MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Campaign spotlights stories of individuals, institutions, and organisations that symbolise a constructive force in building a better India

    Wunderman Thompson campaign for TOI

    By Our Staff

     

    The Times of India has launched its latest 360-degree campaign, ‘The Times of a Better India’. Conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson, the campaign celebrates India’s progress through the decades since Independence and the opportunities it has created for citizens.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Joy Chauhan – Managing Partner, Wunderman Thompson, Delhi, said: “We all intuitively know that there are amazing stories all over the nation that speak to an advancing India. But this campaign has been designed to platform such stories. As the chronicler of our times and many of these stories, The Times of India is perfectly positioned to inspire and seed hope. As Wunderman Thompson, we are proud to partner The Times of India and have enjoyed bringing to life these interesting stories of a changing India and how it is enabling individuals, organisations, and society to go the extra mile and achieve their potential.”

     

    Talking about the campaign, Kaustuv Chatterjee (Director, The Times Of India & Languages Brand) said: “The Times of a Better India brings to you inspiring stories, heart-warming narratives, and deep insights, cutting across a range of themes – from space research to sporting glory, from infrastructural changes to environmental sustainability and much more. It will delve into the change drivers of the past, their impact on the present and a status-check of what the future may hold. Critically, the campaign will also ask questions whether the success of certain sectors is indeed taking the country forward and what more could be done. In its essence, this initiative seeks to inform on realities in India beyond the polarized rhetoric, start conversations on the true nature of opportunities and challenges regarding progress. The initiative invites readers to join the conversation, give their viewpoints on key questions, ask them to share their own experiences and give them an opportunity to discover interesting stories and win prizes via interactive contests.”

     

  • … with its new #HarHaathToofan campaign

    Thums Up celebrates 75 years of India’s independence

    By Our Staff

     

    Thums Up, the Coca-Cola homegrown cola brand, has unveiled a new campaign commemorating 75 years of India’s independence. The campaign #HarHaathToofan presents an ode to inspirational people whose hands have built India over the years – who are true beacons of our nation’s pride, notes a communique.

     

    Announcing the new campaign, Tish Condeno, Senior Director, Sparkling Flavours Category, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia said: “As one of the iconic homegrown brands of India, Thums Up has always stood for values of strength and resilience. Thums Up’s 2021 #PalatDe Campaign, in partnership with Olympics & Paralympic Games, gained immense love and appreciation. This year, Thums Up celebrates 75 resilient years of India’s Independence, with a special #PalatDe campaign about the many hands that have been building India.  We are proud to partner with multiple inspiring individuals from India who have made the country immensely proud over the years – Sourav Ganguly, Avani Lekhara, and Nikhat Zareen, among many others.”

     

    The #HarHaathToofan film has been conceptualized by Ogilvy. Commenting on the creative insight behind the campaign, Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India- North, said: “For the last 75 years, whenever the naysayers have doubted India’s potential, the hands of the nation have come forward and done a #PalatDe, turned them upside down. Thums Up is one of the nation’s most iconic brands and has the famous ‘thumbs up’ hand as its symbol. So, on this occasion of 75 yrs of Independence, we’re proud to transform this hand to the many hands that are Toofani. And it comes together beautifully in our campaign #HarHaathToofan.”

     

     

  • Campaign created and produced by Lintas C:EX Entertainment

    Ravindra Jadeja bats for Kinara Capital

    By Our Staff

     

    Kinara Capital, a fintech driving MSME financial inclusion, has announced a campaign featuring brand ambassador Ravindra Jadeja. Tagged #JadejaBatsForKinara, the campaign is to empower small business entrepreneurs with the myKinara App. The campaign has been created and produced by Lintas C:EX Entertainment of MullenLowe Lintas Group.

     

    Said Khyati Shah, EVP, Corporate Marketing, Kinara Capital: “The #JadejaBatsForKinara ad campaign is addressing the challenges of the MSMEs by offering myKinara App as a solution and empowering small business entrepreneurs to confidently take the first step towards achieving business growth. Our Brand Ambassador Ravindra Jadeja is a self-made champion whose tenacity to give his all in every cricket match resonates with the determined spirit of the everyday entrepreneur.”

     

    Added Satish Ramanathan, Executive Director, Lintas C:EX: “The task for us was to create short, digital-friendly, impactful content that showcases the importance of the myKinara App in a memorable manner. We wanted to take a definitive positioning for Kinara Capital that is owned for the long term. The ad succinctly captures the struggle of the entrepreneur and the swift solution offered by myKinara. Jadeja also synced well with the message that we were trying to highlight with his sense of humour and apt delivery.”

     

  • Created by Daiko FHO advertising agency

    PNB Housing Finance unveils new campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    PNB Housing Finance has rolled out two short films to ease concerns of customers while taking a home loan. The campaign has been created by Daiko FHO advertising agency, the creative partner of PNB Housing Finance.

     

    Notes a communqiue: “The ‘Home loan lo, sar dard nahi’ campaign establishes how home loans from PNB Housing Finance are easy to live with. The films inform viewers about PNB Housing Finance’s home loans that come with attractive interest rates and longer tenures. In the first film, an SME business owner is browsing property online and a particular home catches his attention. Whereas in the second film, a young couple is seen at a sample flat. Impressed with the house, the wife is excited and eager to buy the flat.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X35b2Pv7DNM

     

  • Much as he loves using it, Sanjeev Kotnala needs the payment platform needs an overhaul of its algorithms

    G Pay: The Good, Bad and Ugly…

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaEveryone has an option for digital payments. BharatPe, BHIM, UPI, PAYTM, GPay and many more mobile wallets. However, one of them becomes the default option. For me, it is Google Pay. GPay, in short. And, it may be true for others, but here I will speak of GPay and my love-hate relationship with it.

     

    The Good

    Okay, honestly, I have no major crib about GPay as the app works fine.

    It allows me the liberty to scan any QR code and payment, and it works seamlessly.

    GPay perfectly documents every transaction and ensures sharing them is smooth.

    Rarely is there a problem with server busy or faulted payments.

    I am a GPay fan and need no further motivation. Everything is just fine.

    I am building homes at Indi-homes – collecting energies to complete the levels- not really interested in the first 2 Lakh home builders to earn anywhere between INR 11 to INR 111.

    However, many friends and family members voiced these concerns about GPay; After sharing the Good part, I amplify their reactions below.

     

    The Bad

    However, I am irritated and frustrated with GPay.

    I suppose they have the best of the listening and tracking ways of how I live and what I do. At least they have the financial transactions and intelligent algorithm other brands use.

    Then, why does GPay in rewards keep me giving free membership and trial opportunities across brands? Okay! The trial is free for new users and subscribers. And Google would /should/could know I am a member of these services.

    It keeps changing its picture capture games, from Diwali Cards to IPL to others. And I never get all the cards. GPay algorithms that deal me the cards ensure I get many cards but never the complete deck, which will allow me to go for the jackpot. G-pay then wants me to trade cards with my friends to complete the deck. Does GPay think I work for it or have time and energy for referring or inviting friends on the platform?

    Most optimistic brands: GPay knows I am not interested, and I have not reacted for the last 20 times they have sent the free three-month membership. Optimistic GPay believes the 21st time I will change. So, with punctual clinical consistency, it regularly serves these reminder awards. And it then follows up with a notification that the useless, irrelevant, irritatingly frustrating awards option may expire.

    GPay asks me to refer new possible customers. It also goads me to pay INR 1 to people in my contact list on joining the G-pay Brand Wagon. GPay knows I have never done that, and GPay knows none of my friends has ever given me the INTR 1 welcome gift. It knows it is futile to ask me again and again. But, the brand is optimistic that I will change first than its so-called personalised approach based on incredible self-learning algorithms?

     

    The Ugly

    I know I am not the luckiest guy on earth. But my luck is not so bad that I keep getting served ‘Better luck next time’ cards by GPay. Adding insult to injury, I must scratch the cards to uncover the message at every milestone. Every milestone promises a cashback up to INR 1000, and I thought Upto meant at least INR 1 to start with. However, the only thing it does is to ruin my day by telling me ‘Better Luck Next Time’. Or: Your Bad Luck is Kharraab!

    In some 427 transactions of more than 3 lakh, I have won 233 cashback and some 50 ‘Better Luck Next Time’ cards. Don’t give me cash back- but don’t make me scratch a coupon to read this silly luck line.

     

    Net-Net

    I have become so comfortable with GPay that it’s the default option. However, from time to time, GPay sends me those messages and notifications, including ‘Better Luck Next Time”. Frankly, I am not interested, and it only ends up spoiling my whole consumer experience.

    So, time for the platform to use its tech muscles to differentiate between consumers waiting, willing and wanting the freebee and who wants the app for its primary function- just to pay- nothing else.

     

  • Many moons ago, The Times of India rechristened its adsales department 'Response' driving home the message that an ad in its papers offered Response. And hence good RoI. In the light of this, we've been hearing some chatter about the concern of digital not performing as well as advertisers would like them to. So we asked Dr Bhaskar Das this questions for the July 27 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | And now it appears that some marketers are concerned that digital is under-performing for them. Your comments.

    Bhaskar DasMany moons ago, The Times of India rechristened its adsales department ‘Response’ driving home the message that an ad in its papers offered Response. And hence good RoI. In the light of this, we’ve been hearing some chatter about the concern of digital not performing as well as advertisers would like them to. So we asked Dr Bhaskar Das this questions for the July 27 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. And now it appears that some marketers are concerned that digital is under-performing for them. Your comments.

     

    A. Sweeping generalisation, Sir. I am not denying its possibility on the basis of heuristics, but should they be considered statistically significant? I doubt. Challenges of every business are unique and media contribution to their success is one of the inputs. No media can exhaustively take the responsibility of solving all business problems. Organisations have to manage business in a holistic manner including media. And no media can be painted with the only brush of performance-led accountability on all fronts.

     

  • The mandates were won following a multi-agency pitch

    Zoo Media agencies bag Kingfisher mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Iconic beer brand Kingfisher has awarded its creative and branded content mandate for its flagship products ‘Kingfisher Premium’  and ‘Kingfisher Ultra’,  to multiple agencies within the Zoo Media network. The mandates were won following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The creative mandate was won by FoxyMoron and will be handled by the agency’s Gurugram office. The branded content mandate was won by the network’s video content solutions agency, The Rabbit Hole, and will be handled out of its Mumbai headquarters.

     

    Commenting on the massive win, Pratik Gupta, Co-Founder, Zoo Media & FoxyMoron, said: “In the thick of intense competition, Zoo’s agencies have stood out for their insight-driven, creatively layered, integrated strategies. Our teams are geared to make the brand contemporary and relatable to young urban India.”

     

    Added Debabrata Mukherjee, Chief Marketing Officer, United Breweries: “We are excited to have  the Zoo Media network as a partner and look forward to doing some impactful work together.”

     

  • Probus is an 'insurtech company'

    Probus Insurance’s ‘Aapka Saathi, Aapka Saarathi’

    By Our Staff

     

    Probus Insurance Broker, an ‘insurtech company’, has announced a new digital ad campaign titled ‘Aapka Saathi, Aapka Saarathi’.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Rakesh Goyal – Managing Director, Probus said: “This is a huge milestone for us as it’s our first TVC that goes live. The central theme of our campaign remains Insurance Advisor (POSp). Undoubtedly, they are the backbone of our industry. Despite their role as a strong link between the firm and the customer, developing trust and providing need-based solutions to each client, intermediaries are stereotyped and undervalued in the industry. With this campaign, we aim to enlighten people about their role, impact and their value proposition by presenting for who they truly are,”

     

    Describing the thought behind the TVC, writer, director and film-maker Ashish Pandey said: “In a world marked by dotcoms, the TVC effectively shows how the InsureTech Industry is also about people and not just technology.  The campaign highlights the concept of  ‘human touch, the healing touch’, accentuating the role of the trustworthy advisor, the protagonist who is sensitive to the needs of the insured. We have made the film realistic taking inspiration from several real-life scenarios of our Insurance Advisor (POSp).”

  • Shashi Sinha inducted into the IAA Hall of Fame

    IAA Leadership Awards presented

    By Our Staff

     

    N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons was honoured as the IAA Business Leader of the Year. When asked about the formula to success, Chandrasekaran said: “Running business in general is like a marathon and running Tata Group Business is like an ultra-marathon. These businesses have a lot of history and legacy so I don’t think there is a magic sauce. If requires a lot of team work, the right people, focus, lot of hard work and some luck. So, all of this plays a part, hardwork plus luck makes the magic sauce. He added that the biggest strength for the Tata group is its ethos and values which is deeply ingrained in the people”.

     

    When asked about tips and advice on time management to be more efficient by actor Ranveer Singh, Chandrasekaran said his mantra is ‘tension nahi leneka, gran nahi deneka’. We got to see a lighter side of Chandrasekaran during the discussion.

     

     

     

    Actor Ranveer Singh received the IAA Brand Endorser of the Year. Ranveer as we all know is powerhouse of energy and he made all smile with this eloquent talk.

     

     

    The IAA Force for Good was received by Sonu Sood, an individual who has gone beyond and helped those in need across the country particularly during the pandemic.

     

     

    Said Megha Tata President, IAA India: “When we talk about the year that was, it was such a silver lining to the dark clouds, that we all witnessed in 2020. A year of facing challenges though, these ones maybe a little more complex than before. Last year has also been a year of recovery for business and while the market is slowly coming around, it is these leaders who have led people and organisations towards growth and success. So this evening is dedicated to all you leaders who have gone beyond the pressure of time and opportunity lost during the pandemic and have shown great resilience and adaptability to the new way of doing business.”

     

     

    Added Nandini Dias, Co- Chair- IAA Leadership Awards: ‘Across the 15 categories that will be awarded today, we assessed over 200 companies. a shortlist of 10 companies per category were picked out. Besides considering aspects like change in growth, advertising to sales ratio, market share, profitability etc. This year our jurors also started considering the ESG rating. Unlike any other award, IAA doesn’t share any entry fee for the participation, they aren’t even aware that a body is doing such meticulous study, which makes the award way more prestigious.’

     

     

    IAA India inducted Shashi Sinha into the IAA Hall of Fame. Sinha mentioned Dr V Kurein’s role as a mentor in his advertising career. He also added that “when Anil Kapoor joined the organisation he changed the face of the organisation we worked for, he taught me everything, gave me courage of conviction but more importantly the concept of ‘biradri’, that you must do work for your organisation but also for your ecosystem.

     

     

    The IAA Leadership Awards felicitated Avinash Pandey with the IAA Media Person of the Year award. The IAA Media Game Changer of the Year award was presented to Punit Goenka; IAA Media Agency Leader of the Year to Tanmay Mohanty; IAA Creative Agency Leader of the Year to P G Aditiya and IAA TV Anchor of the Year to Zakka Jacob amongst others.

     

     

    List of Winners

     

     

  • Titled 'Scam Se Bacho'

    Campaign by Payments on WhatsApp

    By Our Staff

     

    In order to create awareness and educate users on making safer online payments, WhatsApp has launched a user-safety campaign – titled ‘Scam Se Bacho’ via a ‘music video, conceptualised by BBDO India and directed by Shimit Amin.

     

    Talking about the music video, Manesh Mahatme, Director – Payments, WhatsApp India said: “While UPI continues to remain one of the safest, convenient and interoperable modes of making payments, India’s growing acceptance of online payments has also seen an increase in digital payment frauds. User safety is at the core of everything we do at WhatsApp and through this exciting and captivating music video, we want to educate and empower our users with all the information they need to safeguard themselves against any frauds while making digital payments. We hope that this initiative by WhatsApp will resonate with people and they can sing their way through safe and secure online payments.”

     

    Talking about the campaign, Avinash Pant, Director – Marketing at Meta India, added: “India’s growing acceptance of digital payments has also led to an increase in the need to make people aware on how to keep their payments safe. Through this campaign, which is built on several real world scenarios that people face in their everyday life, our endeavour is to educate and empower users with all the information they need to safeguard themselves against any frauds while making digital payments. This initiative reinforces Whatsapp’s commitment to the safety of our users while making payments as simple and convenient as sending a message.”

     

    Commenting on the creative treatment of the music video, Josy Paul, Chair and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, said: “Our primary goal with this music video was to spread awareness and engage the audience sensitively on this subject. We decided to create entertainment that educates, rather than advertising. Our goal of reworking a fun nostalgic song like ‘Dekh ke Chalo’ was to use the power of music to convey a strong message that’ll help people relate to the moments that we collectively face in our lives. The song triggers memory structures that allow the audience to receive the message more easily. We hope it will echo with people to be more aware the next time they face similar situations and feel empowered to stay safe while making online payments on WhatsApp.”

     

     

  • The launch was planned with Mindshare and WPP's agenda on "marrying creativity and tech"

    Mindshare conceptualises Volvoverse launch

    By Our Staff

     

    Mindshare India has conceptualised and enabled a electric vehicle (EV) launch in the Metaverse, for Volvo Cars called Volvoverse. This is the first-of-its-kind collaboration on Metaverse across WPP India agencies. Mindshare collaborated with other WPP agencies including Hogarth, Yonder, Grey, and Genesis BCW to deliver Volvoverse.

     

    Said Amin Lakhani, CEO – Mindshare South Asia: “We at Mindshare strive to provide our clients with tech-enabled, creative branding solutions. The concept behind launching the XC40 Recharge in the Metaverse was to launch the EV in a sustainable ecosystem following the vision of Volvo. The Metaverse is evolving the Internet by bringing people closer. Using virtual worlds, we are looking to reach out to maximum audiences. We are excited to do the first-ever EV launch in the Metaverse with a campaign that appeals to our audience in an exciting new environment which is the first of its kind.”

     

    Added Jyoti Malhotra, MD – Volvo Car India: “Volvo has always been on the forefront of innovation and technology and we as a company are also globally known for our commitment to sustainability. The launch of the XC40 Recharge on the metaverse platform is a pioneering moment leveraging digital technology in the marketing sphere. The metaverse launch also contributes to our sustainability mission as it leaves a negligible carbon footprint as compared to conventional launches.”

     

    Said Gopikaa Davar, CEO – Hogarth India: “Hogarth is committed to reach Net Zero by 2030, and we are excited to partner with Mindshare & Volvo on a project, which brings together both our focus areas of sustainable production and the metaverse. Launching an electric vehicle in the virtual world is only befitting as a conscious alternative to a physical event where an average conference attendee would have produced around 170kgs of CO2 emission in a one-day event.* This is a great example where weall are reducing and mitigating the environmental impact by using virtual studios and green screen shoots as a driving force, removing the need for location shoots and events (reduces carbon footprint) and maximising the utilisation of the content we capture.”

     

  • Curia is a cancer research and information app

    Curia ropes in Yuvraj Singh as Brand Ambassador

    By Our Staff

     

    Curia, a cancer research and information app, has joined hands with former cricketer Yuvraj Singh to be its Brand Ambassador.

     

    Talking about Curia and the brand’s association with Singh, Dr Gunjan Bhardwaj, the Founder and CEO Partex NV, said: “Yuvraj Singh is an icon and an inspiration being a cancer survivor himself. He has personally experienced all the challenges and prevailed over the diseases. Thus, he is an ideal choice to promote the CURIA app in the country, and we are glad to have him on board. I have witnessed the struggles of cancer patients and their families from close quarters. Despite ample research and documentation of the disease, it is still difficult to quickly find the right and helpful information from the labyrinths of the internet. I decided to leverage advanced technologies such as AI and blockchain for patient information and awareness”.