MxMIndia

Tag: Grey Worldwide

  • AKQA and Grey launch new network, to offer clients “outstanding creativity, innovation and brand-building at global scale”

    Grey to merge with Akqa. WPP creates AKQA Group

    By A Correspondent

     

    It should’ve been a no-brainer. JWT and Y&R both lost their age-old identities thanks to mergers with other group entities. Communications agencies Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe also merged to form BCW. Now WPP has announced that’ AKQA and Grey are uniting to form a new network model, AKQA Group. Grey is the well-known creative-led agency and AKQA is accomplished for its innovationand experience design skills. “With heightened demand for digital transformation and technology-driven capabilities, the combination will create a powerful new proposition for clients as a leading creative solutions company with a worldwide footprint,” notes a communique, adding: “The AKQA Group will have 6,000 people in more than 50 countries and a blue-chip client roster that includes more than half of the Fortune 500’s top 20. It will provide a full range of brand experience capabilities across all communications platforms, strengthening the skills and services of both companies for clients.”

     

    AKQA founder Ajaz Ahmed and Grey Worldwide CEO Michael Houston will partner to lead the new Group. Ahmed will become Chief Executive Officer and Houston will become Global President and Chief Operating Officer of AKQA Group. The AKQA Group will launch with the AKQA and Grey brands, which will be integrated over time into a single company based on client and market needs. The management team and creative leadership will be announced in the coming weeks, comprising leaders from AKQA and Grey.

     

    Said Ajaz Ahmed: “Our goal is to expand horizons, combining the curiosity, ambition, imagination and pioneering spirit of a startup with the reach of a global enterprise. This is an unparalleled opportunity for AKQA and Grey to bring our shared assets to life into a modern, creatively-led company, building upon our inspiring and useful work to create value for our clients, people and communities.”

     

    Added Michael Houston: “This exciting new partnership begins with what consumers expect, clients value, and brands need. Forming a new company that can deliver culture-driving ideas through technology at speed and scale is a potent proposition for our clients, large and small, and will allow us to offer the most powerful creative solutions in the industry.”

     

    Said Mark Read, CEO of WPP: “Our clients want outstanding creativity, powered by technology expertise and delivered at a global scale. This new company is designed precisely to meet those needs and is another important step forward in building our future-facing offer for clients.”

     

     

  • The business will be primarily handled out of Delhioffice, with Grey's Bangaloreoffice playing a key role for the South Market

    Grey wins creative duties for Muthoot group

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Muthoot Group (M George Enterprise), gold loan business set up in 1887, has now also diversified into financial Services, securities and a host of allied interests. Grey Worldwide has been mandated to handle the creative duties for all of these.

     

    The business will be primarily handled out of Delhi office, with Grey’sBangaloreoffice playing a key role for the South Market. Having established itself in the South, the Muthoot Group is now seeking to enter and consolidate its presence in the North, West and East markets.

     

    According to Dip Sengupta, VP and Branch Head, Grey Delhi: “It’s a great win! From the very first meetings with the Muthoot Group, we were moved by the ethics and value systems that drive this great brand. Our task is to help make the brand iconic.”

     

    “It was great to be a part of such a diverse pitch and of course, win it eventually! It takes a lot to identify a powerful brand idea and to make it relevant for Muthoot’s diverse markets. It was a great challenge and we look forward to this partnership,” added Hari Krishnan, VP and Branch Head, Grey Bangalore.

     

    According to Cherian Peter, Chief Marketing Officer, Muthoot Group: “We are delighted to have Grey as a partner and look forward to some great work!”

     

  • There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies

    Jury meets to select winners of the 9th Mirchi KAAN Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ninth edition of the Mirchi Kaan Awards had an unprecedented response when the Ad gurus met to select the best radio ads of 2011. There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies. And the number of entries for the Best Use of Radio as a Medium saw a tripling of entries to a record 31. Entries were spread across 15 categories, ranging from food to cosmetics.

     

    The winners will be felicitated at a gala event hosted by Cyrus Broacha on April 17 at Comedy Store, Phoenix Mills. The Mirchi KAAN Awards was introduced in 2004 to celebrate creativity in the challenging and evolving field of radio advertising. Over the years it has recognised and honoured ground-breaking and original radio campaigns.

     

    Speaking about the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards, GG Jayanta, National Marketing Head, Radio Mirchi, said: “Every year the stakes get higher. In our 9th edition, the entries and the number of participating agencies have doubled. This is a testament to the prestige that winning a KAAN award gives. I thank the jury for having taken the time out of their busy schedule and selecting the winning entries.”

     

    The eminent jury included stalwarts like Pratap Suthan, Priti Nair, Amit Akali, Malvika Mehra, Manohar Nayak, Josy Paul, Rekha Nigam, Deepa Krishnan, Ramanuj Shastry, Tista Sen, Sonal Dabral and Ravi Deshpande.

     

    Sharing his thoughts about the quality of entries received this year, Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director- BBDO India, said:  “Radio is a very personal and one to one medium. Hence good execution is of utmost importance. There has been resurgence in lot of fresh ideas this year which has lead to more freshness in programming.”

     

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said: “I am on the Mirchi KAAN Jury for the very first time this year and I am quite excited to be a part of this process. Radio as a medium has a lot of potential. Unlike earlier, a lot of brands have now started including and demanding for Radio advertisements to be included in the overall marketing campaign.”

     

    Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising, said: “Advertising is always evolving, and especially radio advertising has seen tremendous amount of growth. Interesting trends of conversations are always happening and it’s nice to see them getting adapted to the medium of radio”.

     

    Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “It’s fun to be a part of the Mirchi KAAN Awards. New writers are coming in, innovative projects are being showcased. As a jury member it is a pleasant experience to watch this fantastic trend”.

     

    Amit Akali, National Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, said: “The Tony Hertz workshop for these aspirants as a run-up to the main KAAN Awards is a commendable initiative by Radio Mirchi. The workshop will help the listeners to learn the nuances of radio advertising and improve the quality”.

     

    This year the theme of the Mirchi KAAN Awards’ ‘Listen, Learn, Shine’ focuses solely on the quality of work in the developing industry of radio advertising. Celebrated and renowned ad guru, Tony Hertz, will conduct a seminar on the art and craft of radio advertising for the aspirants from various ad agencies on April 17 as a build up to the Awards night. ET Now is the television partner and Afaqs.com is the digital partner of the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards.

     

  • The pitch was announced in February and went through multiple rounds before SpiceJet finally awarded the account to Grey Worldwide

    SpiceJet awarded the account to Grey Worldwide, Delhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Spicejet,India’s leading low-cost airline has appointed Grey Worldwide,Delhias its partner to handle its communication mandate. SpiceJet called for a multi agency pitch, including GIIR, Draft +FCB, Lowe, BBDO and Contract, the incumbent agency. The pitch was announced in February and went through multiple rounds before SpiceJet finally awarded the account to Grey Worldwide,Delhi.

     

    SpiceJet Ltd started its operation on May 23, 2005. Today SpiceJet connects 32 cities inIndiaalong with 2 international destinations. It has more than 274 daily flights across its network. SpiceJet has a fleet of 32 Boeing 737-800 and 737-900ER aircraft. The fleet also includes 7 Bombardier Q400 which are quick, quiet and comfortable.

     

    According to Neil Mills, CEO SpiceJet Ltd: “We selected Grey Advertising for the strength of their creative strategy and the passion exhibited by their team. The Agency will have an important role to play in building the brand further as we grow, enabling SpiceJet to achieve its aim of becoming a people’s airline and hence a carrier of choice.”

     

    Dip Sengupta, VP and Branch Head, Grey Delhi said: “It’s a very exciting win for us. SpiceJet is a great brand and it’s an honour to be chosen to partner it, as it charts its flight-path into the heartland ofIndia.”

     

    Uddalak Gupta ECD Grey Delhi said: “Our approach was to think beyond the obvious and the conventional, and come up with solutions where customer engagement was key. In ways that hadn’t been done before in the Indian aviation industry.”

     

    According to Divya Pratap Mehta, VP Planning, Grey Delhi: “In a category which is commoditized and facing business pressures, we stuck to fundamentals. Our starting point was to keep business growth and differentiation at the heart of the strategy.”