O&M, Delhi, bags Afghan Telecom account

Following a multi-agency pitch, O&M Delhi has bagged the creative duties for Afghan Telecom. According to industry estimates, the account is pegged to be worth Rs 6-7 crore.

Anurag Borkar, chief marketing officer, Afghan Telecom, says: “There were several reasons why we chose O&M, Delhi, as our creative agency, the chief one being that we could not find the same talent or infrastructure in Afghanistan.”

He adds, “O&M’s pedigree in brand building in India is unquestionable, but most importantly, we wanted an agency that was sensitive to the local idiom and still executed it well creatively.”

Sanjay Thapar, president, O&M, says, “In their first meeting, the client made it clear that in spite of being a part of the Ministry of Communications, Afghanistan, they wanted to project Afghan Telecom as an independent company; they wanted to create an image that would stand for the new progressive Afghanistan.”

Sunil Varma, vice-president, brand, O&M, Delhi, talks of the communication strategy that O&M will adopt. He says, “We are looking at a complete 360-degree exercise. The focus will be on delivering a wholesome package that will include print, television, outdoor and even below-the-line activities.”

Varma reveals that the creatives that they presented during the pitch will also be released. He says, “We developed a concept that is based on our interaction (and research) with Afghanis in India. We even interacted with a cross-section of the society in Kabul with the creative solution that we had conceived. We realised that the creatives managed to strike a chord and touch the hearts of the people there.”

For now, O&M will depute some employees from the Delhi office to handle the business in Afghanistan. However, the agency is open to the idea of tying up with a local agency or hiring local professionals to service the account.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!