MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The question on everyone’s mind is this: How will his retirement from ODIs affect the champ’s advertising career?

    Anil Thakraney: The challenge for Brand Sachin

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so Tendlya has finally decided to hang up his large boots. At least from the limited overs format of the game (though am certain his IPL ‘career’ will rock on, too much moolah at stake to let that one go). However, he still seems keen to play test cricket, though many (including me) believe he ought to have resigned from that too.

     

    Anyway, the question on everyone’s mind is this: How will his retirement from ODIs affect the champ’s advertising career? I think it will get hit big-time. For the simple reason that one-day cricket is where the crowds come in, it also allows a player to play a blazing inning. Advertisers would therefore be keener on this particular format. In any case I seriously doubt if at this old age Sachin will be able do anything spectacular in test cricket. All this therefore means there’s very little chance of bagging endorsement deals from here on. So then what can Sachin do to extend his brand franchise?

     

    Well, if he opts for the commentary box or if he turns into a cricket coach, that wouldn’t interest the advertisers one bit. Brand managers like to put their monies only on active players. This is the reason why ex-cricketers like Dravid, Ganguly and others have disappeared from the ads. Sachin’s role model therefore has to be Amitabh Bachchan. He needs to find a path which will either help him remain in the public eye, or the man is able to directly change lives. Just as Bachchan discovered KBC, Sachin needs to explore opportunities in that space. Or, since he’s already an MP, the newly minted politician can dive right into social work. As an example: The anti-rape campaign, which is on top of the agenda for the nation. That would help build the image of a hero who cares for the aam aadmi. That could also result in certain advertisers getting interested.

     

    The point is: Who’s advising the man these days? The right adviser will help Sachin extend his career for many more years (just like Big B). The wrong adviser will ensure Sachin becomes history as far as endorsement deals go. What is of no doubt here is that we are about to witness a terrific case study in human brand marketing.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Yet another cool ad from Nike. In my books, amongst brands that have managed to captivate the junta’s hearts and minds by selling powerful attitude, Nike ranks tops.

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hEzW1WRFTg[/youtube]
  • The ad agency has created two TVCs for the biscuit brand, reflecting the core promise of 'Pure Indulgence'

    Draftfcb Ulka creates Dark Fantasy for Sunfeast

    By A Correspondent

     

    Riding on the successful re-launch of brand Sunfeast Dark Fantasy in 2010, ITC Foods has unveiled a new television campaign for Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Chocolate and Vanilla cream biscuits with a new theme ‘How far will you go for a Dark Fantasy?’ Conceived by Draft FCB Ulka, the Sunfeast Dark Fantasy brand communication reflects the core promise of ‘Pure Indulgence’.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CV5ozuBZw8[/youtube]

     

    Dennis Koshy, Vice President, Draftfcb Ulka Bangalore, said, “Indulgence products are expected to whisk you away into another world – a world of sensorial pleasures. With its premium ingredients, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy is perfectly crafted to deliver on that promise. Even the final signoff ‘Dark Fantasy – escape into one’ flows from this belief.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdMY5QqOM8Y[/youtube]

     

    The new campaign developed by Draftfcb Ulka consists of two TV commercials, one for Chocolate and one for Vanilla cream.

     

    Sunfeast Dark Fantasy, the premium range of creme biscuits from ITC was launched in 2005. The brand is currently the leader in the premium creme segment and is available in three variants, Chocolate, Vanilla and Choco Fills.

     

    Client: ITC Foods

    Agency: Draftfcb Ulka, Bangalore

    Creative Team – Dharmesh Shah

    Production House and Director: Ginger Water Films, Zap.

     

  • 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: Idea gets people singing Hello Honey Bunny

    Arun Iyer, National Creative Director, Lowe Lintas and Partners

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Idea-Hello Honey Bunny

     

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

    The Brief: Idea started as a regional player and even though it is present in 22 circles across the country today, the perception among people remains that it’s a regional player. The brief was to show a pan-India network, true to Idea’s tradition of doing lateral communication. At the same time the campaign clearly focuses on communicating the network’s strength.

     

    Research insights: Idea started as a regional player and this image has persisted. Idea is still seen in many parts of the country as a regional player, very strong in some circles, but not so much in others. The consumer has been sceptical about its pan-India presence. To remove all such doubts and showcase Idea’s nationwide network, Idea is bringing to life its new network commercial. Being a number 3 player, Idea has always been the challenger, creating exciting new communication, and this execution is no different.

     

    Given that Idea now has a presence in 22 circles across the country, the aim was to announce this fact in a celebratory manner.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: “An idea can change your life” has been the slogan for brand Idea. Different executions by Lowe Lintas and Partners have brought this slogan alive in lateral ways, typically showing how telephony could solve large social issues. Idea has thus acquired a ‘cultural authority’ and not just brand authority in the minds of people.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: A 360 degree approach using TV, Radio, Digital, Outdoor and Cinema.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The new execution created by Lowe Lintas and Partners plays off a simple insight. Music is universal and a catchy tune sticks in the head. What makes this a network campaign and not a ring-tone campaign is the fact that people across the country are singing, quite often the wrong lyrics, or humming, the same song. And what is this song – it is the ringtone of a traveller who has travelled across the country.

     

    So from grandmothers in South India to police officers in the capital to idol makers in the East, everyone is singing the new Idea jingle – you’re my pumpkin-pumpkin, hello honey-bunny. It’s a jingle that’s extremely catchy and it’s no surprise that unconsciously everyone picks it up and then sings it – often to their own lyrics.

     

    The kicker at the end of the commercial is the phone ringing in a traveller’s backpack and the ringtone being picked up by yet another person. Showing thus, that the traveller, in travelling across the country, infected the country with this new catchy jingle.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? Given that Idea has been seeing network commercials for close to a decade, the challenge was to do this in a new interesting manner that carried the Idea stamp.

     

    Client comment: Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “In new age India, people are moving and relocating to towns and cities for education, career and family commitments, leading to more travel and communication requirements. Mobile telephony has effectively bridged distances, and Idea’s strong pan-India network offers seamless connectivity across the length and breadth of the country, connecting people with their ‘Honey Bunny’s!”

     

  • The creative director killed that one thing which makes Pidilite advertising shine: Entertainment. And that's nothing to laugh about

    Debrief: Fevikwik: 2012 ends on a low

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, sad to report that the last ad I review for the year 2012 didn’t leave me amused at all. Even though all that the protagonists do in the ad is keep laughing out loudly. In fact, that is the central idea in the new Fevikwik commercial.

     

    I watched a couple of TVCs, and in each two brothers are seen guffawing away. And being bumbling fools, they keep breaking things around them. Then they apply Fevikwik, and the mad laughter carries on. The core thought I guess is this: When you have Fevikwik around, there’s no worry over things smashing and crashing. And exaggerated laughter is used to jazz up the idea.

     

    Must say I am both, terribly disappointed and irritated. Disappointed, because this maha bore ad comes from the house of Pidilite, from whom we have come to expect superlative advertising. And irritated because the creators of this ad, in their excitement to be wacko, overlooked one very significant problem: It’s no fun at all watching two adult men continuously laughing, and laughing hysterically at that. While this approach does make the communication single-minded, the non-stop laughter makes it unbearable. In short, the creative director killed that one thing which makes Pidilite advertising shine: Entertainment. And that’s nothing to laugh about.

     

    Anyway, even as we end the year on a bad note, here’s hoping to see smashing work in the New Year. Work that will make us, the viewers, laugh.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilxRbt1T8s0[/youtube]

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 0 to 5): 1. Not funny. Not funny. Not funny.

     

  • Final of communication strategy contest draws talent, ideas

    Students impress Coke in Draftfcb Ulka Comstrat 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    The finals of the seventeenth edition of Draftfcb Ulka Comstrat 2012 were held in Mumbai in December 2012, in association with K J Somaiya Institute of Management. The case study contest for management schools involves a live case study, and this year’s competition was on the energy drink Burn from the Coca-Cola Company.

     

    Draftfcb Ulka Comstrat, (Communication Strategy in short), is a reflection of the strong tradition of strategy-based advertising that has been practiced by Draftfcb Ulka over its 50 year life span. The uniqueness of Draftfcb Ulka Comstrat lies in the fact it is the first competition launched in the area of advertising and communication strategy based on a real life marketing situation, on a live brand.

     

    The competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to work on a live case and build an interface with senior advertisers, marketers and academia. It is designed to help all the constituents, the company gets fresh, inspiring new ideas and perspective, students gain and learn from industry stalwarts and Draftfcb Ulka furthers its academic connections.

     

    This year it received participation entries from over 50 teams out of which five were shortlisted for the final round. The five shortlisted teams this year were from IIM Indore, JBIMS (Bajaj), MICA, SIMC (Symbiosis) Pune and SIMSR.

     

    Out of these teams SIMSR Somaiya Institute of Management and Research emerged as the winner by presenting a scintillating demonstration of strategy to increase off trade sales of the energy drink Burn. They brought out clarity of thought in their idea of ‘Turbocharge your passion’, based on the analysis conducted by them.

     

    The jury for this year included Ajay Konale, (Senior Manager – Brands, Coca-Cola India), Dorab Sopariwala, (Consultant – Consumer Behaviour, and Editorial Advisor to NDTV), Kinjal Medh, (COO, Cogito Consulting), and Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar, (Senior Vice President, Head – Strategic Planning, Draftfcb Ulka Advertising (West and South)).

     

    Kinjal Medh, COO, Cogito Consulting, and a long time jury member of Draftfcb Ulka Comstrat said, “The competition has grown tremendously in terms of number as well as quality of participants and student’s enthusiasm.”

     

    Calling it an exciting competition Mr Konale added that “We looked at three parameters, first the relevance and richness of the content, second the structure of thinking, the clarity of thought and hence the clarity of recommendations and third presentation and the communication.”

     

    This year’s winners SIMSR (Somaiya Institute of Management & Research) received a cash prize and a host of gift vouchers. The sponsors for the 2012 edition are Amul, Act II Popcorn, Croma, Kansai Nerolac Paints, ITC Sunfeast, Wipro and Zodiac Clothing Company.

     

  • The year 2013 looks exciting for the colas as Pepsi is title sponsor of IPL, Coke celebrates two decades in India and Thums Up now backed by Salman Khan

    LOOK-IN 2013: An exciting year ahead for Pepsi and Coke

    By Amit Bapna

     

    2013 is set to be an exciting year for colas, what with Pepsi stepping into role of title sponsor at IPL, Coke celebrating two decades in India (and almost certainly thinking of ways to derail its competitor’s official sponsor status), and Thums Up now backed by serial Bollywood hit-man Salman Khan. However the excitement around the category and its appeal to the youth is of an even earlier vintage as the first edition of Most Exciting Brands proves. (The Most Exciting Brands survey findings are published in the Brand Equity section of The Economic Times dated January 2, 2013 – Editor)

     

    The findings of the first ever Most Exciting Brands survey reaffirm that in spite of supposedly sexier categories like mobile phones and tablets, excitement about colas continues unabated. Three cola brands feature in the Top 5 rankings: Coca-Cola emerges as the most exciting brand followed by Pepsi at 3 and Thums Up at 5.

     

    Not bad for a category that was created way back in 1886, when Atlanta-based pharmacist Pemberton stirred up a fragrant, caramel-colored liquid and combined it with carbonated water. As per legend, the concoction initially sold a measly 9 glasses at five cents a glass for almost a year. Today Pemberton’s creation, famously known as Coca-Cola, is a ubiquitous brand, selling in over 200 countries and all set to celebrate 20 years of its return to India after being exiled from the country in the late 1970s.

     

    Competitive brand battles are nothing new, but few have been waged as consistently as the cola wars. To the people working on these brands, there is seemingly never a dull moment. Says Santosh Padhi, cofounder, Taproot India, “In a category like this, where the product is not there to sell (unlike a mobile where the features are being sold) what is being pushed is the imagery and all three brands have done a damn good job, when compared to any other category.”

     

    The cola brands have been on a journey of constant reinvention, building their brands around cultural references, including cricket, football, adventure, music and films.

     

    Says Tanuka Ghoshal, assistant professor – marketing, Indian School of Business, “For a low involvement product that’s often purchased on impulse, and where brand loyalty is typically low, sales thrive on one and only one thing: salience and top-of-mind recall.” In her view, this is what leads to a category that is overactive with each brand vying to outdo the other on share of voice and consequently share of mind. The brands strive to achieve this through a plethora of exciting and creative campaigns.

     

    For Coca-Cola, the leader of the pack in this survey, what worked well was the insight of integrating the brand with popular culture, through its campaigns and on-ground properties, informs Anupama Ahluwalia, VP – marketing, Coca-Cola India. Campaigns like “Ummeed wali dhoop, sunshine waali aasha” that exhorted people to believe in a “better tomorrow”, followed by the summer campaign, which profiled cricket as India’s most loved sport and featured the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, and finally the Coke and meals campaign, which spoke of happiness around mealtimes, seem to have worked well for the brand in creating buzz.

     

    Pepsi positions itself as “a curator of pop culture across the world.” The excitement has been kept alive by carrying forward it’s iconic ‘Change The Game’ plank shares Homi Battiwalla, EVP – Colas, Hydration & Mango Drinks, PepsiCo India. The campaign re-energised the brand. In 2012 the same central thought was carried forward in all communication.

     

    Piggybacking on the growing popularity of football as a sport in India, Pepsi created campaigns that set the world’s most popular sport against cricket and cricketers. The first commercial ‘Ab badlega game’ featured the brand ambassador Ranbir Kapoor arguing with a young football fan about why cricket is better. The other campaign featured cricketers and footballers playing against each other – Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres against Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh.

     

    The idea was to showcase the possibilities in a country which is cricket-mad but also very football-interested. For the T20 series that was held in Sri Lanka, the campaign was all about “Na tameez se khela jata hai na tameez se dekha jata hai” (roughly translated as the rules of the game have changed – it is no more played or viewed in the same decent manner as it was done earlier). All the campaigns have the same irreverence and tongue-in-cheek tonality.

     

    Views Samir Gupte, president, OgilvyAction, the brand activation arm of the Ogilvy Group, “While advertising tries to create imagery for these brands non-traditional media, be it activation, events (sporting and others) or concerts help build differentiation and association with the brands especially in this category.” Come 2013, Pepsi is set to jump headlong into its IPL association as the title sponsor.

     

    Thums Up is one brand that has been keeping the testosterone levels high with its macho star associations – on TV and print as well on ground. The signing of Salman Khan as brand ambassador in 2012 has worked particularly well, especially with his dream run at the box office with Ek Tha Tiger and Dabbang 2. Prior to Khan coming onboard, the brand used the South-based star Mahesh Babu as its face with the campaign Aaj kuch toofani karte hain (let’s do something exciting today).

     

    The challenge for all these brands is to adapt to a world in which one-way communication is giving way to two-way consumer engagement and participation. Shares Samyak Sanjoy Chakrabarty, chief youth marketer, DDB Mudra Group, India, “It would be harakiri to take this target audience for granted, and that’s why the cola brands are always engaging with them whether through presence at the key touch points such as canteens, bars, college events, or live events and properties like the Coke Studio etc, which ensure top of mind recall.”

     

    In this task, the role of digital and social media is pivotal. Today’s youth is consuming multiple screens and brands are cognisant of this reality. Different brands are doing this with varying degrees of success and engagement. For instance, Pepsi’s football campaign generated a huge volume of conversation on social media – it reached out to more than 150+ million users online and garnered close to 570 million impressions across all platforms. Pepsi T20 Football Facebook activation got 2.5 million engaged users and added 1 million new fans. The way forward for cola companies, will be to invest extensively in creating experiences that allow on-ground activation and digital media to converge seamlessly.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Here's what I would like to see happen in the New Year

    Anil Thakraney: Badly mangta in 2013 – TV reporters who report, not incite. Freshness in papers. Controversy-free TV measurement. Fewer celebs in ads….

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Here’s what I would like to see happen in the New Year. These are random demands, in no particular order:

     

    1. Innovations and freshness in newspapers and magazines. For their own healthy future, editors need to stop recycling content already put out by the internet and television.

     

    2. Less juvenile chatter by radio jocks, and more music. Also, a limit on ads. Don’t kill the goose that already lays very few golden eggs.

     

    3. A little more objectivity in television debates. Is that too much to ask for? Perhaps it is.

     

    4. And some new voices, please? Quite tired of the same thakela faces, night after night.

     

    5. Less hysteria in the Hindi news channels. A pipe dream, but one lives in hope.

     

    6. No more stories of journos caught demanding money for news. Or canoodling with fixers and agents. Not ever again.

     

    7. TV reporters will report. Not incite mobs. Repeat. Report. Not incite mobs.

     

    8. A strong No 2 at Times Now.

     

    9. Unity amongst ad agencies. No bitching, only constructive meetings.

     

    10. More public service work from creative directors. Anti-rape campaign, anyone?

     

    11. Better creative work in the digital domain. It’s high time this happened.

     

    12. Controversy-free television viewership measurement study.

     

    13. No more hit-and-run journalism. Let’s leave that to Arvind Kejriwal. Hoping for sustained coverage of important stories.

     

    14. Scam-free ad award fests.

     

    15. Self-censorship in the media coverage. No one wants an external monitor.

     

    16. TV soaps will move at a quicker pace. And Bigg Boss will feature at least a few intelligent participants.

     

    17. At least a couple of reasonably good press ads.

     

    18. Fewer number of misleading ads. They give the entire ad world a bad name.

     

    19. Fewer celebrities in ads. More impetus on the idea.

     

    20. To break the monotony of political news, female news anchors to sex up. To get nicely ‘dented and painted’, as that moronic son of Pranabda would put it.

     

    Happy New Year! Cheers!

     

  • What makes some people get bigger offers, better pay packages and a meaty role in the job market

    New year, new job scene?

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    We know that 2012 was not a great year as far as the job market was concerned, hence a general sense of uncertainty prevailed. That holds true for those in the creative business too. However, the year did see some movement of key leaders of an agency to another, and hence it was not really devoid of any such hype that surrounds when a biggie moves from one agency to another. Year 2013 is also being touted as a year where caution will be the mantra, thus job opportunities will be available but not in abundance, and hiring will be done after much consideration.

     

    Understanding the current scenario, we at mxmindia decided to talk to few creative people who made the transition from one agency to another last year and understand how easy or difficult that transition was for them. Also we try to take a peek and understand some rules that would help those looking at a transition in the year 2013 and what would be few key attributes that would help them in making a smooth shift and adapting to a new environment. Besides, we also try to understand that while everyone is lamenting the lack of jobs available in the market, what really made these professionals make that leap and make them a desirable candidate in such a gloomy job environment.

     

    Bobby Pawar

    At the start of the year in 2012, Bobby Pawar took reins as the Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner of JWT India. He was moving from a biggie Mudra which was undergoing a transition to another biggie thus there was speculation galore. He was in fact welcomed by his ex-agency on his first day at work at JWT thus making some wonder whether Mudra was so very happy to bid goodbye to Mr Pawar.

     

    However for Mr Pawar, his agenda was clear. He had come on board with a vision to raise the bar at JWT and bring in few changes that would help him to that. Along with Colvyn Harris, Mr Pawar went on executing his plan. Talking about the transition, Mr Pawar said, “Understanding and adapting to a new place takes time. It is about understanding how much are you willing to push boundaries in a new set up as you are still getting to know the people you get to work with and understanding the culture of the place. However, at a senior level, if you have come on board that is with a view to bring in few changes and that is a challenge as to when, how and to what extent are you going to bring about that change without bringing a disruption among the existing talent pool.”

     

    He said, “One has to learn to be patient in adapting to a new place. While I might like to take out a pen and start doing my own things to expedite results but that should not be the case as it will deter others working with you. It’s a fine balance that one has to maintain. Understanding the new clients and their issues too requires patience. I think one has to be absolutely clear as to what one wants to do when one makes a shift. There is no scope for half measures to go ahead in your career, that’s just not done.”

     

    Sanjay Thapar

    Another shift that got the media buzzing was of Sanjay Thapar moving from Ogilvy to Bates India as its CEO. For Mr Thapar, the move is significant not because of the lofty designation he acquired but because of the task ahead at Bates. Beset with issues where the agency saw many of its senior resources move out, the task for Mr Thapar clearly is to catapult the agency to the big league. On the move, Mr Thapar said, “Both Bates and Ogilvy are from WPP so there is culture that runs common. Having said that, if you ask me if it is as good or bad as I had expected, let me say that the job has just begun. But one thing is clear that in terms of opportunity there is immense potential.”

     

    He says that when one is looking for a change it clearly has to do with the individual’s aspiration and what he or she wants to do ahead in life with respect to his or her job. For those looking for a change in 2013, Mr Thapar suggests that one has to keep in mind that when one moves to a new place consider starting from ground zero, so basically start from the scratch and second attribute that’s necessary is to have an ability to take quick decisions and make them work.

     

    Manoj Kandoth, Chief Consultant at Urjja which is a human resources and business consulting company and does lot of hiring for the agency points that while job scene was conservative in 2012, he seems to be bullish about 2013 especially in the telecom and FMCG sector. He points that telecom has seen a robust growth which then also reflects on the ad spends thereby also in the way hiring is done by agencies to service this sector. He said, “When making a shift, one should not think of the size of the agency but clearly the portfolio of clients that one gets to handle at the new job.” There has been rise on the spends on the digital media hence one will see a demand for professionals who understand and cater to this medium.

     

    Rana Barua

    While we have seen the adaptability issues when one moves from one agency to another, what really happens when one moves from a different media to advertising? Rana Barua who joined as the COO of Law & Kenneth from the radio industry, said, “For me it was coming back to advertising after spending few years at a different medium. Still, I would say that it does take almost a month to get into the groove. But I see the move as a positive comeback where I have acquired a multi-dimensional experience and been on the other side thus coming with a different perspective.”

     

    He said, “At a new place one has to be open minded and be ready to embrace the new culture besides try to value add to the new organization every single day however small that addition may be.”

     

    Interestingly he points that in today’s time advertising needs people who are multi-dimensional hence a person who cannot just think TVC but print and be a digital expert too. So according to him while the job scene will continue to tight in 2013 but there will be demand for such multi-talented people. The classical strait-jacketed people might find it difficult to make a switch only because the way talent is being looked upon now is different.

     

    So the year might look tough but not for those who are willing to take risks. As Mr Pawar of JWT rightly said, “I might have the visiting card with a designation that looks impressive but unless I demonstrate how I can make things happen, nobody will take my visiting card seriously.”

     

    So the year may be tough but not for those who are willing to push boundaries and show that they are made of tougher stuff. If you demonstrate that then a job switch might just seem like the easiest issue in 2013.

     

  • A quirky campaign supports the launch of PVMI's dual-flavoured chewing gum

    O&M mingles with Center Fruit

    By A Correspondent

     

    Perfetti Van Melle India (PVMI) has launched a new product: dual-coloured, dual-flavoured liquid-filled gum – Center Fruit Mingle. Center Fruit Mingle comes with dual flavours of pineapple and green apple in one gum. Commenting on the launch Mandar Keskar, Category Head, Perfetti Van Melle India said, “We at Perfetti have always emphasized on getting more and more innovations in the market, to surprise and delight our consumers. Our latest offering provides not only a taste, but also a visual differentiation, never seen before.” The launch will be supported with an extensive television campaign created by Ogilvy & Mather.

     

    The insight for this TVC came from the fact that two flavours are together ‘miley hue’ in one gum. The TVC shows a serious cricket match in progress. The batsman hits the ball into the air and to his surprise,the non-striker dives and catches it. The batsman turns desperately to the umpire to seek resolution and is aghast to see the umpire himself celebrating with the non-striker. The commentator exclaims ‘Ye dono miley hue hain’ (these two are in it together)’.

     

    Anurag Agnihotri, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather said, “We wanted to create an advertisement that breaks all the common norms adopted for two-in-one commercials. This ad is both funny and crazy, a combination that has always worked wonderfully for us.”

     

    Positioned as a lip-smacking, rib-tickling chewing gum, Center Fruit has a number of memorable campaigns with wagging tongues like theATM Commercial (teller dispensing money from his mouth), Jugalbandi (a musical face-off) and the recent Guide TVC with tagline ‘Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee’.

     

    Client: Perfetti Van Melle India Pvt. Ltd.

    Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

    Creative team: Anurag Agnihotri

    Account management team: Antara Suri

    Production house: Tubelight Films

    Director: Prashant Issar

     

  • What a wasted opportunity! The makers of Snickers did two commendable things. And then they went ahead and blew it nice and proper

    Debrief: Snickers: Rekha ki vaat lagaa di!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Oh no! What a wasted opportunity! The makers of Snickers did two commendable things. One, to think of veteran movie star, the ultra reclusive Rekha. And two, to convince the lady to sign up for the first ad of her life. And then they went ahead and blew it nice and proper.

     

    This is the trash they’ve conceived: When a dude gets hungry, he starts carping like an aged heroine. (Sexist? I think so!). So, inside a moving car, when a chap is famished, he transforms into a crabby Rekha. Until he’s fed Snickers, after which he becomes ‘normal’ again. Another guy turns into a cranky Urmila Matondkar, haha!

     

    Now, the idea isn’t bad per se. That, hunger can change your mood drastically, is a promising thought. But the interpretation is quite silly, and it’s not even remotely funny. Also, they have made Rekha look bad, and that’s unforgivable. They should have watched the commercial Havells Fans made with the late Rajesh Khanna. Khanna was projected as the man he was perceived to be; larger than life, living in denial of his faded stardom and full of attitude. Which made the connect with that ad strong. This is what Snickers should have attempted with Rekha. Sadly, they haven’t even tried to capture her popular image of an enigmatic star. In this ad, anyone could have been cast.

     

    Anyway, I am hungry now, but will avoid Snickers. What if I turn into a fiery Mamata Didi? You’ve all had it then.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46BDzyoBSnY[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 0 to 5): 0. Poor rendition of idea. Rekha wasted.

     

  • Piyush Pandey and R Balki are set to present the Advertising Club's Ad Review

    Piyush, Balki to present Ad Review as Ad Club revives popular event

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Piyush Pandey

    In what may be a coup of sorts, the Advertising Club has roped in two of the most respected names in Indian advertising to jointly present the Ad Review this year.  MxMIndia learns that the Ad Club has will see advertising Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather and R Balki, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas to present the Ad Review. Both have reportedly agreed to jointly conduct the event, which has not been conducted since a few years.

     

    The Ad Review is a popular property of the Club and is presented by senior members of the fraternity. Interestingly, both Messrs Pandey and Balki have individually presented the \Review in the past.

     

    R Balki

    The Advertising Club, which shed the Bombay from its name last year, is working towards a wider footprint especially one which represents the large advertising and marketing fraternity in Delhi NCR.

     

    Ad Review is scheduled to happen sometime in the early part of the year though the exact dates have not been ascertained. Watch this space for more.

     

    Also read: Chalo Dilli, as Ad Club drops Bombay

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/09/chalo-dilli-as-ad-club-drops-bombay/

     

     

  • The Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time

    Anil Thakraney: Media’s New Year resolution: Not to move on

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Make no mistake about this: Had the crowds not revolted and had the media not kept up the pressure, for sure the horrific Delhi rape case would have become just another sad statistic. The case would have languished in the courts for years and years, exactly what happens in most rape cases. In fact, the cops wouldn’t have demonstrated the urgency to nab the culprits.

     

    However, the real struggle begins now. As the crowds thin out, as other stories take centre stage, the rape case will turn into one more story to be covered. That is in the nature of the media. This must not be allowed to happen. Each one of us journalists, whatever be our field of specialization, must take a solemn oath to not take our eyes off this tragedy, and to keep the relentless pressure on till justice has been delivered to the dead girl and till real change happens in the laws and, more importantly, in their implementation. Till special courts are created all over the nation and till all rape cases get dealt with inside six months. This is going to be a long struggle and we must be prepared for it.

     

    In that sense, the Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time, and it will become a precedent for the future. The government’s desire has and will always be that the media will forget about stories with time. We must show them that it will not happen on this occasion.

     

    What’s the fear? That the viewers and the readers will get bored with the continuous coverage of the same story? Well, let’s give it a shot to check if that will indeed happen, or if that’s an unfounded notion we in the media harbour. Perhaps the problem lies in our heads. To my mind, the Delhi rape must be used as a lesson to change the way we function. It should not be business as usual. We owe it to the women and to the children of this nation.

     

    Every single one of us in the media must make this change our New Year resolution. Personally, I have taken an oath not to ever move on from this issue. Even at the risk of boring you to death.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Yesss! Exactly my feelings, because India is swarming with stinky, sweaty people. Partly because of the weather, partly because of the over-crowding and partly because of poor self-hygiene. This is one desi ad accidently created abroad.