OMD bags media duties for GJEPC

The account was won by the Mumbai wing, after a multi-agency pitch involving three agencies

Optimum Media Direction (OMD) has bagged the media duties for The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). The account was won after a multi-agency pitch involving OMD, Starcom and Lodestar Universal, informs a senior GJEPC official. There are no incumbents, as the Council has taken aboard a media agency for the first time.

McCann Erickson handles the creative duties, and has been on the account for close to four years. Prior to this, Triton used to handle the creative duties. The ad spends for the account are estimated to be in the bracket of Rs 15-20 crore.

According to the GJEPC official, the brand has always been advertising and pushing the gems and jewellery category abroad. But, after the recent ad campaigns and promotions by the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) came to an end, GJEPC took up the initiative of pushing the diamond category aggressively in India. For this, they needed a well planned campaign and a good media plan; and hence, the requirement for the agency.

The Council has initiated a national campaign to promote the domestic gem and jewellery sector and strengthen India's share in the international market. The campaign is based on the concept of a single line of diamond jewellery, titled Anant diamond jewellery. Bollywood actress, Sonam Kapoor is its brand ambassador.

The single-line diamond jewellery will comprise rings with small diamonds, bangles, ear-rings and pendants with small and large diamonds, and single-line necklaces with one or more strings of diamonds.

The campaign will run through September 2009 to February 2010. For the first year, there is a projected growth of close to 20 per cent.

The media vehicles chosen for the campaign include vernacular dailies and magazines. This activity will sustain for 16 weeks, covering major occasions in the festive season. All the advertisements will include the retailer panel to drive the consumer traffic to the participating retailers' stores.

It will be supported by hoardings and in-store point-of-sale materials for retailers. TV will also be included in the media mix, based on the participation.

For the record, the GJEPC was set up in 1966, and over the years, it has effectively moulded the scattered efforts of individual exporters to make the gem and jewellery sector a powerful engine driving India's export-led growth. It has played a significant role in the evolution of the Indian gem and jewellery industry to its present stature.

With 6,500 members spread all over the country, the Council is primarily involved in introducing Indian gem and jewellery products to the international market and promote exports.

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