MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The Association of Business Communicators of India will be holding their 52nd Annual Awards Nite on the evening of Friday, October 19 at the Crystal Room, Hotel Taj Mahal, Mumbai. Last year, ABCI received 952 nominations from 32 categories for the 51st Annual Awards.

    ABCI awards night on October 19

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Association of Business Communicators of India will be holding their 52nd Annual Awards Nite on the evening of Friday, October 19 at the Crystal Room, Hotel Taj Mahal, Mumbai.  Last year, ABCI received 952 nominations from 32 categories for the 51st Annual Awards.

     

    ABCI is the only Association in India to recognize and reward excellence in creative Business Communication for the last 51 years. Entries are invited from 32 categories from Print, Electronic & Digital Medium of Business communications like Annual Report, Calendars, In-house Journal, Best Photograph in an In-house Journal, Tabloids, Article, Column, both in English & Hindi languages published in the Calendar Year 2011.  Categories for designing are also included. New Publication & Prestige Publication published from or in the calendar year 2011 are also invited. For more details log on to www.abci.in

     

    ABCI’s  ComFest12 To Focus On Theme:” Managing Communication in Turbulent Times” ComFest12 – The Mega Annual Event by the Association of Business Communicators of India will this year churn out thoughts from Leaders of the Industry across globe. ComFest 12 will be held on 18th & 19th October, 2012, at the Rooftop Rendezvous, Hotel Taj Mahal, Opp. Gateway of India, Mumbai. Among the star speakers attending the gathering at ComFest 12 are: Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Member Planning Commission, Government of India, Dr. Kai Rolker, Global Head, Communications, Clariant Group, Switzerland, Mr. Maxim Behar, Chairman, Hill + Knowlton, Prague, Mr. Anthony Good, Founder, Good Relations, London, UK, will be the guest speakers. This apart Yanina Dubeykovskaya, Director, Contents, World Communication Forum, Davos, Switzerland & Dr James Gillies, Head, Communication Group, CERN, Geneva based Nuclear Research Lab who in the recent past declared invention of God Particle will be special attraction of the ComFest 12.

     

  • Credit card company Visa has launched its nationwide campaign Dream to Advance, showcasing how Visa Debit helps fulfil the dreams of Indians – no matter where they are

    Visa launches ‘Dream to Advance’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Credit card company Visa has launched its nationwide campaign Dream to Advance, showcasing how Visa Debit helps fulfil the dreams of Indians – no matter where they are. A story told on television, Dream to Advance urges every Indian consumer to explore, discover and realise their dreams.

     

    Dream to Advance highlights the benefits of e-commerce and Visa Debit, which enables consumers achieve their ambitions, even if access to financial services in their small towns is limited. The new television campaign went on air recently.

     

    The concept and story created by BBDO Proximity India, the campaign Dream to Advance is a narrative of a young man who is able to achieve his dream for his village by using Visa Debit. It’s a collaborative effort, dialogues written by Gulzar and directed by Amit Sharma from Chrome Pictures, with legendary music director, Shantanu Moitra who has composed the background score for the emotive commercial. The commercial is shot in Kashmir, the backdrop of some of the most memorable moments in Indian cinema.

     

    Speaking on the campaign, Uttam Nayak, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa, said, “With the increasing use of Debit and eCommerce across India including smaller towns and cities, Visa believes in providing accessibility to Indians living anywhere in India to fulfill their dreams. Our new campaign is targeted at the common man and his aspirations. No matter in which corner of the world you are, Visa Debit can help you realise your dreams.”

     

    E-commerce, combined with electronic payments, is increasing accessibility and providing a higher degree of convenience for consumers. For those belonging to non-metro areas, the shift is empowering and creates a level-playing field as they can now buy the same products that their urban counterparts can. This has helped both e-commerce and the adoption of electronic payments in India’s hinterland.

     

    The TVC can be viewed on all leading channels across the country. Follow the link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T44lW5FIq2g  to view the television commercial.

     

  • MxMIndia caught up with some industry players for their views on the evolution of print advertising, the road ahead for the medium and their reactions to HT Media's 'The Magic of Print'

    Video: Good effort to evangelize print: Vikram Sakhuja, Shashi Sinha & Josy Paul. Sequel planned: Rajan Bhalla

    By Robin Thomas

     

    On the sidelines of the HT Media event to unveil the book – ‘The Magic of Print’, MxMIndia caught up with some industry players for their views on the evolution of print advertising, the road ahead for the medium and of course their reactions to ‘The Magic of Print’ and whether such initiatives really help the industry?

     

    1. Vikram Sakhuja, Global CEO, Maxus

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gleSCF4K05A[/youtube]

    Your reactions on the book – ‘The Magic of Print’…?

    It’s a great book, it’s a beautiful production, it’s got some very good tips. There are some twelve tips to re-create the magic of print and an absolutely mind blowing compilation of ads. I think Rajan Bhalla has done a brilliant job.

     

    Does the industry need more such initiatives?

    Yes, absolutely. The good thing about these kind of initiatives that it makes you stop back and think, reflect and when you are tuning with some great minds and if something comes out of it, is always nice.

     

    2. Shashi Sinha, CEO, Lodestar UM

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vILEEM6PeQ[/youtube]

    Your  reactions to the book (‘The Magic of Print’)…?

    It’s a lovely book, and it’s got a combination of some great ads, and there are some simple tips. Copywriting is one area which is very difficult for a beginner in advertising to enter into and the ones that have managed to enter into this field can also learn quite a lot from this book.

     

    On whether the industry needs more such endeavours?

    There are so many business schools, but no one teaches you the craft of advertising. So I believe this is a great endeavour and for a publisher in-house to do this initiative and to inculcate the spirit, I think it’s a great opportunity.

     

    Does the industry need more innovation for better growth?

    I won’t be worried if innovations happen or not because ultimately if there are a lot many ads on print, innovation will automatically happen. Innovation is something you do for the long term, so I won’t be worried if innovation happens or not. The fact is that advertising in print will continue to grow and as television rates go up, automatically people will come back to print. Whether it takes two years or five years, I won’t be able to predict, but, this will happen.

     

    A word of advice for print media…?

    Keep providing great content, contents which are engaging and the rest will follow.

     

    3. Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director, BBDO India

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83bzcVtlck[/youtube]

    Your reactions on the book – ‘The Magic of Print’…?

    It’s a good book, well printed, it’s got some nice images and makes me want to spend more time with it and share it with my team and may be even have some discussions on which of those are fantastic work.

     

    And does the industry need more such endeavours?

    I think more discussions are good because a discussion makes you think about the medium a little more. Basically it is about focusing on the medium and what makes the medium a little more interesting and exciting. So I think that conversations are good, always.

     

    Does the print industry need more innovations for better growth?

    I am not sure about the word innovation in print because as a reader if I find people coming in the way of my news, I do get irritated. I believe true innovation is when within the context of the page and with respect to the page you can still create magic and still have a point of view that will make people think again or get excited or share things or put it up on their board, then that’s great. However this whole thing of irritation to the reader is not innovation, in fact is suddenly makes the news a nuisance.

     

    Where do you see creativity in Print media, five years from now?

    Creativity can never die, it’s forever. I expect newer things to happen, more beautiful things, and younger people will bring in more filters to print and we will see beautiful things that we never thought about. So one cannot really predict, creativity in fact evolves.

     

    What about print as a medium five years from now?

    I think print will take a new avatar. We all know that education is a big necessity in this Country and newspapers will become an integral part of education and it will start finding new audiences and I think it will further penetrate into the different strata of the society. So, newspapers or print media is like a river that will grow very deep and I don’t think it will just die like that.

     

    4. Rajan Bhalla, Head, Corporate Marketing and Magazines, HT Media

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P8utJgX-EA[/youtube]

    On the idea behind initiating- ‘The Magic of Print’?

    Well, I think the magic of Print is our contribution, our effort to help everybody in the industry associated with print advertising to understand how to create the magic in print advertising. I think it is absolutely clear that print is an absolutely great media vehicle from the point of view of showcasing brands and above all lending a lot of credibility to the message. It is time that we all started looking at how great print advertising can be created and this is our effort in that direction.

     

    On the process that went behind creating this initiative?

    It was a tedious process that lasted us almost a year. We first identified the content of what we wanted to present in the book. Once we had the content right, we then started scanning for the best examples we could find across the globe to fit into that category. We were not so concerned about picking brands from India, we just looked at global advertising as a market place and we looked at just the best in class advertising that was created under every single theme that you will see.

     

    How have the advertisers responded to the book?

    The book has just launched, so I am very positive that both the media fraternity as well as the creative fraternity is going to view this as a great initiative, which is also going to help clear a lot of thinking that they put into creating great advertising that works for them. So, it is just the beginning and we would like to probably move on this path as we go forward, year on year.

     

    So, will there be a sequel to this book – ‘The Magic of Print’?

    Absolutely yes; so we would be looking at various genres in which we can actually help impact the print industry, impact print advertising and help our advertisers in different ways. So you can look forward to another such initiative one year from now.

     

  • The new commercial is sunny, bright, happy, and it features Yuvi making his comeback statement, as he talks about moving on from suffering to victory.

    Debrief | Birla Sun Life: Good timing, but…

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Yuvi is back in action, and Birla Sun Life decided it’s time for another TVC. I totally back this move. Readers might recall that earlier this year, I had suggested that Birla must pull the ad they were running at the time. The one which many people felt was insensitive and exploitative, as it appeared to be feeding on the cricketer’s misery. This is what I wrote at the time: ‘Here’s a suggestion for Birla: Drop the ad immediately. And wait. Sooner or later, Mr Fighter will recover and he will be back on the cricket field. It is THEN that the advertiser and its ad agency should swing into action. And create an ad where Yuvi speaks of his ill health, the fears he experienced, and the subsequent joy and relief on recovery. No one will object to that. We all like happy endings.’

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1sDQOUHAEU[/youtube]

    Well, it’s clear these guys listened to me. J. The new commercial is sunny, bright, happy, and it features Yuvi making his comeback statement, as he bonds with children. And he talks about moving on from suffering to victory. This is obviously correct. The TVC celebrates rather than exploits, packs in insecurity, hope and success… the key ingredients for an insurance company’s ad. So all that’s great.

     

    I have just one complaint, and it’s to do with the execution. The commercial ought to have been powerful, emotive and should have left the viewer with that flags-flying feel. This would also have made the ad entertaining to watch. Currently, it’s kinda boring, you wouldn’t want to watch the ad a second time, even if you are the cricketer’s diehard fan. And yes, Yuvi’s continuous drone doesn’t help matters much.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Good idea, average execution.

     

  • KBC appears to be India's only hope and home for the common men and women to try their luck and up their bank balance a bit, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: KBC: Winning desi hearts

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Everyone is surprised by the massive success of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which is now in its sixth season. I have a simple explanation: The Congress leaders said their party is with the aam aadmi, and they won the election in 2009 on that promise. Well, scams-ridden Soniaji & Co totally let the aam aadmi down, and the junta had nowhere else to go. Enter KBC. India’s only hope and home for the common men and women… to try their luck and up their bank balance a bit.

     

    KBC 6 opened to a rating of a staggering 6+ points (though NDTV will have doubts over these figures, hehe), and is now hovering at around 5. These ratings are actually spectacular, given the competitive scenario in the GECs segment, and also considering that this is an old show. Well, what’s happened is that KBC has become a truly desi gig, much like cricket, and it’s difficult to imagine that the format was created in another country. The Indian masses have made it their own… folks gather together to watch it, much as they would congregate at the village mela or at the ration shop in the cities. And Bachchan’s easy connect with the masses has made this very possible. He is like the adorable sarpanch of the village, the good headmen people like and trust.

     

    I watched a few episodes of KBC 6, and must say it’s packed with sponsors and advertisers. This is the only confusing aspect in my mind. Because I suspect the big-city upper and middle classes have lost interest in the show, and it’s the lower middle class and people from small towns and villages who provide the viewership numbers. So while the TRP figures are high, they aren’t coming from the rich urban middle class. Does that not put off most advertisers? I would imagine it would. So then why are they paying for the show? The only explanation is that perhaps the advertisers have found a single, convenient medium in KBC to reach out to India’s heartland. And this explains KBC’s commercial success as well.

     

    So, good show on all counts. However, the sad reality remains: The aam aadmi has to look to a TV serial for succour, having been failed by the political class.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Brilliant example of how to use a celeb in advertising. Acer Ultrabook exposes the hidden passion of the macho ’24’ television series star, Kiefer Sutherland. And that passion happens to be cupcakes! What I like about the treatment is that the ad exploits the star’s famous persona, and yet delivers a surprising solution. Cool!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zemXwxg8Og[/youtube]

     

     

  • Continuing with its series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group has announced the appointment of Rajesh Mathew as Senior Vice President, Dentsu Communications, Mumbai.

    Rajesh Mathew joins Dentsu Communications as Senior Vice President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Continuing with its series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group has announced the appointment of Rajesh Mathew as Senior Vice President, Dentsu Communications, Mumbai.

     

    An adman throughout, spanning over 17 years in advertising, Mr Mathew was Managing Partner at Doosra Brand Communications, Mumbai (part of the Aegis Media Worldwide network, since December 2011) prior to joining Dentsu.

     

    Welcoming Mr Mathew to Dentsu, Arijit Ray, CEO, Dentsu Communications said, “Rajesh’s induction into Team Dentsu Communications is part of our on-going impetus on strengthening and consolidating the talent profile. I am sure Rajesh’s diverse experience across brands over so many years across markets, will help enhance our value proposition amongst our key business portfolios. I wish him a great innings at Dentsu.”

     

    Mr Mathew said, “I look forward to the exciting challenge and opportunities at Dentsu Communications; given the ambitious growth plans that are set, I couldn’t ask for a better timing than this, to come on board.”

     

    Among the agencies Mr Mathew has worked for in India include Saatchi & Saatchi Direct (Bangalore), Ogilvy & Mather (Bangalore), Lowe Lintas Worldwide (Chennai – as Brand Services Director), Rediffusion DYR & Wunderman (Chennai – as GM for both the Agencies), Contract Advertising (Chennai – as Senior Vice President & Manager), Ogilvy & Mather (Mumbai – as Vice President & Business Head).

  • Happy about Mindshare bagging the 'Media Agency of the Year' honour at Spikes Asia, Ravi Rao, Leader, South Asia, wants to raise the bar even further

    No resting easy on laurels: Ravi Rao

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    There’s some magic mantra that seems to be driving the team at Mindshare India to be at their performing best. How else would one explain the endless series of notches in their awards belt? After emerging No 1 agency at the Emvies this year, Mindshare India has gone on to win another big accolade – Media Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia 2012.

     

    MxMIndia spoke to the man behind the agency churning out the dream run, Ravi Rao, Leader, South Asia for Mindshare. While he admits to the agency throwing up some spectacular work it would in no way mean resting easy on the laurels. There’s a bigger challenge that lies ahead for the agency, he affirms. Excerpts:

     

    Mindshare Mumbai is on a roll again on the awards front. You’ve just bagged the all-important Media Agency of the Year accolade at Spikes Asia. What was it that brought the tide in your favour?

    We are extremely delighted to have won the accolade; and to win it for a client like HUL is a double delight. If you analyse, we had 5 shortlists and they were spread across three of our brands. More importantly, all three brands went on to win some award at Spikes, which is terrific for us. I would credit the showing to the all-round performance of the team.

     

    The big takeaways that emerge from our performance at Spikes this year are: firstly, all of the brands are local by stature – other than Rin – so that’s a big booster for us. Very simply, the power of an idea to push it through and get us an award is something that is very unique and has also helped the brand awareness as well as volume share in the process. Most importantly, it is the combination of every single media playing a role and each one delivering and creating synergies to bring the best out of the results. In a way, if I again look at the tally and say that we won against several competitors across the region also gives us a sense of bearing in terms of where we are today.

     

    What it also means is that we need to continue to deliver similar if not better work for our clients. It is a challenge that we want to continuously keep pushing ourselves against. No doubt the competition is getting tougher but we will have to adjust ourselves and up the single point of call that we have in Mindshare.

     

    By winning this accolade, have you pipped other notable contenders (from Mindshare) across Asia to the tag of being the best in the space?

    I think it is a matter of structuring how to get out real ideas. It is an idea that has to be behind an insight that works very well for the brand and land it properly. I think that is the key element in getting an award. We managed to do that well. The interesting part is yes, it has been a windfall for us this year but we do not want to rest easy on our laurels and want to keep pushing our boundaries even further.

     

    Are you disappointed with some entries not managing to make the cut in terms of a win?

    What we realised is that there are certain other entries that we thought were worthy of an award but somehow didn’t make the call. For example, if we look at the Emvies in terms of the wins that we’ve had and at the others too…I guess the parameters change and it’s important that you really look at how best you can reach the audience in a different way. As a country, we still have some way to go in terms of one, the content and secondly, in terms of the format of presentation which is also very critical. But all said and done, we are in the learning phase and will only get better and better as we move ahead.

     

    What significance does a creative award like Spikes Asia hold for a media agency like Mindshare India?

    Winning at Spikes is a big accolade for us but we do not want to take it easy because yes, there were a great set of campaigns that collectively made it work for us this time but what it requires is that we need to excel in a similar way across every single campaign and client that we cater to. It means that we want to keep doing better all the time and it’s only going to be a bigger challenge for us in the future. So while we would definitely relish the wins we want to fold our sleeves and get back to doing some great work in the future.

     

    Do you see HUL emerging a hot contender for the Client of the Year title in the future?

    As I see it, it is a systematic way of shoring up everything in the process. In my mind, it is an intense but healthy competition and all it does is bring the best out of every single team – whether from the agency or client’s side. We will surely give everyone a run as we go along as much as the competition is going to do and it is only going to get more intense as we move ahead.

     

    What would be the next big focus area for Mindshare India as you move forward?

    One area that we really want to look at is Cannes. It is the single biggest aim that we have going forward. The other thing for us is to make great campaigns that have a high ROI. By doing this, we even want to look at other areas like winning awards with IPA. Those are the targets that we have. We are working towards that goal and time will tell.

     

  • BBDO was named Network of the Year, while Mindshare walked away with Media Agency of the Year, at Spikes Asia 2012

    Indian entries win 47 awards at Spikes Asia

    By Ananya Saha

     

    BBDO was presented with the Network of the Year trophy with DDB coming second followed by Leo Burnett in third, at the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity 2012. The Media Agency of the Year trophy was awarded to Mindshare, Mumbai, with Cheil Worldwide, Seoul taking second place and in third, Whybin\TBWA Group, Sydney.

     

    BBDO India, Mumbai, bagged Creative Effectiveness Spike for its Gillette Mach 3 Turbo Sensitive ‘Shavesutra’. Elated Josy Paul, chairman and national creative director, BBDO India, said, “We thank our clients, our partners and the international jury at Spikes Asia for honouring us with six awards including Asia Pacific’s first Creative Effectiveness award. This recognition, along with our 17 shortlists, have helped us become India’s most awarded agency at Spikes Asia with the highest number of award points. What is heartening is that we’ve earned it for real transformational work on large brands.”

     

    In the Film Crafts, Indian managed one gold, three Silver and three Bronze metals. Taproot India walked away with two Silver metals for its ‘Mumbai Mirror- I am Mumbai’ campaign while Contract Advertising, Mumbai, bagged the coveted Gold Spike for Corruption campaign for Morphy Richards, and O&M received a Silver Spike for IPL-Carnival campaign.  BBH India’s Google Chrome, Taproot’s ‘Mumbai Mirror-I am Mumbai’ and McCann’s ‘Leave the Night Behind’ campaign won Bronze Spike. In the Design category, TBWA India, Mumbai, walked away with Bronze Spike for Elephant Combos Logos Design it did for MKV Households. BBH India, Mumbai, also managed a Bronze Spike in the Digital category for its Tanjore Google Chrome campaign.

     

    Of the total 43 entries in Film Spikes, India managed four Silver medals and one Bronze. The Corruption campaign for Morphy Richards conceived by Contract Advertising got a Silver Spike along with Taproot’s ‘Mumbai Mirror-I am Mumbai’, Google Chrome campaign by BBH India and ‘Deadman Talking’ public service campaign by DDB Mudra for Consumer Education Research. Taproot managed another metal – Bronze – for its ‘Cleavage’ campaign for Fox Movies in this category.

     

    The campaign for Kissan Ketchup, ‘Where What You Grow Is What You Eat’, by Mindshare Mumbai, received the Grand Prix and Gold Spike in the Media Winners.  The category saw Mindshare winning two Silvers Rin Detergent and Bru Gold. The rage of Kolaveri Di got Jack in the Box a Silver Spike. Two of three Bronze Spike in this category were lapped up by BBDO for Gillette Fusion ‘You Shave. I Shave,’ and ‘Twwet-a-thon’ for 7Up. The third Spike went to Cheil’s campaign for Samsung Printers, Minus One Project.

     

    Of the seven metals in Outdoor Category, McCann managed six while O&M got a Bronze Spike for Anti-smoking Initiative for Cancer Patients Initiative. The campaigns that got McCann the metals include: Franklin Gandhi, Mao Queen and Lincoln Fahd for Western Union Money Transfer. The campaigns got Silver and Bronze Spike each.

     

    India received three Bronze Spike and One Silver Spike in PR Category. Cheil Worldwide for Samsung Printer (Silver), Bang Bang Films for Kolaveri Di got one Bronze while BBDO India’s campaigns for Gillette Fusion got two Bronze Spikes. Grey Worldwide India won a Bronze Spike in Print category for its campaign for Fujifilm. Three Bronze Spike campaign went to DDB Mudra for Volkswagen campaigns. Radio Winner from India was Leo Burnett with its campaign for Strand Book stall.

     

    The winners of the Spikes Asia 2012 Awards were announced on September 18 at the Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Ten juries chose 397 winners from an initial 4,860 entries. The 2012 awards were given as follows:

     

    Branded Content & Entertainment *New* – 17 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 9 Silver, 6 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Host Sydney, Australia, Air New Zealand, ‘The Kiwi Sceptics’

     

    Creative Effectiveness *New* – 4 winners: 1 Grand Prix

    Grand Prix: Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Australia, Nab, ‘Break Up’

     

    Design – 28 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 8 Silver, 15 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Iyamadesign Tokyo, Japan, Kamoi Kakoshi, Mt Ex Taipei

     

    Digital – 29 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 12 Silver, 12 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Dentsu Tokyo, Japan, Honda Motor, ‘Connecting Lifelines’

     

    Direct – 28 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 11 Silver, 10 Bronze Grand Prix: JWT Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Writers Festival, ‘Wi-Fiction’

     

    Film – 43 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 10 Gold, 18 Silver, 14 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Cheil Worldwide Seoul, South Korea, Amsung Electronics, ‘What Does Your Mind See’

     

    Film Craft – 23 winners: No Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 7 Silver, 13 Bronze

     

    Integrated – 8 winners: No Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze

     

    Media – 41 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 14 Silver, 20 Bronze Grand Prix: Mindshare Mumbai, India, Hindustan Unilever, ‘Where What You Grow Is What You Eat’

     

    Mobile – 13 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Party Tokyo / Dentsu Tokyo, Japan, Sony, ‘Make TV’

     

    Outdoor – 50 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 10 Gold, 14 Silver, 25 Bronze Grand Prix: Ogilvy Shanghai, China, Coca-Cola Company, ‘#Cokehands’

     

    PR – 17 winners: No Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 6 Silver, 9 Bronze

     

    Print – 24 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 13 Bronze

    Grand Prix: DDB Sydney, Australia, Volkswagen, ‘Bikers-Police’

     

    Print & Poster Craft – 18 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 6 Silver, 9 Bronze

    Grand Prix: Ogilvy Shanghai, China, Coca-Cola Company, ‘#Cokehands’

     

    Promo & Activation – 37 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 10 Gold, 14 Silver, 12 Bronze

    Grand Prix: 303Lowe Sydney, Australia, Ikea, ‘Ikea Catalogue’

     

    Radio – 17 winners: 1 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 8 Bronze

    Grand Prix: JWT Singapore, Singapore, Unilever Singapore, ‘Radio Prank’

     

    During the Awards, the prestigious Advertiser of the Year accolade was presented to P&G Asia in honour of their commitment to engage their consumers by not only embracing but also expecting creativity in their product communications around Asia. Freddy Bharucha, Chief Marketing Officer of P&G Asia was on stage to collect the award.

     

    Also announced at the Awards were the winners of the Young Creative Spikes Competitions. India took the gold metal in the Young Spikes Media Competition whilst the team from Hong Kong took gold in the Young Spikes Integrated Competition.

     

  • From September 27, 2012, Red FM will feature stories of ordinary individuals who have fought against crime – irrespective of their age, gender or profession. They will share their experiences with RJ Malishka on Morning No.1 from Monday to Friday

    Red FM launches ‘Crime Chi Gheun Tak’

    By A Correspondent

     

    From September 27, 2012, Red FM will feature stories of ordinary individuals who have fought against crime – irrespective of their age, gender or profession. These real life heroes will share their experience with RJ Malishka on Morning No.1 from Monday to Friday.

     

    Issues such as crimes against the elderly, eve-teasing, suicide etc. will be discussed on-air. The promos for the show mention that crime does not spread because of criminals, but because of individuals who bear it.

     

    Nisha Narayanan

    Nisha Narayanan, Senior VP – Programming and Projects, Red FM said, “‘Crime’ is a new genre for radio, the relevance of which is even more in our metro cities, Mumbai being one of them. The campaign thought for our prime-time show comes from an inherent responsibility to highlight what we think should be brought to the notice of our listeners. These heroes are also a part of our listening universe, and the deeds instill a sense of pride in their fellow citizens. This is Red FM’s second initiative to fight crime. In early August, we launched ‘Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge’ for our listeners in New Delhi. The show, hosted by RJs Peeyuush and Swati, had a successful inning. We hope to take this to the next level in Mumbai.”

     

  • Genesis Burson-Marsteller, South Asia's leading integrated communications consultancy, announced it has signed on Visa, global leader in technology payments solutions

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller retains Visa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller, South Asia’s leading integrated communications consultancy, announced it has signed on Visa, global leader in technology payments solutions. Genesis Burson-Marsteller, as part of a one-year retainer, will support Visa in further communicating the benefits of electronic payments, and the company’s latest developments in safe and efficient payment innovations. Further, Genesis Burson-Marsteller will support Visa’s commitment to financial inclusion for all of India.

     

    “Visa is moving at a fast pace in delivering access, safety and ease to financial transactions for businesses, governments as well as individual consumers around the globe,” stated Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller. “As Visa further develops what is already the most advanced payment processing network in the in the world, we are delighted to be working with them to highlight these advancements through strategic and targeted communications.”

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller will lend counsel and tactical support to Visa’s ongoing communications efforts using targeted media outreach in the technology and consumer space, as well as conduct stakeholder education and engagement. The programme will be targeted at showcasing Visa’s leadership in the sector.

     

  • Much to the Bachchan clan’s dismay, I am sure, baby Aaradhya’s snaps are all over the media. She’s already become a celebrity in her own right.

    Anil Thakraney: Media’s lust for Aaradhya

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Much to the Bachchan clan’s dismay, I am sure, baby Aaradhya’s snaps are all over the media. She’s already become a celebrity in her own right, a Google search throws up nearly 300,000 links. This is not what the Bachchans wanted at all, they have all along been taking every possible precaution to ensure the baby is kept out of the reach of eager photographers.

     

    Now, I understand the media’s desire to click celeb children pics, the janata would want to see them. There is a great deal of interest in celebrities, and this happens in most parts of the world. What amazes me, however, is that Amitabh Bachchan, despite living (and thriving) in the spotlight for all these decades, is in denial about this fact, and therefore all those valiant attempts to conceal the baby’s face. I wonder why the family must behave thus. They do proudly introduce Aaradhya to all their friends and acquaintances (Ms Oprah Winfrey included), so why would they deprive their zillion fans of a little ‘mooh dikhai’? All that will happen is that the fans will feel happy, and would most likely bless the child.

     

    Here’s what I suspect, and I sincerely hope I am wrong about this: The Bachchan family is renowned for being deeply superstitious. Could it be that some sort of a strange belief compels them to keep Aaradhya away from the public glare? Does it have something to do with the chance of an ‘evil eye’ attack? I really hope not. That, if true, would be a real pity, coming from such an educated, well-travelled and cultured family.

     

    As for the press, my own view is that if a famous family does not wish to share its happiness with the aam junta, the media must shun them, however big their celebrity status might be. And I had said the same thing when the Bachchans badly wanted to keep the media out during the Abhi-Ash wedding, some camera guys had even got punched and kicked by the security personnel.

     

    People, I am all for exclusives and scoops. But not at the cost of self-respect. That should be placed above all else. Let’s be hungry, not desperate.

     

    ***

     

    PS: A horror story posted by a Volkswagen customer on a discussion forum. Volkswagen India should spend all their monies in keeping their clients happy, rather than splurging it on silly media ‘innovations’. Vibrator? Oh, puhleeeaze! This example also highlights the power of social media, and why corporates can take it lightly only at their own peril.

     

    http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-dealerships/126160-ksm-motors-smashes-customers-jetta-joyride-vw-india-silent-issue.html

     

  • The tried-and-trusted brand is further strengthening its message with entertaining commercials that reinforce the product's qualities

    Fevicol Marine: the bond that remains even in water

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Looking at the success of Fevicol Marine, Pidilite Industries is pulling out all stops to position the product in the mainline category. The product has seen tremendous success and the demand has seen a rise post its first campaign two years ago. The company sensing an opportunity is looking to make a big leap forward. Fevicol Marine is a variant adhesive that can be used in moist and damp condition and protects furniture from de-bonding even when exposed to water.

     

    Its earlier TVC borrowed from the iconic Fevicol advertising featuring the Dum Laga Ke Haisha tag and focused on bringing out the functional aspect of the product. Now the TVC aims to push the product into the mainline, especially seeing that its growth has been 3 to 4 times the category growth. The latest ad keeps in line with Fevicol’s communication tone and humour and reinforces the promise of a strong bond that Fevicol Marine provides, even in water.

     

    Anil Jayaraj

    Anil Jayaraj, Chief Marketing Officer, Pidilite Industries said, “Fevicol Marine has progressed immensely and hold huge potential. While the first commercial talked of the functional value, we want now to match the tone and tenor with the Fevicol ads that are humorous and interesting t watch while conveying the core value of the product.”

     

    The TV campaign will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign. There are outdoors, POS and increased visibility at trade outlets besides a number of activation has already been initiated with carpenter programs conveying the core message of the adhesive being able to hold its bond even in wet or most conditions.

     

    Talking about the agency Ogilvy, that has created the campaign, Mr Jayaraj, said, “We share a unique relation with Ogilvy where we co-create the brief and that has been responsible for the success of these ads. The idea in this campaign like our other campaigns has been to make the communication interesting and at the end of it should bring a smile on the faces of people watching it.”

     

    Commenting on the concept, Piyush Pandey, executive chairperson and creative director, Ogilvy & Mather- South Asia says, “Keeping in mind the tone and manner that Fevicol has had for the last 20 years, the Fevicol Marine ad captures the spirit of India, borrows from India and therefore becomes a part of the fabric of India like all Fevicol ads have been.”

     

    The ad will be aired across key markets including entire Hindi speaking belt and supported by regional channels in South India, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Gujarat for 4-5 weeks period starting mid-September, 2012.

     

    The TVC features a boatman, somewhere in the rural hinterland. His boat is filled to capacity with wooden chairs. As he rows through the serene waters, an old man waves out to him, almost as if he wants to hitch a ride. Since there’s no room on the boat, the boatman subtly gestures to the old man that he can’t take him on board. Just then the old man clarifies that it’s not him who wants a ride but his young daughter. The boatman suddenly stops the boat.

     

    When he sees the beautiful daughter, he decides to offer her a ride at any cost. He kicks a stack of chairs into the water and makes room for her. The girl quickly points out towards her goat. So the boatman throws more chairs into the water. Once again the girl points out towards a huge hay stack. Soon all chairs are kicked out of the boat. And the boatman happily continues his journey, ferrying the girl, her goat as well as the hay stack. And he hasn’t gotten rid of his chairs either. He’s tied them to the boat with a rope, unperturbed by the fact that the wooden furniture is submerged in water. The film ends with a VO which brings forth the brand promise: “Fevicol Marine. Wohi mazboot jod, paani mein bhi.”

     

    Mr Jayaraj, summing up the reason for Fevicol ads being such a success, said, “I think its because we have been consistent in our communication, we have through our communication maintained that Fevicol is the ultimate adhesive available and have been creating communication that has been interesting as well as informative.”