Innocean cracks the code, snaps up non-Korean businesses

Innocean, Hyundai’s in-house agency, seems to have cracked the code finally. The agency has signed up two non-Korean businesses. Though mid-sized, the two new wins indicate Innocean’s intentions of pitching for non-Korean businesses as well.

The two new businesses for which Innocean is now handling the creative duties are Tantra Designs and Aurole Inspecs. Vivek Srivastava, joint managing director of Innocean, says, “In this case, the focus is on offering clients creative and strategic support that initiates a brand momentum by leveraging our planning tools and creative processes.”

Manish Jain, managing director, Tantra Designs, says, “Innocean offered us world class infrastructure and proven capability in its team to handle an emerging brand’s communication needs, so the choice was easy.” The agency’s remuneration is fee based.

Aureole Inspecs, an Indo-British joint venture, is an eyewear manufacturer and marketer. It holds an exclusive licence for brands such as Speedo, FCUK, Austin Reed, Conran and Animal, covering both opticals and sunglasses in its range. It plans to launch a new brand called Mayhem targeted at the youth in the Indian market.

Explains Sujith Sudhakaran, director, brand planning, Innocean, “The people at Aureole Inspecs saw in us a knack for techno-fashion ideas and an ability to decipher the syntax of fashion in the youth like them, hence the fit. The company’s brands have a good equity – we have to expand their outreach effectively.”

Innocean will perform creative and strategic duties too for Aureole Inspecs and it will work for a fee. It is already busy giving shape to the launch strategy for Mayhem.

Summing up the challenges before the agency, executive creative director Shubha Menon says, “We have been proving our mettle on cars. I guess now we will be able to showcase a more versatile side of our agency’s creative resources.”

Innocean claims to have a head count of 40 and its capitalised billings for the year ending December 2007 are projected to be more than Rs 150 crore.