MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Triton Communications has appointed Pankaj Arora as their National Planning Director, in a clear shift from the traditional approach, wherein a planning head has been a planner for the better part of his career if not all of it

    Triton takes the business approach to planning

    By A Correspondent

     

    Triton Communications has appointed Pankaj Arora as their National Planning Director, in a clear shift from the traditional approach, wherein a planning head has been a planner for the better part of his career if not all of it.

     

    Reaffirming the move, Renton D’Sousa – CEO & National Creative Director, Triton Communications said “One of my key focus areas is to enhance resources in the knowledge domain to enable the best end product. In my view a planning head needs to have been a senior business head to provide business insights for effective brand solutions. All with the aim to provide the right inputs to the creative for an insight laden end product. We need to redefine planning as a line function that will strategize for brand business building. Pankaj’s vast experience on the business of advertising along with his flair for strategic initiatives is the right fit for my vision”.

     

    Mr Arora has spent over two decades in advertising. He moves on to head planning from his current role of Executive Director- Triton Mumbai. Prior to joining Triton he has been with Lintas, Contract, Grey and Publicis.

     

    On his new role Mr Arora said, “When I started out it was all about the USP. With changing times, it evolved to the SMP (single minded proposition). Today with product parity across categories and intangible differentiators dwindling by the day, it boils down to the insight based creative that can make or mend a brand. It is my firm belief that the core of every planning activity is the immersion of client, category and consumer. Planning models merely revolve around this fact. A good planner reads between the reams of data and researches. But a planner with a business experience can unearth the insight that will lead to an effective end product and benefit the client in the market place.”

     

  • Telling the story is what advertising is about; and a story well told is a product well sold. So does the narrative style work or is it better to be direct?

    The Magic of Narrative

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    In advertising it is about finding an emotional connect. If you have managed to do so, you hit a home run. Hence it’s no surprise that one finds many advertisements today that rely on a narrative style which is sometimes no less than poetry, and instantly strikes a chord with the viewers. The focal point is that the words should express the emotions and bring out both the joys and the trials and tribulations.

     

    Take for example the recent Visa Debit campaign. It has the best talent from the industry that has worked to craft the concept and the result is a fabulous example that blends a narrative style with human aspirations thus bringing out what Visa can do for a common man. End result – a narrative that resonates with common man and an ad that aligns well with the brand and its offering.

     

    VISA DEBIT

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T44lW5FIq2g[/youtube]

    Shubhranshu Singh, Marketing Director, Visa, said, “The TV commercial that launched our ‘Dream to Advance’ campaign was visualized to deliver the core message that Visa Debit empowers people to achieve their dreams no matter where they reside. The integral human truth about an aspiration to achieve was brought alive in an authentically Indian setting. The narrative written by Gulzar engages and connects not only from an emotive point of view but also from the message delivery perspective. The music by Shantanu Moitra amplifies the beauty of the quest set against the majestic canvas of Kashmir’s landscape. Directed by Amit Sharma of Chrome Pictures, our latest TVC has ensured that the end result is a seamless blend of creativity and brand positioning.”

     

    Intel has launched its campaign on the theme – go do something wonderful. The campaign uses a narrative style similar to Visa. It talks about Intel helping in realizing dreams, and the powerful narrative only makes it more convincing.

     

    INTEL

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0QJc_rPYY0[/youtube]

    Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing, Intel South Asia, said, “Today’s youth are optimistic about what the future holds, but there is an underlying anxiety about tomorrow. Things around them are changing so fast that they know there are opportunities out there, but they don’t always know how to grab hold of them. The new Intel campaign maximizes relevance to this audience by showing stories that don’t focus on the technology that Intel makes, but what that technology makes possible. Based on the famous quote from Intel co-founder Robert Noyce, the ‘Go do something wonderful’ campaign the narrative aims at shining the spotlight on the partnership between consumers and PCs with Intel inside – that personal passion , big ideas and creativity can come alive when they meet a Intel Powered PC.”

     

    Then there is the recent ad for Xylys that uses the voice of Farhan Akhtar, who has also been featured in the ads.

     

    XYLYS

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DEbak91UeQ[/youtube]

    Giving his take on the narrative style of the ads, Harish Bijoor, brand expert & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said, “These ads are aspirational, hope-filled and hope-fuelling pieces of advertising that find their way into our advertising culture when times are tough. When the times are tough, one needs positive strokes. These pieces attempt these positive strokes. To an extent I would call them “economopause advertising”! When the economy hits its andropause moment, it needs advertising such as this.”

     

    After taking a look at these ads, Rahul Jauhari, National Creative Director, Everest Brand Solutions, opined, “This narrative style is tried and tested. Yes, it works. Given the right choice of voice and rendition, it can add magic to a film. It can raise the level of a film. Of the three, the narrative in the Intel and Visa one suit the film. The Visa narrative adds charm to the story. The one in Xylys? I think Farhan’s voice lets it down. Yes it’s his voice since he is in the film. But his voice, per se, is not a great one for narratives, and falls flat for me.”

     

    Opinions will vary but there is no denying that the narrative style definitely packs a punch.

     

  • One thing the channel, Colors, will struggle with is this: Having moved the show to the 9pm slot, they will have to walk the ugliness line very carefully, and be ready to censor out a whole lot of goodies. Else, they will come under the scanner of the morality brigade

    Anil Thakraney: Bigg Boss: Same chhe!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Readers will recall I was not very approving of the idea of making the Bigg Boss house clean and healthy. Media reports had suggested that the channel, the producer and Shri Salman Khan had decided that the sixth edition would be controversy-free and would cater to family viewing.  Well, it’s been only two episodes (at the time of writing this) and I can already tell you that all the cleanliness talk was a lot of hot air. The stage is all set for ugly face-offs.

     

    This is clearly indicated in the casting itself. Same old struggling television actors who would look for cheap publicity to revive their fading careers. A recently divorced couple… naturally there will be angst between them. A controversy-seeking cartoonist. A mad hatter hair stylist. The motor-mouth Sidhu. A raunchy item girl desperate for instant exposure (pun intended). And therefore what you can expect very, very soon is some really ugly exchanges, a lot of dirty dancing, blazing fireworks and many beeps. Exactly what Bigg Boss has been famous for in all the previous editions. So then where’s the promised hygiene?

     

    Well, either the channel chickened out at the last minute, or the pre-publicity promise was a ploy to quietly slip the show into the prime time slot. Whatever be the reason, Bigg Boss 6 is the same old, same old fare. And that, if you ask me, is a wise decision, and I said so in my earlier post as well. Without the garam masala, this particular format just won’t work. Bigg Boss is targeted at the low-brow audiences, who look for machhi-market fights. And the current lot appears very keen and able to deliver on that front.

     

    One thing the channel, Colors, will struggle with is this: Having moved the show to the 9pm slot, they will have to walk the ugliness line very carefully, and be ready to censor out a whole lot of goodies. Else, they will come under the scanner of the morality brigade very quickly, and risk being booted out of prime time. That indeed is the problem with Bigg Boss; Karo toh maro, nahin karo toh bhi maro!

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Wicked and edgy commercial from Virgin Mobile. Love their attitude. Because it helps an ordinary promise becomes super fun. This is the way to encash an irreverent brand personality.

     

    [vimeo width=”400″ height=”220″]http://vimeo.com/48355303[/vimeo]

  • Wall painting advertising solution agency Adwallz has recently bagged six new accounts, taking its total number of clients to nearly 50

    Adwallz adds 6 new accounts to portfolio

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wall painting advertising solution agency Adwallz has recently bagged six new accounts, taking its total number of clients to nearly 50. The newly added clients include banking company HDFC, electronic company Philips, global chemical company Huntsman Corporation, insurance company Bajaj Allianz and mobile service providers MTS and Vodafone.

     

    The agency will execute the ‘Jeevan Bima and Sales’ campaign for Bajaj Allianz in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Punjab and ‘Gold Loan’, ‘Current a/c, saving a/c’ campaign for HDFC in Andhra Pradesh and Orrisa. For Huntsman Corp, it will take charge of the Karpenter & Araldite brand across India and for CFL & TL for Philips in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.  For MTS and Vodafone, the agency will take charge of branding in Maharashtra and Bangalore respectively.

     

    Mihir Mody

    Commenting on the win, Mihir Mody, Founder and CEO, Adwallz said, “This quarter has been very significant for Adwallz in terms of new accounts. We are happy to be associated with these brands that are well established in their respective industry. Being associated with such big corporations gives us an opportunity to exhibit our creativity and innovation. Our endeavor is to deliver the best in terms of creativity and create a unique advertising experience for the target audience of the brands.”

     

    The company, which came into existence in 2004, won the newly added accounts in the last one month. The execution for these campaigns has started from the first week of October. Currently, Adwallz has corporate giants like HUL, Colgate, Marico, Godrej and Wipro amongst many in its current portfolio.

     

  • Dr A L Sharada, Director, Population First, tells MxMIndia that we need more ads with girls shown in a capable light

    Jaldi 5 with Dr A L Sharada: More ads must say: Yes, she can

    Population First has been at the forefront of the initiative on the way the girl child has been projected in the media. Dr A L Sharada, Director, Population First, spoke to MxMIndia on the girl child and the media and how we can prevent the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child from being mere tokenism.

    01.  It’s good to see that the first ever International Day of the Girl Child is being celebrated. How do we prevent it from being mere tokenism?

     

    I welcome the UN, as a global body declaring October11, as the International Day of the Girl Child. This gives us an opportunity to take stock of the work that we have done so far, look further into what needs to be done and how we could take the issue at hand, forward. However the fear that it may turn out to be yet another gesture of tokenism is a valid one. The only way we can stop it from becoming yet another international day celebrated as a formality every year, is through concerted efforts to work on some of the major issues regarding the girl child.

     

    There are many issues concerning girls such as child marriages, low enrolment in schools and neglect of their health and nutrition needs. We need to advocate and lobby for more focused policies and programmes to improve the status of the girl child. We need to use the opportunity provided by the International Day of the Girl Child, every year to reflect upon achievements, fine tune our policies and redesign our programme, if required.

     

    Do you see that Population First’s efforts have had an impact on the media?

     

    I see lot of positivity and openness from the media towards these issues and a willingness to approach them differently. In the current media scenario, many of these issues are being addressed but more need attention. We, at Population First believe that we have to start a dialogue with all stakeholders, media being a primary stakeholder. We, as a nation have internalised, and have deeply ingrained patriarchal values to an extent that unless someone points it out, at times we are unaware of a possible patriarchal tone in our public communications. We need to initiate dialogues with all groups of society, so that together we can build a more gender-sensitive society.

     

    02, In your experience interacting with marketers and advertising agency professionals, do you think they are sincere in their attempts to appreciate the responsibility towards the girl child in a society like ours?

     

    Our experience with the advertising professionals has been very positive. We found them to be open-minded, willing to look at our standpoints and revise their current approach. From the time we began interacting with professionals in the advertising industry in 2008 up to today, we find a much greater presence of girls in advertising and many advertisements that are now projecting positive and non-stereotypical images of girls.

    03.  Do you think self-regulation bodies like ASCI, Advertising Club and AAAI should also take it upon themselves to promote the cause?

     

    Yes, definitely. It is important that activists working on gender issues and the regulatory bodies of media and advertising work together to ensure that the media does not project demeaning and negative images of girls. It is also imperative that  media does not consciously or otherwise, support or promote negative social attitudes and practices such as eve-teasing, commodification, objectification of women and violence.

    04.  What are your views on gender biases in today’s advertising?

     

    In 2008, during our analysis of advertisements showing girl children, we found that girls had a lesser presence and were often presented in a stereotypical fashion, for example mostly endorsing products that have been promoted by their mothers too. It was also observed that an ideal family is always shown as mother-father with one daughter and one son, or two sons. Rarely did we find ads showing two daughters. While a lot has changed in the last few years, in terms of projection of girls in advertisements, it is still rare to find an advertisement where two daughters are shown in a family setting. This, I believe, promotes the perception that a son is a must in the family. In a context where the country’s sex ratio is declining, this is a very disturbing trend.

     

    Television serials, television and print media content also further aggravate this image of women. What are your views here?

     

    Yes, it is true that the portrayal of women in print and electronic media is regressive and voyeuristic in flavour and we have to work on changing this. This is why we have instituted Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. We have received 1500 entries this year and the quality of the content is improving. There is a lot of potential for change. The most pertinent example here is that of the popular show, Satyamev Jayate, which has suddenly got numerous issues into our drawing rooms. It shows the effect of one strong programme with a potent combination of Aamir Khan, an industry giant like Reliance and a media tool like Star TV. This shows that there is potential to bring social change. New media and its various options are also democratizing the way news now reaches out and has gained momentum with youth across the country as tools for creating public opinion. It is an exciting time to be, in terms of working with media on social issues

    05.  One view of marketers is that they need to sell to consumers, given the prevailing behavioural patterns, and that they are not in a position to correct these attitudes. How do we bring about a change in this view?

    I would like to highlight two ads here. For instance, an HDFC investment plan ad shows a father investing for his daughter’s education instead of a more common notion, such as saving for her marriage. This is a positive and refreshing approach to the product and in no way undermines the value of the product. The other ad I would like to mention is the Tata Nano ad where a small girl hugs the car, and the father gives her the car keys. This shows that the father is proud of his daughter. Giving visibility to girls in ads, is by itself crucial. We need to see more such instances where girls have to be shown in a capable light and in diverse concepts while selling a product. After all, communication is all about conveying the message effectively, is it not?

    (Interviewed by Fatema Rajkotwala)

     

  • People, go ahead and use Bachchan in your ads if you must. But please use him well. This man is a living legend. Let's not kill that hard-earned title.

    Anil Thakraney: Brand Big B: Over-used and over-abused

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    At the outset, let me make it clear that I am dead against the use of celebs in advertising. It is more often than not the last refuge of brand managers who either aren’t confident of their product, or are doubtful of their marketing skills. Celebs are usually a crutch used by idea-less marketers.

     

    Having said that, it is equally true that celebrities, especially movie stars and cricketers, are a rage in Indian advertising, so it’s a marketing reality we have to live with. And amongst these worthies, Amitabh Bachchan has been a hot ad favourite since the year 2000, when KBC totally changed his fortunes. The number of contracts he signs may have gone down a bit in more recent years, but according to some reports, he still pockets Rs 30 to 40 crores per annum on endorsement deals, and that’s no laughing matter. It’s a lot more than he earns in them movies, and he bags the deals even if his flicks tank at the box office, which they often do.

     

    The reason why Bachchan continues to delight brand managers, despite turning 70 today (happy birthday!), is his perceived persona. His appeal cuts across age, social, economic and geographical barriers. Few Indian celebrities can boast of this. Big B is perceived by the masses as a credible, loyal, lively, kind, good-hearted, gentle old man. (This image, in large part, is courtesy KBC.) And brand managers dearly hope that a part of this imagery rubs off on their own brands. What they forget, of course, is that if the man endorses too many brands (which he does), his association with a particular brand gets vastly diminished.

     

    One other thing: Certain brand managers use Bachchan after some deal of thought has been given to the brand connect. Others use him thoughtlessly, leading to hilarious and senseless advertising. I’ll give you a few examples. Big B works for Binani Cement because of the association of longevity and strength. Parker Pens, because you expect a refined man of his age to use a pen, and be selective about the brand. Dabur, because their products usually talk good health, and Bachchan, even at 70, seems to be going strong.

     

    However, his endorsement of many other brands makes you cringe or giggle. Gujarat Tourism. What connection does Bachchan have with that state? Was Narendra Modi thinking when he hired his services? Navratna Hair Oil. The world and his grandfather believe we are dealing with a lovely wig out here. Maruti Versa. The Bachchans won’t even gift such a low-end, down market vehicle to the Pratiksha gardener. And the way Bachchan is made to belt out telephone numbers for Just Dial, you want to bury yourself in the ground.

     

    People, go ahead and use Bachchan in your ads if you must. But please use him well. This man is a living legend. Let’s not kill that hard-earned title.

     

  • Ogilvy has announced that Pete Smith has been appointed Regional Innovations & Creative Director, Asia Pacific for the agency's specialised healthcare division

    Ogilvy APAC transforms creativity in healthcare comm

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pete Smith

    Ogilvy has announced that Pete Smith has been appointed Regional Innovations & Creative Director, Asia Pacific for the agency’s specialised healthcare division. Ogilvy’s healthcare offering reaches across Asia with hubs in China, Korea, Japan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. Mr Smith will relocate to Shanghai from Sydney in October to lead the creative offering of Ogilvy’s healthcare division across the region.

     

    Mr Smith comes from the BBDO network in Australia, where he was Creative Director. As creative lead within that network, he created some of the best-known and most successful healthcare campaigns both locally and globally. Most recently he has been driving the launch and ongoing growth of Astra Zeneca’s major brand portfolio in Australia.

     

    He will join the core regional team of Ogilvy’s health discipline which includes Rohit Sahgal, Regional Director Asia Pacific, and Sebastien Boisseau, Regional Director Insights & Strategy, to create a unique specialist agency model that will seamlessly service the needs of global/regional/local clients, across Rx-OTC-Nutrition & Wellness.

     

    “Pete has been a leading advocate for digital, new technology, experiential and social marketing in a health context, but has always followed the simple principle that every great campaign needs a great idea brilliantly executed. He has embraced and driven serious innovation of new media platforms into the healthcare sphere – in particular the ‘digitalisation’ of healthcare creativity. I couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring and groundbreaking creative leader to work with,” said Mr Sahgal on Mr Smith’s appointment.

     

    “The Asia Pacific region is where the most exciting work in the world is being done and the most exciting work in the region is being done by Ogilvy, a leader in the field. I genuinely feel privileged to be part of this team and excited by the prospects of working with this team. Ogilvy has always been the place where advertising people want to work, and nothing much has changed. Under my guardianship, I have strong ambitions to take that spirit further and faster” said Pete Smith on his being a part of the Ogilvy AP network.

     

  • People being made to frolic in water to cue freshness has been done to death ever since Ms Karen Lunel went under a waterfall for Liril centuries ago. So there's literally no freshness out here

    Debrief: Cinthol: Not awesome, it’s tiresome

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    After dude, rock star, chillax, etc, the next big cliché in the urban world is ‘awesome’. Everyone flings the word around for all sorts of things, and feels cool (another cliché!) about it. Which is why I knew it was a matter of time before an advertiser latched on to it.

     

    ‘Alive is Awesome’ is the new tagline for Cinthol. And the brand hopes to net Young India with it. The TVC is basically lads and ladettes having a blast holidaying on beautiful foreign locales. They play around with different forms of water bodies (not Mumbai gutters), as the jingle belts out awesomeness in the background.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzpcIvJ77g0[/youtube]

    Doesn’t work, to put it simply. People being made to frolic in water to cue freshness has been done to death ever since Ms Karen Lunel went under a waterfall for Liril centuries ago. So there’s literally no freshness out here. Also, the word ‘awesome’ is likely to be understood only in the urban areas, so this limits Cinthol’s appeal. Doesn’t make sense to me, I thought this is a mass soap brand. Unless Godrej has decided to make Cinthol super premium, but the same old boring packaging doesn’t suggest so.

     

    However, I do envy the models, the production crew and the ad agency personnel who got a free ride to such exotic destinations. Awesome! This is what makes advertising life fun, fun, fun. Now if only all this merriment had happened over a half-decent TV commercial.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Zero freshness.

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad

    AdStrat: Hippo – A World Without Borders

    Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairperson, Creativeland Asia

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Hippo – Flavours Without Borders

     

    The Brief: Hippo has a child-like wishful purpose in everything he does. He is out there to outdo hunger as he believes that hunger is the root of all evil. Parle Agro’s new Hippo variant, World Toasties, comes in a range of international flavours that include Mexican Cheese & Spicy Jalapeno, Afghan Tawa Masala, Spanish Hot & Sweet Tomato, Thai Chilli Garlic, Greek Yoghurt Cream & Onion and Desi Chatpatta. So Hippo dreams of a world without borders that can also depict the different flavours that Hippo is launching.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4qKFfIpZbM[/youtube]

    Research insights: Food has a special place in the heart of every human and, to a large extent, is what holds a society together. There are no superficial boundaries, divisions and limitations in sharing food with people from across the world. Creativeland Asia has taken this thought into the ad film launching Hippo World Toasties ‘Flavours Without Borders’.

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    The campaign captures the thought that we could live the dream of a world with no borders by sharing our food and enjoying it together. The TVC seen through Hippo’s POV, is of Hippo’s journey to realize his dream of a ‘World Without Borders’ with ‘Flavours without Borders’. Hippo traverses Afghanistan, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, Greece, India, gathering signature flavours of each nation. At the end, we see people come together with openness to share as Hippo hoists a multi-nation flag with a VO ‘Hippo sare borders mita kar le aye hai naye world flavours, is asha mein ke ek din duniya banegi bina borders ke. Hippo World Toasties – Bhuke Mat Raho’.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: 360 degree approach.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: Making this film was an interesting experience as Ram (Madhvani) and I went on a road trip with Hippo capturing him sharing and exchanging munchies with people from different parts of the world. Thus real-life inspirations get translated into a storyboard for the commercial.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief? Yes.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? ‘One love, one heart’ the sound track for the commercial is a cover of the original soundtrack from one of the world’s renowned musical activists, Bob Marley.

     

    Client comment: Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director & CMO, Parle Agro, said, “It’s Hippo’s biggest mission ever. And the TVC captures it beautifully. With Hippo, the purpose is to create something that will outlast the munchies in the pack. ‘Flavours Without Borders’ is an attempt towards that. This should resonate with Indian audiences who are culturally brought up in a seamless environment of many flavours of food; and food in India has always been a social glue.”

     

  • If the entire private sector in India took a united stand that they will not bribe, am certain a whole lot of corruption would get wiped out from this nation. The onus cannot only be on greedy netas and babus

    Anil Thakraney: Criminal corporate world

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Readers of this column will be aware that I am not a fan of the PM. And that’s because the old man’s a silent sufferer rather than a kickass doer. And the latter type is the need of the hour in today’s rapidly degenerating India. However, MMS seems to have found his voice at last, even though it’s too late in the day.

     

    He recently said that the anti-graft laws must include the private sector, and on this point I whole-heartedly support him. Whether this is the usual loose talk or whether it will actually happen is another story. Because this has been said before too, so it’s nothing new. However, two things are totally true. One, that post the economic boom, desi private sector CEOs sign cheques containing mind-blowing sums of figures, the financial muscle of India Inc is really, really strong today. And this makes it a minefield of corruption. Two, that there cannot be a demand chain in the world of bribery minus the supply chain. For every ghoos taker, there is a ready and willing ghoos giver, the seducer, and I am afraid the corporate world in India has been performing this role with much élan. Which is why crony capitalism has become rampant in this nation.

     

    While I am small fry and I am not from the corporate world, and while I have done many misdeeds in my life, I can tell you with a great deal of pride that I have not bribed a single government servant in the last two decades. And I have still survived, my work has still gone on. Extrapolate this to a larger scale, and one will discover this is possible to do for everyone else too. If the entire private sector in India took a united stand that they will not bribe, am certain a whole lot of corruption would get wiped out from this nation. The onus cannot only be on greedy netas and babus.

     

    So it’s all very well for social activists to hold andolans and target politicians and their sons-in-law. But nothing will change till the men in black get their integrity together. The prevention of corruption law must be redefined to ensure a long jail term for bribe-offering criminal suits.

     

    **

     

    PS: Here’s a cool way to make prospective employers get interested in reading your resume. And grant you an interview opportunity. Don’t know if this crazy method landed this dude a job with Google, but I would suggest you pull this stunt in India at your own peril. We folks sorely lack a sense of humour, and take life very seriously.

     

    Link: http://googlepleasehire.me/

     

  • Combining cricket with the best in class animation it will bring family and friends together to enjoy this enduring series. Howzzattt will air every evening at 6pm on the Discovery Kids

    Gully cricket courtesy Discovery Kids in Howzzattt

    By A Correspondent

     

    In its mission of offering unique, relevant and India themed content, Discovery Kids presents the all-time favourite – cricket in its classic avatar – gully cricket in Howzzattt. Combining cricket with the best in class animation it will bring family and friends together to enjoy this enduring series. Howzzattt will air every evening at 6pm on the Discovery Kids.

     

    The show unfolds the story of victory of good over evil in an engaging and exciting narrative for the kids. The series has funny and quirky characters with tricky situations which kids can relate to in their daily lives.

     

    The good kids group calls themselves as ‘ Gulab Nagar Junglees’ and they put in lots of hard work and play the game by the rules and manage to outwit their opponent by sheer determination and guidance by their loved coach ‘Sweety Aunty.’ The character of Sweety Aunty reflects a true face of Guru and teaches its students right values and prepares them to face the realities of life.

     

    Rahul Johri, Senior Vice-President and General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific,said, ”Discovery Kids will satisfy the curiosity of millions of children in India with its fun, enriching and transformative programming. Howzzattt is a unique animation series designed to entertain kids and will showcase cricket in a whole new exciting avatar.”

     

    Discovery Kids covers a variety of programming ranging from iconic global content to multiple India-themed series. Committed to offer a comprehensive viewing experience and cater to diverse demands of Indian kids, the programming formats will include highest-quality animation and engaging live action series under multiple genres such as adventure, mythology, nature, history and science. A reflection of the vacuum for programming that blends entertainment and learning, Discovery Kids has gained availability across India on both analogue and DTH platforms including Dish TV and Videocon D2H.

     

  • Maya Digital Studios and Vimanika comics have come together to bring mythological comic characters into their animated avatars. Maya Digital Studios will be creating an animated TV series and TV Film based on one of Vimanika’s best selling comic, The Sixth: The Karna

    Maya, Vimanika bring mythological characters to TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maya Digital Studios and Vimanika comics have come together to bring mythological comic characters into their animated avatars. Maya Digital Studios will be creating an animated TV series and TV Film based on one of Vimanika’s best selling comic, The Sixth: The Karna. The project titled ‘The Sixth: Karna – The Warrior Kid’, is a contemporary take on the story of the legendary warrior in a format meant for the kids of today.

     

    The story of ‘The Sixth: Karna – The Warrior Kid’ revolves around the adventures of a present day 9-year-old boy who happens to be the reincarnation of the great warrior Karna.

     

    The TV Film will be a 70 minute long, followed by a series of 104, 11 minute stories that will be created based on this comic series. An exclusive preview of the series will be presented at the Mumbai Comic Con 2012. The film and the show are primarily aimed at kids in the age-group 7-10 and promise an action adventures treat for them, with a subtle connection in the Indian mythology.

     

    Internationally, comic books’ getting converted into cinematic of televised content is a very popular trend. In the recent past we have also witnessed the Indian market warming up to this trend. And taking the lead in this territory is Maya.

     

    Maya Digital Studios is an animation, visual effects & 2D to 3D conversion studio. In the recent past they have created a 3D animated show out of Lotpot comics popular Motu Patlu and converted Amar Chitra Katha’s Sons of Ram into stereoscopic 3D.

     

    Speaking about the association, Ketan Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director, Maya Digital Studios said, “For a child, comics are the first interface with reading & animation with content viewing. Our focus at Maya is to bring in the best possible comic content into an animated form. The Sixth is precisely such a highly contemporary yet traditionally rooted concept, and with our animation, we’ll take this already popular brand to an altogether new level.”

     

    Adding further, Suhas Kadav, Head of the Animation Department at Maya & the director of the film & the series said, “‘The Sixth: Karna – The Warrior Kid’ has an extremely engaging and interesting story. Keeping in mind the core TG of 7-10 year olds, we have woven the story around the great Karna, in such a way that today’s kids enjoy the action and adventure, and get to know some secrets of the great Indian warrior.”

     

    Vimanika comics have garnered umpteenth accolades for their various mythological comics. The Sixth Karna is a story a real hero. He had all the attributes and characteristics of a god but flaws like a human. Karna was born to a royal family and yet he led the life of a lower caste. But more than that, the story highlights how he overcame all the abuses and challenges life threw at him. All in all it is a story from which the reader can draw inspiration.

     

    The Sixth Karna is a very popular brand both – Nationally and Internationally. The comic has a huge cult following which prodded the creators to present the comic via the digital platform.

     

    Says Karan Vir Arora, CEO, Vimanika Comics, “This is an exciting collaboration. It is definitely a huge leap for us where in we will be able to reach out a wider audience. The film and series will be in tandem with the artwork and story line of the comic. However there will be necessary creative changes as it’s a different medium. The Indian mythology has varied layers and our team at Vimanika has always been striving to engage the youth to get affluent and inspired by Indian culture and our rich ancient history.”