Campaign India Agency Report Card: Everest Brand Solutions

Type of agency: Advertising
Company ownership: Y&R
Key personnel: D Rajappa, president, N Padmakumar, national creative director
Accounts won: Virgin Atlantic, Indian Overseas Bank, Tata Housing Mumbai Township
Accounts lost: None

Everest Brand Solutions, has been fairly low-key this year. The agency has not generated much of a buzz in the media through the year, except for occasional work seen across TV and print. The agency bagged the Virgin Atlantic account, post the airlines’ global alignment with Y&R. Recently, the agency also landed the creative mandate for the Rs 20 crore Tata Housing Mumbai township project.
Other wins include Bajaj Commercial Vehicles, Indian Overseas Bank, CNN-IBN, Thunderbolt Beer and ACC Cement. Perhaps Everest’s most vivid work for 2009 is its commercial for Parle Lite Bonbons, featuring Sumo wrestlers indulging in a spot of ballet. Everest has had an invisible year.

Campaign Score: 5
 
How EVEREST rates itself: 7

What one would like to unearth about Everest is how we managed to stay under the radar despite posting big wins like Tata Housing, Bajaj Commercial Vehicles, Indian Overseas Bank, ACC Cement, Virgin Atlantic, CNN-IBN and Thunderbolt Beer, amongst others.   While even the larger agencies had to resort to cut-downs and retrenchment, Everest smoothly negotiated the turbulent year that was, without a single recessionary measure. We came out of it healthier, fitter and wiser. The award –hungry Everest of old has deliberately opted to give contesting at awards a miss for a couple of years, opting instead to steer the vessel into bigger, more rewarding waters. Recognition finds its way home. For instance, PETA sent us their Glitterbox Award commending our TVC for Parle Xhale Mint. And we’ve had clients and fellow agencies from all over congratulating us for our thoroughly entertaining TVC for Parle Lite Bonbons, as they did for our IOB thematic TVC. The creative team, led by national creative director N Padmakumar, has steadily and impressively raised the quality of the Everest reel, while managing to stay low profile, and stands poised  to launch itself at the awards with strong contenders on genuine brands. For the journey we’ve managed to make, for our impressive growth in revenue as well as respectability, and for our success in remaining a preferred place to work at and for clients to partner with.