Maruti Suzuki India Limited has appointed Hakuhodo Percept as the creative agency for its most awaited launch for the year 2008 – the A-Star.
As a part of aggressively promoting this car, Maruti Suzuki India Limited had called for an extensive 7 way pitch that saw the likes of Hakuhodo Percept, Grey, Lowe, Capital, Dentsu, Euro RSCG and Publicis vying for this coveted account.
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.
Amitabha Lahiri – Sr. Vice President Hakuhodo Percept, comments,” 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.”
Commenting on the creative strategy, Manish Masih, Senior Creative Director, Hsaid, “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.”
The first year’s ad spends will be commensurate with requirements of the Automotive segment. The company plans on using an extensive mix of ATL (above the line – television, press, outdoor and radio) and BTL (below the line – events, DM and web activities) to promote the product.
Established in January 2000, Hakuhodo Percept is a brand management specialist offering an entire spectrum of advertising, marketing and media buying services. Hakuhodo Percept is a 50:50 joint venture of Hakuhodo Inc., Japan, and and Percept Limited, India’s largest entertainment, media and communications company. It has a staff strength of 71 employees spread all over India
Hakuhodo Percept is a Hakuhodo-Percept Company. With capitalized billings of about INR 2,000 crores (FY’08), Percept, today, is at an enviable leadership position with a team of 1200 people and 62 offices in India and the Middle East and Percept Limited.
