Al-Ikhsan signs Ansible and BPN

Multi-brand sports equipment and apparel retailer Al-Ikhsan has signed on Ansible and BPN as the new digital and media agencies for its premium category outlet Football Republic.

Ansible will be at the helm of Football Republic’s launch, development of all its digital assets, digital campaign strategy and execution, and will play the role of a consultant for its in-store experience. BPN will be responsible for managing its media planning, providing media planning and buying across platforms.

The contract officially kick-started in July, and will see the two agencies under the IPG Mediabrands network’s involvement in driving retail success in a technological driven environment both in-store and online for Al-Ikhsan.

Speaking about the appointment, Managing Director of Ansible, Manu Menon said, “Al-Ikhsan was looking for an agency to integrate the technological advancements in the communication space with the retail industry. The Ansible team is made up of sports fanatics, and this passion enabled us to truly understand their needs and deliver great ideas to help build the brand.”

“The opportunity to work with Football Republic is a unique one that allows BPN and Ansible to showcase our ideas and our combined holistic thinking. We look forward to supporting Football Republic with its ambitions to become the leading brand in this category,” added Managing Director of BPN Darren Yuen.

Al-Ikhsan’s CEO Vach Pillutla said, “We believe that engagement with these target segments cannot just be restricted to the store, but needs to go beyond, especially through social media activation of our own assets as well as established content providers. This is where agencies with impressive credentials like Ansible and BPN come in, to ensure strong 360 degree engagement with all key segments.”

Al-Ikhsan has over 100 outlets across Peninsular Malaysia. With Malaysia boasting highest levels of football engagement throughout the whole of Asia — with as much as 75% of the total Malaysian population being involved in the game at some level — Football Republic aims to bring to life the first true football lifestyle experience store in Malaysia, with digital assets and elements that provide connectivity and interactivity across different levels of target audience.