Neo Sports picks McCann as its creative agency

Neo Sports Broadcast Ltd, promoters of Neo Cricket and Neo Sports, has handed over its creative duties to McCann Erickson following a fiercely fought seven-way pitch. The agencies that participated in the pitch include Bates 141, Euro RSCG, TBWA, Publicis, Ignitee, Leo Burnett and McCann Erickson. The incumbent, Ogilvy & Mather, stayed away from the pitch. McCann Erickson will be responsible for both Neo Cricket and Neo Sports channels.
 
"We really appreciate all the work O&M has done for us in the past year," explained Abhishek Verma, head, marketing & communications, Neo Sports Broadcast Ltd. "However, for 2009, we were looking for a distinct brand identity for Neo Cricket in the minds of the consumer. McCann Erickson presented a well defined case for Neo's brand development goals and we decided to go with them."
 
The account size, as per industry sources, is pegged at Rs 25 crore.
 
"Neo Sports is a prestigious account and we are very excited about it," said Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann Worldgroup India. "I see a gap between the way people perceive Neo Sports as a brand and the reality. Our first task will be to plug that gap through strong advertising."