Leading media company HT Media has moved its creative duties for its English newspaper, Hindustan Times, from O&M to Lowe.
O&M continues to look after Hindustan, the Hindi daily; the business newspaper, Mint; and the youth paper, HT Next. The media duties continue to be with Maxus.
HT has a 360-degree media usage, employing print, radio, television and Internet advertising for all its brands. Sources estimate the size of the account to be around Rs 50 crore. The company also leverages its own media, which accounts for Rs 10 crore. Other external media vehicles account for the remaining Rs 40 crore.
Lowe already handles several HT Media brands such as the website, www.hindustantimes.com; the recruitment portal, www.shine.com; and the radio station, Fever 104 FM.
In the past, HT’s creative duties have been handled by agencies such as Grey and JWT (then HTA). By coincidence, JWT is now the creative custodian of HT’s rival brand, The Times of India.
A multi-agency pitch was not called this time (unlike in the case of the creative duties of Mint). Sources confirm that HT chose Lowe because the company was looking for fresh ideas and saw Lowe as adding value to the brand.