Publicis India has entered into a 12-month partnership with the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai’s flagship cultural institution, reflecting the agency’s corporate social responsibility drive regarding promoting cultural activities.
Andrew Swinand has been appointed to the newly-created role of President of Global Operations at Starcom MediaVest Group. Along with his regional management responsibilities, Swinand’s role will include the creation of new client-facing service models across the network and the expansion of the successful technology practice.
Social networking site BigAdda.com on August 25 announced the launch of its mobile version ‘MobileAdda’. The launch of Mobile Adda would enable Bigadda.com to reach out to a wider spectrum of users. BigAdda.com will be using television, radio, online and mobile to promote MobileAdda, and has earmarked around Rs 10 lakh for this.
PerceptH has bagged the creative duties for Integrated Group following a multi-agency that also saw the participation of JWT, DraftFCB Ulka, O&M, and McCann Erickson. The account size for the first year has been pegged at around Rs 10 crore. This is PerceptH’s third account win in the last one month.
With the emphasis on internal communications becoming integral to any HR manager, RK Swamy BBDO has taken a step forward in this regard with its specialist division HR Direction. Its online avatar, HRDirectionOnline.com, was formally unveiled in Bangalore on August 24, and aims to offer ‘ready-to-use’ HR communication collaterals addressing the issues of employee communication.
Srijon Sanman Awards 2008, which seeks to recognise excellence in advertising in Bengali, was held in Kolkata on August 23. Organised by Sangbad Pratidin, the Awards this year saw Bates 141 and Grey Dhaka shine. Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Even as Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd chalks out aggressive expansion plans, the leading DTH service provider in South India has appointed McCann Erickson as its creative agency following a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of 4-5 top agencies in the country. Sun Direct has earmarked a marketing budget of Rs 120 crore to complement its aggressive expansion plans beyond its forte – South India.
Parivartan City Infrastructure, the OOH division of Jindal Stainless Ltd, has acquired selling rights of 47 public utilities for seven years in the Capital’s NDMC area. The account is worth upwards of Rs 40 crore.
NDTV has embarked on a nationwide campaign, titled ‘7 Wonders of India’, in association with the Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India campaign. The campaign will uncover the seven best natural and man-made marvels in the country. This initiative is supported by State Bank of India and Tata Indicom.
Chennai-based Kalaignar TV Network is planning to expand its channel bouquet with the launch of three new channels in the news, comedy and kids (cartoons) genres. The Network has also chalked out aggressive plans to ramp up capacity and expand its presence across the globe, especially in the US, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.
Think the current number of channels beaming on TV sets is more than enough? Nearly 150 more channels are waiting in the wings, whose applications are in different stages of processing at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Of these, the Ministry has already given licences to 33 new news channels.
Alliance Advertising has bagged the mandate for media planning and buying of Greenply Industries following a multi-agency pitch. The account size is estimated at around Rs 15 crore. With this Greenply Industries parts ways with Lintas Media Group’s Initiative Media, which has handled the media account for the last five years.
August has been a busy month for MediaCom India. The agency has bagged the media mandate for Captain GR Gopinath’s new cargo venture, Deccan Cargo. Meanwhile, MediaCom has also appointed Anita Mookerjee as GM for its Bangalore office. Latish Nair has been roped in at MediaCom Interactions to head the digital initiatives of the agency. The two would be reporting to Divya Gururaj, MD, MediaCom India.
Close on the heels of entrusting its creative duties to McCann Erickson Chennai, Sun Direct has appointed Mindshare Chennai as its media AoR to handle its media buying and planning activities following a multi-agency pitch. The total ad spend has been pegged at Rs 120 crore.
Pitch fees has been a sore point that has come and gone from the focus of the advertising industry very often. The subject has come back under the scanner of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI). From the look of it right now, it doesn’t appear that a solution would be seen very soon. But the AAAI is hopeful that Indian adland might just unite on this issue this time.