Maxus bags media biz of Janalakshmi; stitches 3-year deal with BCCI

Maxus, part of GroupM, has won the media mandate for Janalakshmi Financial Services (Jana). The account will be handled out of the agency’s Bangalore office.

Announcing the win, Maxus and ESP Properties, GroupM’s specialised team on entertainment and sports, orchestrated its first association for Janalakshmi with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as an official sponsor for a period of three years. Janalakshmi will be the official financial services partner of the Indian cricket team, besides grounds right, where the financial services firm would have visibility on the field. The agreement also gives Janalakshmi benefits of prominence in stadium branding and on-ground advertising for 68 matches in three years across the three formats.

Kartik Sharma, Managing Director, Maxus South Asia, said, “We firmly believe in crafting unique associations for our brands to garner greater visibility. We are extremely happy for partnering with Janalakshmi and helping them sign up with BCCI as the official financial services partner of the Indian Cricket team. We are confident that this three yearlong deal will help build great saliency to Janalakshmi.”

Commenting on the partnership, Vinit Karnik, Business Head, ESP Properties, said, “We are elated to have stitched the entire deal for Janalakshmi Financial Services. Cricket is a religion in India cutting across masses and with the national team on the verge of regaining the numero uno spot in Tests, being official sponsor of BCCI serves as an ideal launchpad for the brand. We believe the partnership with BCCI for the next three years will help garner great visibility during India home series and establish a prominent presence for the brand in the marketplace. Besides, what better way for a brand to embark on a relationship with the sport than India’s 500th Test!”

Puneet Narang, Chief Marketing Officer, Janalakshmi Financial Services, added here, “We welcome Maxus on board and look forward to creating unique campaigns together. Given the scale of our operations, we were looking for a property that resonates across various segments of the society. What better way than cricket! Maxus had introduced us to this significant series, which happens to be India’s 500th test which we felt was a significant platform to commence our brand journey. Standing true to our philosophy, we went ahead and instituted an award called ‘Jana Bankable Player’, which will be given to the most bankable player who shows consistency and performance through the match as decided by the audience votes and commentators analysis. This is a metaphorical representation of how dependable Janalakshmi is as an organisation to its customers as a player is to their team.”