Birla VXL relocates Digjam to FCB Ulka

Birla VXL's Digjam account is now with FCB Ulka, Delhi. The account moves firm FS Advertising, which handled the account for more than 12 years. The new commercials - both on television and in print - for Digjam will break out "very soon", affirms an executive at the brand's new advertising agency.

The split after a decade-long association may raise a few eyebrows, but Birla VXL has a very plausible explanation. "The idea was to distinguish Digjam advertising from OCM. Earlier the two were handled by FS; but somewhere along the line we felt that both were beginning to look similar," says Subhash Taing, deputy general manager, Birla VXL Ltd.

For the first few years of its existence - and before it went to FS - Digjam drew its advertising support from an in-house agency Ajax, which was the custodian of both Digjam and OCM.

While both the agency and the client are tightlipped about the ad budget, FS sources confirm that last year Birla VXL had spend close to Rs 7 crore on advertising the brand. "It could be more or even much less this year. So we would like to comment," says an FCB Ulka executive. "I woudn't want to give away this piece of information to my competition on a platter," quips Taing of Birla VXL.

However, an industry expert volunteered, "Among the top spenders in the category are the likes of Raymond and Siyaram. Raymond, for example, spent to the tune of Rs 40 crore last year, while Reid & Taylor sent around Rs 26 crore in the first year of its launch. Then there are the traditional big spenders like Vimal, but its ad spends have come down progressively. I would assume the account would be worth between Rs 5 and Rs 6 crore currently."

The company hopes that with more focused advertising now the brand - which now hogs 10 -12 per cent of the suiting market - will grow by 15 per cent in the next one year.

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