Air India, the country’s largest international carrier, has assigned its creative duties to the McCann Worldgroup.
The agency won the business after a multi-agency pitch.
Prasoon Joshi, CEO and CCO at McCann Worldgroup India and chairman, Asia Pacific, confirmed the news to e4m.
Expressing his delight in partnering with an iconic brand like Air India, Joshi said, "Air India is a brand that inspires us, and we are excited to partner with them as they chart a new course. Our McCann Global CEO, Daryl Lee, has genuinely supported and guided us. Also, support and input came in from Harjot Singh ( Global CSO) and John Wright who were an integral part of the pitch along with the stellar senior management colleagues Jitender Dabas, Alok Lall, Ashish Chakravarty, and their teams."
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India, said, "We are building Air India as a 'Global Airline with an Indian Heart'. This is a brand that is close to the heart of flyers around the world, and the new Air India will be a manifestation of the aspirations of the global Indian. With McCann Worldgroup as a partner, we expect to transform the brand into one of the most admired and trusted brands in India and overseas."
The development comes as Tata Group gears up to consolidate its entire airline business under Air India.
The size and tenure of the account were not immediately clear.
Air India has recently onboarded London-based brand and design consultancy firm Futurebrands to design its new branding strategy. Futurebrands has worked on rebranding exercises for brands like American Airlines and the British luxury auto brand Bentley. Futurebrands is also part of McCann Global.
Earlier this year, the airline company hired former MakeMyTrip executive Sunil Suresh as its chief marketing officer. Seasoned marketer Colin Neubronner, who has worked with brands like Singapore Airlines and Jet Airways also joined the company's brand team.
