ITC scouts for creative agency for its education and stationery business

The pitch is on for Classmate, Paperkraft, and Colour Crew.

Multi-business conglomerate ITC is currently scouting for a creative partner. The pitch is specifically for its education and stationery business, including all three brands on the portfolio -- Classmate, Paperkraft, and Colour Crew.

The pitch process, which began around a week or so ago, is currently underway in Chennai. Around five-to-six agencies are in the fray for the business. It is further learnt that the first round is near completion and that some agencies that made presentations in this round have already been notified regarding the next stage of the pitch.

Senior-level sources in the advertising industry close to this development have confirmed the news to afaqs!.

Rediffusion-Y&R Chennai, in the recent past, has worked on this account, including all three aforementioned brands.

ITC made its foray in the education and stationery business, in 2002, with the brand Paperkraft; this was in the premium segment. By 2003, it expanded into the popular segment with the brand Classmate. Together, these two brands offer a range of products in the education and stationery space including notebooks and stationery products, such as pens, pencils, and geometry boxes. The offerings available in ITC's education and stationery range are famed to be eco-friendly, and are certified as being non-toxic products.

Around a month back, ITC launched a four-film ad campaign for Classmate. Conceptualised by Rediffusion-Y&R's Bengaluru and Chennai teams, the TVCs highlighted three specific benefits of a pen -- water resistance, smoothness and speed -- through a love story. The agency had adopted the retro look for all the commercials.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Soha Ali Khan have endorsed ITC's Classmate range in the recent past.