AMFI and PNB MetLife search for new creative partners; BMW wraps up pitch
PNB MetLife has called for an integrated pitch, seeking a single agency to handle both creative and media duties.
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Several major brands in India have initiated agency review processes, inviting pitches for creative and media mandates as part of strategic realignments.
PNB MetLife has called for an integrated pitch, seeking a single agency to handle both creative and media duties. Sources familiar with the development indicate the account is complex, involving multiple agencies. The pitch is currently underway, and the brand has yet to finalize the agency.
Meanwhile, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) has initiated a creative agency pitch. A senior executive at the creative agency confirmed the development, stating, "AMFI have called for the creative pitch. Multiple agencies have participated. They are yet to finalize the creative agency on record." The incumbent agency handling AMFI’s creative duties is WPP-led VML.
In the automotive sector, BMW India has recently concluded its creative pitch process but has not yet announced the new agency on record. The company confirmed to Storyboard18 that the pitch is part of a broader strategic realignment following BMW’s record-breaking performance in 2024, when it achieved its highest-ever annual car sales in India.
Rediffusion, the current agency managing BMW India’s creative account, may be replaced depending on the outcome of the pitch. A senior executive from a participating agency noted, “It is a routine procedure for BMW to review agencies after a three-year period. They are yet to announce the agency on record.”
In 2022, BMW appointed Rediffusion to work on its brand strategy, creative, digital and dealer support communication. The business is being handled by Rediffusion Delhi. In the same year, Lodestar UM won and retained BMW India's integrated media duties following a multi-agency pitch.
The agency is responsible for all of BMW India's media activities, including mainline, digital, out-of-home, events, and special projects. The agency's Gurugram office is handling the account, at present.
