Indiantelevision.com Team

(14 July 2008 6:30 pm)

NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India Limited has appointed Hakuhodo Percept, the 50:50 joint venture company between Hakuhodo Inc Japan and Percept Limited, as the creative agency for its forthcoming automobile A-Star.

The automobile manufacturer had called for a seven-way pitch that saw Hakuhodo Percept, Grey, Lowe, Capital, Dentsu, Euro RSCG and Publicis vying for the account.

Says Hakuhodo Percept, Senior Vice President Amitabha Lahiri, “The A-Star pitch tested the strategic and creative capabilities of our team. Our attempt was to come up with long term ideas that are differentiated & relevant to make us stand apart from the competition. Launching this brand on the global arena is an equally great opportunity and a big challenge. We are looking forward to it.”

Lahiri refused to disclose the size of the account, while stating that "it is significantly high."

Though much of the promotion plans will be dominated by ATL (above the line) activities that include television, press, outdoor and radio, BTL (below the line) activities like events, DM and web promotions would also get its due chance. However, the plans would differ for each market as it would also depend on the nature of the market.

Hakuhodo Percept senior creative director Manish Masih remarked, “Our creative pitch showcased several communication ideas which were creatively exciting and relevant to the core target group of potential A-Star buyers. To do this, we decided to break the mould of conventional car advertising and experimented with varied expressions to come up with various creative ideas.”

Initially showcased in the Auto Expo 2008, the A-Star is the first global car that has been designed by Indian designers for Suzuki Motor Corporation.