MAM
Everest Integrated reinvents itself as Everest Brand Solutions
MUMBAI: Is 59 years a good age to be given a face lift and a new lease on life? Most of us would answer in the affirmative. Even the management of the Rediffusion owned Everest Integrated Communications said da-da to this. After a long drawn-out surgery, the agency has re-emerged with a spanking new face- Everest Brand Solutions (EBS).
Its leitmotif: going beyond the regular creative brief and becoming a custodian of brands, hence fulfilling all brand objectives, says a press release. EBS will have its hq in Mumbai with a branch in New Delhi and a representation in Bangalore.
Says EBS chairman Arun Nanda: “It has been a great year for Everest, beginning with the new management catapulting it to be the second most creative agency at the Abby Awards. I see in them a bunch of mavericks who have a vision with the passion, talent and energy to actualise it. Everest today is geared to define the next paradigm in the evolution of the communication business.”
And what is that? EBS president Mahesh Chauhan explains. Says he: “Retrofitting an ad campaign as a panacea for all marketing ills just doesn’t work. Now more than ever before, clients need partners to help resolve their marketing problems. Identifying brand problems first and then delivering media-independent solutions is what the client seeks and Everest is geared to just that. Or else, the likes of brand consultants are circling above to carve out their pound of flesh from our industry.”
The agency has designed a new structure where there are ‘idea initiators’, ‘idea leaders’ and ‘idea managers’ replacing the whole system of client servicing, planning and creative terms in the agency.
EBS COO Anirudda Banerjee points out that the agency is doing away with the traditional agency functional roles of client servicing, planning and creative. “There is no reason for these obsolete roles to continue. We are revamping our entire organisation to align with the way we arrive at solutions. Silo-type watertight departments are passé, in fact, they are dysfunctional. What works far better are cross-functional teams working at what they do best.”
In simple language this means that EBS will set up teams handling one or more brand depending on each of their requirements. Within each team, ad professionals will in all likelihood be multitasking donning different hats, depending on their capability and aptitude. “The traditional roles will blur. Our focus is on offering clients effective brand solutions and bringing in the skills of the entire team for one goal, that is success,” say EBS executive creative director Milind Dhaimade.
The new sobriquet apart, the EBS management has also done away with the familiar mountain peaks in a circle Everest logo. The new corporate identity essentially consists of a squiggle or as the agency puts it – three continuos loops. The looped line is set on a yellow backdrop; yellow signifying; ‘bringing – light into darkness, warmth to the cold, health wealth and happiness and youth to the old’.
Interestingly, the agency has also allowed every employee to add to the bare basic identity by giving it their own character. So, every individual will carry their personalised logo on their card and stationary giving the logo their own interpretation of what it stands for.
Says Dhaimade,”We are re-emerging with a child’s perspective. We are empowering our people at a fundamental level to bring about the revolution that we are looking at.”
EBS execs in its previous avatar had been known for the pirate costumes they used to wear at the various award functions. And in fact the agency had positioned itself as the pirates’ agency. With a new vessel to sail in and new clothes, will we see them at their rapacious best, pillaging the brand terrain? While the EBS team is sanguine that it will, only Long John Silver knows!
Brands
KKR sixes to power EV charger rollout under VIDA campaign
Cricket meets clean mobility as big hits spark India’s charging growth
NEW DELHI: VIDA, the electric mobility arm of Hero MotoCorp, has teamed up with Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a campaign that turns cricketing flair into real-world impact.
Titled ‘6 for 6’, the initiative promises to install a 6kW fast EV charger for every six hit by KKR during the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The idea is simple but powerful, as each big hit on the field contributes directly to expanding India’s fast-charging infrastructure.
The campaign builds on VIDA’s growing network, which already spans over 5,300 fast-charging points across more than 430 cities. With EV adoption gaining pace, the brand is using cricket’s mass appeal to accelerate both awareness and infrastructure growth.
Explaining the thinking behind the move, Hero MotoCorp emerging mobility business unit chief business officer Kausalya Nandakumar said, “Cricket has an incredible ability to unite and inspire millions across the country. With the ‘6 for 6’ campaign, we are turning every big hit on the field into a step towards a cleaner and a more accessible mobility future.”
She added that VIDA’s expanding fast-charging network and removable battery technology are designed to make EV ownership more convenient and practical for everyday users.
From the franchise’s side, the campaign is also about giving on-field moments a larger purpose. Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “The ‘6 for 6’ campaign exemplifies the potential of sport as a platform for meaningful, real-world impact. By linking every six to the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, this partnership transforms fan excitement into tangible progress.”
As part of the rollout, VIDA has introduced co-branded charging stations in KKR’s signature colours, with a flagship installation unveiled alongside team players. The chargers are designed for quick top-ups, powering VIDA scooters from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, while also being positioned along key highways to support longer journeys.
The initiative also taps into VIDA’s removable battery system, which allows users to charge using standard household plug points, adding flexibility to the charging ecosystem.
By blending the thrill of cricket with the urgency of clean mobility, VIDA and KKR have found a neat way to make every six count twice, once on the scoreboard and again on India’s road to an electric future.
