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Leo Burnett wins Asia Pacific Breweries
Four leading agencies were in the race for the business. All APB’s brands in India will be in Leo Burnett’s custody
Leo Burnett Mumbai has won the creative duties for Asia Pacific Breweries (APB). The agency will now handle all the APB brands that are there in India, as also any that are to be launched. Key APB brands include Canon 10000, Baron’s Strong Brew and its flagship beer brand, Tiger, which was being imported into the country for the last decade, but will soon be manufactured here.
The media duties for APB continue to be with Media Circle; these were not under review.
Some key Asia Pacific Breweries brands |
Some three or four top agencies were invited for the creative pitch, following which Burnett walked away with the business. Adds Gupta, “Leo Burnett is rather good at through the line communication, which is why we chose to go along with the agency.”
Of course, it also helps that Burnett has worked on some APB brands internationally in the past, including Tiger in Singapore.
“We’re looking at a large share of voice in the Indian market by aggressively building awareness of our brands,” says Gupta. While surrogate ads on television will be important, APB will go beyond that and associate itself with activities aimed at building a bond with consumers at a deeper level. This will be achieved through personalised BTL activities (which Gupta terms as a “slow but sure” approach), and here, Burnett’s integrated marketing arm, Arc Worldwide, will step in.
Rameet Singh Arora, V-P, Leo Burnett, says, "It's great to know that there is a shared belief in the strategic solutions and creative output that we brought to the table. But the even more exciting fact is that we're not just partnering APB for 30-second advertising; we will truly involve integrated activities in tune with the times."
Adds Nitish Mukherjee, MD, Leo Burnett, "What set us apart was our ability to think consumer, and write big, extendable ideas out of that understanding. Shared understanding of consumers and insights is always the foundation for a great partnership."
Gupta of Asia Pacific Breweries agrees that it's a competitive market place in India. "Finding common ground on a steep learning curve is a necessity, not a luxury. And in Leo Burnett and Arc,we've found that partnership," he says. He also cites good planning and a strong cultural fit as the reasons behind choosing Burnett over the others.