Spice appoints Ogilvy as creative agency for mobility business

Spice has appointed Ogilvy as its new advertising agency for its mobility businesses of handsets and devices (Spice Mobiles), telecom retail (Spice Hotspot) and mobile VAS (Spice Digital).

The appointment followed a multi-agency pitch involving agencies including Lowe Lintas, Draftfcb+ulka, Publicis, Bates 141, Everest, Capital and the incumbent agency Contract.

The pitch process was kicked off in end-February and was concluded by mid-April.

Spice has been going through a transformational phase after the brand was refreshed by a London based agency The Brand Union (TBU) in early 2009, defining a new manifesto and strategic direction.

The thrust has since been to reinvigorate the brand in a market cluttered by the advent of new players. Spice decided to identify a partner with a deep understanding of market dynamics and to help the brand move to a higher growth trajectory.

Commenting on Ogilvy's appointment, Vivek Bali, group president – global brand and marketing - Spice Global said, "We are very happy to be working with Ogilvy as our creative and strategic communications partner. The appointment of Ogilvy comes after a rigorous process which included evaluation of key communications metrics. We will continue to make substantial investments in our brand and focus on our essence of Smart Thinking, the core of our DNA."

"I firmly believe that in our partnership Ogilvy we will be able to leverage their strengths in strategic ideation, strong creative and marketwide impact. I must simultaneously thank Contract Advertising for their support and contribution in building and nurturing the brand thus far which has been substantial," Bali added.

Speaking on the mandate, Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director - South Asia, Ogilvy India said, "We are very excited to partner with a growing brand such as Spice, in which we see the potential of becoming a leading brand in the country, not just in its category. We are confident that we would be able to provide the depth of strategic and creative support to take the brand forward to the highest levels of value and equity."