Leo Burnett gets ahead with GM’s Chevy Spark

The agreement between General Motors (GM) and Leo Burnett will be signed in the next couple of days. The Chevy Spark is the new product from the GM stable, which is to be rolled out in the market by May 2007

The document hasn’t been signed as yet. But agencyfaqs! can reveal that the much sought after GM (General Motors) Chevy Spark pitch has been decided in Leo Burnett’s favour. The agreement will probably be signed in the next couple of days.

The Chevy Spark is the new product from the GM stable, expected to roll out by late April or early May 2007. The Chevy Spark, which is expected to come with a price tag of Rs 4 lakh, will mark the company’s entry into the small car segment. The product is being positioned as a budget pleaser. It is called the Chevy Joy in some markets. The upcoming model is a remake of the Matiz, which GM bought from Daewoo.

Leo Burnett gets ahead with GM’s Chevy Spark

Industry estimates suggest that GM will spend around Rs 25 crore on advertising the Chevy Spark. The spend could shoot up further once the car is rolled out. The pitch process went on for around three months starting September 2006, and the final decision was taken after multiple rounds of presentations. Initially, there were six agencies in the fray, GM India’s roster agencies, McCann-Erickson and Rediffusion DY&R.

The final battle was between three agencies, Cheil Communication and the two Publicis Group agencies, Publicis India and Leo Burnett. It is learnt that besides the creative strategy presented by the agencies, the retainer fee quoted by each of them also played an important role in the decision.

This is not all. agencyfaqs! has also learnt from reliable sources that the Chevrolet Optra and Tavera, which are currently handled by McCann-Erickson and Rediffusion DY&R, respectively, will move to Leo Burnett. At the moment, McCann-Erickson handles the Chevrolet Aveo and Optra, and Rediffusion DY&R handles the Chevrolet Tavera and the corporate business.

P Balendran, vice-president, General Motors India, declined to comment on the development. When pressed, all he said was that the agreement had not been signed yet.

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