afaqs! news bureau
Media

Aircel appoints Starcom MediaVest Group and Mudra Max as its media agencies

While Starcom will handle the media duties for television and digital, Mudra Max is the appointed agency on record for print and radio.

After appointing McCann Erickson, the telecom service provider, Aircel has assigned its media duties to Starcom MediaVest and Mudra Max. While Starcom has been given the duties for television and digital (which is about 80-90 per cent of the entire spend), Mudra Max will handle print and radio.

The size of the business is said to range between Rs 180-200 crore.

Aircel appoints Starcom MediaVest Group and Mudra Max as its media agencies
Confirming the development to afaqs!, CVL Srinivas, chairman, Starcom MediaVest Group and managing director, LiquidThread (APAC and India), says, "We bagged the business through a pitch."

Prior to this, the media duties were divided amongst Dentsu Media and Starcom Worldwide. However, this time when the telecom operator called for a pitch, Dentsu did not participate. Meanwhile, the Delhi based out of home agency, continues to handle the company's OOH duties.

In May 2011, the company called for a creative pitch that saw participation from agencies such as Dentsu Communications, BBH, BBDO and DDB Mudra. Denstu was the incumbent on the business. The agency bagged the account in 2008 following a pitch, when the company decided to have a pan-India presence. Earlier, the business was handled by Publicis India.

Aircel made news with some of its popular campaigns such as 'Save Our Tigers' -- a corporate social responsibility campaign, and an outdoor campaign called 'Aircel Boat', wherein Primesite, Mudra Max's out of home (OOH) agency, installed a lifeboat on a hoarding in Mumbai to help people cope with flooded roads during the rainy season.

For the record, the Aircel Group was formed in 1994. It is an alliance between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia with 74 per cent equity, and Sindya Securities & Investments, whose shareholders are the Reddy family of Chennai, with the remaining 26 per cent.

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