Biprorshee Das
Advertising

The Republic comes on board as Diesel India's creative partner

The agency was already handling the brand's loyalty programme Diesel Cult, prior to this; Happy Creative Services is the incumbent agency on the business.

After having bagged the creative mandate for Diesel Cult, the Italian fashion brand Diesel's global loyalty programme, The Republic, will now handle the duties for Diesel India, as well.

There was no formal pitch called, and the business was handed to the agency after the contract with Diesel India's previous creative partner, the Bengaluru-based Happy Creative Services, expired. Being a more local agency and having worked on Diesel Cult, the entire brand's mandate moved to The Republic.

The Republic comes on board as Diesel India's creative partner
Diesel is one of the international brands that have entered the Indian market in collaboration with Reliance Brands. In addition to Diesel, The Republic will also handle certain future new media, experiential initiatives and retail promotions of two other brands brought to India by Reliance Brands -- The American outdoor brand Timberland, and the Italian luxury brand, Paul & Shark.

It must be noted that creative work for most of these international brands are usually adapted from their international campaigns. With the exception of Diesel, wherein The Republic has been brought on board on a retainer basis, Reliance Brands works with several agencies on a project basis on the other international brands marketed in the country.

Ruchika Parab, executive creative director, The Republic says, "Our approach to a brand is to create a unique voice for it and then create opportunities where it can dialogue with consumers.

With brands like Diesel and Timberland where this voice already exists, along with a huge following, we create newer and newer opportunities to carry on the conversation, reinventing it for India as we go along."

"In a sense, our association with brands like these is a validation of the skills we bring to the table. Specifically, in three areas -- first, The Republic understands fashion, and the creation of aura around fashion brands. Second, we are getting increasingly skilled in the way we are using non-traditional media to enhance customer experience. And third, our knowledge of the retail space, both high-end and mass, is growing every day," says Maia Katrak, founder and chairman, The Republic.

"I think this is a wonderful development for us. Nine years ago, when my father Kersy Katrak and I started The Republic, he would tell me repeatedly that if we played to our strengths and consistently produced high quality, high craft creative, the right businesses would arrive. The fact that we are now handling icon brands like Harley-Davidson, Timberland and Diesel proves he was absolutely right," adds Katrak.

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