ONGC calls for pitch; top 20 agencies invited

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has called for a pitch. The company, which hasn’t been too active on the advertising front to date, is on the lookout for creative and media agencies. However, according to reliable sources, the two will go together – the media arm of the selected creative agency is likely to do the media planning and buying.

The sources further inform agencyfaqs! that the pitch is in its early stages, and 20 top agencies – including O&M, Grey Worldwide, RK Swamy/BBDO and Lowe – have been approached and invited to present their case. Out of these 20, eight are believed to have shown an interest, and more responses are expected.

Sources say the credentials of these agencies have already been looked into; they will soon be briefed with a topic (mostly related to ONGC as a brand) and will then be judged.

The campaign, when released, will be led by press. The company plans to release press ads in leading English, Hindi and regional dailies in the top four metros and 25 other towns across the country. Assam and Gujarat will constitute important markets for ONGC.

ONGC has operations in India and abroad. In the year 2002-03, after taking over MRPL from the AV Birla Group, ONGC diversified into the downstream sector. It has also entered the global field through its subsidiary, ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL). ONGC has made major investments in Vietnam, Sakhalin and Sudan, and earned its first hydrocarbon revenue from its investment in Vietnam.