Wieden+Kennedy wins Xylys

Five creative agencies battled it out in an extensive pitch process that took place in Bengaluru. The media mandate for the brand continues to lie with Maxus.

Xylys, the Swiss-made premium brand of watches from the Titan stable, has selected Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) to handle its creative duties.

The development is the result of a multi-agency pitch process that was initiated around the first week of June, in Bengaluru. The pitch saw the participation of five creative agencies.

Previously, the creative agency on the Xylys account was Rediffusion-Y&R. The agency had been handling the creative mandate for Xylys since the first quarter of 2008. Prior to Rediffusion, the creative agency on the account was Bates; the agency was handling the creative duties for the brand since its inception in February 2006.

The media mandate for the brand continues to lie with Maxus; the agency is the media AoR (agency of record) for Titan Industries.

Addressing the appointment of Wieden+Kennedy, Suparna Mitra, global marketing head, Titan, says, "The account was given on the merit of a very fresh approach towards the category of premium watches that built on the core proposition of Xylys."

Mitra goes on to inform that W+K impressed the Xylys team with a 360 degree approach, including ideas on generating excitement across touch points including PoS (point of sale)."

"We're very excited at the prospect of working on Xylys. The Swiss premium watch category is a challenging space and a great test for a creative agency," says Mohit Dhar Jayal, managing director, Wieden+Kennedy, India.

At the time of its launch, the Xylys was positioned as a symbol of the new generation achiever. The brand-thought back then was the 'Power of X', something that stemmed from faith in oneself, which enabled the achiever to succeed on his own terms. Endorsed by actor Rahul Bose, Xylys was then targeted at people who are, or aspire to be, extremely confident and conscious about the image they project to the world.

Then, following the launch, the authorities on the Xylys account decided to re-invigorate the brand imagery and give it a stance that will help establish a better connect with its target audience. Around August last year, a brand campaign did just that by communicating a simple story around the watch, while reinforcing the brand's new and enhanced positioning. The ad campaign was driven by television, print and digital platforms, and spoke about 'Obsessive Desire' -- the story of a Xylys owner being obsessively possessive about his watch. The brand's tagline since then has been 'You don't possess a Xylys, it possesses you'.

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