In an advertising pitch to Fiat India Automobiles Pvt Ltd, which included both media and creative, Maxus and Bates David Enterprise made joint presentations for the business which they won. Photos: The Fiat Linea makes its India debut at the 9th New Delhi Auto Expo last month.

The year has begun on a great note for Maxus. Close on the heels of winning the IPL (Indian Premier League) and Deccan Chronicle accounts, the agency has now added automaker Fiat India Automobiles Pvt Ltd to its kitty. In an advertising pitch, which included both media and creative, Maxus and Bates David Enterprise together made presentations for the business and have won it. The account size is estimated to be upwards of Rs 40 crore.

The automaker had invited a pitch that required a combined media and creative presentation. Bates David Enterprise and Maxus won the business following a multi-agency pitch that involved Leo Burnett, Grey Worldwide and FCB Ulka. The incumbent agency was Leo Burnett, which had been handling the coveted internationally aligned business of Fiat India for the past ten years.

With two new product lines -– Fiat Linea and Grande Punto -- to be launched shortly in India, Bates David Enterprise would be handling the advertising duties of Palio till Grande Punto is launched. Additionally, the agency would also be responsible for the advertising and communications for the CBU (Completely Built-up Unit) of the automobile major that include Fiat 500 and Bravo.

Rajeev Kapoor, CEO and President, Fiat India, said, “I feel Maxus is the right media partner for Fiat in India, considering the new image of Fiat and the job ahead of establishing it as a powerful brand in the Indian four-wheeler market. We identified Bates David Enterprise as the agency with the best capabilities to support us in building the new image for the brand and help us accomplish our business plans for the Indian market.”

Ajit Varghese, MD, Maxus, said, “We are very happy with this win. This is the first automotive account for Maxus, and we are happy that we fitted in Fiat India’s new scheme of things. We would like to thank Bates David Enterprise for introducing us in this business, and we are looking forward to joining forces with them to do some great work for Fiat India.”

Sandeep Pathak, EVP, Bates David Enterprise, added, “It’s a fantastic win for all of us at Bates. We believe that Fiat is a brand that has great future in the country. There are some exciting new product launches on the anvil that will drive Fiat towards becoming a force to reckon with in the automotive industry. It was a heady combination of planning and creative and 360 solutions that helped us clinch this business. We’re absolutely thrilled that Fiat has reposed it’s faith in us. As a brand Fiat holds a special place, as it’s a business that I have been involved with for more than six 6 years. This makes this win even sweeter.”