&R.

MUMBAI: Max, the official broadcaster of the DLF Indian Premier League, has launched a 90-second television campaign that plays on the tagline, ‘We missed you too‘.

Exhibiting the thought that DLF IPL 2010 is back in India, the campaign sways to the patriotic notes of ‘Saare Jahaan Se Accha, Hindustan Hamaara, Hum Bul Bulle Hein Iski, Yeh Gulsita Hamara‘.
 
Conceptualised by JWT, the campaign has been produced by Storytellers. 
 
Max EVP & business head Sneha Rajani says, “The DLF IPL is back where it belongs. This ad film is the country‘s welcome to the greatest entertainment extravaganza ever seen. The film captures the one emotion that binds our country – the undying passion for cricket everywhere.”
 
 
The campaign will be aired across Set‘s network channels, various GECs, sports channels, news channels, music channels, kids‘ channels and regional channels.