MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The company has partnered with Rephrase AI to create personalised video films retailers

    Harbhajan & Shikhar bat for Symphony coolers

    By Our Staff

     

    Air cooler major Symphony has roped in cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan for an AI-led nationwide initiative. The brand has partnered with Rephrase AI to create hyper-personalised video films for over 2,300 retailers across India.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Anuj Arora, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Symphony Limited said: “We are ecstatic to have partnered with reputed cricketers, Harbhajan Singh, and Shikhar Dhawan. They came on board to create AI driven customised videos for our dealership partners who are an integral part of our company. The objective is to create brand love and deepen the bonding with our trade partners. We are consistently brainstorming and innovating to come up with intriguing campaigns. With this initiative, we hope to strengthen our relationships and reach new heights together.”

     

    Added Nisheeth Lahoti, the co-founder at Rephrase.AI:  “Generating AI videos with two big stars and a compelling narrative was a fresh challenge for us – however, seeing the commitment of the brand to build something for the distributor network was compelling. Rephrase.ai created a digital avatar that cloned the face and voice of the cricketer and use AI to generate a unique video for more than 2000 stakeholders.”

     

  • Created by Full Moon Productions

    Brand ambassador Tiger Shroff campaigns for APL Apollo Pipes

    By Our Staff

     

    APL Apollo Pipes has launched two new television campaigns featuring its brand ambassador Tiger Shroff. The TVCs, created by Full Moon Productions and directed by Siddharth Anand, emphasise on safety and strength of APL Apollo Pipes and APL Apollo Water Tanks, highlighting its tagline, ‘Never Cracks Under Pressure’.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Sameer Gupta, Managing Director, Apollo Pipes Limited said: “Apollo Pipes, over the years, has established itself as a leading quality-driven piping company moving from strength to strength in terms of customer satisfaction. The brand has seen a significant amount of business growth after onboarding Tiger Shroff as the brand ambassador. The actor’s strength and flexibility resonate the best with the brand. Our next step for this association was to create a focused storyline that springs from the brand philosophy of ‘Never Cracks Under Pressure’ to engage with the audience in a quirky and intriguing way. We look forward to accomplishing major milestones in our journey, together.”

     

  • To advocate menstrual wellness

    Deepika Padukone to be the face for femtech brand Nua

    By Our Staff

     

    Nua, femtech startup, has launched a campaign with Deepika Padukone as the face of their new menstrual wellness range. The campaign #GoWithYourFlow has been designed by Wondrlab.

     

    Speaking on the new step taken by Nua, Amit, Chief Creative Officer, of Wondrlab, said: “When we sat with the strategy and creative teams, we realised the reality of periods is far different from its advertising. We decided to create a brand story based in reality – having real conversations and solving real period problems. Deepika was of course the perfect ambassador. She is known for her open conversations on topics that others are not comfortable speaking on – like periods. So, we had her take on cliches propagated by the category and then help solve real problems through the product in her own witty, charming way, that stands out from anything done in the category. With Wondrlab’s unique approach, we’ve created content for both top of the funnel and the bottom of the funnel through performance videos.”

     

    Added Ravi Ramachandran, Co-Founder & CEO, Nua: “With an aim to break the stereotype in advertising around menstrual health and to normalize the conversation about menstrual hygiene, we onboarded Wondrlab to come up with this powerful, new campaign. We found Deepika Padukone to be the perfect fit for our brand given the fact that her vision for the women of our country is in alignment with our brand’s objective. We want to spark meaningful discussions through this campaign and provide effective solutions to women in order to promote menstrual wellness. #GoWithYourFlow is a step in that direction and we will continue to build on this to foster an environment for better and healthier living for women in the years to come.”

     

  • To offer its integrated creative and digital marketing solutions

    Digital Refresh Network wins Sunstone Eduversity mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Digital Refresh Networks has won the digital mandate for Sunstone Eduversity. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be looked after by the agency’s Mumbai team.

     

    Commenting on the association, Alekhya Chakravarty, Head of Marketing, Sunstone said: “Our association with the team at Digital Refresh Networks is sure to help us organise and scale our digital content ecosystem. In today’s world, having a holistic digital presence is highly crucial in order to not only boost the brand’s footprint across digital, but also drive business growth for each category. We look forward to DRN’s ability to think content in every possible form across channels that delivers brand building as well as on business growth”

     

    Added Barin Mukherjee, Co-Founder & CEO, Digital Refresh Networks: “It is an honour to be associated with a brand like Sunstone. With our expertise in understanding content across channels/ formats and regions, would be great value to deliver on building Sunstone as a strong engage in brand enhance the visibility of the institution.”

     

  • Captures spirit of motherhood #HTSalutes in new film

    Dentsu Impact partners with HT editorial initiative

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Impact, in partnership with Hindustan Times (HT), has rolled out a new campaign for Mother’s Day. The film captures the unwavering and boundless ethos of motherhood. #HTSalutes is a Hindustan Times’ editorial initiative, which celebrates the story of a woman who finds motherhood while caring for a lost and hurt child in a war zone.

     

    Said Aparna Bhawal, Vice President, Marketing – Hindustan Times: “Mothers are the epitome of resilience and strength, and it is the bond between a mother and her child that gives us hope in the most adverse of times. Motherhood is an emotion unbound by any restraints and is not defined by borders or birth. We found Mother’s Day to be the most fitting occasion to celebrate this very spirit of motherhood and its soft yet strong nature. This video is our tribute to the beautiful bond marked by unconditional love and solicitude.”

     

    Added Anupama Ramaswamy, Managing Partner & National Creative Director, Dentsu Impact: “The world needs more mothers. Because mothers work ceaselessly to keep humanity and hope alive, wherever they are. With all that is happening in the world today, we believe only a mother can lead us on the path of kindness, love and empathy. It is a mother’s spirit to make the world a better place that #HTSalutes. And this film is our humble attempt to celebrate this spirit.”

     

    Talking of the project, Bob – Director, Good Morning Films said: “The story when narrated to me by Anu (Anupama), had such a different take on motherhood and was so boundless that I immediately got excited to do the film. Also, hats off to the team at Hindustan Times, to do a film that potentially arouses various sentiments within the system and beyond. This happens around us; we sometimes forget that motherhood is not just a state of being, but also a spirit. Through our film, we have captured the spirit of motherhood that knows no boundaries. And also have broken the format of normal stories set in a native context. Ours is a classic story that can be felt across borders. It was a mammoth task to shoot within a day, but thanks to the entire crew for their support (Robin and the Istanbul line production team) and most importantly, my cinematographer, Satchit Paulose, who battled with me to finish the film in the given 16hours.”

     

  • Launches 'Idhu Namma campaign'

    Brooke Bond 3 Roses collaborates with CSK for new TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Brooke Bond 3 Roses tea brand launched its new TVC Idhu Namma Tea(m), where it has partnered with the IPL team ‘Chennai Super Kings’ for its 15th edition. The campaign highlights the message of ‘Idhu Namma Tea, Idhu Namma Team’ (It’s our Tea, It’s our Team) to connect with the audience by accepting and trusting the new members of CSK.

     

    Said Shiva Krishnamurthy, Vice President, Tea & Foods (HUL): “Brooke Bond 3 Roses is South India’s most loved tea brand and an icon of Tamil Nadu. Being Tamil Nadu’s favourite tea, we are happy to partner with Tamil Nadu’s favourite tea(m), Chennai Super Kings, during this year’s IPL. Our Idhu Namma tea(m) campaign celebrates Tamilians’ love for 3 Roses tea and for CSK with lots of warmth and affection.”

     

    Added Ajay Mehta, Sr. Vice President, Mindshare: “With the IPL season, we took this golden opportunity to associate with Chennai Super Kings, a team that unifies entire Tamil Nadu and resonates well with the brand’s philosophy of togetherness. The films capture this in a light-hearted manner and that too over a cup of tea.”

     

     

  • Showcases its new proposition, 'More Taakat* To You'

    Ogilvy creates campaign for Bournvita Biscuits

    By Our Staff

     

    Bournvita Biscuits has rolled out its new proposition, ‘More Taakat To You’.

     

    Speaking about the campaign Sunainika Singh, Director – Biscuits & Bakes, Marketing, Mondelez India said: “Since the launch of Bournvita Biscuits in 2016, it has emerged as the preferred morning snack enriched with the wholesome taste of Cadbury Bournvita. However, with changing times, we understand that kids today want to do a lot more and require extra nutrition to keep them going through the day. Addressing this, our new campaign appeals to parents looking for nutritious all-day snacking options, while bringing alive the brand’s latest proposition- ‘More Taakat* To You’.”

     

    Added Ramakrishnan Hariharan (Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy India): “More Taakat to you is an expression of support and encouragement. It’s like saying ‘more power to you’ to someone in need of that extra little push. That kind of reassurance, coming from a mother for her child, is rooted in product delivery, and at the same time sets a contemporary tone of voice. Simply put, it’s the core product promise that has helped us craft a convincing brand promise. Aim is to forge a connection with young mothers, and more importantly, their go-getter children.”

     

  • Focuses on driving the importance of self-care with #SelfcarewithFlipkart

    Flipkart unveils campaign promoting self-care solutions

    By Our Staff

     

    Flipkart has launched a new brand campaign – #SelfcarewithFlipkart that stresses on the importance of self-care. It is a three-month long campaign that strives to provide self-care solutions through collaboration with influencers from varied fields.

     

    Notes a communique: “To drive the #SelfcarewithFlipkart campaign, Flipkart has collaborated with influencers like – Mrunal Panchal (Beauty & Makeup), Anirudh Sharma (Fitness), Meghna Kaur (Grooming & Personal Care), Yashmin Karachiwala (Food & Nutrition), Durjoy Dutta (Reading & Spirituality) who share their expertise and learnings on the best self-care practices through interactive conversations on social media.”

     

     

  • Dubbing has unlocked a world of content hitherto inaccessible to wider Indian audiences, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Dubbed & Delivered: K.G.F, Doctor Strange & more

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorThe success of K.G.F: Chapter 2 has emerged as the big entertainment headline of 2022 so far. The film has gone on to do exceptional box-office in multiple markets, including overseas. In the Hindi language, the film is now the second biggest domestic grosser of all time, after Bahubali 2: The Conclusion.

     

    Both K.G.F: Chapter 2 and Bahubali 2 are films from southern parts of India, made originally in Kannada and Telugu respectively. RRR, another Telugu film, is also a big grosser of this year. By the time 2022 ends, we may have seen a few more of their ilk.

     

    Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse Of Madness released last week to opening collections in India that no Hindi film has been able to achieve since the pandemic started. A large share of the film’s collection has come from the language-dubbed versions, i.e., Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

     

    Can one call this the breaking of the ‘language barrier’? Technically, that will be an inaccurate description, because the language of consumption is the local language of comfort, not the language in which the content has been originally been produced.

     

    In our yet-unreleased report titled ‘The Ormax OTT Audience Profiling Report: 2022’, a typical paid streaming audience (SVOD) is watching content in 2.3 languages. But if you include the languages in which dubbed or subtitled versions are being watched, this number doubles to 4.6. The equivalent numbers are 1.8 and 2.3 for AVOD audiences. The big difference is the D-word: Dubbing.

     

    Dubbed content has been around in India for two decades now, with Hindi movie channels thriving on Hindi-dubbed versions of South Indian action films. These films found a core audience (typically men in the smaller towns and the lower socio-economic strata) over time, and the ratings from this core group fueled more acquisition and programming of such content over the years. Licensing fees of South Indian dubs have seen upward revision to the degree of 10X, perhaps even more, over the last 15 years.

     

    But South dubs on Hindi movie channels were treated with a touch of condescension by the cosmopolitan audience, which includes the media fraternity, ranging from advertisers to Hindi-language content creators. “Set Max” (as Sony Max is popularly called) entered the pop culture for its love for such films, along with its love for Sooryavansham, a Hindi film that has its origins in the South of India too. There were ratings, but a perception of legitimacy, if one can call it that, was missing.

     

    Things started to change around 2015, for two parallel, unrelated reasons. The first reason was the Bahubali franchise. The first Bahubali film that year raised the bar on South Indian dubbed content overnight, and by several notches. Around the same time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had started building a loyal teenage and youth fanbase in India, leading to dramatic growth in Hollywood box office in India, which has multiplied by a factor of 3 from 2014 to 2019.

     

    The next big boost came during the pandemic, when streaming consumption skyrocketed, and a large section of audience started sampling content (both films and series) in non-native languages, via dubbing or subtitling options. This included not just Indian languages and English, but also other foreign languages like Korean, Spanish, German, etc. The Spanish series Money Heist was the most-watched Netflix content in India in 2021, ahead of all Indian series and films. Money Heist was available to watch in English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu in the India market.

     

    Dubbing has unlocked a world of content that was hitherto inaccessible to the wider Indian audience. The possibility that the next big content wave may come from an unexpected part of India, or the world, is now a real one.

     

    It doesn’t make the task of content creators any easier. The Hindi film industry has been facing an identity crisis of sorts, as it sees Hollywood and South Indian films outperform, while big-ticket Hindi films struggle to find audience in their native markets, let alone down South in the dubbed versions.

     

    But the audience is not complaining. And that’s why, you can expect a lot more action on this front in the coming times.

     

  • Without any further comment, let's hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the May 16 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | Quit the job. Quit the person. Quit the environment… something magical happens when you affirm you will not put your soul in a jeopardising space: Kaya Nova. Your comments

    Bhaskar DasWithout any further comment, let’s hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the May 16 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. We were looking up some Buddha Purnima quotes and found this one via @TinyBuddha: “Quit the job. Quit the person. Quit the environment. Whatever is harming you, leave it. Something magical happens when you affirm you will not put your soul in a jeopardising space. The doors begin to open when you value your peace. I promise.” ~Kaya Nova. Your comments.

     

    A. Unusual question compared to the usual M&A queries. But I loved it as I am a  follower of Buddhism. Kaya Nova’s wisdom is articulated in a context and for those who feel that their soul is caught in the vortex of a ravine. The Novian prescription  soothes tormented souls. But for evolved souls, which are on the path of Nirvana by following Buddhism, can get their beliefs reinforced by Kaya Nova’s wisdom.

     

  • Says study points higher returns to advertisers from traditional media, higher trust factor of traditional media

    Dainik Bhaskar cites HBR article on marketers returning to traditional media

    By Our Staff

     

    Questioned often on the efficacy of traditional media vis-à-vis digital and the growing clout of the streaming platforms esp amongst high-spending premium customers, the print media has been dismissed as a medium with diminishing primacy especially amongst younger readers.

     

    Given this, a recently published article in Harvard Business Review titled ‘Why Marketers Are Returning to Traditional Advertising’ comes as a shot in the arm for print major in the country.

     

    Some highlights from the article:

    :: Traditional ads are experiencing increased engagement, with the consumer-facing companies leading the shift, with B2C service companies predicting the largest increase in traditional advertising spending (+10.2%), followed by B2C product companies (+4.9%). Companies that earn 100% of their sales through the internet are leading this inflection.

     

    :: The top five most trusted advertising formats are all traditional, with customers trusting most print advertising (82%) and as a result, marketers can use traditional advertising to build brand credibility and trust with jaded buyers.

     

    Said Girish Agarwal, Promoter director, DB Corp Ltd: “The Dainik Bhaskar Group has always maintained that Print Media holds the highest trust amongst its readers as a result of higher editorial integrity. The advent of fake news has also taken a toll on the trustworthiness of some of these digital media and as a result advertisers were unable to establish a strong connect with their target audience. The HBR article validates a trend that we had begun witnessing a couple of quarters ago where even new age businesses were looking at Print Media in general and Dainik Bhaskar in particular, for their ad campaigns. Importantly, it validates what we have always believed in – keeping the readers at the centre of all our efforts.”

     

  • Onboards 700+ tech experts to build cutting-edge, world-class products

    Zee unveils Technology & Innovation Centre in BLR

    By Our Staff

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has announced the launch of its Technology and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister . Basavaraj Bommai, in the presence of Amit Goenka, President – Digital Businesses & Platforms, Zee and Nitin Mittal, President – Technology & Data, Zee. The 80,000 feet centre will be the company’s epicentre to build a strong cohort of tech, data and talent.

     

    Said Mittal, President – Technology & Data, ZEE: “At the Tech & Innovation Centre, we are building ability for ZEE to leverage digital technologies to improve our reach and engage our customers anytime, anywhere across all devices. We have been a frontrunner in creating engaging content for more than 1.3 billion viewers and are currently focused on building Web 3.0 entertainment platforms. This Centre will build the metaverse future of ZEE including AR, VR, NFTs and relevant data models to our digital platforms.”