Wunderman Thompson South Asia wins AirAsia India's creative mandate

The agency will take care of above the line (ATL) and digital creative mandates.

Following a hotly contested multi-agency pitch held recently, Wunderman Thompson South Asia has won the creative mandate for AirAsia. The agency will be supporting brand strategy and shaping the communications narrative in India for the airline, taking care of above the line (ATL) and digital creative mandates.

Commenting on the decision to appoint Wunderman Thompson as their creative agency, Siddhartha Butalia, chief marketing officer, AirAsia India says, “It’s a pleasure to have Wunderman Thompson on board at this pivotal juncture. As a distinctive brand with a differentiated proposition in a category fraught with commoditization, AirAsia is well poised to make the most of the phenomenal potential in the sector. Wunderman Thompson approached the opportunity with strong strategic insights and compelling creative ideas that bring the emotion and inspiration back to travel. We’re looking forward to partnering with them to drive consideration and relevance across the customer journey, take off to even greater heights and explore new territories.”

Speaking about the win, Kundan Joshee, senior vice president and managing partner, Wunderman Thompson, Bengaluru says, “AirAsia has a unique value proposition and a distinct challenger brand spirit that makes it such a powerful brand. With the airline and travel industry all set for rejig, there couldn’t be a better time to leverage the strengths of the brand. Our job is to partner with AirAsia and bring alive its philosophy of service, efficiency and innovation. In today’s times it’s essential for a brand to have multiple conversations with people across touchpoints and this gives us the opportunity to do new age work and drive interesting conversations around the brand.”

Priya Shivakumar, national creative director, Wunderman Thompson - Bengaluru says, “The aviation industry is at the cusp of reinventing itself. Communication can play a big role in creating the first among equals advantage for a brand and we are eager to partner AirAsia in a take-off that builds on its impressive lineage. It is a huge opportunity to push the envelope on ideas in a category that is as exciting as it is challenging.”

AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited & AirAsia Investment Limited. AirAsia India commenced operations on 12 June 2014 with Bengaluru as its primary hub. Their agenda is to drive salience across markets with customised content and clutter-breaking communication that inspires diverse audiences with their brand promise and aspirational journey ahead.

Wunderman Thompson understood AirAsia India’s strategic and brand objectives and will be working on developing the brand’s strong and sustainable positioning that will cut across geographies, demographics and mindsets and deliver differentiated content with incisive insights.