M&C Saatchi, India, bags creative duties for VLCC’s personal care business

M&C Saatchi has won the creative duties for VLCC’s personal care business. The media spend on this business is slated to be around Rs 7 crore. While there was no official pitch called for the business, the agency made a credential presentation.

Till sometime back JWT and Equus Red Cell were sharing the advertising duties for VLCC. Bringing M&C Saatchi on board is part of the restructuring, wherein Equus will now handle the healthcare segment and M&C Saatchi, the personal care segment.

Mukesh Luthra, chairman and managing director, VLCC Healthcare, says, “VLCC being one of India’s fastest growing brands in the rapidly growing slimming, health and beauty category, we were on the look-out for an agency that had the right mix of creative ability, strategic planning experience and agility, given the demands of the rapidly evolving Indian consumer and our marketplace.”

Rathin Mathur, V-P, marketing, VLCC, explains the reason for the restructuring when he says, “We were looking at an agency that would be proactive rather than reactive and one that would be able to match the entrepreneurial drive of our organisation. This is well reflected in M&C Saatchi’s belief in brutal simplicity, which I also believe is the way to go in finding an effective communication solution.”

In addition to working on the personal care business, M&C Saatchi will also handle strategic planning projects for VLCC’s other businesses.

Commenting on the acquisition of this new account, Kamal Oberoi, chairman and managing director, M&C Saatchi, India, says, “We believe that our core belief of Brutal Simplicity will benefit VLCC greatly as it confronts an increasingly complex market environment. The organised slimming, beauty and fitness business in India has been pioneered by VLCC and it is the brand leader in this market. With the surge in competition, helping VLCC sustain its leadership position will be an exciting challenge.”

Oberoi reveals that, initially, the media mix will be heavy on print and foray into the electronic media only later. In the personal care segment, VLCC is planning to launch several products, including a men’s line, which is first on its list.

For the record, M&C Saatchi has recently started operations in India through its acquisition of creative hot-shop Dhar & Hoon.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!