Kings XI Punjab appoints Saints & Warriors as creative agency

The business will be managed out of the agency's Mumbai office. The incumbent on the account is Fisheye Communication.

Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab has appointed Saints & Warriors as its creative AOR (agency of record). There was no pitch for the business. In fact, the agency approached the IPL team with its creative idea, which the team management liked. The incumbent on the account is Fisheye Communication.

Confirming the news to afaqs!, Colonel Arvinder Singh, chief operating officer, Kings XI Punjab, says, "We did not call for a pitch. The agency called and requested for an hour to present its thoughts on the business. The team flew down from Mumbai to surprise us on their understanding of our business and the creative expressions they brought to the table."

He refused to divulge any details on the marketing strategy, saying that it will be decided in the days to come. The media mix for this season of IPL for the team will focus on digital and social media to a great extent, along with TV, print, radio, outdoor and on-ground activation. The spend on the media could not be ascertained as it tends to be complex for the teams, taking barters into consideration.

Delighted about the new win, Sartaj Jaffri, senior vice-president and branch head, Mumbai, Saints & Warriors, says, "We are always on the lookout for brands ready for some clutter-breaking work. The team proactively developed a well thought communication strategy for the coming IPL season for Kings XI Punjab, which was instantly appreciated by the client."

This is one of the many wins that the agency's Mumbai branch has witnessed in the past one year, including Fiat Motors, Big FM's new positioning and Wagh Bakri's Mili.

Jaffri attributes the Kings XI Punjab win to Kshitij Salve, group head, creative, Saints & Warriors.

Speaking about the creative strategy for the team, Salve says, "We have been watching IPL for the last four years and every team claimed to wreak mayhem in one way or another in their communication -'tod denge', 'hila denge' and 'maar dalenge'. That didn't appeal to me as a creative person. T20 is fun and entertainment and we saw an opportunity in that zone. Our campaign will be a celebration of that aspect."

For the record, Kings XI Punjab represents the city of Chandigarh in the Indian Premier League.