Indiantelevision.com Team

(17 July 2007 4:22 pm)

MUMBAI: The Ogilvy Group has strengthened the operations of Meridian Communications by appointing two key members of its board to head Meridian.

Rensil D'silva has been appointed as executive creative director and Kumar Subramaniam as president. Meanwhile N Ramesh continues to be executive creative director, based in its headquaters in Bangalore.

Both Subramaniam and D'silva will continue to be based in Mumbai. The agency is also looking to set up operations in Delhi soon.

Following the appointments, Meridian has bagged the creative account for INX Media and INX News. It will manage the advertising for INX media entertainment channel and INX news.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, INX News CEO Vir Sanghvi said, "The news channel is likely to launch in early 2008. It will be positioned largely as a news source which is intelligent, up-market and well-designed with a good programming mix and a sound judgement of news."

When asked whether INX would be forming an alliance with an international news agency he said, "We are not looking to form such an alliance, as of now."

INX Media chairperson and executive director Indrani Mukherjea said,"We are progressing smoothly on the general entertainment channel front. We will make an announcement soon about content partners for the channel."

O&M Asia Pacific chairman Miles Young said, "Meridian is an existing name, quite an old name with the Ogilvy family but suddenly literally it has taken off. Today, we are acknowledging this take off and needs of the clients. Meridian is of Ogilvy and by Ogilvy. Meridian will certainly position us; provide growth for our business and personal and professional growth for our people as well as both for a group of clients who seek to be serviced in a special and unique way."

O&M Asia Pacific vice chairman and O&M India and south Asia executive chairman and national creative director Piyush Pandey said, "It gives our people greater opportunity for expressing Ogilvy values. I am also delighted to see INX Media and news channels to have placed faith in Meridian."

D'silva said, "We've started off well with the Radio City account and the TVCs are already on-air. The path ahead is for creative excellence and not formatted excellence."

Subramaniam who was formerly president of Brand David India said, "The talent base will be mixed with people from Ogilvy and external. We are still working on the organisational structure, but it will be largely based on Ogilvy's functioning pattern."

Amongst other clients, Meridian also handles Axis Bank, Radio City, Arvind Mills, Mantri Developers, Levi Strauss (India), The Himayala Drug Company, Optimix and Bias Communication Pvt Ltd.