Campaign India Agency Report Card: W+K

Campaign India Team, 18 December, 2008

Mumbai

Type of agency Advertising
Company ownership Independent
Key personnel  V Sunil, ECD, Mohit Dhar Jayal, MD, Balasubramanian V, finance director
Accounts won Target, Geodesic, P&G (projects), Save the Children
Accounts lost None

After dipping its toes in Asia for the last few years, Weiden + Kennedy decided to make a splash into India in 2007 bringing with it the enormous Nokia account. The agency heads, V Sunil and Mohit Dhar Jayal, have kept their heads low and used 2008 to consolidate the Nokia business while retaining all their existing accounts that include IndiGo (airline), Royal Enfield Motorcycles and Incredible India! (global campaign ’08-’09) while winning new businesses such as  Target, P&G (projects), Geodesic and Save the Children.
Armed with a great list of brands that operate in cutting edge categories, W+K has churned out its usual fare of ‘away from the usual’ advertising that included publishing an in-flight magazine for Indigo and developing a music video out of a Nokia Navigator jingle. Known for its successful ‘Incredible India’ campaigns, the agency has once again bagged rights for the global 2008-2009 campaign and will soon roll out an integrated campaign based on the theme ‘Motherland India’.

Their work on Nokia included a campaign to support the launch of Nokia 1209 – an entry level phone. The campaign, created around the simple dreams and aspirations of common folk in India, used artistic installations that gave the spot a dream like feel. Another was a futuristic take, titled ‘Duckie’ hawking 2600 Classic, appealing to first time upgraders, looking for Bluetooth and record features. The most recent, and highly visible, campaign features Priyanka Chopra and has her playing a girl next door.

The office now has 30 people, +80% from last year, and has some big plans for the next year. For one of the world’s most celebrated micronetwork, the going has been slow but steady in 2008.

Campaign Score: 7

How W+K rates itself: 7

W+K Delhi has spent its first year of operations in consolidation mode. Rather than pursue an aggressive growth strategy, the agency opted for a selective build up of capabilities and clients. This focused approach enabled W+K Delhi to maintain 100% creative integrity and a spirit of experimentation in a highly conservative marketplace (for e.g., W+K Delhi recently produced a music video as a spin-off from a Nokia TV campaign - it went on to be the 4th most requested  track on Vh1 in November). In 2009, recession and geopolitics permitting, W+K Delhi will mix global practices with local values to generate work that is fresh, profitable and socially relevant. Stay tuned.