ITC to sign up FCB-Ulka for John Player/Bristol

After a month-and-a-half of deliberation, ITC seems to have finally made up its mind. To assign the creative duties of its soon-to-be launched apparel brand to FCB-Ulka, Delhi. While FCB-Ulka is yet to sign on the dotted lines (the papers have been sent to ITC headquarters, Kolkata, for a final scrutiny), the remuneration, it is learnt will be fee-based. In all likelihood, Initiative Media will handle the media duties.

agencyfaqs! readers would remember the story we ran in October (ITC to launch new apparel brand; scouts for ad agency), where we had mentioned the details of the pitch process. To recap, tobacco giant ITC, which also retails a premium range of leisurewear under the Wills Sport brand name, had invited four agencies to pitch for the estimated Rs 8-crore advertising account of its new brand. A mid-range brand, ITC's new offering is expected to fight "the Peter Englands of the world" in the marketplace.

The agencies in the fray included FCB-Ulka, TBWAAnthem, McCann-Erickson and Contract Advertising. The letters went out to the agencies on September 27, for the presentation scheduled for October 1. McCann-Erickson, it is known, did not make the presentation. While Lowe handles the other ITC apparel brand, it is not known whether the agency was part of the presentation. What most of the agency executives present during the pitch swear is that it was a pretty "hush-hush affair" in "classic ITC style".

Officials close to the event seem to think the brand name for the new apparel range may not be John Player after all. The company seems to have "tossed about" two sets of names while inviting agencies for the pitch - John Player and Bristol. Which of these names it finally goes with will be clear in the next couple of months. What is clear, however, is that the company plans to move "very fast" and has set itself a deadline of 40-50 days to break the launch campaign.

To put things in perspective, ITC made an entry into the Rs 200-billion ready-to-wear apparel industry in India with the launch of its Wills Sport range of premium relaxed wear for men and women in August 2000. It is understood that to expand its product portfolio, ITC took "a close look" at the premium lingerie market but found it too small a segment to get in.

Thereafter, having spread the Wills Sport brand nationwide (48 stores by August 2002), ITC's lifestyle retailing business division started exploring the mass market with the idea of launching a mid-priced brand. To be retailed through exclusive and multi-brand outlets, the new brand is slated to hit the market by this year-end.

To this end, there have been a few changes in the brand management level at ITC's lifestyle retailing business division. Krishnan Chatterjee, who was earlier brand manager for Wills Sport, is now responsible for setting up the new project. Samit Unni has replaced Chatterjee as the new brand manager for Wills Sport. © 2002 agencyfaqs!