DS Group looks for creative partner for pan masala range

Some of the brands in this range include Meetha Maza, Tansen, Rajnigandha, Tulsi and Baba.

The Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group) is on the lookout for a creative partner for its pan masala business. Some of the brands in this portfolio are Meetha Maza, Tansen, Rajnigandha, Tulsi and Baba.

Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs!.

A pitch process has begun in Noida, where the company has invited presentations from agencies such as Dentsu Marcom, Lowe Lintas, McCann Erickson, JWT India, DDB Mudra, Ogilvy India and others.

The size of the business could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. However, it is considered to be substantial.

Towards the end of December, 2011, Dentsu Marcom had won the creative duties for two brands from the DS Group stable - the mouth freshener brand PassPass, and an upcoming chewing gum brand, which marked the entry of the group into the confectionery category. The agency won the business through a multi-agency pitch that saw participation from agencies such as Law & Kenneth, Euro RSCG and Publicis.

The group has more than 24 manufacturing units spread across Delhi, Noida, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura.

The DS Group was founded in 1929. It is a Rs 1866-crore multi-diversified conglomerate that has strong presence in sectors such as F&B, hospitality, mouth fresheners, tobacco, packaging, agro forestry, rubber thread and infrastructure (including steel, cement and power). Recently, the group has also forayed into the dairy business.

The pan masala range falls under the mouth freshener category of the group.