Happy to handle creative duties for Timberland's India operations

The agency won the outdoor brand business without a pitch; the campaign ahead will be led by BTL activities

True to its name, Bangalore-based idea shop, Happy Creative Services is in for happy times. Close on the heels of picking up the mobile handset player, iCube, Happy has added another significant brand to its kitty.

The agency, following up on its success with Diesel, has bagged the creative mandate for American outdoor brand, Timberland's India operations. Both Diesel and Timberland have entered the Indian market in partnership with Reliance Brands.

Happy to handle creative duties for Timberland's India operations

Timberland is a significant player in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality outdoor footwear, apparel and accessories. The company markets products under the Timberland, Timberland PRO, Mountain Athletics, Smartwool, Timberland Boot Company, Howies and IPATH brands, through its retail stores across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East.

Work on the brand has already begun with its CSR initiative, 'Timberland Unsung Heroes: Not Starring John Abraham', which was kicked off at Timberland's first Indian store in New Delhi. The initiative featured actor John Abraham and filmmaker Mike Pandey, who felicitated five people from various parts of the country for their work in eco-conservation -- a cause that is upheld by the brand internationally.

There will be no ATL communication for the brand as of now; the focus will be on in-store promotions and other BTL activities.

Speaking on the win, Kartik Iyer and Praveen Das, directors and co-founders, Happy Creative Services say, "It feels awesome to work on a brand with such heritage. Though we won't have the opportunity to create ATL communications for Timberland for now, coming up with the Unsung Heroes initiative has been very exciting. We see a lot of potential to produce some great work on the brand."

The company plans to open exclusive stores across all major cities in India in the near future.

On the choice of the agency, Darshan Mehta, president and chief executive officer, Reliance Brands says, "In Happy, we have found a unique combination of a very quick uptake and understanding of the brand DNA and an ability to put a refreshing spin of ideas on this. The Unsung Heroes initiative is a good example of the same."

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