MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Titled Bas Aao #FreeMeinDekhteJaao

    Disney+ Hotstar unveils campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney+ Hotstar has unveil a campaign titled ‘Bas Aao. #FreeMeinDekhteJao’ offering free streaming of Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Mens Cricket World Cup 2023 on mobile. Conceptualised by Tanmay Bhat, Deviah Bopanna and team Moonshot, the platform released a film that showcases the intensity of India’s love for cricket. The ad film is directed by Kishore Iyer.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, an unnamed Disney+ Hotstar spokesperson said: “Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of Indians, and we want to make this sport even more accessible to our users. By offering the opportunity to watch the Asia Cup and the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 for free on mobiles, we are geared up to take cricket to every corner of the country and tap into digital-first audiences. The campaign film too reflects the same ethos, bringing to light the lengths we Indians go to follow cricket, along with Disney+ Hotstar’s commitment to delivering a top-notch and convenient viewing experience.”

     

    Why don’t spokespersons wish to be named, one wonders. Are they not happy with and/or proud of the campaign? Or are they not allowed to be named?

    Whatever!?

     

  • The election-focused digital channel

    India Today launches ‘ChunavAajTak’

    By Our Staff

     

    India Today Group has officially launched its exclusive election-centric digital channel ‘ChunavAajTak’ given five state elections coming up, followed by the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

     

    Said Kalli Purie, Vice-Chairperson, India Today Group, stated during the launch of ‘Chunav AajTak: “In India, politics is one of the most captivating subjects for people, and elections are at the heart of politics. I am delighted that the India Today Group will now comprehensively cover all aspects of elections digitally, delivering viewers all the necessary information, news, and analysis related to elections.”

     

  • Customers can now have access to Shutterstock's content via Reliance

    Reliance Content Studios partners with Shutterstock

    By Our Staff

     

    Reliance Content Studios (RCS), a division of the Anil D Ambani-owned Reliance Entertainment Studios Pvt. Ltd has announces the expansion of its reseller partnership with Shutterstock Inc.

     

    Said Yvonne Januschka, Vice President of APAC Sales at Shutterstock: “Our customers in India are actively searching for high-quality content to supercharge their storytelling, and we are excited to offer our entire library and innovative line of products to new and existing clients in partnership with Reliance Content Studios. Through this initiative, Shutterstock demonstrates that it is able to meet customers wherever they are in the world, by offering transactions in local currencies and support in local languages.”

     

    Added Ali Battiwala, National Sales Head at Reliance Content Studios: “We’re thrilled to partner with Shutterstock. a market leader operating in a multi-crore industry maintaining its leadership position. With the rising AI trend in India, this collaboration perfectly aligns with Reliance Content Studios’ mission to offer top-notch stock content solutions to our valued clients. Providing access to Shutterstock’s vast collection of images and videos empowers creative professionals and production houses to elevate their projects. This partnership marks a pivotal moment for us in the Indian market, where we look forward to contributing to its growth and success.”

     

  • Having removed this sentiment of peace for Muslims by Zubin Mehta and then put it back, what ha Times of India gained but loss of face, asks Ranjona Banerji

    Misconduct with Zubin Mehta

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiAnyone who has ever worked in a newspaper knows that there are last minute changes made to copy at deadline time. New material has come in. A breaking story or an ad which has to be carried. Something has to be sacrificed. Adjustments must be made.

    What has to be removed to make the cut is another matter. The standard excuse when things go wrong is: judgment call. Also, journalists are human, they make mistakes and the default position in a newsroom is SNAFU. And occasionally even FUBAR.

    When a copy is important, usually someone senior is assigned to do the snipping. The worst sort of editing is to just cut the end. You will see this occasionally in newspapers and magazines. The assumption would be that it was left to the pagemaker or fell between the cracks. Hands up those who think we need proofreaders back?

    Anyway, that’s the excuses and system failures out of the way.

    So what happened with The Times of India interview with world-renowned conductor Zubin Mehta? The conductor recently performed in Mumbai, the city of his birth. This has caused much excitement, and he was interviewed extensively.

    One such interview was done by The Times of India. Before Mehta arrived in India.

    In a subsequent interview to journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire, Mehta revealed that the Times of India removed the following line from the interview: “I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India.”

    The excuse given by the newspaper is that the “interview was long”, “had to be trimmed to fit the page” and this line was towards the end and so presumably fell into the black hole of end lines.

    However.

    There are several curiosities here.

    This the online version of the Times of India interview with the line restored. It is not the last line, nor at the end of the interview, by any stretch of the imagination.

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-music/articleshow/102588769.cms?from=mdr

    There are several throwaway lines which could have been edited out.

    Why pick this particular line?

    The Wire has done a total breakdown of the incident:

    https://thewire.in/media/times-of-india-removed-quote-on-wanting-peace-for-indian-muslims-from-interview-zubin-mehta

    The line was restored, by the newspaper’s own admission, when Mehta spoke to the interviewer and asked for it to be put back.

    The line in itself is not controversial. It does not accuse anyone. It is not defamatory. All it does is hopes for peace. But of course, it has context. It is significant that a prominent person has hope for peace for a community in his home country which has been systematically attacked and targeted for the past nine years.

    Is even this hope for peace too much for a captive media to allow someone else to say?

    They could have put a disclaimer if life is so tough for them with Some People in Power: “This newspaper does not hope for peace and is not liable if anyone powerful gets upset”. No?

    It is unlikely that the interviewer did this. From Mehta’s comment to The Wire, it appears that he was shown the interview before it went to print.

    The question for The Times of India to answer – to itself, because what are the odds it would tell the general public – is why people within its newsrooms feel that this line “I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India” is a controversial line.

    Is this the general position in TOI newsrooms? Is the fear of retribution from Someone or Someones in Power so enormous that they cannot even allow a famous person to say this?

    And having removed this sentiment of peace for Muslims by Zubin Mehta and then put it back, what have Times of India gained but loss of face?

    Already, bad editorial decisions have only earned this newspaper insults from its readers.

    Forget showing truth to power, this is cowardice and stupidity of the lowliest sort.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

     

  • There is some history to the chemistry between Lulla and Singla

    Sunil Lulla is Chairman of Ashwani Singla’s Astrum

    By Our Staff

    Sunil Lulla
    Sunil Lulla

    On his first day as CEO of MTV India, he walked in with colour on his finger nails. Each one different, and bright. A former friend once told this writer that he wanted to buy the man some printed socks from Kuala Lumpur, given the man’s love for all things stylish. At the press conference for an entertainment channel – yes, a real one – that didn’t quite take off, he stood up the podium with the hair on the back of his painted red.

    And now Sunil Lulla is all set to add colour and style to Astrum, a PR and advocacy firm based in New Delhi NCR. Better known as its founder and Managing Partner Ashwani Singla’s agency, Astrum fashions itself as “India’s first science-based specialist Reputation Management advisory”. We don’t know that what means, but Astrum sure has had a fair good set of clients over the years.

    Ashwani Singla
    Ashwani Singla

    Lulla, a communique said, will play a vital role in strengthening Astrum’s capability as a trusted advisor to the C Suite and adding fuel to its growth engine. Said Singla: “For over two decades that I have known and worked with Sunil, I have admired how he combines strategic clarity with execution excellence to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Our clients and colleagues will benefit from his sage counsel and proven acumen.”

    “The impact of reputation, risk and regulation on business is a major pre-occupation of the C Suite and more so today; I am delighted to be a part of a team that has an enviable track record of helping CXOs successfully negotiate this landscape,” added Lulla.

    Lulla should know, having spent a lifetime in the media ecosystem. Eons at Wunderman Thompson’s earlier avatar of JWT, MTV (where he effected a turnaround), Sony Entertainment Television (not yet Sony-Zee), Times Network (yes, with Arnab Goswami), Indya.com (remember the Sunday Times of India roadblock?) for Pradeep Kar’s Microland, HMV (now SaReGaMa), Grey, Balaji Telefilms (yes, with Ekta Kapoor) and television audience measurement body BARC India, where he was tasked by the Board to undertake some cleansing operations.

    The role doesn’t appear to be a full-time one, and will be in addition to a slew of other projects Lulla is involved in as part of his firm Linus Adventures. Linus, btw, is Sunil spelt ulta.

    Lulla is an active runner (yes, a marathoner), loves swimming, working out in the gym, enjoys his movies, music and books, and if you are on his friend’s list, perhaps the first to greet you on your Big Days. And, yes, he is also good in mixology. 

    We don’t know how he is with mixing liquids. But the number of engagements and bosses he’s worked surely indicates he can mix things well. And Astrum is, as the communique claims, a “science-based” firm. 

    There is some history to the chemistry between Lulla and Singla (they known each and worked with each other for over two decades). Science, mixology… fireworks?!

  • For FabriCare, the high-performance fabrics category

    Shah Rukh & Alia collaborate for D’décor new brand

    By Our Staff

     

    D’Decor, soft furnishing fabrics unveiled its furnishing brand ‘FabriCare – High Performance Fabrics by D’Decor’ with an ad starring actors Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Nikita Desai – VP – Strategy, Brand and Business Excellence said: “Consumers’ experience with curtain and upholstery in their homes is filled with anxiety arising from the fear of tarnishing their furnishings. The key insight that the FabriCare campaign rests on is ‘Beautiful things do not need to be fragile and achieving strength and beauty if made possible will liberate the consumer from restrictions.’ This insight led to a creative thought ‘Don’t Handle with Care’ – a call to our consumers to live carefree within their homes with FabriCare!”

     

    Added Ajay Arora – Managing Director, D’Decor Home Fabrics Pvt Ltd: “D’Decor has been a disruptor in the category since inception. With the launch of a new brand from the house of D’Decor: FabriCare – High Performance Fabrics by D’Decor, we are raising the bar by launching fabrics which are high on aesthetics and assure a superior functional performance. Having invested heavily on research and quality checks we are confident that the performance of our fabrics will exceed expectations and hence we are offering a three year limited warranty, the only brand to offer a warranty in home furnishing fabrics.”

     

  • Highlights seniors reclaiming their lives with professional support

    Kites Senior Care releases brand film

    By Our Staff

     

    Kites Senior Care, a ‘Out of Hospital’ geriatric care offering, has released a brand film to celebrate the occasion of World Senior Citizens Day. The senior care organisation released a short film titled Morning Routine, which captures the emotional journey of seniors reclaiming their lives with the assistance of professional support.

     

    Said Rajagopal G, Co-Founder and CEO, Kites Senior Care. “We created this film to highlight the importance of professional help for seniors. We want to show people that it’s never too late to get help and that with the right care, seniors can reclaim their lives and enjoy precious moments with their loved ones.”

     

  • To focus on customised solutions

    Ex-WT talent head Roopa Badrinath launches Turmeric Consulting

    By Our Staff

     

    Roopa Badrinath
    Roopa Badrinath

    Roopa Badrinath, formerly Chief Talent Officer of Wunderman Thompson South Asia, has launched Diversity, Equity Inclusion (DEI) Consultancy – Turmeric Consulting.

     

    Commenting on the launch of her venture, Badrinath said: “DEI is about being intentional and intersectional. It is about deliberately providing opportunities for all, creating level playing fields and ensuring that all voices are heard, so that people can realise their full potential by knowing that they matter, and their opinions and perspectives make a difference.

     

  • Partners with India's trailblazers

    DBS Bank backs badminton stars

    By Our Staff

     

    In a move that underscores DBS Bank India’s commitment to the country, the bank has announced its partnership with five badminton stars – Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Treesa Jolly, and Gayatri Gopichand.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Shoma Narayanan, Managing Director – Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at DBS Bank India, said: “DBS Bank continues to break boundaries and reimagine banking; we like to think of ourselves as a different kind of bank, rather than fitting into the conventional notions of a ‘traditional bank’. Badminton is gaining popularity across India, and this partnership provides a great opportunity for us to extend our support to five young athletes who truly have the potential to be the stars of tomorrow!”

     

    Added Ramakrishnan R, Co-Founder and Director, Baseline Ventures: “DBS Bank has always been a trusted partner, for small and large businesses as well as retail customers. We are excited to help the bank onboard some of India’s most prominent badminton stars as it increases engagement with its customers in India. We are confident that with DBS Bank India’s support, these players will elevate their careers and reach even greater heights, while serving as an inspiration for badminton enthusiasts.”

     

  • TVC created by DDB Tribal

    Mars Wrigley collaborates with Jasprit Bumrah

    By Our Staff

     

    Mars Wrigley fruity bubblegum brand, Boomer has unveiled a campaign featuring cricketer Jasprit Bumrah. Said Varun Kandhari, Director of Marketing and Customer Marketing, at Mars Wrigley India: “With over 25 years in India, Mars Wrigley’s BOOMER® is a legacy brand that has been holding a strong sense of nostalgia among Millennials and Gen-X consumers for decades. Through this new collaboration with one of the finest cricketing talents of India, Jasprit Bumrah, the brand aims to inspire moments of happiness in the brand loyalists and, attract the Gen-Z audience by showcasing Boomer as the preferred indulgent gum.”

     

    Speaking on the latest campaign, Iraj Fraz, Creative Head, DDB Tribal, said, “BOOMER® isn’t just chewing gum; it’s a hack to unlocking unlimited fun. Hence, the brand platform of ‘Har Pal Fun Kar’. This is an extraordinary story of Boom-Boom-Bumrah turning a scary moment into hilarity, starring in a supporting role a never-seen-before creature imagined by Director Sukriti Tyagi in collaboration with the Mars and DDB teams. The campaign is building a world of ‘anytime fun,’ and Boomer fans will interact with a lot of fresh and amusing content featuring India’s favorite seamer, Jasprit Bumrah.”

     

  • To promote their range of products

    Ranveer Singh becomes brand ambassador of Lavie Sport

    By Our Staff

     

    Bagzone Lifestyle has announces Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador for its brand, Lavie Sport.

     

    Commenting on the collaboration, the CEO and Founder of Lavie & Lavie Sport, Ayush Tainwala, said:  “At Lavie Sport, we are always in pursuit of excellence, and aim to set higher standards. We understand how dynamic the market is and strive to bring in the latest trends that appeal to our consumers. So, it’s only fitting that we welcome the man to Lavie Sport who has always been setting new standards of excellence with each step he takes. We are delighted to have Ranveer Singh join the family. He is an achiever, a fashion icon, a powerhouse of talent, and a vibrant individual who exuberates vivacity and every young Indian aspires to be like him. He is confident, passionate, and embodies the spirit of the modern Indian consumer and we believe he is the perfect face for Lavie Sport. Lavie Sport and Ranveer together are a power-packed combination for the gen-next consumers, and with this association, our brand aims to encourage Indians to lead an active lifestyle with the right set of products that meet their athleisure needs.”

     

     

  • Advocates adoption

    Bikano unveils Raksha Bandhan campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Bikano snack and packaged food manufacturer unveils a Raksha Bandhan campaign.

     

    Manish Aggarwal, Director of Bikano, Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd, said: “This Raksha Bandhan, we’re thrilled to unveil a campaign that not only honors the timeless bond between siblings but also underscores the importance of adoption in nurturing new relationships. Our society has more than 2 crore orphans, and the adoption rate is decreasing. Through our campaign, we aim to raise awareness about adoption and inspire people to consider embracing a new member into their families. By sharing your support for adoption, you can be a part of this noble cause.”

     

    Kush Aggarwal, Head of Marketing at Bikano, added: “Festivals are moments of unity, joy, and heartfelt connections. Through our #PyarKaMeethaBandhan campaign, our goal is to etch an unforgettable Raksha Bandhan in the hearts of all. Whether it’s via our vibrant social media presence, resonating across the radio-waves, or collaboratively crafting emotional connections with select societies and NGOs, Bikano aspires to weave a rich tapestry of emotions. This campaign stands as a testament to the enduring power of sibling bonds and the warmth of adoption.”