MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal

    Debrief: Hero Glamour: The chick magnet

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hero Glamour’s latest ad has a single minded promise: Pretty women will die to ride on the backseat of your snazzy bike. And in the treatment, Hero has raised the bar really high when it comes to the juxtaposition of bikes and hot chicks.

     

    So this dood rides around town on his Hero Glamour. No lady is able to resist the temptation to jump onto the backseat. Not the memsaab seated in her luxury car, not even the high fashion models. And the bike transports these ladies magically into la la land. The expression on their faces is orgasmic. This is a young biker’s ultimate dream come true, this is why he invests in such fancy machines. So from that perspective, this ad is bang-on.

     

    Features like Digital Analog Meter, Multi Reflector Headlight, etc, get hurriedly added through supers, but who’s interested in such banal stuff? All eyes are transfixed on the ladies, so much so that even the bike rider turns into a prop. The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal. So, yes, this TVC should serve Hero Glamour well.

     

    Having said the above, the irony of the timing did not escape me. This commercial went on air around the time of the horrific Delhi rape and murder. And women across the nation have been on high alert ever since. In this charged scenario, I don’t see too many ladies wanting to hop onto the backseat of a stranger’s bike. However sexy the bike might be. So I have to say timing mein thodisi gadbad ho gayi.

     

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

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Old thought but appealing execution.

     

  • With the focus now on portrayal of women in popular culture to prevent excesses, the debate is now on how ads ought to be gender sensitive

    Insensitive or just mirroring reality?

     

    By Tuhina Anand and Johnson Napier

     

    The portrayal of women in advertising has always been a contentious issue. It is even more sharply in focus now with questions being raised about whether popular culture causes men to assault women.

     

    Prasoon Joshi

    Leading Indian adman Prasoon Joshi, Chairman and CCO, McCann Worldgroup, made a statement on the popular show ‘Storyboard’ on CNBC-TV18 saying in effect that advertising is meant to sell a product, and market reality is “jo dikhta hai who bikta hai”. He cited a song which has offensive lyrics but has also a huge number of hits, so even if someone might be condemning it, huge numbers are still consuming it.

     

    While there may be many who may have thought that he was being candid, Mr Joshi’s statement wasn’t taken too kindly by some of the people who watched the show. In advertising as in films and music videos, instances abound of eyeball-grabbing via alluring depictions of women, often irrelevant to the subject matter. But since we see them, daily, and have been doing so over the years, an eyebrow may be raised at times but we generally don’t think of protesting at the insidious and subtle projection of women as objects.

     

    However, that’s changing. Population First, an NGO set up by veteran adman S V (Bobby) Sista has taken a pioneering role in showing the way and educating advertisers and agencies on the need to be careful about how women are portrayed.

     

    Ranjona Banerji

    Senior journalist and MxMIndia Contributing Editor Ranjona Banerji who very severely criticized Mr Joshi for his comment believes there’s got to be an attitudinal shift. “Why should a housewife be seen buying detergent or serving a breakfast cereal? It could be done by a working woman or any other member of the family, the husband may be?” Ms Banerji, like NewsLaundry founder-editor Madhu Trehan on the Storyboad show not, doesn’t damn the objectification of women in ads such as the Amul Macho TVC as much.

     

     

    KV Sridhar

    Echoing the view that advertising has a huge effect on people and there has to be some responsibility in the way ads communicate with them is KV Sridhar (Pops), National Creative Director, Leo Burnett India, who has been working with UNFPA and Population First on the issue of gender sensitivity in media and advertising. He said, “I would not want to criticize anybody but I do believe that currently our advertising and media has been very insensitive in their portrayal of women.”

     

    Pops says that the issue can only be resolved when the influence comes from the influencer. Simply because the person who is working in creating the concept has a white sheet and can bring subtle changes to make the portrayal gender sensitive. Like in HDFC ad, Leo Burnett consciously brings in a girl who wants to become an astronaut and a mother who is listening, rather than bringing in the gender stereotype of the mother serving tea to the father. Pops said, “It would be wonderful that instead of showing a family with father, mother and one boy and a girl why not show a family with two girls. Ads influence people and these kind of subtle changes would go a long way in changing the mindset of people albeit in a small way but it shall be a beginning to show some respect towards the female gender.”

     

    Rahul Sengupta

    While Pops talks of bringing a change by subtle but conscious ways, Rahul Sengupta, National Creative Director, TBWA\India, agrees that women are used as props or for glamour in advertising. He said, “To add beauty or sexuality to the film, many a times women are added in the storyline. However, if it’s a derogatory portrayal remember that the communication might catch initial eyeballs but will not go long way in building the brand.”

     

    He added, “Crudeness in advertising will never work especially in the premier segment. Those who do it do it as a short cut. We should definitely refrain from using such regressive concepts like ladki patana (woo a girl) which I can recall from a Virat Kohli ad. There has to be some thought given in what one depicts.”

     

    So then why do we have so many women in ads selling deodorants? Well Pops is of the opinion that it’s the worst-thought-of strategy. Women don’t like men who are abusive, hence he terms these ads as sheer stupidity.

     

    Agnello Dias

    Agnello Dias, Co-founder, Taproot India reasons that the advertising fraternity is not really clued in about how women are to be portrayed in commercials today and there is a need for the industry itself to put in some extra effort and have a filter in the way they portray women. He said, “What happens usually is that we get busy thinking about other issues that may get an ad into trouble like religion, animal rights etc because of the perceived repercussions that may arise out of doing something on those lines. But not many think of what may be the short-term repercussions of how women are portrayed.” However, Aggie is optimistic and feels that may possibly change as we move forward.

     

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy

    Voicing his opinion on the issue of portrayal of women in commercials, Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman & Managing Director, RK Swamy BBDO was categorical as he said: “Advertising reflects the mores of our times. But that does mean we can crudely depict the so-called mores. Typifying women in commercials are not necessary since there are many ways to communicate the message. Also use of women as ‘objects’ in certain product categories like motor cycles, or even deodorant is unnecessary. Having said that, it is important to note that stereo-typing women roles are done by everyone without thinking. Take movies, TV serials or how stories are written in Indian language publications.  A greater level of consciousness is needed to overcome this by everyone.”

     

    However, not everyone believes that a more correct portrayal of women is the answer to the problem. Asks Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media India and South Asia: “If advertising stopped using women or depicted them only as mothers, teachers, businesswomen creating jobs and nation-builders, or wrapped them in gunny sacks, would atrocities against women lessen? Are women safe in nations where only their eyes are visible? What about kid’s stereotype portrayal, does this also need changing to keep two- and six-year-old girls safe? And are we forgetting innocent little boys, now what of that?”

     

    Anita Nayyar

    She continues, “Ads tell stories – women help bring them alive. But she is the creator, and there are more positive portrayals than negative ones. Did even one husband run to buy an anniversary gift or make a mobile anniversary reminder, because in Century Ply the wife turned into a gorilla? Well, may be just one! Regulation, moderation and discussion will simply create more breaking news opportunity than any real effect for the present and future brave and unfortunate women.”

     

    Ms Nayyar believes that the need of the hour is education and the courage of conviction to take a stand as would a Nehru, Ambedkar or any of them who gave us liberty, all initially just common men. Every nursery, school -government or private, workplace – from smallest to global must have this as mandatory education and regulation is needed to incorporate it so it is a part of the Indian psyche, embedded as culture, like you must wear clothes. Advertising could in fact help educate and put this into motion; enterprise and government looking at branding can enable a social motion of action over passive discussion.

     

    Clearly, there’s need for all sections of society to prevent excesses against women. But the role of advertisements in furthering stereotypes or reflecting the reality is going to be much debated.

     

  • In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented

    Anil Thakraney: Rage on, Arnab!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Arnab Goswami is Indian television media’s all-season angry middle-aged man. That we all know. But when it comes to issues on Indo/Pak conflict, his anger turns into savage fury. As we are currently witnessing in the case of the mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers, the deed allegedly done by Pak soldiers. And Arnab’s anger very quickly becomes contagious; anchors on other channels, who start out rather calmly, switch to the anger mode. And for days it becomes a lot of shouting and heckling on all the news channels.

     

    My first thoughts: It’s a complete waste of time and energy. The Pakistani government gives a rat’s arse about all the drama inside Indian TV studios, and will continue with what they want to do. For example, all the rage over 26/11 has yielded zero results so far. It’s also quite possible that the Pak netas and indeed their army generals had no role to play in the mutilation of the soldiers’ bodies. This cowardly act may well have been carried out by a few barbaric, retarded Pak soldiers of their own volition; therefore it would be difficult for even Pak to get to the truth. In short, a pointless exercise, a needless diversion from the anti-rape campaign.

     

    However, on second thoughts, I do believe we need the anger going on Pakistani issues. Simply because we are a proven soft state, we have a Prime Minster for whom even opening the mouth becomes a challenging task. As usual, all we are hearing is the same old useless political reactions: We will lodge a protest, we will take suitable action, we will not allow this, etc. And this can and will have a negative effect on the morale of the army. Why fight for a nation when it doesn’t care if you die, and if the head from your body is chopped off?

     

    In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented. This venting is very important to maintain status quo.

     

    So rage on guys! Keep insulting and humiliating the Paki spokespersons. We are right behind you!

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of the Indo/Pak conflict at the LOC, here’s a stunning commercial from a music company. It’s set on Christmas Eve of 1914, when the Allies were at war with the Germans. Notice the honour code enemies dutifully follow in the zone of conflict. Wish the barbaric elements of Pakistan would learn something from this.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aRLGwsafTM[/youtube]

     

  • Scheduled to be held at the Zuri White Sands in Goa, the theme for the 8th edition of Goafest is 'Just what you unexpected'

    April 4-6: Goafest 2013 dates announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    While the ad frat is looking at 2013 with the hope that it will usher in good tidings for business, the AAAI and Ad Club found an apt opportunity to get them excited by announcing the dates and launch details of Goafest 2013.

     

    Nakul Chopra

    Scheduled to be held on April 5 and 6 at the Zuri White Sands in Goa, the theme for the 8th edition of the festival is ‘Just what you unexpected’. The organizing committee, led by Nakul Chopra, who has been appointed chairman this year, did not disclose other details of the event, including the speakers that have been approached or any further information about the awards.

     

    A three-member committee that included outgoing Goafest chairman Arvind Sharma, awards committee chairman Shashi Sinha and Nakul Chopra informed a select gathering of mediapersons that the aim this year was to come up with an even more evolved and bigger Goafest compared to 2012. For the record, the 2012 festival saw about 228 organisations entering the festival, received about 4253 entries, gave away a total of 332 awards to eligible winners and saw more than 179 agencies walk away with wins.

     

    Shashi Sinha

    “For Goafest 2013, our focus will be to strengthen the excellent new initiatives that were launched last year,” said Nakul Chopra. Mr Chopra further added, “Last year we opened Goafest to all nations in South Asia and we also brought strong client participation through the Marketing Wizards initiative – our endeavour this year is to further expand and grow these initiatives, apart from of course celebrating creativity and excellence.”

     

    “Goafest is the festival for all in South Asia who are involved in creating ideas”, added Arvind Sharma, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI). “Be it other countries in this region, the marketing fraternity or other allied professionals who participate in creating ideas – we want them all to equally own and participate in Goafest. We are taking a virtual conference/road show to neighbouring South Asian countries to increase awareness for Goafest and invite active participation.”

     

    Arvind Sharma

    Last year Goafest saw the introduction of Marketing Wizards, an initiative whereby young client delegates could not only avail of the special under-30 delegate fees, but were also provided free accommodation – over 70 delegates from client organizations availed of this offer. This year Goafest is targeting about 150 young delegates. In addition, Goafest will continue to have strong participation from senior clients in the knowledge seminars, as was the case in 2012. “Clients are our equal partners in creating ideas. We naturally strive to have their equal participation in Goafest both as speakers and delegates – this year we aim to attract participation from over 75 client organizations and hopefully over 250 people,” added Mr Chopra.

     

    For the 6th consecutive year AAAI and The Advertising Club will come together to deliver India’s premier awards that celebrate creativity. “We have a well oiled and extremely robust process now in place for the awards – we will take on board improvements from our past learnings and continue to follow the stringent and now well accepted norms for the Abbys in 2013,” said Mr Sinha.

     

    The Abbys will continue to be open to all who want to participate, and membership of AAAI or The Advertising Club is not required. “Last year we had over 225 organizations that sent entries – this year we hope to cross 250,” said Mr Sinha.

     

    Continuing with changes that were introduced in 2012, there will be a Grand Prix for all nine verticals including Film, Print, Radio, Out of Home, Ambient, Design, Interactive Digital, Direct and Integrated. There will be a Grand Prix for Media as well.

     

    Media Awards will be held on April 5, together with Digital, Design and Direct. All other Creative awards will be held on April 6.

     

    The Industry Conclave will be held as per tradition on the day before Goafest, April 4. This year the conclave will focus only speakers from client organizations to bring perspective to the industry.

     

  • 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: Celebrate DholDhamaka style

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: DholDhamaka.com Life’s Celebrations Shop

     

    The Brief: To communicate to an audience about DholDhamaka.com, an online store catering to all party needs. Increase brand awareness.

     

    Research insights: With a name that evokes the spirit of celebration, DholDhamaka.com is a colorful customer centric company that provides party and celebration related solutions under one roof. The company established under the name DholDhamaka.com Retail Pvt. Ltd is head quartered at New Delhi. Representing many colors of our lives the name DholDhamaka.com signifies the company’s belief in celebrating all occasions through various sound, lighting and colorful decorations. Foraying into the Indian e-commerce arena in the year 2010, the company has served around 1500 cities across India. Well entrenched in the web domain DholDhamaka.com has no physical store and currently operates through its online portal

     

    The thought process behind the creative: The ad campaign revolves around problems faced by people while planning a party, which can be expensive, time consuming and troublesome at the same time. Moreover in an era when time has become a luxury, finding the right gifts and products in tune with the theme and finally the execution seems to be an uphill task. The TVC successfully places Dholdhamaka as the only solution provider which counters the problem effectively and makes any kind of celebration an unforgettable affair.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRq_ljZc8hI[/youtube]

    Media vehicles chosen: TVC led and supported by digital media

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The tagline “Life’s Celebrations Shop” expresses the company’s commitment to provide a bevy of products for celebrations to its customers anytime and in any corner of the country. The ad promises to deliver party products right at the doorstep of the consumer with no shipping or any kind of extra charges involved.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? DholDhamaka.com is India’s first and only online portal specializing in party and festivals needs and this is their first ever TVC. As part of forward thinking marketing campaign the company has further streamlined the project with various social media and web 2.0 platforms. Creating a dialogue with customers in the digital realm, the ad campaign will also go live on Youtube and create a buzz on facebook together with a flutter on twitter.

     

    Client comment: Chandan Sharma, Founder, Dholdhamaka.com said, “In today’s fast paced and hectic times when life too seems to be running in the fast lane we wanted to create an ad that showcases the ease with which consumers can shop online. Embodying the spirit of celebration, the ad will surely strike a chord with those who love to have fun and throw parties but are always running short of time. While extending our connect with a wider audience the TVC successfully consolidates our place as the only dedicated online store specializing in all kind of celebrations and party needs.”

     

  • The more you bow down to unreasonable demands of the I&B ministry, the more they'll walk all over you, Anil Thakraney advises the general entertainment channels

    Anil Thakraney: Blackout of Crime Patrol’s episode was senseless

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I was quite disappointed with the abrupt cancellation of Crime Patrol’s weekend episode, which was based on the terrifying Delhi gang rape and murder. As am sure were millions of other viewers. As a journalist, I am aware of most of the details of this horrific crime, so clearly there was nothing new the TV serial was going to offer me. My curiosity stemmed as a creative person; I wanted to see how the producers would deal with such an incident and its aftermath.

     

    The cancellation happened because the I&B Ministry ‘advised’ Sony against broadcasting the episode. This was clearly a ‘farman’ disguised as an advisory, and the channel dutifully obeyed it. While I am against the idea of the media backing down to government’s orders, I know where Sony is coming from. Disobedience can and will have ramifications in the long run. When the ruling government decides to fix you, you are in deep trouble, as the Tehelka guys would testify.

     

    My problem with the cancellation is this: Crime Patrol is one reality crime show that never sensationalizes crime. It has a track record of hundreds of episodes to prove this. The team deals with the incidents with a great deal of care and sensitivity. So I am one hundred percent certain that would be the case with the Delhi rape as well. The show’s focus has always been on crime prevention. Which is why the right thing in this situation would have been for the I&B Ministry babus to preview the episode, and THEN decide whether it is suitable for telecast or not. This sort of arbitrary notice for cancellation reeks of high handedness and insecurity on the part of the government.

     

    My other problem with the ‘advisory’ is that it defies all logic. The government has no problem with the news channels repeatedly discussing, debating (and often provoking) on this story. In fact, short of naming the victim, every single gory detail has been reported/discussed in the news media. But the babus have a problem with an entertainment channel telecasting a show based on the same incident! This is complete nonsense.

     

    Anyway, the entertainment channels have to take their own call on when to and when not to buckle under pressure. I only want to alert them on one thing: The more you bow down to unreasonable demands, the more they’ll walk all over you. There will have to come a time when you will need to take a strong stand.

     

    PS: Birthday cards are usually trashy, at least in India. But elsewhere, things seem to be getting interesting. Here’s a tweet about a Hallmark card meant for a 13 year old. Yup, it’s scandalous, but at least it’s not boring!

     

    https://twitter.com/Cheesyhel/status/277033958192074753/photo/1

     

  • MxM Mondays records the sentiment on the timing of Goafest and participation in the creative Abby

    MxM Mondays: Are delegates ready to face the heat at Goafest 2013?

     

    By Johnson Napier and Ananya Saha

     

    The festival that has been hailed as the Cannes of India beckons upon the advertising industry. April 4-6, 2013 are the days when the who’s who from advertising will be joined by a few from the media and marketing domains in keeping with the tradition of making it to the venue every year. The venue this year remains the same – Zuri White Sands in Goa! Like every year, the Goafest committee will be going all out to ensure that the event remains world-class, be it in the quality of speakers or the introduction of new initiatives or simply by bringing about a twist in the awards tale.

     

    But in doing their bit in raising the bar of the festival, what they have not achieved so far is holding the event in some other month in Goa – by now the biggest peeve facing delegates. The Goafest committee led by Nakul Chopra of Publicis this year, has been making attempts to actively bring it forward by a few weeks if not a month or two. But that doesn’t help solve the issue of the torrid heat that delegates have to put up with in order to enjoy a festival that boasts of being the largest of its kind.

     

    MxMIndia speaks to a few committee members and also some members from the ad and marketing fraternity and explores possibilities of whether the delegates can expect the unexpected…

     

    Nakul Chopra, Chairman, Goafest Committee

    There is a logistical issue with doing it in February from a perspective of the location. As one would know, the tourism season here starts from October right until March. The same is the case with Cannes where it is not a vacation season when the awards are held there. But we’ve tried our best by getting the event ahead in the first week of April. We do understand that the heat gets unbearable but we would make provisions to have more cooling areas in the venue.

     

    As for the non-participation dilemma, I don’t think that with Abbys and Goafest in its current avatar, anybody is staying away in protest. Probably some agencies have a principle of not participating in awards or any other personal reason but not because of some issue from our end. These were issues of the past and as an industry we have managed to fairly overcome them in recent years. Due credit should be given to the fact that Goafest is the only award of this size and stature that is being run by industry bodies. This enables us to reach out to as many agencies and delegates as possible and not be limited in our approach towards the industry.

     

    Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services

    The heat and passion of advertising industry is stronger than the heat of Goa. Whenever you have it is immaterial. On a serious note, there is an economics of the whole thing. We try to do it away from the peak season, which helps us in two ways. One, of course the economics and second, it helps us with avoiding the crowd and congestion all over.

     

    It is a democratic country but it is too early to think or know who might not be a part of Goafest. So far, we have the support of every agency. And it is too early to think anything to the contrary.

     

    Anant Rangaswami, senior editor at Firstpost.com and author of The Elephants in the Room

    On the timing, all I can say is that April first week is better than April second or third week. That they managed to get it to the first week is not a bad thing. Also, it’s not easy to get an event of this scale to be held in February/March; it could be a logistical nightmare. Whether they should hold the festival at some other venue, I don’t know what’ll be the right thing to say as they had envisaged the festival with a certain concept in mind. I think it is a trap that they are finding difficult to get out of. Goa will continue to remain the venue as long as the name remains Goafest. That is not the case with other awards like Spikes that can be held at Bali, Singapore etc. For me, it looks like a big trap that they cannot get out of.

     

    As for non-participation in the awards, the number has come down significantly. As for McCann Erickson preferring to opt out last year, it  did not opt out of the awards because of any issue with the way it was conducted. Prasoon made it quite clear that he did not think that they had a body of award-winning work. I can understand that, because the awards are an expensive business, and it makes sense not to enter unless you stand a decent chance of winning. In this industry, every sector apart from television is about scam and scam requires investment, time, energy…it’s not easy. There’s serious money that goes in the development of scam. But what the committee has done in the past two years is also noteworthy as they have managed to eradicate issues like bias in judging by the jury, favouritism, leaking of results and other such things involving the awards.

     

    Arvind Sharma, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)

    The real challenge is getting rooms for so many delegates. With so much international tourists pouring in and domestic travel also seeing a spike it becomes difficult to arrange for rooms for so many delegates. But can it be held in early March, yes it certainly can. We are working towards it.

     

    Any awards show around the world, a few agencies will chose not to participate for a variety of reasons. We should be looking at the fact that the number of participating agencies is increasing every year at Goafest. It also means that the number of winners are increasing every year because part of the purpose of an awards show is to be a beacon of light for excellence and I am particularly excited that we are recognising excellence in more than 119 organisations.

     

    Shashi Sinha, President – The Advertising Club and Chairman of the Awards Governing Council, Goafest

    The event is a very low-cost affair and not on the scale of what one gets to see at Cannes. There is no-profit motive behind this event and the effort is to try and accommodate the youngsters by offering them subsidised rates. This whole exercise is designed on the basis of sponsorships. The goal is to ensure that we have the right balance of sponsorships and also encourage more youngsters to come and attend the event. The other point is that October-March happens to be peak season for tourism and therefore the rates are pretty expensive. To accommodate more than 3000 delegates therefore becomes a huge task. We have tried our best to bring it forward by hosting it in the first week of April. But we would be providing more cooling options at the venue like the display area that saw heavy movement last year by the youngsters.

     

    On the issue of non-participation by agencies, we have managed to successfully bring down that number significantly in the past two years. In fact last year there was only agency – McCann Erickson that did not participate. What we have managed to do is that if somebody is not participating we have made it clear that it is not because of the process; it is because of some other reason. Previously it was very convenient to blame the committee etc for the drawback but that is not the case today. One of the biggest reasons why agencies now participate openly is because of the transparency that we managed to bring in the process. That has cleared doubts that existed among agencies.

     

    Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Bang In The Middle

    I personally have not been there too many times and I did find that the heat was a torture. It is actually the old in the industry that are affected by the heat, the younger lot are not. It is a bit of summer blast everywhere in India at that time before summer actually begins. For youngsters, it implies lots of time on the beach, lots of time to run around, lots of beer, hang out in the shacks. It is going to be, let us say, 200 seniors and rest are going to be juniors. From that perspective, it does not really matter. Going to Goa, for youngsters, is the big thing no matter what time of the year. Seniors, anyway, are used to be driven around, staying in air-conditioned homes and offices. So to be outdoors, it is terrible. I am in creative, so I go for shoots, I do not complain. If I am in Goa then, I would prefer to stay in the auditorium or watch and learn rather than go out and stand in the sun. If I were young, say 25, I would be enjoying going everywhere. For organisers, to get hold of amenities is possibly a better deal at this time of the year. Since February and March are tourist seasons, availability of rooms could be a problem for organisers.

     

    For the agencies refraining from participating, I would say that everything is fair. It is all about the money at the end of the day. If I have ‘X’ amount of money and I am sure of winning a metal at international festival, I would rather put my money at Cannes rather than Goa. It is also about the fight of action between two or three groups. Personally, I do not ascribe to any awards. I do not want to be part of any awards. I am very happy doing whatever I am doing. I am not here cutting any favours. My whole responsibility is only towards the clients that I handle, and towards my juniors.

     

    I may or may not go. But boys and girls from my office will definitely go.

     

  • 'Sochna Bhi Mat' is the launch camapign for real estate portal 99acres.com

    Draftfcb Ulka creates a new campaign for 99acres

    By A Correspondent

     

    The launch campaign created by Draftfcb Ulka was focused on establishing 99acres.com as the one place to log on to for the best properties and deals. With time however, a plethora of new entrants have entered this space. Therefore the task of the next phase of communication was to showcase the various possibilities that the site offers in terms of buying, selling and renting properties.

     

    Draftfcb Ulka’s latest campaign therefore brings this message to life in an engaging manner which not only resonates with the young audience but also entertains them.

     

    Creative Director, Draftfcb Ulka-Delhi, Sanjay Sharma talking about the campaign says “It’s a topical thing. Everyone is talking about rent, buy and sell. We just took it as a tactical exercise for the brand and have done it in a more engaging and entertaining manner.”

     

    The TVC uses an interesting set-up of a young man meeting his prospective father-in-law. With a healthy dose of humour weaved in, the film plays up the true to life insight that a father’s foremost concern is whether the man proposing to his daughter owns a house or not. The commercial goes on to show the protagonist winning over his difficult-to-please father-in-law with the help of solutions from 99acres.com.

     

    ‘Sochna bhi mat’ is a key line used and one gets to see different connotations of it in the film. Hence the brand would continue with the theme of ‘Sochna bhi mat’ across other mediums as well, playing it up differently depending on the possibilities attached with each medium.

     

    Draftfcb Ulka’s Delhi COO Sanjay Tandon feels, “One of the important aspects of online brands is the need to project differentiation through brand personality. A charming insight coupled with a delightful storyline helps progress the brand in this short film.”

     

    Client: Info Edge (India) Limited

    Brand: 99acres.com

    Creative: Sanjay Sharma

    AD Agency: Draftfcb Ulka, Delhi

    Servicing: M N Damodaran, Nidhi Agrawal, Harshit Arora

    Film Production Executive: Mazhar Khan

    Production House: Boot Polissh Films

    Director: Siddharth Sikand

     

  • Dentsu Communications has won the creative mandate of Jos Alukkas, one of South India's largest jewellery groups

    Dentsu Communications wins Jos Alukkas business

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Communications has won the creative mandate of Jos Alukkas, one of South India’s largest jewellery groups.

     

    Jos Alukkas’s relationship with gold began as early as 1964 and it is now one of the south’s largest jewellery groups. They take pride in being the first jewellery group for having received an award for quality.

     

    With expansion plans targeted at scaling the national market and the Asia Pac region they plan to invest over Rs 550 crore in the following year to establish itself further in the southern markets while slowly moving into the four metro cities at the same time. They already have 26 showrooms spanning Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh.

     

    Jos Alukka, Chairman of Jos Alukkas, expressed satisfaction on appointing Dentsu Communications and said, “We are happy to be associated with the Dentsu team who will partner us in our journey ahead. The team has a good understanding of the market and we believe they’ll help us connect better with our customers.”

     

    Commenting on the expansion, Arijit Ray, CEO Dentsu Communications said, “Jos Alukkas is a brand of great stature and enjoys a deep connect with people in the South. We are absolutely thrilled to have a reputed Jewellery House like Jos Alukkas as our first client in our Kochi operation. Apart from being a great brand we are delighted to work with some great people at Jos Alukkas. I am sure Saji Jayakumar and the team at Kochi will work very closely with the brand team to take this relationship to next level”

     

    Ashwin Parthiban, Regional ECD South, Dentsu Communications said “I’m really looking forward to working on a brand with such a sharply defined raison d’etre.”

     

    Jeejo PP, Corporate Marketing Manager, Jos Alukkas added, “The recent campaign with superstar Vijay and his mother Shobha Chandrashekar is the talk of the town. We’re looking forward to do more exciting work with the Dentsu team which will stand out from the clutter.”

     

    About Dentsu Communications

    Dentsu Communications is one of the three full-fledged advertising agencies that are a part of the Dentsu network in India. With its headquarters in Bangalore, it has branch offices in Gurgaon, Chennai, Mumbai & Kochi. Dentsu Communications is a part of the Dentsu India Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc., Tokyo. Mr. Rohit Ohri is the Executive Chairman and Mr. Soumitra Karnik is the National Creative Director of the Dentsu India Group.

     

    About the Dentsu India Group

    The Dentsu India Group, a 100% subsidiary of Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, comprises four independent, full-service advertising agencies – Dentsu Communications, Dentsu Marcom, Dentsu Creative Impact and Taproot India, a media company – Dentsu Media and a digital company – Dentsu Digital. Besides the core advertising and media business, the group also houses world-class expertise in the areas of communication design, activation and sports marketing. Fully integrated with the Dentsu Network, the Dentsu India Group is geared to usher ‘The Dentsu Way’ in India to deliver, not just incisive integrated communication solutions to clients but also, embody the world-class service quality which Dentsu is known for the world over.

     

    About Dentsu Inc., Tokyo

    Founded in 1901, Dentsu Inc. has held the position of the world’s largest single-brand agency for almost 40 years. Through its unique “Integrated Communication Design” approach, Dentsu offers multinational clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services in the industry. While continuing to pursue innovation in the digital arena, Dentsu is active in the production and marketing of sports, movies, anime and other entertainment content on a global scale. The Dentsu Group has more than 6,000 clients and close to 20,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.dentsu.com

     

     

  • The creative team needs to put their thinking caps on, eat some Parle-G biscuits, and dish out innovative solutions. Much like the bachchas do in the ads

    Debrief: Parle-G: Genius limited to the idea

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Kal ke genius’ is a very good positioning statement for Parle-G biscuit. The core idea is that instead of scolding kids for messing around with stuff, they should be encouraged in order to arouse their curiosity. This will then result in a better future for them.

     

    There is a series of TVCs on air, and each one features the bachchas tinkering around with everyday objects and coming up with innovative solutions. A daughter rips apart the morning newspaper and uses the letters to put up a birthday message for daddy. A group of kids uses the exhaust fumes of a bike to air their balloons. And so it goes on.

     

    It’s a brilliant idea, and very relevant to India, in particular. Because education in this nation mainly follows the learning by rote system… students usually turn into parrots to pass their exams. There is no scope for creativity in our schools. Which is why this idea will strike a chord with both, parents and children. And it’s a long term, highly campaignable thought… in fact, it has potential to trigger a social revolution of sorts. Full marks on the strategy and on the idea.

     

    However, sadly, the execution fails to take off. Clearly, the genius of the idea could not inspire the creative team. Somehow the situations and the treatment doesn’t excite, there is zero adrenalin in the videos. And therefore the ads leave you cold. I think the creative team needs to put their thinking caps on, eat some Parle-G biscuits, and dish out innovative solutions. Much like the bachchas do in the ads.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sADzIi4lOC8[/youtube]

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Strong idea. Weak execution.

     

  • The smart media company will use its newly launched network, Ripple, to power the publishing group's rich media and video advertising

    India Today Group partners with Affle

    By A Correspondent

     

    Smart media company Affle has announced its partnership with the India Today Group to power all video and rich media advertising for the group through Affle’s recently launched rich media and video ad network, ‘Ripple’.

     

    As a part of this partnership the India Today Group will employ Affle’s ‘Ripple’ ad network to serve all video ads on its online properties and to serve video and rich media ads across India Today Group’s properties on the iPad/Tablet platforms. The announcement comes close on Affle’s declaration of similar partnerships with Yahoo! & ESPN Cricinfo for rich media and mobile advertising in India.

     

    Anuj Kumar

    Commenting on the partnership, Anuj Kumar, Co-founder & CEO Affle, said, “We have experienced tremendous growth on the Ripple network since its launch in August 2012. Our technology innovations for engaging media experiences are delivering great returns for top publishers and advertiser partners, and we are very pleased to welcome the India Today Group as a partner for Ripple. In recent months top advertisers like Samsung, Nokia, Google, Microsoft, Maruti Suzuki, Adidas, Coca Cola, Hyundai have partnered with us to deliver cutting edge ad experiences across our network and we believe that our leading advertisers would also welcome the addition of a highly reputed publisher partner like the India Today Group on Ripple.”

     

    Ashish Bagga, CEO, India Today Group said, “Over the years the India Today group has built some very solid digital assets for its top properties including India Today, Business Today, Aaj Tak, Cosmopolitan and many others. We are seeing tremendous growth on video consumption on these digital properties with an increasing consumption skew on mobile devices, and are thus very pleased to partner with an industry leader like Affle to integrate their innovative advertising technologies and benefit from their well-established partnerships on the Ripple ad network business.”

     

  • The coffee table book features the best print campaigns of around 70 brands created by 23 leading creative agencies in India

    Bhaskar announces second edition of Mosaic

    By A Correspondent

     

    Encouraged by the success of Mosaic 2011, Dainik Bhaskar Group is now gearing up for an even bigger second edition of ‘Mosaic – India’s Best in Print’. The coffee table book features the best print campaigns of around 70 brands created by 23 leading creative agencies in India.

     

    Mosaic 2011 not only compiled excellent print creatives but had comments by leading media experts on what made them stand out and which were their five favourite ads from the 123 ads printed. With an added feature of the National Creative Directors commenting on what made them choose the creatives as their best, Mosaic is a collector’s publication.

     

    Commenting on Mosaic 2012, Sudhir Agarwal, MD, D B Corp Ltd. said “As a leading national media organization, we are proud to have co-created the first edition of Mosaic in 2012 as the compilation of Best in Print advertising and marketing in India. It illustrates the way the print medium has been used with a significant impact to deliver on brand promise and is a ready reference for professionals practicing the art for the possibilities in print category. The response has been tremendous and I believe, more than 9,500 copies were downloaded in addition to the 4,500 physical copies of the book circulated within the agencies and marketing organizations. A few copies have, in fact, been forwarded by some of the agencies to their counterparts globally as a reflection of Indian work. The teams at the Dainik Bhaskar Group have been working to further improve on Mosaic in its second edition and we are excited to make it more salient and inclusive.”