Curry-Nation bags three Emami brands

The Mumbai-based creative agency, launched by Priti Nair, has won the creative duties for Fast Relief, Hairlife and Lalima.

Recently launched Curry-Nation has bagged three brands at the outset. All three brands - Fast Relief, Hairlife and Lalima - fall under the Emami umbrella. Curry-Nation has won the creative mandate for the brands on a fee basis.

While Hairlife is a new herbal product range in the Emami portfolio, Fast Relief (pain relief ointment) and Lalima (blood and skin purifier) are established players. The test marketing for most of Hairlife's product range has been done. The ad campaign will roll out shortly. The range includes offerings in the entire hair care spectrum, including colour, shampoo, conditioner and the like. Of these, hair oil would be among the first products to hit the market.

JWT's second agency, Fortune Communications is the incumbent on the Lalima account while it also handled the creative duties for Hairlife in its test marketing phase. The creative duties for Fast Relief were previously handled solely by Kolkata-based creative shop, DPS Advertising and Marketing. Though Curry-Nation has been roped in, part of the creative mandate for Fast Relief will continue to be with DPS.

The decision to work with Curry-Nation goes hand in hand with Emami's plan to go aggressive on the advertising/marketing front this year. Priti A Sureka, director, Emami Group of Companies, tells afaqs! that while TV will be a big part of the upcoming campaigns for these brands, the digital platform will be used as well. "These days, one can't skew the communication entirely towards TV. Other media channels have to be used as well," she comments.

About bringing Curry-Nation on-board, Sureka says, "I have worked with Priti Nair in the past, during her time at Grey. She is absolutely brilliant and brings a fresh and incongruent angle to advertising. We look forward to working with a respectable woman of her stature."

Regarding the possible repositioning of Lalima and Fast Relief, as well as the positioning and marketing strategy for Hairlife, talks between Emami and Curry-Nation are still underway. The agency will help the company figure out how to cover more ground and take the brands forward. For Lalima, efforts will be directed towards making the ayurvedic offering more relevant to the modern Indian woman.

Priti Nair, founder, Curry-Nation, comments on the acquisitions. "The Emami team is an extremely cultured and humble bunch. I really look up to them. They show a lot of gutsiness in the way they approach the consumer." She concludes with the fact that her relationship with Emami rides on deep trust and admiration.

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com