Devina Joshi
Advertising

JWT, Lodestar Universal bag Exide

As per Exide executives, the ad spends are pegged in the region of Rs 15-20 crore. JWT already handles the brand Standard Furukawa from the Exide Industries stable

JWT, Kolkata, has bagged the Exide brand. The agency, which was already handling the brand Standard Furukawa from the Exide Industries stable will, in a sense, be handling the entire Exide Industries portfolio now. The media duties for Exide have gone to Lodestar Universal. Arnab Saha, vice-president, automotive marketing, Exide Industries, confirmed this development to agencyfaqs! The other agencies in the fray were McCann Erickson, JWT and Saints & Warriors. According to Saha, the company plans an an ad spend of Rs 15-20 crore on the brand.

JWT’s win comes as a revelation, since on July 27, 2006, agencyfaqs! had carried a report in which Prasoon Joshi, regional creative director, South and South East Asia, McCann Erickson, had confirmed that McCann has bagged the creative duties for Exide.

When agencyfaqs! sought a clarification from Joshi, he declined to comment. Even executives at Exide refused to comment on this issue.

For the past two-three years, Exide was advertising primarily in the print media. Equus Red Cell was handling the product pack graphics from October 2004 to June 2005. Triton was the creative agency on record from October 2004 to March 2006.

About why JWT was chosen over the others, Saha says, “The agency’s 360-degree approach to brand management is what made us decide on them.” In fact, JWT had handled Exide around three years ago, but Saha insists that this previous association did not have any effect on his decision this time round.

On the strategy and way forward on Exide, Saha claims, “Exide is the category leader. The communication strategy will primarily aim at reinforcing our leadership status.”

The media mix is yet to be worked out.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!

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