MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The campaign consisting of 5 TVCs will be broadcast for six weeks

    Dentsu creates madness for Chingles

    By A Correspondent

     

    DS Group has marked its entry into the Rs 1,600 cr gum category with ‘Chingles’ mini-gums. Launched under its flagship brand ‘Pass Pass’, Chingles is positioned as an antidote to the seriousness of adult life.

     

    The campaign ‘Aaj Lee Kya’, conceived by Dentsu Marcom, is a call to the audience to break the monotony of their daily rut and infuse a little laughter and light heartedness in their lives with some harmless pranks on friends, family and colleagues. The tagline also works as a reminder to use the brand almost on a daily basis. In the communication the product can be seen as a prank enabler.

     

    The communication is presented in a series of TV commercials. The first one introduces the ‘Lee’ family. A crazy household with triplet brothers, who are always busy taking each other’s case through harmless tricks and gags. Their names, UngLee, KhujLee and GoogLee, each represent an expression commonly used to refer to taking someone’s trip.

     

    The five TVCs are anecdotes of the three brothers playing pranks on each other. Another character that’s a part of this crazy set-up is JuLee, the neighbourhood damsel and the object of desire for all the three brothers. Apart from pulling pranks on each other, the three brothers are constantly trying to oust one another to get JuLee’s attention and to destroy the chances of the other if any.

     

    The commercials are fast paced to almost give a Charlie Chaplinish feel; the retro execution, unique outfits and voices and innocently hilarious plots add to the frenzy of the films and make the campaign more memorable.

     

    The Lee brothers return with yet another hilarious prank of theirs. This time the brothers KhujLee and GoogLee depict the proverb ‘Idle mind is a devil’s workshop’ in their classic style. The film opens on an ordinary day in the Lee household with UngLee lazing around with a book in his hands. But the peace doesn’t last long, as KhujLee and GoogLee exploit sibling rivalry to trick UngLee.

     

    Credits:

    Campaign elements: TVC/ Print/ Digital/ Cinema/ Outdoor

    Client: Dharampal Satyapal Ltd

    Creative Agency: Dentsu Marcom Pvt Ltd

    Account management: Sunita Prakash, Dhruv Lavania

    Planning: Narayan Devanathan, Rabia Sooch

    National Creative Director: Titus Upputuru

    Creative Director: Abhinav Karwal

    Art Director: Sumit Vashisht

    Copywriter: Titus Upputuru, Anish Nath, Kapil Rana

    Director (of the film): Amit Sharma

    Production House: Chrome Films

     

  • 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: CaratLane takes the proposal route

    Calvin John, VP Marketing, CaratLane

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Dressing Room

     

    The Brief: It was to communicate that CaratLane.com assists inexperienced men in taking control of the whole relationship milestone situation. In this case the proposal.

     

    Research Insights: India is getting elaborate with relationship milestone situations. There is a constant urge of going beyond the ordinary way of doing things, especially when it comes to celebrating milestone moments.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: Being a western concept, proposal is not as ingrained in our Indian culture and the importance of proposing does not occur naturally. But, while marriage validates a relationship, a proposal is the true marker of romance. The CaratLane intent was to establish the act of proposal as a sacred ritual in courtship even if it happened to be an arranged marriage.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: Electronic Media

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgn5Zj016E[/youtube]

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The campaign has been designed by Contract Advertising. The ad is directed by famed adman Prakash Varma from Nirvana Films Рthe man behind the iconic Vodafone ZooZoo campaign, among many others. The film execution takes a cue from this intent and weaves in the story of that beautiful moment of romance, just before a traditional formal engagement, where a fianc̩ expresses himself and asks the all-important question, making it a perfect proposal with a perfect solitaire from CaratLane.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad: The concept of a proposal in an arranged marriage situation is the differentiating factor about the ad. Also this is the first television campaign for Caratlane.com.

     

    Client comment: “In India, engagements and weddings are big family dos, with the bride and groom being the centre of festivities. We believe that the proposal can add something very romantic to the Indian marriage. It is a very private ritual for the couple and the true value of a proposal is known only after it has happened. It is very difficult to remember every bit of the wedding day but everyone remembers every second of their proposal. And what is more – diamonds are central to proposals. We could not have picked a better storyline for our solitaires. Indian men should realize that an arranged marriage is no excuse for why they shouldn’t propose.” – Mithun Sacheti, CEO & Cofounder, CaratLane

     

  • Freedom of expression is not absolute; it does not give you the license to defame people, and deliberately provoke communal/religious tensions. However, I don't think Nandy did any of that, he merely expressed a point of view (and later clarified)

    Anil Thakraney: They should go easy on Ashis Nandy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Sociologist and author Ashis Nandy made a controversial point about the Dalits at the Jaipur Litfest, and he now finds himself in a soup. Although the man later clarified and apologized for his comments, an FIR has already been lodged at the time of writing this piece. And because Nandy has been booked under the SC & ST Act, his arrest would seem like a very possible event.

     

    For those not in the loop, Nandy had said: “Most corrupt people come from Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.” He later said that he was misquoted and misunderstood, and that he is sorry. This would ordinarily be the end of the controversy. But it isn’t, because he’s charged under the abovementioned Act.

     

    I have stated in a previous post that freedom of expression is not absolute; it does not give you the license to defame people, and deliberately provoke communal/religious tensions. The Indian Constitution states this as much. However, I don’t think Nandy did any of that, he merely expressed a point of view (and later clarified). The logical thing would be to ask him to explain his statement in detail, and if it’s found to be defamatory to a community, Nandy can be tried in a court of law. Indeed, that’s what might have happened if he had, let’s assume, said that most corruption comes from Hindus or Sindhis or Kashmiris or UPwallahs or Tamilians, etc. However, under the SC & ST Act, casteist statements invite criminal liability, and therefore an FIR and subsequently the arrest come into play. And as per law, this is a non-bailable offence.

     

    Now, I am not a lawyer, but I would imagine the said Act makes even minor criticism of our SC, ST and OBC brothers and sisters a matter of criminality. This doesn’t seem fair. Perhaps the time has come to re-define this Act a little more clearly and a little more fairly. So that while atrocities can invite criminal charges (as they must), general points of view (even if factually incorrect) don’t land people in jail. Especially so if the person has already apologised for the remarks. Really think time has come to move towards a more equal play for all citizens and groups in this nation. This is 2013 AD.

     

    ***

     

    PS: An amazing 3-D hoarding mounted in Chicago. This is for a brand of rum (in India it would be playing cards, haha). Wonderful use of 3-D to attract attention, and one wonders why we don’t get to see such creativity in our cities. It’s not really costly to execute, and we have the contractors to do it.

     

     

  • This is an ad that will work, even if it isn't creatively brilliant. And that's because it's based on a good consumer insight: Today's moms find themselves under as much pressure as their kids

    Debrief: Bournvita Li’l Champs: Going after moms

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Makers of Bournvita, for their kiddies’ milk supplement called Li’l Champs, have roped in actress Kajol. While I am viscerally opposed to the use of celebs in advertising, in this particular case, Kajol works. Because, one, she is the mother of a young child, and two, she acts the part very well.

     

    The positioning is that Bournvita Li’l Champs is the choice of intelligent mothers, and therefore the focus is on the mom rather than the child, so there’s no pester power in this one. This strategy makes sense, as the lady of the house is most likely to be the decision-maker of this product (feminists please excuse!). The ad features Kajol conducting a whole lot of research to be able to deal with the thousands of questions her little lad regularly fires at her. And this, while struggling with the daily household chores. The VO says Bournvita Li’l Champs has the goods to improve your child’s brain power. In passing, there is a hurried mention of a special ingredient called ‘DHA’. (I say this claim needs to be verified by ASCI!)

     

    This is an ad that will work, even if it isn’t creatively brilliant. And that’s because it’s based on a good consumer insight: Today’s moms find themselves under as much pressure as their kids, not just because we live in extremely competitive times, but also because often the lady herself doesn’t know the answers. And, to appease my feminist readers, the ad would have worked equally nicely with Shri Ajay Devgn (his spelling, not mine). In fact, I suspect he would have struggled harder with the academic questions. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs5SmxDozOY[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Good insight, moms will connect

     

  • The DDB Mudra Group firm sets up shop with a big client in the bag

    With Mahindra in tow, Interbrand begins India ops on a high

    By A Correspondent

     

    This February-end will mark the completion of a year since the unveiling of a new structure and brand identity by creative hotshop DDB Mudra Group in India. As part of the slew of changes that were planned for the network in India, the management had announced that the network would comprise of eight key agencies as under: DDB Mudra, DDB MudraMax, Mudra, DDB Health & Lifestyle, RAPP, Tribal DDB India, Water and Maatra.

     

    While plenty was reported and written about the performance of the creative, out-of-home, experiential and other units within the group in the past one year, one unit that preferred to stay away from the limelight was Water, the brand consultancy specialist that was rebranded Interbrand India at the time of restructuring. But that is until now. Interbrand India seems to have finally found its footing in the country as it announced the take-off of its operations in India.

     

    Formed by the transition of Water, the brand strategy and design consultancy of DDB Mudra Group, to Interbrand, Interbrand India will offer Interbrand’s complete suite of brand consulting services including brand strategy, audit/evaluation, design, brand management and verbal identity. The operation will continue to be located in Mumbai.

     

    A communique issued to media stated the following: “Joining a client roster that includes Tata and Godrej, Interbrand India is pleased to announce that it has begun consulting for the Mahindra Group. Mahindra, one of the more progressive Indian brands, is looking to establish itself as one of the world’s most valuable brands and as part of the journey has engaged Interbrand on an extensive brand valuation project. The Interbrand offices in Mumbai & London will carry out the assignment.”

     

    “India is one of the most exciting markets in the world for brands today, said Jez Frampton, Global CEO of Interbrand. “We are extremely pleased to have Ashish Mishra and his team join the Interbrand family and to mark the occasion with the start of a relationship with Mahindra, one of India’s most prestigious brands.”

     

    Commenting on joining Interbrand, Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India said, “We want Indian companies to realize that brands are not mere logos or slogans but rank among the most important assets a business owns. Mr. Mishra continued, “As the world’s leading brand consulting firm, our task, quite simply, is to help the Best Indian Brands graduate to Best Global Brands.”

     

    Interbrand’s brand valuation methodology – the first of its kind to be ISO certified – analyzes the many ways a brand touches and benefits an organization, from driving bottom-line business results to delivering on customer expectations. The methodology has been leveraged to build value, inform strategic brand management, restructure and create business cases for investments for some of the best global brands.

     

  • Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Worldwide aspires to bring long copy back in fashion. Of course, where required

    Longhand 2.0: Getting better, and longer

    By Ananya Saha

     

    When short and crisp are the buzzwords, when Twitter creates buzz with 140 characters, not many seem enthused to write long copy. Especially long ad copy. Even when required. Thus was born Longhand. The Longhand competition was a much cherished advertising affair last year. For the uninitiated, the competition, brainchild of Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, celebrates the love for long copy ads. The participants write long copy on 4-5 briefs. A few deadline extensions and many entries later, well-known names from advertising industry judge the copies. Names such as Indra Sinha, Neil French, Swapan Seth, Emmanuel Upputuru, Satbir Singh, Ashish Chakravarty, and Nima DT Namchu judged last year’s competition and Sir Martin Sorrell endorsed the initiative.

     

    Differentiating this year’s competition from the last year, Mr Dasgupta said, “The first year only had judges from the creative field. This year, we have two judges representing the clients’ side as well, Rahul Kansal, Executive President, BCCL and Mohit Hira from JWT who is Sr VP and Regional Business Director – Airtel. The client judges have a role to play too in the resurrection of long copy ads.” Apart from the client judges, there will be known names such as Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman & CEO of McCann Erickson Worldgroup India; Agnello Dias who co-founded Taproot and David Shanks – a copy-based Creative Director who runs his own one-man company called Clear Brand Essence from London.

     

    Neil French, former WPP Worldwide Creative Director and founder of World Press Awards, and Luke Sullivan who is now chair of the advertising department at the Savannah College of Art and Design, will act as the Jury Presidents. Guest Judges Ed McCabe, Tony Brignull will give conclusive comments on 10-15 shortlisted entries. For the record, at the D&AD 50th anniversary, advertising legend Tony Brignull was accredited Most Awarded Copywrite with three Black Pencils and 17 Yellow Pencils over 35 years. He currently works freelance. Mr. McCabe is the youngest copywriter to be a part of the One Club Creative Hall of Fame, featuring the likes of David Ogilvy and Leo Burnett. He also co-founded Scali, McCabe, Sloves.

     

    Getting the big guns of advertising to be judges at Longhand must have been a tough job. “Not actually,” said Mr Dasgupta, adding, “You know, big people have big hearts.” Well, the big-hearted judges won’t be soft on the entries though. While last year winners received ‘Sorry for the Lobsters’, a book written by Neil French signed by the Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of O&M and Chairman of its Worldwide Creative Council, Tham Khai Meng, Mr Dasgupta prefers to keep 2.0 awards under wraps for now.

     

    The 2.0 version has a new website (www.longhandawards.com), even as it gains momentum solely through the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Longhand2 and the Mr Dasgupta-led long copy ad reservoir: www.facebook.com/putheadlinehere). This year, apart from Mr Dasgupta, is his art partner Dushyant Chopra. Mr Chopra is the man behind the logo and all the communication that’s released and Kolkata-based Adhiraj Mukherji designed and developed the Longhand 2.0 website. Much like last time, all judging will be done online, with no jury-meets to discuss the shortlists.

     

    The free-to-enter contest opened on January 15 and the deadline has already been extended to March 15 from the earlier March 1, given the huge interest it is generating in the ad industry. The international participation is also expected to rise, given the page views from UK, US, Singapore, Portugal and Netherlands, among many others, concluded Mr Dasgupta.

     

  • The IAA Leadership Awards will recognize outstanding professionals across Marketing, Advertising and Media

    Top marketing & media agency bosses in first nominee list of IAA awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The International Advertising Association (IAA) India chapter has released the nominees in the first 10 categories for the first edition of the IAA Leadership Awards. The nominees have been shortlisted on account of their outstanding contribution to the fields of Marketing, Advertising and Media.

     

    The IAA Awards will honour the individuals across Marketing, Advertising and Media under the same roof.

     

    The following are the list of nominees revealed from an initial list across 10 categories to win the IAA Leadership Awards:

    Media Agency Head of the Year:
    Name Organization
    Shashi Sinha Lodestar India
    Sam Balsara Madison World
    Rajesh Jain Prachar Advertising
    Vikram Sakhuja Group M
    Jasmin Sohrabji OMD

     

    Marketer of the Year: FMCG – Food & Beverages
    Name Organization
    Deepika Warrier Pepsico
    Chandramouli Venkatesan Cadbury Kraft India
    Krishan Kumar Chutani Dabur
    Anuradha Narasimhan Britannia
    Geetu Varma HUL

     

    Marketer of the Year: FMCG – Personal Care
    Name Organization
    Satyaki Ghosh Loreal
    Arun Srinivas HUL
    Kainaz Gazdar P & G
    Arvind Chintamani Colgate Palmolive
    Devender Garg Dabur

     

    Marketer of the Year: FMCG – Consumer Durables
    Name Organization
    Divya Rao Sony
    Rahul Saighal Samsung appliances
    Nivedita Mandal Whirlpool
    Sunil Tandon Videocon
    Sarthak Seth Panasonic

     

    Marketer of the Year: Household Products
    Name Organization
    Sukhpreet Singh Kansai Nerolac
    Ajay Arora D Decor
    Amit Syngle Asian Paints
    Kumar Pillay Ultratech Cement

     

    Marketer of the Year : Telecom Products
    Name Organization
    Anuradha Aggarwal Vodafone
    Bharat Bhambawle Airtel
    Gurinder Singh Sandu Tata Docomo
    Rahul Saighal Samsung Mobiles
    Rahul Sharma Micromax Mobiles

     

    Marketer of the Year: Auto 2 wheeler
    Name Organization
    Anil Dua Hero Motor Corp
    Mr. Vijay Kaul Yamaha
    Mr. Sanjay Saraswat Bajaj Auto Ltd.
    Yadvinder Singh Guleria Honda
    Atul Gupta Suzuki Motorcycle Company

     

    Marketer of the Year: Travel & Hospitality
    Name Organization
    Deepa Harris Taj
    Manish Kalra Make My  trip
    Gajendra Kumar Incredible India
    Manish Dureja Jet Airways

     

    Marketer of the Year : Banking
    Name Organization
    Manisha Lathgupta Axis Bank
    Sujit Ganguli ICICI Bank
    Karthi Marshan Kotak Mahindra Bank
    Mahendra Kumar Rekhi SBI
    kalyanaraman S. Bank Of Baroda

     

    Marketer of the Year: Insurance
    Name Organization
    Chandramohan Mehra SBI Life Insurance
    Yateesh srivastava Aegon Religare
    Rita Bhattacharya LIC
    Ajay Kakar Birla Sunlife
    Manish Dubey ICICI Prudential Life

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy

    Speaking on the nominees, Srinivasan Swamy, President of the International Advertising Association, said, “The IAA Leadership awards are an attempt to honour the contributions of individuals in the field of Marketing, Advertising and Media. Each of the nominees from across categories have burned the midnight oil to make a positive difference for the brands they work for. May the best professionals win.”

     

    To ensure that the recipients of the many awards are determined in a fair and just manner and to ensure the process is seen as transparent, IAA appointed the experienced marketing research company A C Nielsen to execute the nomination and voting process. Further Ernst & Young has been appointed to conduct audit and validate the entire process. The winners will be decided in a two-stage selection process; the first stage will include nominations and shortlisting by seasoned marketing, media and advertising professionals; and the second stage will be the final selection of winners by a voting process among the shortlisted nominees, by respective senior industry peers.

     

    The first edition of the annual awards is scheduled on February 2 at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari will be the chief guest.

     

  • One more 'Justice for Jessica Lal' moment has arrived for the Indian media. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case

    Anil Thakraney: Let’s go after Mr Juvenile

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, it’s pretty clear now that the man/boy who not only participated in the Delhi gang rape but played a key part in the torture will be out on the streets in a few years. Out to commit more heinous crimes. The Juvenile Justice Court has decided to treat his school certificates as gospel truth (the bone ossification test has been rejected), therefore as per the law, there’s no way this chap will get punished under the IPC.

     

    And so, one more ‘Justice for Jessica Lal’ moment has arrived for the Indian media. All journalists and proprietors of media companies will have to get after Mr. Juvenile with jihadic fervour. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case. Television debates and news reports have been done. The social media is active. But we need sustained, continuous, 360 degree pressure. Till full justice is done to the unfortunate girl, and till all the six criminals get their just desserts. I am convinced the destiny of this young rapist/killer is now in the hands of the Indian media. People, we have to rise and shine.

     

    And by the way, no, I don’t believe Mr. Juvenile wasn’t old enough to know what he was doing. Here’s what I was up to when I was 17 years plus.

     

    Furiously (but unsuccessfully) pursued a girl in my junior college class.

    Dabbled in stocks with my pocket money to earn some quick (albeit tiny) profits.

    Took a train ride to Nagpur all by myself for a med entrance exam. And successfully negotiated a deal with a low cost hotel.

    Went on a road trip to Jaipur and Ajmer, all by myself.

    Had beer with college pals. Many times.

    Stole dad’s cigarettes. Many times.

    Got involved in a street brawl.

    Got an ageing neighbour admitted to a hospital.

    Lodged a written complaint against a BEST conductor for refusing to give me change.

    Cheated in my chemistry exam.

    Cheated in my physics exam.

    Screamed at a driver in our residential apartment, because he would habitually ‘eve tease’ the maids.

    Argued with a professor at a private tutorial class on his faulty teaching methods.

    Learnt to ride a Bajaj scooter.

    Had heated discussions with dad on the Partition.

     

    And these few memories are still fresh in the head. Yup, I knew exactly what I was doing, as also the ramifications of those actions. And would have felt enormously insulted if someone called me a ‘juvenile’. Hope the Indian law makers are reading this post.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of the rape and murder, we simply have to quit this ‘Nirbhaya’, ‘Damini’ and ‘Amanat’ nonsense. Perhaps a PIL needs to be filed in a court for this. We must remember, respect, honour and cherish the girl by her real name. She’s sparked a massive change in this nation, and history needs to record that.

     

  • Madison Media has just announced the win of the Max India corporate account in Delhi. The agency will handle traditional media planning and buying for the client as well as the entire digital mandate including search, display, social, video and mobile

    Madison Media wins media mandate for Max India’s corporate campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media has just announced the win of the Max India corporate account in Delhi. The agency will handle traditional media planning and buying for the client as well as the entire digital mandate including search, display, social, video and mobile. Madison Media has been handling the media business of one of Max India’s subsidiaries, Max Life Insurance since 2008.

     

    Last month Madison Media announced the appointment of Amit Duggal who joined the agency as Digital Director to drive the agency’s digital agenda in the North and East market. Over the years, Madison has strengthened its digital capability and now offers a whole range of Digital services to its clients. Madison Media recently won a Yahoo Big Idea Chair for its campaign on airtel, Har ek Friend Zaroori Hai. At the Emvies Awards held last year, Madison Media also won a Gold for Best Innovation in Digital (Video) for Cadbury Celebrations – Lonely Maa.

     

    Basabdatta Chowdhuri, CEO, Platinum Media, said, “We are delighted to be handling the corporate campaign for Max India and are confident of helping Max achieve its growth objectives”.

     

    Speaking about the campaign released through Madison, Vibha Rishi, Executive Director, Brand & Human Capital, Max India, said, “Max interacts with millions of lives through many million moments of truth. Each interaction results in a memorable and satisfying experience. We literally serve your need for health, wealth and happiness. The brand positioning captures this sentiment with two simple words… ‘For life’. We help our customers in navigating the often confusing complexities of insurance and healthcare.”

     

    Nitin Thakur, Head, Communications, Max India, added, “With this campaign, we set out to consolidate our various service offerings under one umbrella brand, Max. The new communication aims to build trust for the corporate brand by virtue of which people can choose its constituent brands with more confidence. ”

     

  • Perhaps the viewers will enjoy one show a day based on this theme, but if Headlines Today wants to make this a core strategy, then they could be headed for trouble

    Debrief: Headlines Today: Interactivity won’t bring in freshness

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Right to be heard.’ That’s the positioning Headlines Today has zeroed onto. I suppose they want to pitch it as an interactive news channel, where the viewers can take part and air their grievances. I don’t regularly watch Headlines Today, mainly because I don’t think the channel offers content that’s significantly different from the rest, so I suppose that’s the problem the owners are trying to fix. And interactivity is what they want to promise as the USP.

     

    The commercial reflects the junta’s ire with uncaring, insensitive, useless politicians, who make false promises during the elections, win the votes and then quickly disappear. One portly neta is seen being put under pressure by all sorts of people (including his missus), till he hides himself inside a room, totally frustrated. While the entertainment value is low, the treatment will establish a connect with the audiences, because it reflects the popular perception of Indian politicians. So that’s fine.

     

    My problem is with the promise: Active viewer participation on the channel. This will prove to be very tricky to handle, since interactive content can get a tad tiresome, as people shoot out their assorted grievances. Perhaps the viewers will enjoy one show a day based on this theme, but if Headlines Today wants to make this a core strategy, then they could be headed for trouble. In short, I don’t think this positioning is correct. Far from providing freshness, it may lead to boredom.

     

    One other thing on the creative front: Our netas are die-hard buggers. Not one, repeat, not a single one has the conscience to get flustered by angry voters. So quite ironically, the segment that would find the ad entertaining is the politicians.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifSqr5y5rQ4[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2. Okay creative, weak product positioning

     

  • Creative wiz team Ian Shepherd and Richard 'Goz' Gostelow have joined the Asia Pacific senior leadership team of Digitas and Razorfish Asia Pacific networks as regional executive creative directors, based in the Hong Kong office of Digitas and Razorfish

    Ian and Goz to lead Digitas and Razorfish APAC as ECDs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Internationally known, multi award-winning creative team Ian Shepherd and Richard ‘Goz’ Gostelow have joined the Asia Pacific senior leadership team of Digitas and Razorfish Asia Pacific networks as regional executive creative directors.

     

    Mr Shepherd and Mr Gostelow will be responsible for guiding the creative efforts of the Digitas and Razorfish teams across the region, while personally leading the creative direction of global brands including: Intel, Delta, Lenovo, Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific and DHL as well as new business acquisitions.

     

    Celebrating the appointment, Vincent Digonnet, President Asia Pacific said, “The Digitas and Razorfish international hub in Hong Kong is growing robustly as our global client roster expands. Ian and Goz’s appointment as Regional Executive Creative Directors, based in Hong Kong, delivers our clients first hand exposure to two world-class brand stewards with a track record of delivering powerfully effective campaigns that have evolved global businesses. We are very proud to have this long-standing creative partnership lead our already established creative teams.”

     

    Mr Shepherd and Mr Gostelow joined forces as a creative team over 20 years ago and have since worked together to create world famous work for world famous brands, including Coca Cola, VW, Nestle, Unilever, Panasonic, Bacardi, Philips, Durex, Peugeot, and most recently Asus.  They have been awarded by The Cannes International Advertising Festival, Mobius, Effie Worldwide, and Marketing Magazine in APAC among others. In a joint statement they said, “During 2011-12 we got a real taste for working in the region getting to know some forward thinking brands and extremely creative people. So when Erik asked us to join his team at Digitas/Razorfish in Hong Kong it was probably one the quickest and easiest decisions we ever had to make.”

     

    They will report to Erik Hermanson, Senior Vice President Global Accounts, and be based in the Hong Kong office of Digitas and Razorfish.

     

  • Using the social media, is it possible to create huge groups of supporters of arts and free speech in different cities and towns of India?

    Anil Thakraney | Needed: Creative people’s vote bank

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Don’t go by Kamal Hassan’s threat to quit India. It’s the same ‘hool’ which Lata tai gave us over the Peddar Road flyover, but didn’t mean it. These creative types can get a tad emotional, so let’s ignore that bit.

     

    What we cannot ignore is the continuous harassment of creative people in this nation. And they are soft targets because they end up as one individual against a powerful state machinery. Naturally, this becomes a one-sided battle. And this situation is highly depressing; each you time you try to push the envelope, you run the risk of ‘offending’ one fringe group or another. It’s simply not possible to think differently in such a scenario, mediocrity like ‘Dabaang’ will rule the roost.

     

    The main issue is this: Politicians react to what the fringe groups say only because, in the eyes of the netas, they either constitute a vote bank, or they represent one. The number of such protestors can be very few, but in politics, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Therefore the government (state and central) takes an easy way out, and clamps down on the creative work. And artists, movie makers and writers are powerless because they don’t constitute a vote bank, they are dispensable.

     

    So I thought of an idea: Using the social media, is it possible to create huge groups of supporters of arts and free speech in different cities and towns of India? (Of course, no support for dolts who create illegal stuff, a la that cartoon called Aseem Trivedi.) Whereby, each time a creative person comes into strife, massive protest marches and dharnas are held all over India. As these numbers swell, the government will have to take these groups very seriously (as we saw during the aftermath of the Delhi gang rape), and would most likely treat them as a potential vote bank. This effort can thus help nullify the mischief created by fringe groups.

     

    In short, as the proverb goes, to cut iron, you need iron. We have to start thinking of these things from now on. Because Kamal Hassan is neither the first nor the last creative person who’s being made to face the music. Social media is mainly used for time pass. Methinks it’s time to put it to some good, creative use.

     

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    PS: Wonderful traffic safety posters dug out from the UK archives. These ran in the forties, but are more needed in current times. Especially in nations like India, where the junta gives a rat’s ass for road safety. Our government should import these posters and use them here. Because they are visual in nature, even the uneducated sods will get them.

     

    Link: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/16/vintage-road-safety-psa/