Orchard gets INX Media's 9XM account; August-end launch

The ad spends for the music channel alone is estimated to be around Rs 20 crore

INX Group seems all set and raring to go. Its first channel to roll out in the Indian market is likely to be a youth-oriented Hindi music channel, which has been christened 9XM. This channel, according to reliable sources, is all set to hit television screens around the end of August or early September, 2007. However, the official verdict from INX’s stable hails it rather vaguely, to be a year-end launch.

Furthermore, Orchard Advertising has been roped in as the ad agency, following a multi-agency pitch in which some five top agencies had participated, as put forth by agencyfaqs! in an earlier report.

Orchard will initially be in charge of the launch of the channel, and thereafter, handle all its ATL and BTL activities as required, particularly use of unconventional communication means. According to sources within the industry, the ad spends for the music channel alone is estimated to be around Rs 20 crore.

Orchard gets INX Media's 9XM account; August-end launch

Commenting on the selection process, Anthony Pettifer, group director, brand and communications, INX Group, says, “Orchard demonstrated a clear understanding of our strategy for the 9XM brand to cut through the clutter of the Indian music space. We were also impressed by the agency’s track record, work ethic and enthusiasm.”

Nitish Mukherjee, MD, Orchard Advertising, says, “INX has a stimulating vision for the 9XM brand, and we firmly believe that 9XM will have a major impact on the youth music scene in India.”

For the record, Meridian recently bagged the creative duties for two of INX’s other channels – the news one, called News X, and the GEC, 9X.

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