Dentsu to handle a part of Hindustan Sanitaryware & Industries

The creative duties for Hindware tiles and Crabtree faucets have been awarded to Dentsu Marcom

Dentsu has won the creative duties for HSIL (formerly Hindustan Sanitaryware & Industries Limited). There was no formal pitch involved and the creative mandate was handed over to Dentsu based on the kind of work it has produced in the recent past.

Recently, HSIL acquired the Crabtree faucets brand and will undertake the national marketing and distribution of the same henceforth.

It has also announced plans to enter the branded tiles segment nationally under the Hindware brand, with a wide range of products across various segments. The creative duties for both Hindware tiles and Crabtree faucets have been awarded to Dentsu Marcom.

Santosh K Nema, president, market and business operations, HSIL confirms the news to afaqs! and says, "We appointed Dentsu after looking at the quality of work it has been producing in the recent past. However, the creative duty for the mother brand is handled by Percept, which will continue to look after the account. Dentsu will handle the creative duties for the newly acquired businesses."

The creative agency is all set to work on the new business. Rajesh Aggarwal, president, Dentsu India, says, "Dentsu will implementing the roadmap to make both these challenger brands volume players in their respective segments and achieve the business targets which the company has outlined through the use of innovative cross-media strategies in the marketplace."

The marketing spend for Hindware tiles and Crabtree faucets for this fiscal is estimated at Rs 3 crore. However, the budget is expected to go up with time.

For the record, HSIL is the flagship company of the Somany Group and was established in 1962 as a joint venture with Twyfords, UK. HSIL claims to be the largest Indian manufacturer of sanitary-ware products (with revenue of Rs 671 crore in FY 2008-09), with a market share of 40 per cent.