2023 saw some mega pitches, from IKEA, Reckitt, Swiggy to Air India. Here’s a comprehensive look at businesses that agencies in India picked up through the year.
January
Gozoop Group and Tim Hortons
Independent marketing group Gozoop Group bagged the digital mandate of Tim Hortons, a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain.
Grapes and Statiq
Integrated marketing agency Grapes won the integrated creative mandate for Statiq, an EV charging brand.
Lowe Lintas and Lifestyle
Lowe Lintas Bangalore acquired the creative mandate for fashion retail giant Lifestyle. The agency is also managing its in-house brands – Ginger, Melange, Code, Forca, Fame Forever, IKSU, Kappa, Bossini, Smiley and Juniors.
Mullen Lintas and Okaya Batteries
Okaya Batteries appointed Mullen Lintas as its creative partner in order to promote their range of batteries.
Wavemaker India and Happilo
GroupM’s Wavemaker India won the integrated media mandate of health food brand Happilo.
Interactive Avenues and Vim
Interactive Avenues bagged the digital creative mandate for Hindustan Unilever’s dishwash brand Vim. The mandate includes amplifying the brand’s social media presence, managing their e-commerce content, delivering cutting edge creatives and digital video commercials.
Oktobuzz and HarperCollins India
Digital communications agency Oktobuzz bagged the social media marketing mandate of HarperCollins Publishers India.
OMD and Nivea
Media agency OMD retained the media mandate of the skincare brand Nivea. The agency has been handling the mandate of Nivea for the last nine years.
HAWK and Games 24×7
HAWK, an online-reputation agency which is a part of Gozoop Group won the customer service and listening mandate of Games 24×7, a digital skill games company. The responsibility of the agency includes monitoring and managing interactions between the brand and its online community which includes RummyCircle, My11Circle and U Games.
February
Mullen Lintas and Hindware
Mullen Lintas, part of the MullenLowe Lintas Group bagged the creative mandate of Hindware, a sanitaryware brand. The responsibilities of the agency is to conceptualise new narratives for the brand.
Wunderman Thompson India and Skoda India
Wunderman Thompson India won the strategy and creative mandate for Skoda India.
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Audi
Publicis Groupe’s L&K Saatchi & Saatchi won the creative and digital mandate Audi.
Tonic Worldwide and Waman Hari Pethe
Digital first integrated agency Tonic Worldwide won the digital mandate of Waman Hari Pethe, a Mumbai-based jewellery brand.
Ogilvy and Eveready India
Eveready appointed Ogilvy India as its creative partner.
22feet Tribal Worldwide and Flipkart
E-commerce marketplace, Flipkart awarded its digital AOR mandate to 22feet Tribal Worldwide, following a multi-agency pitch. The mandate includes managing Flipkart’s digital campaigns and strategy.
Omnicom Media Group’s Hearts & Science and Jaguar Land Rover
Automobile company Jaguar Land Rover awarded the global media mandate to Hearts & Science, a marketing agency part of Omnicom Media Group.
BMW Motorrad India and Sociowash
Creative digital agency Sociowash bagged the creative and digital mandate for BMW Motorrad India. The mandate was won post a multi-agency pitch.
Philips Domestic Appliances and OMG Media Group
Philips Domestic Appliances appointed Omnicom Media Group (OMG) as its global media agency.
Dentsu Creative and Pernod Ricard India
Dentsu Creative, a global creative network which is a part of the Dentsu Group, bagged the digital creative mandate of Pernod Ricard India, an alcohol beverage company.
March
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and JioMart
Reliance Retail awarded the creative mandate to Publicis Groupe’s L&K Saatchi & Saatchi to handle its e-commerce platform JioMart. The account, which was won post a multi-agency pitch.
Wieden + Kennedy and Jio
Jio, India’s leading digital services company, appointed Wieden & Kennedy (W+K) India as the creative agency for its 5G business.
Havas Media Group India and V-Guard Industries
Havas Media Group India won the integrated media mandate of V-Guard Industries, a consumer electronics company.
Mindshare and Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki awarded its media mandate to Mindshare India, a GroupM agency that’s part of WPP. Storyboard18 was the first to report about the development.
Dentsu loses Maruti Suzuki Rs1200 crore media account to Mindshare
Tata AIG and Social Panga
Social Panga, the integrated digital and creative-first marketing agency, bagged the integrated marketing mandate for Tata AIG, a general insurance brand from the Tata Group.
April
Wunderman Thompson and Tata Astrum Super
Wunderman Thompson India won the brand building mandate of Tata Steel’s Tata Astrum Super.
Schbang and ShareChat and Moj
Marketing solutions agency Schbang won the social media mandate for social media and short video platform ShareChat and Moj. Among other marketing activities, the responsibilities of the agency includes designing social media and content strategies on ShareChat and Moj’s online channels.
Lodestar UM and PhonePe
Lodestar UM retained the integrated media mandate of PhonePe, a digital payments and financial services company.
Sociowash and CenturyPly
Integrated advertising agency Sociowash renewed its partnership with CenturyPly, a manufacturer of plywood and laminates.
IKEA and Leo Burnett India
IKEA India onboarded Leo Burnett India as its new creative partner. On February 20, 2023, Storyboard18 was the first to report that IKEA is on the lookout for a creative agency in India.
IKEA India to onboard Leo Burnett India as its new creative partner: Sources
May
Starcom India and More Retail
Publicis Groupe India’s Starcom India won the account of More Retail, a food and grocery retail chain in India.
Tilt Brand Solutions and Kohler India
Manufacturing and hospitality company Kohler India appointed advertising agency Tilt Brand Solutions, a part of Quotient Ventures, to help build and grow the brand.
Havas Media Group and Puma
Sports brand Puma India roped in Havas Media Group India as the media agency on record (AOR).
Starcom and P&G India
Publicis Groupe India-owned media agency Starcom has won the digital mandate of P&G India. The account includes handling digital duties of several brands including Gillette, Olay, Old Spice, Pampers and P&G Shiksha among others.
Wavemaker India and Reckitt Benckiser
GroupM-owned media agency Wavemaker won Reckitt Benckiser’s (RB) media business in India. On May 8, 2023, Storyboard18 was the first to report that RB India initiated a media pitch. Agencies from IPG Mediabrands, GroupM, and Dentsu participated in the pitch. The account size is estimated at Rs 1600 crore. The incumbent agency was Dentsu X which had been handling the account since 2020.
Storyboard18 Exclusive: Wavemaker India wins Reckitt Benckiser’s Rs 1600 Cr media business
June
Sociowash and Viacom18
Integrated advertising agency Sociowash renewed its digital mandate for Viacom18’s Youth, Music and English Entertainment cluster. The cluster includes responsibilities for MTV Beats, Vh1, Colors Infinity, Comedy Central, KaanPhod and Fully Faltoo. Sociowash had been handling the business since January 2022.
Wavemaker and Pernod Ricard
GroupM’s media agency Wavemaker India retained the media mandate of Pernod Ricard India. Wavemaker had been associated with the brand since 2002 as its media partner. Wavemaker retained the business after a competitive multi-agency pitch.
Havas Media and inDrive
Havas Media Network India, the specialised media arm of Havas India, awarded the integrated media mandate for inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform.
Wavemaker and KRBL
Wavemaker India won the media mandate of KRBL Limited, rice processing and exporting company.
McCann Worldgroup India and Air India
McCann Worldgroup India won the global creative mandate of Air India that involved revamping the advertising and communication of the heritage airline brand. The multi-agency pitch process took several months. Storyboard18 was first to report about the development.
https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/storyboard18-exclusive-mccann-worldgroup-india-wins-air-indias-massive-business-agency-will-handle-creative-and-rebranding-9532.htm
July
Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate and Jio-bp
Digital creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate bagged the digital marketing mandate of Jio-bp, a fuels and mobility joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and bp.
Dentsu X and Berger Paints
Berger Paints awarded its media mandate to dentsu X, the media agency from dentsu India.
BBH and HDFC Ergo
HDFC ERGO General Insurance, one of the leading private sector general insurance companies in India, appointed BBH India as its Agency on Record (AOR) for creative developments in a multi-agency pitch.
Havas Worldwide and Mamaearth
Mamaearth, beauty and personal care direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, named Havas Worldwide India, the creative arm of Havas India, as its agency on record (AOR), following a multi-agency pitch.
Havas Media Network and Capri Global Capital
Havas Media Network India, the media arm of Havas India won the Integrated Media mandate for Capri Loans, a brand of Capri Global Capital, a diversified non-banking financial company.
OMD and Sugar Cosmetics
OMD, that’s part of the Omnicom Media Group, won the media mandate for SUGAR Cosmetics following a competitive pitch.
Wunderman Thompson India and Vivo India
Wunderman Thomspon was appointed by smartphone brand Vivo as the Agency-on-Record (AOR). The mandate, which was won post a multi-agency pitch, saw the agency handle Vivo’s product portfolio.
Havas Media Network and Joyalukkas
Havas Media Network India, the specialised media arm of Havas India, was appointed as the media agency-on-record (AOR) of the jewellery chain, Joyalukkas.
Wieden & Kennedy and G-Shock
Global watch brand, G-SHOCK, in India has appointed Wieden & Kennedy India as its creative agency on record.
August
Havas Media Network and realme
Havas Media Network India, the specialized media arm of Havas India, retained realme’s integrated media mandate, which encompassed both traditional and digital duties. This account retention comes following a competitive multi-agency pitch.
Lodestar UM and Protean
IPG Mediabrands India network’s media agency Lodestar UM won the media mandate for Protean eGov Technologies through a multi-agency pitch. .
Interactive Avenues and Daawat
Interactive Avenues, the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India won the full-service digital mandate for Daawat, a flagship brand of LT Foods, an Indian-origin global FMCG company in the consumer food space.
BBH India and IVAS
BBH India won the creative mandate for IVAS by Infra Market, through a multi-agency pitch.
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Captain Steel India
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi won the media mandate for Captain Steel India, a TMT bar producer.
Grapes and AcneStar
Grapes, an integrated communications agency, won the Digital AOR mandate for AcneStar, an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial Gel and face wash from the house of the pharmaceutical giant, Mankind Pharma. The client will be serviced by the agency’s New Delhi office.
Zoo Media and Goldmedal Electricals
Advertising and marketing agency Zoo Media Network won the digital marketing mandate for Goldmedal Electricals. The mandate was won through a multi-agency pitch.
82.5 Communications and Kajaria
Tile company Kajaria awarded its creative mandate to 82.5 Communications, the WPP owned, Ogilvy group’s creative agency.
September
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Dunkin’
Integrated agency, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi secured the integrated creative and digital mandate for Dunkin’, a coffee and doughnut brand from Inspire International.
Grapes and Siyaram’s
Integrated communications agency, Grapes bagged the digital mandate for Siyaram’s, a textile manufacturing company. The mandate was won after a multi-agency pitch.
Bang in the Middle and Mother’s Recipe
New-age communication company Bang In The Middle bagged the mainline creative mandate of Desai Foods’ Mother’s Recipe, a brand of pickles, condiment pastes, chutneys and papads.
WYP and Kapiva
Martech startup, Wondrlab’s creative arm, WYP, won the creative mandate for Kapiva, a global Ayurvedic D2C brand.
Dentsu and Torrent Pharmaceuticals
Dentsu Creative India won the digital creative mandate for two prominent healthcare brands – Shelcal and Unienzyme, which fall under the umbrella of Torrent Pharmaceuticals. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s Mumbai office.
Cheil India and TVS X
Cheil India won the creative duties of TVS X in a multi-agency pitch.
Dentsu X and Welspun
Welspun, a global leader in home textiles, awarded its media duties to dentsu X – the data and tech-driven agency from dentsu India.
Omnicom Media Group and HSBC
Following a six-month long competitive pitch, Omnicom Media Group successfully retained the media planning and buying account of banking major HSBC.
October
IPG Mediabrands and General Mills
American multinational manufacturer and food processing company General Mills brought global media agency network IPG Mediabrands’ UM on board as its global media agency-of-record.
FCB Ulka and Shoppers Stop
Integrated marketing communication agency FCB Ulka won the creative mandate for Shoppers Stop, a department store chain.
Famous Innovations and Adidas India
Independent creative agency Famous Innovations Delhi won the social mandate for Adidas India, the German athletic apparel and footwear corporation through a multi-agency pitch.
BBH India and upGrad
Creative agency BBH India won the creative mandate for upGrad, an integrated learning, skilling and workforce development company.
Vector Brand Solutions and Birla Pivot
Birla Pivot awarded their full-funnel brand and communications mandate to Vector Brand Solutions, a part of Quotient Ventures.
Gozoop Hawk and Godrej Properties
Data-driven customer experience agency, Gozoop Hawk bagged the digital customer service mandate for real estate brand Godrej Properties.
mSix&Partners and Hamdard Laboratories
GroupM’s mSix&Partners bagged the integrated media and social duties for Hamdard Laboratories.
November
Madison Loop and Oberoi Realty
Madison Loop, the digital first creative and strategy arm of Madison World won the integrated mandate for Mumbai’s real estate company, Oberoi Realty.
Dentsu and BharatBenz
BharatBenz onboarded Dentsu India as its integrated communication partner.
Rediffusion and Ashiana Housing
Independent full-service advertising agency Rediffusion bagged the creative mandate of Ashiana Housing, a real estate company.
Atom Network and DS Group
The Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), a multi-business corporation, onboarded Atom Network as their creative partner for the brand’s dairy business.
Interactive Avenues and Twinings
Interactive Avenues, the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India awarded the e-commerce mandate for Twinings, one of the oldest tea companies in the world.
December
Havas Media and Swiggy
Online food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy has retained its long-term agency partner Havas Media Group India. The agency has been handling Swiggy’s media business since 2016.
Swiggy retains Havas as its media agency: Sources
Cheil India and Vishal Mega Mart
Vishal Mega Mart, a fashion-led hypermarket with over 580 stores across India, selected Cheil as its creative agency partner with a mandate to focus on integrated advertising and marketing solutions.
Interactive Avenues and TTK Healthcare
Interactive Avenues, the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India won the e-commerce mandate for TTK Healthcare, a diversified conglomerate with a wide range of healthcare and FMCG products.