Through this strategic alliance, Anthem will now offer its clients a host of new services which include, online ad-buying, online ad campaign planning and ad serving, informs TBWA Anthem director Kurien Mathews. ``Web Shastra is the first Indian company which offers online campaign management system. To provide professional media buying and selling services to our clients, we have joined hands with Web Shastra,'' adds Mathews.

TBWA Anthem Interactive has recently bagged a host of new accounts which include, UTV Interactive, Suryaroshni.com (Surya Group), Winshieldexperts.com and MITclassifieds.com, amongst others.

The agency will be designing and developing eight portals for its client UTV Interactive, says Mathews. ``We will also be handling the online and offline advertising for our new client, UTV Interactive. In addition, we will be designing a shopping site for Tele Shopping Network (TSN) of UTV,'' adds Mathews.

Realising the significance of an interactive division, Anthem had set up TBWA Anthem Interactive in 1995. Currently, the agency offers a host of services which include e-business strategy, e-marketing, e-advertising, logistics, e-business integration and consultancy. As part of its online advertising initiative, the agency has recently introduced `digirati' sessions to educate its clients on how best to utilise online advertising with the help of experts in this field. To handle its new business, TBWA Anthem Communications, which is a joint venture between TBWA of the Omnicom group and Delhi-based Anthem Communication, has recently opened two branches in Chennai and Trivandrum. ``Our network now covers five cities-New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Trivandrum. To beef up our operations, we have invested heavily in high technology tools,'' adds Mathews.

Says Mathews: ``Our Mumbai operation has grown by 250 per cent in the last few months. Our billings are projected at Rs 60 crore in Mumbai alone for the year ending March 2001.''

As part of its expansion programme, the agency has recently hired the services of many talented professionals in the Indian advertising industry. In addition to its new dotcom clients, the agency has also bagged a host of advertising accounts in the last few weeks. Its new clientele includes Samsonite, Ramboo Cane, Nutricia, Sabena Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Indian Oil Company.