InsuranceDekho, one of India’s leading Insurtech players, has roped in Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador and will be seen in their upcoming ad campaign – Sukoon. The campaign captures the delicate emotion behind ensuring the security and well-being of one’s family.
Commenting on the association and campaign launch Ankit Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of InsuranceDekho said: “We are thrilled to be associated with Farhan. We at InsuranceDekho, believe that Sukoon does not come from materialistic things like having a swanky car or owning a big house but from seeing the people in one’s house at peace. It comes from watching one’s family share little moments of laughter, from seeing them full of life, from knowing that their health is secured. These tiny activities make way for the idea that Sukoon is in knowing your family is happy and healthy. And that even when times get tough, this feeling is taken care of by your health insurance partner.”
Actor Akshay Kumar continues as the brand ambassador of CarDekho, the leading auto-tech company in India. He features in the company’s latest TVC. With the tagline Bharosa Kar Ke Dekho, the TVC highlights the importance of trust and convenience of selling one’s car from the comfort of one’s home for the best price.
Said Charu Kishnani, Senior VP-Marketing, CarDekho: “It’s great to have collaborated with Akshay Kumar again after our first outing in 2020, which was a massive success. The objective of our campaign is to showcase how CarDekho brings convenience by helping people sell their cars from the comfort of their homes. Akshay’s charisma is a good fit for CarDekho, a company that strives to make life easier and better. Ad is featuring a unique bond between father and daughter and highlighting a true experience of selling a car with CarDekho. This is the first of many more to come. With this new TVC, we are looking to replicate the success story we scripted earlier and hope customers will reinstate their trust in us.”
Cred, the fintech company, is back with its latest campaigns for IPL 2022- Cred: Play it different. The ad features actor Karisma Kapoor who introduces Cred bounty and the mega rewards Cred members can win during IPL 2022.
The ad was conceptualised and written by Tanmay Bhat, Devaiah Bopanna, Puneet Chadha and Deep Joshi. The film was produced by EarlyMan Films and directed by Ayappa. To set the tone of the campaign right, Karan Malhotra lent his expertise to compose the music for the film.
Said Kunal Shah, Founder, Cred: “This year, we want to encourage Cred members to invite their friends & family to win big with Cred. We have launched Cred bounty which lets members invite their contacts to play and win exciting jackpots.”
Every cricket season sees an overdose of surrogate advertising around alcohol and tobacco/pan masala-based brands. We asked Dr Bhaskar Das for his views on the ads for the March 30 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…
If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.
Q. What’s your view on surrogate ads. IPL is back and as is the surrogate stuff – whether in alcohol or pan masala. They are legal, but…
A. In India, surrogate advertisements are done dominantly in the tobacco and liquor industry. This is a direct consequence of the ban on direct advertisements of tobacco and liquor products. Therefore to promote and advertise their products to the masses, liquor and tobacco found a way around the ban through surrogate ads. The banned product (alcohol or cigarettes) is not projected directly to consumers, but rather camouflaged under another product with the same brand name, so that whenever there is a mention of that brand, consumers associate them with the main product (ostensibly). This defeats the whole purpose of banning a category of products.
I have always wondered whether those who smoke or drink would stop smoking or drinking, or vice versa, due to non-presence or presence of such advertisements. In spite of the ban, both the categories of products are contributing to the economy and creating jobs. If an economic activity is legitimate, why not legalise it and create high entry barrier to consumption? If the issue involves health and moral issues, one should completely ban their production in the country. Since surrogate advertisements have been taking advantage of the loopholes in regulatory protocols and everyone is turning a blind eye to it, I don’t see any solution to the challenge.
Anyway, those adverts don’t have any impact on non-consumers like me, then what is the ROI of such advertising for growing a market? So let consumer/market use its arbitrage power to consume/non-consume such brands.
Mumbai Indians launched its campaign film of IPL 2022 called – One Dream.
Said a Mumbai Indians spokesperson: “The past 15 years, Mumbai Indians have always played from the heart. We have played with passion and given it our best on the pitch. Khelenge Dil KholKe is inspired from that ethos and “One Dream” is our vow to the young players that we identify. It is our commitment to offer them the support of the Mumbai Indians eco-system, help them hone their skills and achieve their dreams. We hope “One Dream” inspires young players to play hard, be sincere in training and believe in their dreams, because dreams do come true.”
Added Anurag Agnihotri, Managing Partner – Creative, Ogilvy: “Cricket is the ultimate karmabhoomi for many young Indians. Many have come from different walks of life to give wings to this one dream. And success hasn’t eluded them. Mumbai Indians and this film stand firm testimony to that fact and will continue to do so. The creative idea explores the undying spirit of our young cricketers. To never give up and to believe in your dreams. Because it doesn’t take time to go from gully cricket to international cricket. It’s just a matter of faith and the right direction. After all, dreams do come true.”
Duff & Phelps, the leading provider of data, technology and insights related to risk, governance and growth, has announced the release of the seventh edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2021 titled, ‘Digital Acceleration 2.0’. Virat Kohli led the list while fellow cricketers MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma came in at fifth, eleventh, and thirteen positions.
Said Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Duff & Phelps: “While prominent Bollywood celebrities continue to feature in our list of top 20 celebrity brands, this year we saw some notable changes. Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, and MS Dhoni witnessed a stellar jump in their brand values and they seem to have hit the right chords with the audience in 2021. We also saw more sportspersons rising in the top celebrity rankings, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and PV Sindhu. This significant jump was because of the lesser competition from Bollywood celebrities since there were fewer theatrical releases in 2021.”
Added Varun Gupta, Head of Asia Pacific, Valuation Advisory Services, Duff & Phelps: “Businesses and brands have heavily leveraged social media and other online platforms for brand endorsements this year, too, with below par weightage to traditional platforms. 2021 also saw the emergence and growth of several startups in the fintech and direct-to-consumer (D2C) business segments that significantly contributed to the overall number of brand endorsements undertaken by the top 20 celebrities. As traditional as well as upcoming industries adopted the digital route to continue engaging with their consumers, we observed greater traction in fintech, social media and OTT platforms, and D2C platforms from a celebrity endorsement standpoint.”
Slice, an app-based credit card, has released a new series of ad films created by Fatmen Ideas.
Said Shikha Gupta, Creative Head at Slice: “In today’s fast moving world where time is the most precious commodity, we aim to save it so that our users live it the way they desire. We wanted to showcase the quintessence of the slice super card – its speed – and that we’re a brand for those who believe in moving fast. We need to be reflective of the persona of the people we cater to and that’s what led to us to design the campaign in this tone and tenor. Fatmen Ideas & ZigZag Films brought this vision to life with a distinctive campaign that reflects our design ethos, and with humour, quirk and zing.”
Added Ashwin Varkey, Founder & Creative Director, Fatmen Ideas: “This is the kind of brief every agency dreams of. We like that slice isn’t afraid of being brave and different. That’s what makes this campaign and slice one-of-a-kind. Our team had a lot of fun ideating and executing this series of films which are edgy, fearless and youthful. We thank slice for their faith in us and a big shout out to ZigZag films for bringing this to life.”
The audience is never waiting for the advertisement to appear. If the content is engaging and involving, the advertisement break is not welcomed. Hence, the brand communication must be designed for the audience to take notice. It must have the clutter-breaking capability and a robust communication-brand association. Sometimes, execution-style becomes the differentiator, a brand association device and the clutter-breaker.
The recent QR code Super Bowl ad is one such example. In the Indian context, the Flipkart ads with adult-kids and https://youtu.be/efRNKkmWdc0ZooZoo of Vodaphone and even the Pug were such clutter-breakers. Sometimes brands use references to old classics and nostalgia as clutter breakers. Remember the Aaj Tak black and white TVCs. However, clutter-breaking execution styles and devices in communication may not always give you a positive ROI and impact.
UpGrad Hybrid – Real Clutter-Breaker
Having experienced online education as a student and instructor/facilitator/teacher, I must confess I am not a fan of online education. Something is lacking. However, I love the UpGrad Online campaigns addressing the working executives and promising career enhancement with online education.
The new UpGrad ad with Amitabh Bachchan presents a hybrid model trying to break the belief that studies abroad are limited by financial status.
This UpGrad TVC by Womb is different. It uses the angry young man image of Amitabh Bachchan as a clutter-breaker. He is on a rampage, questioning why such UpGrad programmes were not there when he wanted to study abroad, and the brand tells him he can still do so. The film scores as curiosity builder and engager.
Cred Breaks Clutter And Builds On Past.
Enough has been said about CRED’s earlier campaign featuring celebrities. It was strategically a clutter breaker idea before delivering the promise of reward points.
https://youtu.be/lRDNFMAkMN4
Cred is back with another clutter-breaker idea. And I am a sucker for strategic continuity in style. However, this one takes the cake. I have no way to measure the success of the earlier campaign, so I must trust the brand team; they must be onto something good. Otherwise, who would burn money behind these clutter-breakers? This time Cred used famous advertisements from the golden era of Indian advertising as a precursor to its message. The first ad talks of ‘Sadharan Inamo ko bolo tata’– say bye-bye to ordinary prizes, a take on the Nirma ad.
I hope there are more ads in the series. We will at least have some laughs while still wondering the point of such ads? These devices work the audience exposed to the old referred advertisement. They may even engage the new generation with a curious WTF expression. Maybe there is more to it. Maybe.
Slice Cards Changes Gear
Slice cards’ recent advertisement uses its differentiated execution as a clutter-breaker. These are short and fast-paced TVCs delivering the message- Slice For the fast one. Too fast for me- I needed to slow it down to get the message. Maybe I am not the TG. Earlier, the brand has used slow-motion as a device to deliver the message. But this clutter-breaking device does not seem to work.
https://youtu.be/casGBFWVh6E
Jaquar Double Take To Clutter Break
Jaquar, the brand known for nath fittings, once again attempts to communicate its presence in the lighting segment. It uses its strength of bath fittings to help create a clutter-breaking visual representation before delivering the message. The new JaquarTVC uses imagination as a clutter breaker. For a more detailed journey of Jaquar lighting, read the Karthik blog. See the brand’s earlier attempts in the lighting category since 2016 and how the clutter-breaking device in the latest ad plays on its strength.
Dinshaw’s Tactical Break- Leveraging Known Communication.
Some time back, Dinshaw’s, the leading brand of milk, milk products and ice cream in central India, ran an outdoor campaign based on other well-known communication lines. It was a short, tactical campaign. The headlines played with famous ad lines enhancing better audience engagement and creating a buzz in the market.
NET-NET
Clutter-breaking communication is not new. Every brand wants clutter-breaking ads. They have their own strategic devices and creative ways to do so. When it is strategically aligned, as in the case of Vodafone, Flipkart, Jaquar, AajTak and UpGrad, it works and delivers. However, at times they are just a waste of time and resources.
Disclaimer. The author is associated with Dinshaw’s as a brand and marketing consultant.
Genesis BCW has announced two new hires to further strengthen its C-suite counsel. Sanyukta Dutta joins the agency as Senior Director and India Practice Chair for Enterprise Technology, and Shashanka Nanda as Senior Director and India Practice Chair for Corporate & Services.
While Dutta integrates her expertise in marketing and PR with her understanding of the evolving technology space, Nanda combines his experience with corporate as well as government clients and wide sectoral knowledge.
Said Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Executive Officer, BCW India Group: “Both Shashanka and Sanyukta bring with them extensive experience across brand and corporate communication spanning industry verticals. Their expertise in devising data-driven communication strategies will help us deliver on our promise to drive impact through our Earned-Plus offer for our clients. We are delighted to be able to tap into this multi-dimensional perspective for both our clients and our people.”
Cadbury Dairy Milk has partnered with the Mumbai Cricket Association to celebrate and support the the ground staff at cricketing venues. This includes best-in-class travel, accommodation, taking care of their nutritional needs and providing customised jerseys designed by renowned Fashion Designer Masaba Gupta, throughout the season. The brand has also extended its collaboration with Mumbai Indians as the official goodness partner supporting this initiative.
Commenting on the campaign, Anil Viswanathan, Vice President – Marketing, Mondelez India said: “As a brand, Cadbury Dairy Milk has always believed that a little bit of generosity can go a long way and it is often the small acts of kindness that have the biggest impact. Taking this narrative and purpose a step ahead, our partnership with Mumbai Cricket Association this year celebrates the lesser-known heroes of cricket, the ground staff. Through our initiative, we want to support and bring forth stories of these members who tirelessly work behind the scenes to create magic for the entire nation. We hope our initiative acts as a springboard and spreads the message of acknowledging the unacknowledged.”
Added Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India: “Building further on our generosity platform, this cricketing season we are proud to celebrate an unknown team of superstars, the team of ground staff. We are grateful to have them as our team. As proud sponsors, we hope that this team becomes the most loved team not just for the players but for the entire country.”
AppsFlyer, a SaaS mobile marketing analytics and attribution platform, has launched the IPL 2022 Report, unveiling the best marketing practices and trends for this year.
Identifying and analysing sustained trends in two legs of IPL across different app verticals last year, the report points to the bright spots for marketers, game day insights, and campaign recommendations. A good reference for marketers, the IPL report leverages the power of refreshed and expanded format of India’s mega sporting league to uplift their key brand metrics.
Said Aditya Maheshwari, Director of Customer Success, INSEA/ANZ, AppsFlyer: “Despite a four-month delay and relocation to Dubai last year, IPL’s brand value has risen by 7% YoY, highlighting the marketing potential that the widely followed and anticipated league will offer in its 15th season. Newer teams from regional markets will allow marketers to acquire and engage with diverse online users while existing users will be critical to retain in the light of increasing competition. Therefore, creatives and experimentation will be the key drivers for marketers to stand out from their peers.”
The share of paying users peak in the mid-season when a bulk of IPL matches are played. Revenue campaigns work well in the mid-to-late season for most of the categories, except for Entertainment which tends to rake in more revenue and log more sessions at the start of each season. Further, campaigns that run for five to eight weeks achieved a 15% higher average impact than campaigns that run for less than two weeks.
It’s the last day of the financial year in India, and we thought it would be good to ask this question. Let’s hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the March 31 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…
If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.
Q. It’s the last day of the financial year. Your thoughts on the year that has been?
A. The quarter of the financial year 2021-22 has been generally better than the previous quarters. I presume the new financial year will improve the outlook for business as the India story is growth positive and Ukraine-led developments, even if unfortunate for the world, might give Indian export some much desired boost. Net-net, I would like to be very positive about 2022-23 financial year.
Every cricket season sees an overdose of surrogate advertising around alcohol and tobacco/pan masala-based brands. We asked Dr Bhaskar Das for his views on the ads for the March 30 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…
The audience is never waiting for the advertisement to appear. If the content is engaging and involving, the advertisement break is not welcomed. Hence, the brand communication must be designed for the audience to take notice. It must have the clutter-breaking capability and a robust communication-brand association. Sometimes, execution-style becomes the differentiator, a brand association device and the clutter-breaker.