Vyas Giannetti Creative wins Discovery's lifestyle channel

Mumbai-based creative hotshop Vyas Giannetti Creative has just been awarded Discovery's new lifestyle channel - Discovery Travel and Living. The mood in the agency is understandably upbeat as it begins to work in earnest to launch the channel this October.

Aditya Tripathi, director marketing, Discovery Communications India, said, "We chose Vyas Giannetti Creative for their excellent understanding of brands and design skills. They have a vast and rich experience in lifestyle and media brands, and offered the potent mix - we were looking for in an agency."

The new channel from Discovery is being positioned as the alternative entertainment channel for upscale viewers with an international outlook. It will air programmes on travel, cuisine, health and well-being, automotive and motoring, home design and decor, hobbies, and outdoor leisure. The channel is looking at a mid-October launch, while test runs are being conducted from mid-August onwards.

Atul Hegde, vice president, Vyas Giannetti Creative said, "We are very excited to work on a brand like Discovery Travel & Living. With a slew of television channels lined up for launch, our task is really cut out. The challenge will be to create a powerful brand that will epitomise ‘lifestyle' in this country. The emphasis will be on the channel brand during the launch and later move into programme specific communications."

"Let me assure that this one will be among the bigger launches that you will see among the slew of channel launches this year. The brand campaign will involve television channels on the One Alliance distribution platform, and also English print media. Plus, we will be doing events, direct marketing, and the Internet as well."

Preeti Vyas Giannetti, chairperson & chief creative officer, Vyas Giannetti Creative said, "It's a matter of obvious pride for VGC that the Discovery Travel & Living channel will be launched first in India and then the rest of the world, and the fact that we have been elected to lead the way."

What makes this particular launch really special is that the channel will be making its international debut in India in October, while the rest of the world will get to see Discovery Travel and Living only next year. Clearly, the network prefers experimenting in the Indian sub-continent.

Deepak Shourie, executive vice president and managing director, Discovery Networks, was earlier quoted by agencyfaqs! as saying, "Lifestyle is an emerging genre on Indian television and it's also lucrative in terms of advertising revenues."

When asked about the strategy behind choosing India as the launch-site, Shourie had said, "India is a very important market for Discovery Network, and I also believe that Indian audience has matured enough to respond to a lifestyle channel of such kind."

Advertisers ought to be excited by the idea that the channel is targeting some 75 million people from upper and middle income households of urban India.

The channel is targeting lifestyle products which have been traditionally advertising in print. Brands like a Mercedes Benz or high-end watch brands such as Omega, Rado, Tommy Hilfiger have huge media spends on print. The channel would ideally want to provide these brands a television platform to reach out to their right target group.

Some of the programmes to be aired on the channel will be travel shows such as 'Celebrity Travelogues' and 'Globetrekker', cuisine shows such as 'Floyd's India' and 'Cooking for Love'. 'Cooking for Love' is essentially a reality show where one goes on a blind date - and select the companion by the food s/he cooks.

'Other Peoples' Homes' and 'Super Homes' will be some of attractions of home design & decor shows. Shows such as 'Tim Brooke-Taylor's Golf Clubs' will talk about the lifestyle related to the game of golf and 'World Poker Tour' will see players fighting for a couple of million dollars of prize money over a game of cards.

For distribution, the channel has aligned with One Alliance and claims that it would be available in 30 cities within a week. Although it has been decided that Discovery Travel and Living will be a pay channel, the price of the channel was yet to be finalised.

Vyas Giannetti Creative has accounts such as the corporate account of the A V Birla group, Birla Sunlife, Taj Hotels, certain brands of The Times of India group and Pidilite Industries.

© 2004 agencyfaqs!