MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Clean & Clear creates a morning alarm clock TVC for teenage girls

    Clean & Clear’s morning energy campaign

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_7cyKss7Ts[/youtube]

    By A Correspondent

     

    Clean & Clear didn’t want their brand to be associated only with problems. They wanted girls to celebrate their skin and have fun with their beauty regime. This sparked the need to launch Clean & Clear’s new fruity range – Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face wash.

     

    Internationally, the Clean & Clear Morning Energy range is advertised as the perfect solution for girls who’ve had a late night and need to perk up in the morning. However, inIndia’late nights’ have negative connotations of parties and irresponsibility. They kept Indian sensibilities in mind while creating communication for this new range.

     

    Research with teen girls confirmed what they had feared. They immediately rejected the notions of late nights claiming that it didn’t hold true for them. However, when spoken to about their daily routine, they found that most teens spoken to went to sleep after midnight on weekdays. In fact, they stayed up much later when they had exams or project submissions due.

     

    They have created a series of fun TVCs that showed a girl employing unusual techniques to wake her best friend up. They’ve used these spots to communicate that in addition to your best friend, you also need an alarm clock for your skin.

     

    The TVCs were followed by a crowd-sourcing contest on social media where contestants were asked to shoot their own crazy ways of waking their best friends up. Radio, outdoor and print was used to reinforce the message that there’s now an alarm clock for your skin.

     

    Credits:-

    Chairman & CCO: Sonal Dabral

    President: Rajiv Sabnis

    Executive Creative Director: Louella Rebello

    Group Creative Director: Hanoz Mogrelia

    Art: Rithwick Raghunath

    Copy: Kashyap Joshi

    Account Management: Sharmila Malekar, Sumeeta Bhangalia & Aastha Chopra

    Account Planning: Aditya Kanthy, Mitali Srivastava, Saloni Handa

     

     

  • Team Scarecrow jammed with Agnee to draft the lyrics and roped in a technology partner to design this one-of-its-kind app

    After 1.5lakh+ views, Agnee’s ‘reveal yourself’ video is unmuted for launch of B’lue!

    By A Correspondent

     

    Almost a week back, on July 23, Scarecrow Communications had launched a silent music video featuring Agnee to promote Danone-Narang’s new drink B’lue. People were asked to lip-read and guess the lyrics. Through a specially designed Facebook application, one could type in the lyrics. On submitting their lyrics, every user got a score on the correct words revealed and more interestingly, the correct words got unmuted in the silent music video on replaying.

     

    In just a week’s time, the campaign got a whopping 1.5 lakh+ views. With engagement and curiosity at their peaks, on July 30, the original track – Reveal Yourself – was unmuted and released. Here is when the brand B’lue unveiled its association with Agnee and the idea behind the ‘Reveal Yourself’ campaign.

     

    Renu Bansal, Head-Marketing, Danone-Narang Beverages said: “Today’s youth is aware of what they want to pursue and don’t live a life dictated by others. With our new campaign ‘Reveal Yourself’, we wish to foster a passion to inspire people to pursue their dreams. Agnee has beautifully captured this sentiment in their music video. ‘Reveal Yourself’ is B’lue’s tribute, along with Agnee, to all Punekars.”

     

    The premise of the campaign was unique. Amitabh Sreedharan, AVP-Account Management, Scarecrow Communications said: “Before launching the brand nationally, Danone-Narang was looking to do a pilot launch for B’lue in Pune. While a print and outdoor campaign was created under the theme of ‘Reveal Yourself’, there still had to be a big buzz-generating activity that engaged the youth of Pune.”

     

    Kapil Tammal, Executive Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications said: “Since ‘Reveal Yourself’ is all about inspiring people to follow their hearts, team Scarecrow decided to help the brand philosophy come alive through a song that connects with the youth of Pune. While Agnee is today a popular national band, it’s still very much Pune-based. Agnee’s popularity among the youth of Pune and the roaring music culture of the city was only to leverage upon.”

     

    Team Scarecrow jammed with Agnee to draft the lyrics and roped in a technology partner to design this one-of-its-kind app. Sarvesh Raikar, Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications said: “Besides launching the silent video, we created a range of interactive elements that drove engagement further. Videos were shot with Mohon and Koco (the band’s lead singers) playing dumb charades and helping people guess the lyrics.  Fun stuff like lip-reading tutorials and crosswords were also uploaded to boost the buzz.”

     

    The band members also interacted with the participants through Twitter and encouraged them.

     

    To catch the teaser phase action, visit Agnee Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/agneelive

     

     

  • This development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was initiated in Chennai around the first week of April

    Lowe Lintas bags Amrutanjan mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Amrutanjan has selected Lowe Lintas and Partners as its new brand communications partner. The agency’s Chennai office will handle the business. This development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was initiated in Chennai around the first week of April.

     

    Joydeep Chatterjee, Business Head-Sales & Marketing said: “Lowe Lintas and Partners’ long experience in FMCG and its proven track record in turning around the fortunes of brands gave Amrutanjan immense confidence. During the pitch, the agency highlighted its deep understanding of the Indian consumer across SECs and categories and we felt that a heritage brand with an iconic status such as Amrutanjan would benefit from this understanding in its effort to stay relevant and increase market share. Yet another aspect that went in favour of Lowe Lintas and Partners was its long associations with clients, many of them stretching over decades. This kind of consistency is good for brands as it is possible to share and pursue a vision in a spirit of partnership over long periods of time.”

     

    GV Krishnan, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas and Partners added: “We are proud to have won the creative mandate of Amrutanjan, an iconic brand with a rich heritage. Our task will be to rejuvenate the brand and build preference. This win adds to our strong and rich FMCG portfolio.”

     

    Joseph George, Chief Executive Officer, Lowe Lintas & Partners concluded: “Being asked to partner a brand like Amrutanjan is both a privilege and a huge responsibility; and we look forward to the challenge. After Daimler Bharat Benz, this is Lowe Lintas Chennai’s second significant win this month. This momentum of success and positivity is not just great for the agency, but also for the brands it handles.”

     

  • MG Parameswaran has been elected as the Vice President. Nagesh Alai, the outgoing President will be the ex-officio member of the new Executive Committee

    Arvind Sharma elected AAAI President for 2012-13

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising Agencies Association India (AAAI) has elected Arvind Sharma, Chairman, Indian Subcontinent, Leo Burnett as the President for the year 2012-13. MG Parameswaran, Executive Director and CEO, Mumbai at Draftfcb Ulka has been elected as the Vice President. Nagesh Alai, the outgoing President will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI Executive Committee.

     

    When MxMIndia congratulated Mr Sharma and asked about his agenda for the year ahead, he said: “AAAI is an industry body and it is a team work. We will be meeting on August 17, where we shall be listening to each other’s views before setting up the agenda.”

     

    He added: “The industry is growing and transforming at a rapid speed, thereby also providing newer opportunities to an advertising agency for growth. The amount of monies being invested in advertising has increased, and newer avenues have opened up for investments, thus the challenge is to understand and adapt to the changes. As an industry, we need to understand what lies ahead and prepare the agencies for the future.”

     

    Other elected members of the Executive Committee include Ganesh Baliga (Fifth Estate Communications), Ashish Bhasin (Aegis Group), Nakul Chopra (Publicis Communications), Tanya Goyal (Mogae Group), Kunal Lalani (Crayons Advertising), Vinod Nair (Network Advertising), Pranav Premnarayen (Prem Associates Advertising & Marketing), Sridhar Ramasubramanian (Matrix Publicities and Media India), Vikram Sakhuja (Group M), Umesh Shrikhande (Contract Advertising) and Srinivasan Swamy (RK Swamy BBDO).

     

  • Loss of broadcast license for the channel. Jail term for the staff members found guilty. There is no other option

    Anil Thakraney: Crime instigating journos need to be punished

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    We first heard about it during the Assam molestation incident. Now the same allegations are being made about the Mangalore party bust, where some youngsters were beaten up and molested by a bunch of goons. That, if not directly provoked, both incidents were encouraged by the media persons present out there. Find that surprising? I don’t.

     

    Here’s the problem: There are TOO many news channels in India. National and regional. No other country in the world has such a large number; it’s going insane out there. And to think more stations are waiting in the pipeline! Quite naturally, most of these channels are bleeding very badly; the market simply cannot support such a huge crowd. In such a crazy scenario, pressure on content heads to deliver viewership numbers is intense. And this pressure percolates down to the reporters and the camera crew on the ground. A couple of young TV reporters have told me, in private, that they have been warned to either ‘somehow’ get juicy stories or face the axe.

     

    And I believe this is the key reason behind the nonsense we are witnessing on the idiot box. It’s a very tempting idea. Not being able to get a story? Let’s create one. And we’ll worry about the consequences later. It’s the question of jobs and livelihood, food has to be put on the table, boss. So what we are witnessing these days is the inevitable result of the news channel madness in India.

     

    So what’s the way out, given that we are a free economy and entrepreneurs have every right to set up their own news shops? It’s simple, and the answer has already been given in the UK. When Murdoch’s editors crossed the Lakshman Rekha of ethics in journalism, they not only had to accept the closure of a newspaper, some senior staff members are staring at a prison sentence.

     

    Ditto needs to be done with editors/reporters who are found to have abetted or encouraged incidents like the ones in Assamand Mangalore: Loss of broadcast license for the channel. Jail term for the staff members found guilty. There is no other option. Inaction in these matters endangers the safety many young girls in this nation. And I am very sorry to have to state this.

     

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    PS: Art has often inspired advertising across the world, and particularly so when it comes to legendary paintings. This cult Michelangelo artwork has been used many times over, but must say it works perfectly for this particular client. Innovative thinking!

     

     

  • To expand its portfolio of offerings for mobile app developers

    InMobi acquires Metaflow Solutions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bangalore-based mobile advertising network InMobi announced the acquisition of Metaflow Solutions, leaders in mobile app management and distribution solutions.

     

    Metaflow technology simplifies the global deployment and content management process for developers through its intelligent submission tools optimised through six years of operations, servicing the biggest publishers in the market.

     

    Metaflow’s management and distribution of content to consumer portals has consistently provided the fastest, lowest cost way to publish apps to hundreds of independent, OEM & operator app stores across the globe. “As a global leader in the mobile advertising space, InMobi is committed to growing the mobile ecosystem. Our acquisition of Metaflow Solutions will help us to continue to rapidly expand the distribution and monetisation of content for our developers and publisher partners,” said Naveen Tewari, Founder and CEO at InMobi.

     

    The Metaflow team will become an integral part of InMobi’s developer oriented efforts, led by Piyush Shah, VP and GM of Developer Platforms and Performance Advertising at InMobi. Mr Shah said: “With the recent acquisition of MMTG Labs, along with today’s acquisition of Metaflow, we will augment our value proposition by offering highly compelling distribution, monetisation, and engagement solutions to app developers globally.”

     

    “At Metaflow, our mission has been to simplify and unify the complex process surrounding content management and deployment of apps to a distributed and highly fragmented marketplace. The global reach and technology backbone provided by InMobi is hugely exciting for us. InMobi provides app developers with even greater opportunities to acquire millions of users and monetise their exciting apps,” said Charles McLeod, CEO at Metaflow Solutions.

     

    The Metaflow Solutions team will relocate to the new InMobi London office.

     

     

  • Bata India has invited agencies to handle its creative mandates. The account size is estimated to be Rs8-10 crores

    Bata calls for a creative partner

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    After a silent phase of a couple of years, Bata has invited agencies to handle its creative mandates. The account size for the same is estimated to be Rs8-10 crores. Industry sources close to the development have confirmed the news to MxMIndia.

     

    The last that was heard from the brand was in 2009 when it associated with Promodome Communications as its creative and media planning and buying partner. Before that the mandates were handled by Saatchi & Saatchi. Both the agencies are not participating in the pitch this time.

     

    Prior to Saatchi, FCB Ulka (now Draftfcb Ulka) used to handle the account. JWT and Euro RSCG have also been associated with the brand in the past.

     

    Set up in 1931, Bata India is a major manufacturer and marketer of footwear in India and is one of the largest players in the Indian shoe market. Though Bata India has seen lean times in recent years, it has managed to generate high recall for the Bata brand. It boasts of a retail network bigger than any other in the country.

     

     

  • Reliance needs to ask Anushka Sharma to tone things down. Sooner the better. Let her be spunky, not offensive

    Debrief: Reliance Comm: Girlfriend from hell

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Reliance Communications has been running a campaign to hawk their various mobile products/services. All the ads feature their brand ambassador, movie actress Ms Anushka Sharma. And she does what she does best in every single commercial for all the brands she endorses: to play the feisty, high attitude chick. No issues with that, it’s a persona the actress has created for herself, so it makes sense for brands to exploit it. But in the Reliance campaign, they have gone totally over the top.

     

    What Ms Sharma does, in order to establish Reliance’s superiority over their competitors, is to insult her boyfriend (who uses rival brands). She does this in every single ad in the campaign, but the one for the 3G Tab has pushed things too far. She projects her boyfriend as a total loser; she humiliates him, and then to screw him even more, broadcasts her feelings to all her friends and family members. Any self-respecting chap would want to bury himself in the closet hole.

     

    Let’s get one thing out of the way: I am all for feminism, and girl going one-up over her man is fun stuff, so no issues with that. But I have reservations on militant feminism, where the woman abuses her man, treats him like shit and walks all over him. That’s repulsive, not cute. I am sure there are some wicked women like that out there, but must a mass advertiser feature such a sadistic creature? Does this generate brand goodwill? I seriously doubt it. In fact, I have read quite a few tweets (from women!) that express rage over these ads.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EURnQGeiwxU[/youtube]

    Reliance needs to ask Anushka Sharma to tone things down. Sooner the better. Let her be spunky, not offensive.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Nasty, off-putting campaign.

     

     

  • With this win, Narang joins the growing list of noncricket sports personalities whose value of endorsements have got a boost each time they clinch an Olympics medal

    Gagan Narang’s Bronze may well win him endorsements

    By Namrata Singh & Dipti Jain

     

    Gagan Narang (File pic: Fotocorp)

    Indian shooter Gagan Narang may have won a bronze at the London Olympics, but back home it has assured him of a golden opportunity with respect to brand endorsements. With this win, Narang, who was so far not in the spotlight for endorsements, joins the growing list of noncricket sports personalities whose value of endorsements have got a boost each time they clinched an Olympics medal.

     

    After Abhinav Bindra brought home a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, endorsement deals worth Rs1 crore are understood to have come his way almost immediately after the win. Given this precedent, Narang, who opened India’s account at the London Olympics on Monday, may well rake anywhere between Rs25 lakh and Rs50 lakh per endorsement , media industry experts told TOI. The endorsement fee of athletes in sports other than cricket is said to be in the Rs10-20 lakh range. So for a nation where cricket is a craze, endorsement values of Rs25-50 lakh for a sport like shooting is certainly laudable.

     

    “After the medal win, Narang’s popularity in the brand world will shoot up 100 times. As of now, Narang has hardly been present in the brand world. This win will give him a push into the endorsement market,” said Navin Khemka, managing partner, Zenith Optimedia, a media agency.

     

    India’s growing list of noncricket stars used in brand endorsements include boxer Vijender Singh, who won a bronze medal for India in 2008, and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won a silver medal in 2004 Athens Olympics.

     

    “There is a lot more awareness , especially among youngsters and this will help sports like shooting with more endorsements,” said Melroy D’Souza , COO, Professional Management Group, a sports management company that handles Bindra’s brand endorsements.

     

    Supratik Roy, director, Affinity Cinemedia, said: “Considering that shooting as a sport does not have as much mass appeal as cricket, the popularity of sportsmen like Narang will remain concentrated on premium and niche categories like luxury, lifestyle, banking services, computers and such others. If the number of wins from India is not too big, Narang has a shot at earning more brand value.”

     

    Narang’s newfound glory has already attracted Milagrow HumanTech which, in consultation with Narang, will launch a special edition of TabTop PCs and robots in his honour. While this is not strictly a brand endorsement, 5 per cent of the sales proceeds of the products will go to Narang as part of the special promotion, said Rajeev Karwal, founder & CEO, Milagrow Business & Knowledge Solutions.

     

    Samsung, which is a global sponsor for the Olympics 2012, said the win will boost Narang’s image. “Narang is among our Samsung Olympic ‘Ratnas’ and we are sure a lot of brands will want to sign him up after the win,” a Samsung spokesperson said.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • We start the series featuring sister Divya and brother Yogesh Radhakrishan who believe that it's possibly to work without relationships getting in the way… by being mature professionals

    New series/Relative Values | We are professionals first: Divya and Yogesh Radhakrishnan

    Starting today, and every Thursday, MxM will take you beyond our regular news and look at the people in the business of media and marketing. So on the first Thursday of every month, we will have a section titled ‘RELATIVE VALUES’ featuring siblings, parents-children, cousins etc who may be working in the same or allied sectors of media, advertising and marketing.

     

    It’s Raksha Bandhan today, and a good day to to start the series. So, meet brother Yogesh and sister Divya Radhakrishnan, both of who have done remarkably well in their respective careers and without work getting in the way…

     

    Yogesh Radhakrishnan and Divya

    By Meghna Sharma

    Everyone is talking about Kareena and Ranbir Kapoor finally working together on film as brother and sister. One can talk about the number of brother-sister duo working in the same field.

     

    According to some it’s no big deal, whereas others feel personal equations do change when they work together. MxMIndia spoke to one such duo on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan to find out their take on it.

     

    Divya Radhakrishnan and Yogesh Radhakrishan are forces to be reckoned with in their respective fields. Yogesh is CEO of Prime Connect which engages in the business of distributing satellite television and other allied services through traditional and emerging media across homes and commercial establishments in India; while Divya is MD, Helios Media – an integrated ancillary service company for television broadcasters.

     

    So when asked if it has ever led to rivalry between them, both were quick to refute it.  “I’m a media planner while he’s into broadcasting. So we have always been on the two opposite ends of the table. Hence, there is no question of competition,” said Divya. “Both of us are very professional and for many years people didn’t even know we were related!”

     

    “We know where to draw the line. Even while interacting for work…,” added Yogesh who is interrupted by Divya: “Actually, I’m a tougher buyer to him than to anyone else,” she laughed.

     

    Taking work back home is nothing new, so it isn’t surprising if the siblings end up having talking about work, even if they meet after office hours. According to Divya, both of them are in a field where work is bound to go back home with them and they do end-up discussing about the industry, at large and other healthy discussions related to it.

     

    “Rakhi has always been special day for us; although, we don’t believe in any rituals,” replied Divya, when asked if there were any special plans for the day and Yogesh, who is down with fever, agreed.

     

    So, be it any field, one can work without relationships getting in the way, by being mature professionals. Maybe blood is always not thicker than water!

     

  • Peers and friends remember V Ramani as a true champion of the digital media, long before most others in the industry

    Industry remembers V Ramani’s path-breaking work

    By A Correspondent

     

    V Ramani

    August 1, 2012 will be remembered as a sad day for  digital media as V Ramani, the man who championed the sector way before most others, , passed away. A prayer meeting will be held in his memory at 6pm on August 3 at the Bombay Tamil Sangham Hall in Sion in Mumbai.

     

    Mr Ramani worked as a media professional for nearly three decades, with years of experience in advertising with stints at Lintas, Draftfcb Ulka, McCann Ericsson, Contract and Euro RSCG.

     

    Mr Ramani helped establish Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and was also the first Indian Cyber Jury Member at the Cannes. He is the Co-founder, Ignitee, and also the man behind the first ever branded programmes (Surf Mashoor, Philips Top 10).

     

    In 2011 he launched Pariental Innovative Solutions, a full service cross media consultancy and planning company, along with Harminder K Datta as co-founder and principal consultant.

     

    Remembering Mr Ramani, Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising said: “From what I recollect during my brief interaction with V. Ramani at Contract, he was truly a passionate person and a professional who would always be committed to the task at hand. Sadly, today media industry has lost an important contributor.”

     

    Ishan Raina, MD and CEO, OOH Media remembers Mr Ramani as an outstanding mediaperson and a loyal friend: “He was an outstanding media person with a high degree of intelligence, and a loyal and an emotional friend. He would be remembered for a lot of path breaking initiatives, right from Philips Top 10 which is the first sponsored programme on television 25 years ago to various internet initiatives. But he would also be remembered as a good friend.”

     

    Said Atul Hegde, CEO, Ignitee Digital Services: “V Ramani was a true trailblazer, always pushing the boundaries to see new ideas come to light. He gave us gems like Philips Top 10; was the first jury member at Cannes for the digital category and always had an eye for great talent. He mentored many a career in the media industry and will always be remembered for making the media function in an ad agency ‘Creative’.”

     

    Even Twitter was abuzz after media professionals heard about Mr Ramani passing away, Former CMO, Tata Teleservices, Lloyd Mathias tweeted: “RIP V Ramani. A man who embraced digital long before it became fashionable.”

     

    Karthik Nagarajan, National Director, Social and Insights, Group M tweeted: “Just heard about V Ramani. Feel genuinely down. Rarely happens with someone you knew only professionally.”

     

    Lakshmipathy Bhat, Advertising Professional, New Media Enthusiast, Vice President, Draftfcb+Ulka - Bangalore tweeted: “Ad Industry veteran V Ramani passes away – he was one of the earliest in the digital space inIndia. Sad.”

     

    Dhunji S Wadia, President, Everest Brand Solutions, tweeted: “Sad to hear the news of V Ramani. RIP.”

     

    Faisal Farooqui, Founder – CEO, Mouthshut.com tweeted: “RIP. Ramani was one of the first who loved Mouthshut. Will miss him.”

     

  • The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising says Sam Balsara

    Need for industry leaders to deliberate on biz of advertising: Sam Balsara

    Always the one with the questions, Madison’s Sam Balsara was his usual self at the sessions as he questioned a few ideas and provided his solutions on the same. MxMIndia got Mr Balsara to briefly share his stance on the sessions this year and sought his recommendations for Goafest 2013.

     

    What would be the takeaways from the sessions over the three days?

    I think the sessions this year have been excellent; the quality of speakers has been high this year. I think it’s all credit to the growing brand equity of Goafest that we have been able to attract so many international speakers of repute. There have been some good broad learnings; it’s not that we didn’t know about them but these speakers of stature have reinforced the belief that advertising is moving from one to many – from conversations to stories. Clearly digital seems to be the mantra of today. The sessions were woven around the magic of advertising, I think John Philip Jones came out with a refreshing and different quantitative view on how not to get carried away on what you think and I think are the required numbers. His basic message of not having share of voice or a good share of the market means that you are getting into a dangerous area. I think it is pretty important for many brands inIndiato take note of.

     

    A word on the Media Abby awards held this year…

    Though we did emerge a big winner, I think the enthusiasm among the crowd was low compared to the earlier years. This possibly may be due to the awards being distributed far more in quantity this time – but this is a good thing for the industry and will encourage more participation.

     

    What are your recommendations for 2013 to the Goafest committee?

    A significant recommendation that I have is more related to the Business Conclave, which I feel needs to be relooked at. The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders across the spectrum of advertising, media agencies and so on to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising and how to make it profitable. Also, we need to invest more in talent and learning. Right now I think it has become an extension of the sessions and we need a sharp a dividing line between the business of the advertising seminar and the knowledge seminar. I think we need to bring that back.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories