Author: mxm_india

  • I Venkat is new top cop for ad world

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the self-regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry, has unanimously elected Mr I Venkat, Director, Eenadu, as the Chairman of the Board of ASCI at its board meeting. Mr Venkat has been a member of the Board of Governors for five years and has provided active support to self-regulation in advertising.

    Mr Arvind Sharma, Chairman of India Sub-Continent, – Leo Burnett, was elected Vice-Chairman; and Mr Vikram Sakhuja, CEO-South Asia – Group M Media India, was re-appointed the Honorary Treasurer.

    During 2010-11, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) met 12 times and considered 777 complaints against 190 advertisements. Of these, complaints against 104 ads were upheld, while 80 were not upheld and six were considered non-issues. In 84 cases, the ads in which the complaint was upheld were voluntarily withdrawn or modified as per the CCC’s decisions, making for an over 80 percent compliance rate.

    Mr Rajiv Dube, Director-Group Corporate Services ,Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt Ltd, and the outgoing Chairman of ASCI, said, It has been a privilege for me to have served as the Chairman of ASCI and I step down from the position with the satisfaction of a progressive year on self-regulation in advertising behind me, for which I would like to thank all who supported strengthening the movement further.

    On his new role, Mr Venkat said, It is my honour to be elected as the Chairman of an organization which has been providing remarkable service to the Indian masses and the ad industry by effectively self-regulating advertising content over the past 26 years. With the support of the ASCI’s Board and the CCC, I will endeavour to further improve the awareness and usage of ASCI. I urge the ad sector, the regulators, civil society activists and above all, the general public to actively seek ASCI’s services and also provide suggestions for its improvement.

     

    The other members of the new Board of Governors:

    Advertisers

    Mr Narendra Ambwani (Agro Tech Foods)

    Mr Rajiv Dube (Aditya Birla Management Corporation)

    Mr Shantanu Khosla (Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care)

    Mr Gopal Vittal (Hindustan Unilever)

     

    Media

    Mr Rajan Anandan (Google India)

    Mr Benoy Roychowdhury (HT Media)

     

    Advertising Agencies 

    Mr Subhash Kamath (BBH Comms India)

    Mr Srinivasan Swamy (RK Swamy BBDO)

     

    Allied Professions

    Mr Dilip Cherian (Perfect Relations)

    Mr Dhananjay Keskar (IBS)

    Mr Pranesh Misra (Brandscapes Consultancy P. Ltd.)

    Mr Partha Rakshit (Partha Rakshit Associates)

     

  • The husband’s predicament

    The Campaign:

    Amitabh Diwali Campaign

     

    The Client:

    Tanishq

     

    The Agency:

    Lowe Lintas

     

    The Brief:

    To promote Tanishq diamonds during the peak jewellery buying season – Diwali. It is also the most auspicious time for jewellery purchase.

     

    Research insights:

    According to Arun Iyer, National Creative Director of Lowe Lintas, “Usually during Diwali gold is the main metal of purchase among consumers. But we have taken this opportunity to push diamonds this Diwali.”

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    “We have used the insight of how men always go wrong with their choice of gift during festivities. And this time the attempt is to ensure that they are clear about their choice of gift this Diwali.”

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    TV, Radio and Outdoor

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    “Since we were using Amitabh and Jaya again, we had to ensure that they come across as normal husband and wife and not like celebrities. Also the situation that was shown is a predicament that every husband goes through in marriage.”

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    “Absolutely. Like I have mentioned earlier Amitabh behaves like any husband would. Despite having clarity about the choice of gift he still falters as women, being women, will always have a different point of view.”

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    “I think it’s the execution. Amitabh and Jaya have been shown going through life’s moments just like any other normal couple would.”

     

    Market and client feedback:

    “There has been a positive feedback from the market and client. Customers have been talking about it and find the ad very entertaining. The fact that Amitabh gets stumped again by Jaya in the end is the highlight of the film.”

     

    Credits:

    Creative: Arun Iyer, Rajesh Ramaswamy, Abhijit Ghosh, Adarsh Atal, Indrashish Mukherjee, Prasad Baggi

    Account Management: Sudhir Rajasekharan, Pritish Wesley, Arunabho Sen

    Director: Prakash Varma

    Production House: Nirvana Films

  • AdStrat: Happy beginnings with Shubh Aarambh

    Abhijit Avasthi, NCD, Ogilvy & Mather

     

    [youtube width=”300″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ-WZqaGAf0[/youtube] [youtube width=”300″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odmcmnWjK10[/youtube]

     

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad:

    Cadbury Dairy Milk – Shubh Aarambh

     

    The Brief:

    Get consumers to eat more chocolate by creating new occasions for consumption.

     

    Research insights

    Our strategy was to grow chocolate consumption by making it part of Indian meetha (sweet) consumption behaviour. By positioning ourselves as meetha and an accompaniment to celebrations, the most obvious meetha consumption moment in India the brand saw tremendous growths. The challenge for the brand was how could we go beyond this?
    How do we integrate with the Indian meetha behaviour even more strongly beyond celebratory occasions?

     

    Analysis of culture codes of chocolate and meetha helped to uncover a new opportunity and a new occasion for chocolate consumption.

     

    The western culture code for chocolate is: Sin. Chocolate came to India from the west but the culture code for chocolate in India is different. In India chocolate had become ‘meetha‘ and to Indians, the significance of sweet or meetha runs beyond its physical and functional attributes.

     

    In India sweet (meetha) performs a spiritual role. Meetha is offered to the gods, it allows us to connect with optimism. Meetha is associated with festivity, purity, and all things good and happy. The Indian culture code for sweet (meetha) hence chocolate is: Auspicious.

     

    This led us to the cultural insight: “Having something sweet before starting or doing anything new is considered auspicious and suggests that the outcome would be good”. More like “Things that are begun on a sweet note have sweet endings”.

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    Having something sweet before starting something new is an old Indian tradition and is deeply entrenched in our behaviour. Changing such behaviour is the most difficult task, but Cadbury Dairy Milk was determined to achieve it. So how did we do it? How did we make chocolate a part of auspicious occasions? We realized that the way to get into the traditional auspicious occasion zone was by transforming it.

     

    So we redefined the auspicious occasions – made it more contemporary, gave it a fresh perspective. These were not the conventional auspicious moments that India was generally used to. These were more modern and reflected the progressive young India. These real but non-obvious ‘Shubh aarambh‘ moments would expand the footprint beyond traditional occasions like beginning a journey, buying something new during Diwali or Navratri, house warming (moving into a new home), before exams etc…

     

    And the idea of starting anything new on an auspicious note with CDM was conceived –
    ‘Make a Shubh Aarambh with Cadbury Dairy Milk’.

     

    While most of the past CDM campaigns like “Pappu pass ho gaya” focussed on meetha after something good had happened – celebrations (post event), this uncovered a new meetha occasion, meetha before a new start (pre event). Shubh aarambh was an even bigger opportunity as inevitably the number of number of people anticipating success tends to be much higher than those who actually succeed.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    TV was the main medium to launch the ‘big brand idea’ but the campaign was also supported with a robust 360 programme (Radio, OOH Print, Mobile and Internet) creating a multiplier effect for the campaign.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    Creating contemporary ‘Shubh aarambh‘ moments.
    Real but non-obvious ‘Shubh aarambh‘ moments like a boy asking a girl out for the first time or a middle-aged sari-wearing lady stepping out in jeans for the first time, or a girl eloping with her boyfriend; all situations that one is likely to encounter these days anywhere in India. These allowed us to squeeze our way into tradition by transforming – making it contemporary.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    The executions turned contemporary new beginnings into memorable ‘Shubh aarambh‘ moments on television. Deliberately shorn of glam and celebrity endorsements, the executions helped the idea shine brightly. The results speak for themselves. It got over 7,50,000 views on YouTube and its popularity even crossed Indian shores. It was easily the most recalled and liked campaign in 2010.

     

    What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad/campaign?

    It came from a real insight into India and Indians and the creative helped it shine through in a way that connected with consumers from all walks of life and across age groups.

     

    Market and client feedback:

    Forty-two per cent value growth and a 33 per cent volume over the previous year for a brand of its size is nothing short of spectacular. To put it in perspective, just the additional volumes from the campaign accounted for enough CDM bars to cover more than 2.5 times the Great Wall of China!

     

    The campaign was awarded the ‘Global Marketing Excellence award’ for best IMC within Kraft Foods and has also won accolades at all leading creative and effectiveness awards including Grand Prix at ABBYs, Gold at AME and APPIES.

     

  • AdStrat: Humming Girl

    Amod Dani, ECD, Leo Burnett

     

    The campaign:

    Humming Girl

     

    The client:

    Tata Capital

     

    The agency:

    Leo Burnett

     

    The brief:

    To create a campaign (led by television) to launch their Home Loan vertical. This is the brand’s first foray into the Home Loan category.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client:

    Tata Capital is a brand synonymous with the values of the parent group Tata Sons. The brand stands on the platform of doing what’s right, and we have worked hard to bring this philosophy alive through our previous two campaigns (Old Coin & Sardar Twins).

     

    Going forward we had to keep the core values of trust, sincerity, consumer empathy and integrity alive in the new home loan campaign as well.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qvFzkGnOE[/youtube]

    Research insights:

    Through focus groups and through Burnett’s hot button research we were able to unearth several insights which concerned rented homes. However, one truly stood out and struck a chord with everyone.

     

    If there is one place in the world where an individual can be herself, express herself freely and do what she likes, it’s her own home. It’s the place where she feels liberated from the external pressures. She is devoid of any scrutiny or judgment of the society. Where there is absolutely nothing to fear and where she feels most secure.

     

    Media vehicles:

    We led the campaign through Television supplemented with Outdoor &Print.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    The home loan market is quite intense and competitive. With the growing need to find a suitable home advertisers have constantly tried to push the envelope. But this has often resulted in complex communication that is more informative than emotive. We believe that buying a home is not just a rational decision.

     

    We planned to ride on the emotional equity associated with owning one’s own home. The truth that only in your own home can you truly express yourself is a liberating insight. The creative lens of viewing the complex financial world through a child’s eyes gave us the platform to bring this insight to life.

     

    The brand prides itself on human truths and consumer understanding. Therefore, we were very careful and worked to keep the execution real, honest and simple. The tone as you can see in the commercial is thus empathetic and genuine, true to the Tata values.

     

    The differentiating factor about the ad:

    The one thing that truly sets this ad apart from the rest is the fact that it is deeply rooted in a human insight. The ad is something that people residing in rented homes can truly connect with.

     

    The execution is a very sincere and honest attempt at connecting with these very people. Therefore the performance of the talented young actors is also very real. Her humming is memorable and sweet and once you see the ad, it’s hard not to hum along. Overall Amit has delivered a very charming film.

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups:

    We are currently awaiting actual numbers since the TVC went on air. However, the initial response both from the market and the industry seems very positive. The charming execution has been well appreciated by the client, industry peers and most importantly the common man.

     

    Credits:

    National Creative Director: KV Sridhar

    Creative team: Rajesh Mani, Amod Dani, Anirban Sanyal, Sachin Kamath, Nilesh Ajarlekar

    Client Servicing: Suvadip Ghosh, Manish Somani, Nandita Das, Yash Bhawsar

     

    Head | Brand Marketing & Corporate Communication: Veetika Deoras

    Production House: Chrome Pictures

    Director: Amit Sharma

  • AdStrat: Tata Tea’s Soch Badlo

    The Campaign:  Tata Tea Soch Badlo campaign

    The Client: Tata Global Beverages Ltd.

    The Agency: Lowe Lintas

    The Brief:  On 25th anniversary of Tata Tea, we wanted to salute our nation and the woman who bought Tata Tea. But as luck would have it, we found our nation in the midst of many corruption related controversies. Scams coming out in the open and people responsible for them being put behind bars were having an adverse impact on the psyche of the nation. The masses were beginning to feel very negative. Negativity turned to frustrations as people took to the streets. Frustrations soon turned into scorn and sarcasm.

     

    Another one of our messages to fight corruption would just not have cut ice amidst this growing discontent. Yet another campaign crusading against corruption would get drowned in the already very shrill and negative sentiments around us. But it was our 25th anniversary. Something bold and new had to be done.

     

    Therefore, the new installment of our long running Jaago Re campaign does not just aim at awakening the nation, but also stresses that we think positively even as the nation is embroiled in many corruption related scams. After all, what good could we Indians see in all the scams that were coming out in the open?

     

    Any specific advisory from the client: Our previous Jaago Re campaigns had played their part in awakening the nation. The awakening was demonstrated by the open coverage and discussion on the various scams in the media and at an individual level. We knew that this open discussion was a good sign – the first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge that it exists. Instead of being swept under the carpet (as they had been so often in the past), issues were being discussed openly, and action was being taken against the guilty. However the man and woman on the street were simply overwhelmed by the number and scope of the scams, and focused on these instead of the bigger picture. We wanted to communicate that despite all the negativity caused by the scams, the impact they would have would be undeniably positive.

     

    Research insights: Consumers know and believe that anything worthwhile takes time and effort (e.g., in micro level matters like education, health, etc.). They however needed a strong parallel to connect it to macro issues around them – only then would they see the bigger picture.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: To focus on the cause (reduced tolerance towards lack of proper governance) and not the symptoms (increased coverage of scams in media and at an individual level)

     

    Media vehicles chosen: TVC, Print, Digital

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: All this negativity needed to be reversed before it flowed deeper into our conscience. This was unconstructive and unflattering to a great nation like ours. This objective was squarely in the realms of our Jaago re campaign idea that had for long crusaded against corruption.

    Secondly, we needed to strengthen our connection with the woman who buys into our brand. We needed to portray her as a mature sensible and wise protagonist who is able to lift the shroud of negativity in our nation and clearly see that there was some good in it for all us. In the middle of uproar, hers had to emerge as the voice of reason.

    Thirdly, our nation’s aura had taken a bit of a beating. As a brand, we aimed at doing our bit at saluting the nation for all the other good things that were happening around us. Bruised as it was, we wanted to emphatically lend our moral support to our nation as it did battle against corruption.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?  Yes it does

     

    Differentiating factor: When tea wakes you up, Tata Tea awakens you.

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups: Initial reactions are extremely encouraging in the 3 weeks since campaign launch.

     

    Campaign credits

    Creative: R Balki, Amer Jaleel, Anaam Mishra

    Planning: Vikram Sathyanath, Gulshan Singh

    Account Management: GV Krishnan, Aejaz Khan, Rajiv Chatterjee, Kunal Madhavdas, Mainak Bag

    Production House: Chrome Pictures

    Director: Amit Sharma

  • AdStrat: Birla Sun Life leaves nothing to fate

    The Campaign: Birla Sun Life Insurance Protection Solutions Campaign

    The Client: Birla Sun Life Insurance

    The Agency: JWT

    The Brief: The campaign objective is to reiterate the philosophy to leave nothing to fate. The communication would center around the proposition of fulfilling responsibilities towards one’s loved ones. The tonality and messaging of the TVC and the campaign throughout is both empathetic and a friend who knows what’s best for you, thereby attempting to move him into action, more effectively

     Any specific advisory from the client: Manage the task of sensitizing the consumer to the uncertainties or fragility of life without putting them off.

    Research insights:  Consumers today are becoming more confident and optimistic about their achievements. They have the zest to achieve everything, however there are little efforts towards securing or insuring these achievements against any unforeseen circumstances. Thus it was observed that there is a further need to infuse a sense of urgency towards insurance planning and protection in the otherwise optimistic, confident Indian consumer who tends to leave his dreams to fate/destiny. The average Indian’s apathy and inertia is evident from the fact that the pure protection category merely contributes to just 3% of the total industry premium. This brings to fore the reality that a large population base is leaving their dreams to fate or destiny.

    The thought process behind the creative: The communication aims to create an emotional connect and empathy with the aam aadmi, by showing a slice of life situation which can happen with any young couple staying in metros or small towns. They share each other’s dreams and are thinking about their future, which they are eagerly looking forward to – just when they come face to face with the unpredictability of life.

    Media vehicles chosen: The TVC has been on air since November 04, 2011 and is being played across all leading television channels. In the time to come you will witness an array of initiatives that will help BSLI reach out across the country with the theme of ‘safety, security and protection’. These will span television, radio, outdoor, below the line and digital media.

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The attempt here is not to challenge the consumer’s confidence (and switch him off), but sensitize them in a thought provoking way that spurs him to act.

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief? The commercial certainly breaks clutter through its neat execution. It is based on a very thought- provoking insight – can you leave your dreams to fate? There is a moment in the film that shakes the viewer into thinking. On a day just like any other, a young couple narrowly escapes a brush with death. Call it luck by chance, destiny or fate; it does shake up the couple in the film and the viewer. The differentiating factor of the ad is its very real and slice of life feel. There is absolutely nothing ‘ad-dy’ about the ad. The couple are just like any young couple with dreams, the day is just like any other, but then something happens that makes it a day very unlike any other.

    Differentiating factor: Everything about the ad is natural and candid, and it still succeeds in driving home the point. Natural acting,  no stars, a sudden realization through the shock and a simple message ‘Kahin aap apne sapno ko kismet par to nahi chor rahe’ towards the end, makes it an appealing and relevant communication. The ad carries an emotional realization for everyone including individuals from towns and villages who come to cities with big dreams and aspirations but tend to ignore something like insurance and their own protection

    Campaign credits

    Creative Agency:                                         JWT India

    Director for the film:                                    Amit Sharma

    Production House:                                      Chrome Pictures

    Media Planning:                                          Mindshare

    Language:                                                   Hindi / other regional

    Duration:                                                     45 seconds

    National Campaign Launch:                         4th Nov, 2011

    JWT Team that worked on the film:

    Creative: Tista Sen, Nandita Chalam, Dipesh Kowarkar, Siddharth Joglekar, Kunjika Talpade

    Servicing: Samarth Shrivastava, Swati Bobde, Vineeta Sukhija, Amita Servaia

    Planning: Rajesh Mehta

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTwNe38qls[/youtube]
    [vimeo width=”400″ height=”250″]http://vimeo.com/31714764[/vimeo]

     

  • AdStrat | M&M XUV 500: Driving the brand

    Siddhartha Roy, COO, Consumer Business & Allied Services, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

    Name of the Campaign/Ad

    Mahindra XUV500

    The Brief

    M&M Auto redefined its image and the SUV market in India with the launch of the Scorpio in 2002. Now the company was focused on launching another gamechanger – a global SUV, codenamed Project W201. Project W201 was announced roughly 3 years ago. Hungama was given the task of creating a teaser and product launch campaign that would stand out from everything that was ever done before – within the category and for the medium.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client

    This vehicle was a game changer for M&M Auto in terms of its image, consumer perception, and reach. It was a global launch, with a product created for a global market.

    Client brief was to handle the campaign unlike anything Mahindra had ever done before, on digital. Also, given that this vehicle was going to be targeted at SEC A, we figured that about 80 percent of the TG would be online and active.

    This was Mahindra’s biggest launch campaign, after the Scorpio.

     

    Research insights

    With the research we found that there was an unbelievable amount of speculation, gossip and rumours already in the digital space.  Our strategy included channelizing all the online chatter to one location, use social media to drive the frenzy, and finally, engage the consumer in revealing the car himself.

     

    The thought process behind the creative

    The campaign was divided into 4 activities

    •     Reveal the Name of the W201

    •     Guess the Price of the XUV500 contest

    •     Unlock the XUV500 angles

    •     Reveal the XUV500 for yourself

     

     

    Considering the amount of curiosity there was about this product, we decided to tease the consumer to build the anticipation. At the same time, we would reveal a little more about the vehicle. A microsite showed a webcam feed of a covered XUV500.

     

    Campaign Execution

    Reveal the Name of the W201 was our first activity. Users were invited to mouse over an area on the website and uncover the real name of the W201. An audio file also told users how to pronounce the brand name. The activity was supported via banners and a social media campaign on FB and Twitter. Users could also take part in the activity on the FB fan page.

    ‘Guess the Price of the XUV500’ was a never-done-before activity. Consumers were shown an XUV500 under wraps, and asked to guess the price. They then had to share the activity with friends. The person whose guess came closest to the actual price would WIN THE XUV500. There were also 20 tickets to the F1 Grand Prix in India, up for grabs. An FB plug-in on the website homepage showcased buzz on social media, regarding this contest.

    In order to give consumers a better idea of what to expect from the XUV500, we also created and launched a series of ‘sneak peek’ videos. We spoke to the people involved in creating the XUV – from the R&D Project Leader, to the Senior VP of Product Development at Mahindra and Mahindra. We spoke to crazy fans, bloggers and online experts.  The activity was constantly promoted through social media and banner spends.

    For those who were dying to see the XUV500, we offered them another alternative. Fans could unlock different angles marked on the wrapped vehicle. As soon as a certain number of ‘likes’ was reached, the webcam feed changed to show a different angle of the XUV500.

    When the vehicle was finally launched on-ground, we gave consumers another interactive experience, where they could pull off the wrapper on the XUV themselves and unveil the car.

     

    Media vehicles chosen

    Social Media – Facebook + Twitter, YouTube and Mahindra XUV500 website

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the campaign

    Short turnaround time

    Overwhelming response

    Bite sized info without revealing too much

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    The campaign managed to create exceptional buzz for the car. All the qualities of the car were revealed in an interactive manner involving the target audience.

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups

    o          150,000 people revealing the name

    o          Guess the name site

    o          450,000 likes to reveal the first ever ‘under wraps’ 360 degree car view

    o          115,000 entries in 10 days

    o          Over 100,000 visitors a day (highest traffic to an auto site in India)

    o          Unveil the XUV

    o          40,000 unveils in one evening

    o          35000+ test drive requests

    o          Touching 900,000 unique visitors to the site

    o          107,831 fans on facebook

    o          700,000 destinations where XUV500 has been mentioned

     

    Credits

    Company: Mahindra & Mahindra

    Brand: Mahindra XUV500

    Digital Agency: Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

    Chief Creative Officer: Carlton D’Silva

    Creative Team: Team Hungama

    Account Management Team: Team Hungama

  • AdStrat: Vrooming ahead

    The Campaign:
    Apache RTR 160 – Scarily Fast

     

    The Client:
    TVS

     

    The Agency:
    McCann Erickson

     

    The Brief:

    The objective was to differentiate Apache RTR 160 from all other bikes – especially in the area of performance. Keeping this in mind, the brief was to create a communication that singularly emphasizes the speed and performance of the Apache RTR 160.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client:

    Highlight the speed of the bike.

     

    Research insights:

    When the consumers and bike enthusiasts were met, they all had much to say about the bike’s daunting speed and pick-up.

     

    [youtube width=”300″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNILY9EoUmA[/youtube]

    The thought process behind the creative:

    Anil Thomas, Regional Creative Head, McCann Erickson, says, “The Apache RTR is not meant for everyone, but only for those who can conquer their fear of speed. When the agency got the brief, the first reaction was that of being fearful of the Apache RTR’s speed. Thus, the proposition of ‘Scarily Fast’.”

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    “TV and Digital. While the main campaign was on TV, the digital platform was used to give an insider’s peek into what went into the making of the film through behind the scenes.”

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    “The slick, dizzy treatment is intended to keep audiences on edge.”

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    “Absolutely. The commercial is produced by Future East which is one of the top production houses in India known for their collaboration with international directors. Acclaimed automotive director Nick Piper who has made spots for brands like Chevrolet, Toyota, and Kawasaki directed the TVC and his treatment gave the film its international look and feel.”

     

    Differentiating factor:

    “What makes this film so unique is that the proposition of the bike is woven in very well with an interesting story. It has an intrigue in the beginning that continues with exhilarating bike shots in the middle that leads up to the reveal in the end. The music too we’ve chosen is hard hitting that goes very well with fast pace of the film.”

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups:

    “The communication has been much appreciated and awed by all. This commercial is the first of its kind from TVS Apache RTR and the response indicates demand for similar films in the future too. Kudos to our team and Future East.”

     

    Campaign credits-

    Creative Agency – McCann Erickson
    Production House – Future East
    Director’s Name – Nick Piper
    Producer’s Name – Priyanka Bangia
    Creative Director – Anil Thomas, Mansoor Jamaal and Neel Roy
    Dop – Volker Schellbach
    Music – Samiruddin
    Edit – Meghana Manchanda

     

  • AdStrat: Your dreams are not yours alone

    The campaign:

    Your dreams are not yours alone

     

    The client:

    Union Bank of India

     

    The agency:

    Mudra West

     

    The brief:

    To refresh the promise of partnership made by the brand in its 2008 campaign of ‘Your dreams are not yours alone’, making it more credible and relatable for the consumer. The conversation begun three years ago had to be continued.

     

    Considering the cluttered media space for banking and financial services, it was equally imperative that Union Bank of India had a compelling, clutter breaking campaign.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client:

    The previous campaign had gone a long way in putting Union Bank of India part of the young consumer’s world. The fresh, classy black and white execution had easily stood out among the monotonous category communication.

     

    This campaign needed to outdo the previous one, and connect even more strongly with the youth

     

    Research insights:

    People don’t succeed in isolation. Behind every successful person are those that worked in the shadows to ensure his success.

     

    Families and loved ones are equal partners in an individual’s success, working hard, giving them the much needed support and push to make dreams a reality.

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    The idea was not just to take forward the philosophy of ‘your dreams are not yours alone’ but also make it larger than life.

     

    It’s difficult for a regular banking ad that talks about empathy and relationships, and shows happy customers, to catch the consumer’s attention in today’s day and age. We needed a powerful narrative that would make the consumer sit up and take notice of the advertising.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    TV, Print, Outdoor, Digital, Radio and Cinema

     

    Does the treatment justify the brief?

    The treatment effectively delivers on the brief on all aspects. It seamlessly carries forward and adds greater credibility to the philosophy of ‘your dreams are not yours alone’.

     

    The unusual use of celebrities effectively breaks clutter, while connecting with the younger generation of consumers.

     

    What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    Celebrating the people BEHIND the celebrities.

     

    The campaign speaks through one of the most powerful forces that connect with the youth – India’s youth icons. While examining the lives of iconic figures from the world of sports, Bollywood and the arts, the communication moves away from the typical use of a celebrity to promote a product.

     

    Instead of using the celebrities themselves, the narrative showcases the person behind the celebrity who was instrumental in making them what they are.

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups:

    Extremely eye-catching creative, that fits in beautifully with the Bank’s philosophy. Will go a long way in making Union Bank of India known as a contemporary, relevant banking brand.

     

  • AdStrat: Childhoods available from ideas@work

    The campaign:

    Childhoods Available

     

    The client:

    Rustomjee Group

     

    The agency:

    ideas@work

     

    The brief:

    In a world of luxury, sometimes the true luxury is giving your child a childhood. This was what we needed to communicate.

     

    Research insights:

    Vijay Chidambaram and his team from Centre of Gravity conducted extensive research across the city across socio-economic classifications to uncover consumer needs and came up with the insight that the one thing most Mumbaikars wanted to do a better job of giving their kids the kind of childhood they themselves enjoyed.

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    Ideas@work, Rustomjee Group and organizational branding firm Centre of Gravity worked together as a team to produce the campaign. The on-ground implementation of the campaign was done by Rutu Modi, and of course, Rustomjee’s in-house marketing team and their media partners.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    Print, outdoor and digital. Since the target audience is limited to the Mumbai metropolitan area, it makes sense to maximize ad spends within its limits. Press ads include full pagers in all the leading newspapers. Outdoor locations number more than 50. Digital is another media vehicle that will go live soon, with Radio being considered. Further, all moments of truth both for internal and external customers are being designed to carry the same message.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    Creating a visual that breaks the current and typical formats of clutter. Even messaging was to be kept concise so as to allow accentuating the customer experience at the point of sale.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    A lot of people remember stories from our childhood, like Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, Aladdin, and so many others. So that was the category as far as the look of the campaign was concerned.

     

    The differentiating factor about the ad:

    For the first time in the history of Indian advertising a real estate company has delivered a communication so single-mindedly focused, the results of which can only be achieved off numbers, and the clutter-breaker approach further helps.

     

    Market and client feedback:

    Industry feedback has been immensely positive with rave reviews pouring in from all quarters of stakeholders, and business transactions have kept sales teams busy.

     

    Compiled by Shubhangi Mehta

  • AdStrat: Safe Drinking Water by Triton

    The Campaign:

    AquaSure Kitanu Magnet

    The Client: Eureka Forbes

    The Agency: Triton

    The Brief :

    To launch AquaSure’s Kitanu Magnet which has 100 crore active sites that attract and remove bacteria, virus and cysts from water. Thus, making drinking water 100% safe without the use of any chemicals.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client:

    To launch AquaSure’s new breakthrough water purification technology that gives you ‘Safest Drinking Water’ unlike inaccurate claims of some of the other water purifiers currently available in the market, some of them even using harmful chemicals for purification. The AquaSure process works most effectively due to 100 crore active sites that attract and remove bacteria, virus and cysts from water, more so without the use of any chemicals.

     

    Research insights:

    “For my family’s health, there can be no compromises in the safety of drinking water, It has to the safest or nothing”

    People are grudgingly aware that their cheaper & ineffective methods of water purification are grossly inadequate & (if known to them) are also acutely against the use of harmful chemicals for something that goes into their body.

     

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7NoD8q0RyI[/youtube]

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    Renton D’Souza, National Director – Creative and Strategy, Triton Communications Pvt Ltd, said,” It’s the role & responsibility of the ‘Water purification leadership company in India’ to make people aware of what is truly safest water. It was imperative to introduce ‘AquaSure’s breakthrough technology’ in a manner that is relevant, simple to understand & persuasive for the sake of their family’s health. It was important to have an impactful everyday life analogy to serve as an eye opener & make consumers wake up to reality to initiate action”.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    TV, Print, Digital & POS

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    Bring out the technical excellence of the product that is not cold but relatable, is beneficial & empathizing while building on the emotional connect that the brand already enjoys with the consumer.Establish the promise of ‘100% Safe Water’ with the strong ‘Kitanu magnet’ led reason to believe.High quality graphics to depict devil-like harmful kitanus to shake consumers from their inertia.

     

     

    Does the treatment does justice to the brief?

    The treatment & execution is highly clutter breaking & impactful in media. Also the analogy is honest, relevant, simple & persuasive.

     

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups (if any):

    Highly effective balance of strategy & creative as well as rational & emotional connects that will change consumer perceptions and behavior.

    Will work to give business results.

     

     

    Credits:

     

    Company: Eureka Forbes Limited

    Brand: AquaSure Amrit with Kitanu Magnet

    Creative Agency: Triton Communications, Mumbai

    National Director – Creative and Strategy : Renton D’Sousa

    Creative Team :  Vinayak Pattar (Creative Director), Atul Purohit (Creative Director), Arun Balgopal (Art Director)

    Account Management Team: Kim Solomon (Sr. Vice President), Chirag Tana (Client Services Director)

    Media Agency: Triton Media

    Production House: Milestone Films

    Producer: Ajay Wasu

  • AdStrat: Survive the World by Contract Advtg

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”300″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcts1imOOuk&feature=related&noredirect=1[/youtube]

    The campaign:

    Survive the World

     

    The client:

    American Tourister

     

    The agency:

    Contract Advertising

     

    The brief:

    Created in the rough territory of Jodhpur, ‘Survive the World’ captures a roller coaster ride. Conceptualized by Ravi Deshpande, the new brand campaign depicts the regular travel woes in a typical congested city anywhere in the world.

     

    The film showcases a tourist, who is caught in a traffic frenzy on the way to the airport. With his trusted 4-wheeler American Tourister luggage in tow, the tourist sets off on an enthralling escapade across the city to reach his destination in time.

     

    Any specific advisory from the client:

    The specifics given by the client to the agency was to focus on the ‘four wheel’ feature of the brand and create a creative revolving around the same

     

    Research insights:

    The agency already had an idea which came from the success of ‘Survive Mumbai’ and ‘Survive Istanbul’. The idea was to take that a step ahead and hence the creation of ‘survive the world’ took place. The main focus of the sagency was to tell a story based on  this particular theme.

     

    Media vehicles:

    The main media focus was extensive television and cinema coverage, and some OOH innovations.

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    In the words of Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Director, Contract Advertising: “The most pertinent question before us was, how do we make sure that the emphasis is on the product while we also tell an entertaining story to the consumers? The second issue was to look into the safety aspect of the person on roller skates in a place like Jodhpur, which was ultimately managed well.”

     

    The differentiating factor about the ad:

    The differentiating factor (as per the agency) about the campaign is that it is unlike other campaigns of similar products, it’s a seamless journey told in a span of 60 seconds. Other than this, the ‘Survive the World’ campaign is being innovatively marketed with it being  released as a music video on television on September 24 following a release in cinemas nationally in the second week of October.

     

    Market and client feedback and follow-ups:

    Ravi Deshpande: “The client is extremely happy with the final product and we have received amazing feedback from them.”

     

    Credits:

    Music: Ashutosh Phatak

    Creative team: Ravi Deshpande, Malobi Dasgupta

    National Creative Director: Ravi Deshpande

    Production House: Far Commercials

    Director: Jeff Balameyer