MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Chandramouli Venkatesan, Executive director Chocolates & Biscuits, Cadbury India. Marketer of the year: FMCG – Food & Beverages

    Meet the IAA Awardwinners-5: Chandramouli Venkatesan

    Chandramouli Venkatesan, Executive director Chocolates & Biscuits, Cadbury India was awarded Marketer of the year: FMCG – Food & Beverages at the IAA Leadership Awards last week. He spoke with RITU MIDHA soon after receiving the award.

     

    What would you attribute this award to?

    When you put in effort, you do not do it for awards. However, when you win the awards – the recognition definitely makes you feel good.

     

    As for this award specially, It is an honour to get this award – as you are nominated and awarded by very competent peer group. Cadbury is an excellent brand to work for – which is much liked by the consumers. We have an excellent time and partners – and together we are quite effective.

     

    You have worked with smaller or younger brands earlier – how does your experience in Cadbury differ from them?

    It ultimately boils down to the task – there are different kinds of tasks.  While in some cases, you are fighting competitive challenge, in others you are working towards growing the category in the country. For instance, in case of chocolates – though it is a very strong market, one still needs to grow the market. Nature of challenge varies – but all jobs are challenging. I do not think there is any easy job there.

     

    You are speaking of category expansion – to what extent is it possible to expand the market?

    Per capita consumption in India is 110 grams, in developed world it is 10 kilgrams – so we are 100th per capita of developed world – so there is a very very long way to go – and opportunities are immense. Hence, as market leaders our focus continues to be expansion of the category.

     

    What would be the key growth segment for Cadburys?

    Our focus is three tiered. There are opportunities in all segments – be it rural, urban or upper end market.

     

    Do you see rural consumer contributing here?

    Rural is actually very strong. Overall economic development and information and awareness explosion – thanks to media penetration is very strong, has led to rural consumer demanding and consuming better quality products.

     

  • Adworld veterans Lynn de Souza and Meenakshi Menon have come together to launch a new company called Social Access

    Lynn de Souza & Meenakshi Menon launch Social Access

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lynn de Souza
    Meenakshi Menon

    With decades of experience in the industry, Lynn de Souza and Meenakshi Menon have come together to launch a new company called Social Access.

     

    The company will use strategic communication and creative ideas to re-orient society towards the social sector by building channels among the four key players – NGOs, Corporates, government bodies and the society.

     

    The venture, applauded by counterparts from the industry and others, was announced by Ms de Souza on February 5 on her Facebook page. The movement as described by them is open to everyone and anyone can join it. “We’ll soon have an event to formerly announce the launch as well as to discuss the core idea and plan behind it,” said Ms de Souza.

     

    Lynn de Souza had quit Lintas Media Group as Chairman and CEO last year. Meenakshi Menon is the founder and chairperson of Spatial Access.

     

  • Arun Srinivas, vice president, skincare and make-up, HUL, won Marketer of the year: Personal Care

    Meet the IAA Awardwinners-6: Arun Srinivas

    Arun Srinivas, vice president, skincare and make-up, HUL, was awarded Marketer of the year: Personal Care at the IAA Leadership Awards held last week. Here he spoke with RITU MIDHA minutes after receiving the award from I&B Minister Manish Tewari

     

    What would you say is key to HUL’s marketing excellence?

    At HUL it is always consumer first – and that has resulted in in them being with us for decades and more.

     

    This award is a testimony of effort that people have put in across the teams – and is a motivation for us to sustain performances like this.

     

    Do you see the growth for personal care products coming from rural areas or urban ones?

    Penetration of personal care categories in rural areas and small markets would be on the rise as they become more and more affluent. Equally there is opportunity in larger cities and metros because our per capita consumption in many of these categories is still very low compared to even other developing nations.

     

    There is a real task of building relevance for these categories, more so in smaller towns and rural areas – and that would bring in growth.

     

    What would be a bigger growth possibility for HUL – market expansion or eating into competition’ share?

    In personal care it is still about growing the market, and widening the market size – and depth in terms of rural access etc.

     

  • Advertising industry veteran Gopi Kukde has been felicitated by the Maharashtra government for his outstanding contribution in the field of advertising

    Gopi Kukde feted by Maharashtra govt

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising industry veteran Gopi Kukde has been felicitated by the Maharashtra government for his outstanding contribution in the field of advertising.

     

    Minister of Higher and Technical Education Rajesh Tope presented the award, which is given at a ceremony along with prizes for the government’s annual state-level art competition.

     

    Mr Kukde, best known in recent times for creating and developing the ‘Onida Devil’, has had an illustrious career in advertising, including the foundation of Advertising Avenues, and a long association with the Communication Arts Guild.

     

  • Draftfcb Ulka has created a new campaign for Tata Motors which has unveiled the Vista D90, positioned as a hatchback that is designed to thrill

    Draftfcb Ulka creates new campaign for Tata’s Vista D90

    By A Correspondent

     

    Draftfcb Ulka has created a new campaign for Tata Motors which has unveiled the Vista D90, positioned as a hatchback that is designed to thrill.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKqqGHXXj8A[/youtube]

    The TVC shows two Vista D90s driving alongside each other with parasailers, attached to the rear of the car, being lifted in the air as the cars catch speed. The analogy highlights the Vista D90’s powerful 90 PS engine and its claim of being ‘designed to thrill’.

     

    On the rationale behind the campaign, Kartik Smetacek, Group Creative Director, Draftfcb Ulka, said, “The commercial is essentially a demonstration: Of power, of thrill, of the adventurous, adrenaline-fuelled lifestyle that defines the new Tata Motors.”

     

    Amit Sagar, Head, Vista Product Group, said, “The Vista D90 comes as a refreshing option for the thrill-seeking youth of today. The car redefines the category with over a dozen first in class attributes.”

     

    Kartik Smetacek

    Ranging from popular television channels, to print and online, the 360-degree campaign would maximise the experience of the new Vista D90 at various touch points.

     

    Credits:

    Client: Tata Motors

    Agency: Draftfcb Ulka

    National Creative Director: K S Chakravarthy

    Group Creative Director: Kartik Smetacek

    Creative Director: Devendra Mankame

    Creative Team: Donovan D’Souza, Mayuresh Wagle, Tushar Sawant, Roshan Pawaskar, Varsha Kahridaha

    Vice President: Kulvinder Ahluwalia

    Client Servicing: Kailash Kondath, Nisha Philip, Manan Valia

    Planning: Sunil Shetty, Mayur Kaku

    Films: Alpa Jobalia, Vikas Malhotra

    Production House: Chrome Pictures

    Director: Amit Sharma

     

  • Now only if Narendra Modi adds one more to S (for Sorry) to his 3S mantra, he will definitely be PM in 2014, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: CEO Modi

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In an earlier post, I have matched Brand Rahul with Brand Modi. The television media has only got into the act now, so this should tell you the internet is the medium of the future. But Modi’s speech at the Delhi college gave us an insight into why the corporate honchos adore this man. By the way, I was watching the speech live, and out of curiosity, surfed all the news channels. And found that every single one was fixated on Modi, except for DD News, which was dutifully recycling an ancient Manmohan Singh speech. Sigh! Guess some things never change.

     

    Anyway, on to Motabhai’s talk show. This wasn’t a political neta speaking. Modi’s speech was a full-on sales pitch by a businessman. It had all the elements in place: Furious marketing of the state of Gujarat, which Modi treats as his personal portfolio. A clear vision for future growth. A tangible business mantra: Speed, Scale, Skill. A positive outlook to the future. And an extremely competitive pitch… he missed no opportunity to tell you why Gujarat (his brand) prospers, while the Rest of India (the brand he wishes to own) has lagged behind. It’s well known that Modi goes out of his way to welcome the Tatas and the Ambanis to his state, and therefore the industrialists never fail to pay him compliments. But after listening to him, I realized that Modi is more a dhandhewala than a neta, which explains his corporate fan following more accurately.

     

    And that’s a good thing for this nation. We desperately need a leader who can think big, and who has the ability to get work done. A man who operates likes a CEO. Look at the mess that’s happening in Mumbai in terms of infrastructure, and you will understand why Modi is blue chip stock. The Scale is missing, Mumbai is still planning flyovers, when the metro rail should have covered the entire city decades ago. The Speed is missing, projects go on for years and years. And sadly, even the Skill is missing, people keep dying every other day under falling debris. And potholes magically appear on freshly minted roads.

     

    In short, Officer Modi’s time has come. Now only if he adds one more ‘S’ to his 3S mantra, he’d definitely be PM in 2014. And that ‘S’ is a big ‘Sorry’. To the Indian Muslims.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Brilliant! There was a power cut at the Super Bowl for a few minutes. As most fans (and brand managers) were left groping in the dark, the Oreo guys swung into action. And quickly came up with this winner. Smart work. This sort of on-the-feet thinking you have to admire.

     

     

  • All these heated discussions, post-mortem of the man’s trial, and worse of all, controversies over the disposal of the body and chest-thumping by some TV anchors will only help in fanning anger in the valley

    Anil Thakraney | Guru execution: Media frenzy may do damage

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    To be honest, I am not quite sure on how the media should have dealt with the Afzal Guru hanging. Yes, it’s a big, big story (after all, how often does this softie nation hang criminals?), and the man was behind an outrageous attack on Parliament, no less. So his execution had to be covered, no option, really.

     

    And yet, I saw no point of all the TV discussions and the detailed newspaper reports. What was the use of re-visiting the terror attack in graphic detail, of re-living the doubts expressed by some on the fairness of Guru’s trial, of debating the timing of the execution, of playing out angry comments from Kashmiri separatists, etc? Now that the man is dead and gone, what purpose does this really serve? All these issues/controversies should have been debated while the convict was still alive, that would have made sense, perhaps it would have impacted Guru’s destiny. To my mind, a story on the execution itself, on how they went about it, would have been more than sufficient.

     

    In fact, all these heated discussions, post-mortem of the man’s trial, and worse of all, controversies over the disposal of the body and chest-thumping by some TV anchors will only help in fanning anger in the valley. Make no mistake about this: Despite the calm we have witnessed in Kashmir in recent times, there’s simmering rage amongst many locals who don’t like the idea of being a part of India. My worry therefore is this: Did the media, with its over-the-top coverage, unintentionally provide a handle to the disgruntled elements? I strongly suspect this might be the case, and I really hope we don’t suffer as a nation in the coming years. Hope that we don’t have to deal with more Afzal Gurus.

     

    Yes, the terrorist had to die, it was always only about when. Yes, it’s a big story, and yes, the media had to do its job. But I continue to get haunted by one thought: Perhaps editors and content heads could have handled this one differently. Because, in the end, national interest must come above all else.

     

    And yet, this is a gray zone, there is no ready black-and-white answer, I concede that. Let’s just hope we didn’t screw this one up.

     

    ***

     

    PS: An excellent example of how to talk price for cars without damaging the brand image. Because in this category, status is everything. A must watch for all brand managers on how to offer discounts without discounting the brand appeal.

     
  • Moneycontrol.com recently launched its Budget 2013 campaign "Budget Moves, Chidambaram Style", which shows the finance minister grooving to some unique dance moves

    Moneycontrol.com does a song-and-dance around Budget

    By A Correspondent

     

    Moneycontrol.com recently launched its Budget 2013 campaign “Budget Moves, Chidambaram Style”, which shows the finance minister grooving to some unique dance moves.

     

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

     

     

    The latest commercial shows a number of quirky moves that include Kainchi Cut and Bull Walk as part of the Minister’s repertoire of dance steps. The idea for this campaign was an extension of the campaign proposition from last year’s “Rock the Sabha” which had key politicians like P Chidambaram, M Karunanidhi, Mamata Banerjee and the then Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, playing guitars and jiving to the beats of rock music.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5sFpHoBsBw[/youtube]

     

     

    The set of four entertaining films bring a dash of irreverence to the serious brand and add the right amount of masala to the Budget 2013 coverage of moneycontrol.com. Budget 2013 on moneycontrol.com is a complete package which, apart from streaming the FM’s speech live, also includes interactive elements like poll, debates, slideshows, online chats, live blogging and videos.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShLyPCWR0HQ[/youtube]

     

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Rajan Srinivasan, Marketing Head, Web18, said, “The fact that the biggest and the best coverage of the Budget happens on moneycontrol.com is not news. But the fact that we have made it interactive to ensure that that we get a new generation of users interested in the Budget was something that we wanted to communicate with this campaign and I think that objective has been achieved. The look is fresh and edgy and will definitely strike a chord with the audience.”

     

    Kaushik Roy, Senior Creative Director, Contract Advertising said, “Inspired by last year’s success, we decided to push the creative further this time, to be more entertaining and in-your-face. So this time around, it’s all about dance. We’re excited and eager to see how this campaign does in the marketplace.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37G0a3lyhbE[/youtube]
  • Health care, personal care and consumer durable ads are under the ASCI's scanner

    ASCI’S CCC upheld complaints against 11 out of 19 advertisements in November 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    During November 2012, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI, upheld complaints against 11 out of 19 advertisements. ASCI’s National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) has been very proficient in tracking down the misleading claims made by advertisers in various sectors.

     

     

    Advertiser Advertisement Complaint CCC
    HEALTHCARE
    Diwan Chand Imaging & Research Centre  Stan Health Check Programme As per the complaint, the advertiser claims that, Diwan Chand Imaging & Research Centre “has the most advanced diagnostic modalities”, “Is India’s first integrated diagnostic chain of imaging network”. These claims need to be substantiated with scientific evidence or proof of efficacy along with appropriate statistical & support data.  Advertiser provided proof of the installation of the latest state of the art ultrasound machine. The claim, “have the most advanced diagnostic modalities”, was substantiated. This complaint was NOT UPHELD. 

    In the absence of comparative data, the CCC concluded that the claim, “Is India’s first integrated diagnostic chain of imaging network”, was not substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code.

    This complaint was UPHELD.

    The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     
    Maruti Herbal  Stay-On Capsules As per the complaint, the advertiser claims that, Stay – On Cap & Oil contains ginseng, shilajit, salampanja, valuable herbs and bhasmas that keep you energetic and powerful and makes you muscular. These claims need to be substantiated with proof of efficacy along with the appropriate supporting data.  The CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in the advertisement and cited in the complaint were not substantiated. Also, the advertisement violated The Drugs & Magic Remedies Act. The advertisement contravened Chapters I.1 and III.4 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 
    Emami Limited  Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash As per the complaint, the claims “Take Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash every day for a strong body and razor sharp mind”, “Gold removes toxins to boost immunity power”, “Silver activates neurons to enhance memory and concentration”, “51 rare herbs protect from weather changes, pollution and general illness”. Advertiser should provide supporting technical submission, details of tests/trials conducted, with comparative data, in substantiation of these claims.  The CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in the advertisement and cited in the complaint were inadequately substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD.
    HOME AND PERSONAL CARE
    AMRA REMEDIES LIMITED AS SUGGESTED BY BHARAT, PLE. CHANGE THE COTEGORISATION. Elavo Toilet Seat Sanitizer Spray 

     

     

    		 As per the complaint, the advertisement claims, “Spray Elavo on toilet seat and enjoy a 99.9% safe toilet experience in just 5 seconds”. This claim needs to be substantiated with proof and efficacy, research data along with other appropriate support data.  The claim, “Spray Elavo on toilet seat and enjoy a 99.9% safe toilet experience” was substantiated. This complaint was NOT UPHELD. In the absence of data proving its “effectiveness in just 5 seconds” this complaint was UPHELD as the advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. 
    SILVERMAPLE HEALTHCARE SERVICES PVT LTD-  Direct Hair Implantation As per the complaint, the advertisement headline states, “No one gets you your hair back like DHI”. Also, the advertisement claims that DHI “is the best hair restoration treatment in the world with Total Care System” .These claims need to be substantiated with statistical and other necessary data. 

     

    		 In the absence of scientific data from the advertiser, the CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in the advertisement and cited in the complaint were not substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 
    EDUCATION
    CADD Centre Training Services Pvt Ltd  As per the complaint, the advertisement claims, CADD Centre “is Asia’s No.1 CADD Training Company”. These claim needs to be substantiated with comparative data of other leading training institutes, certification and other necessary data. The CCC noted that CADD Centre Training Services is the largest network of dedicated CADD training centre in whole of Asia with over 300 training centres spanning across 13 countries in Asia and Africa.In the absence of comparative data, the claim, “Is Asia’s No.1 CADD Training company”, was not substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD.

    The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     
    CONSUMER DURABLES
    LUMINOUS WATER TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD  Livpure RO Water Purifier As per the complaint, the TVC states that Livpure Water Purifier gives “Duniya ka sabse shudh pani”. Kent Water Purifier’s last campaign was based on the key proposition that Kent provides “Duniya Ka Sabse Shudh Pani”. This has been carried out in all their communication material since 2011 consistently. This is a blatant copy of the same proposition and a gross violation of Kent Water Purifier’s brand property.  The CCC concluded that the tagline of Livpure Water Purifier that it gives “Duniya ka sabse shudh pani” was similar to the tagline of Kent Water Purifier so as to suggest plagiarism. The advertisement contravened Chapter IV.3 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 

    The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     
    BAJAJ ELECTRICALS LTD Bajaj Water Heater As per the complaint, the advertisement claims, Bajaj Water Heateris “India’s No. 1 water heater”, “Bajaj Rapidotherm Water Heaters powerful heating coil helps heat water 50% faster than any other water heater”. These claims need to be substantiated with scientific evidence, comparative analysis data, and safety data along with appropriate support data.

     

    		 The CCC concluded that the claim that Bajaj Water Heaters is “India’s No. 1 Water Heater” was substantiated on the basis of a syndicated retail audit done by independent market research company. This complaint was NOT UPHELD. 

    The claim that “Bajaj Rapidotherm Water Heaters powerful heating coil helps heat water 50% faster than any other water heater” was not substantiated with comparative data of other water heaters of the same electrical rating (3000 watts). The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. This complaint was UPHELD.

     

     The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     

     
    HAVELLS INDIA LTD Havells Water Heater  As per the complaint, the advertiser has claimed “24 Hours Hot Water in Just ½ unit of electricity”. The interpretation of this is that, we will get 24 hours hot water supply for usage in just ½ KWH of electricity.The complainant found out that ½ unit electricity is consumed by the geyser for keeping the water, already heated and stored inside, warm at a particular temperature for 24 hours if no water is drawn out for usage. This claim is hence highly exaggerated and misleading.

    Further, the TVC claims, “24 Ghante On Rahe to bhi Sirf ½ unit bijli lage To Off Kyun Kare?” This is true only in the case where the water geyser is not used through the day. This claim is also misleading as the consumption of electricity would be considerably higher on usage of the water heater.

     

    		 The CCC concluded that the claim that “24 Hours Hot Water in Just ½ unit of electricity” is misleading as it does not account for heating of water from ambient conditions to hot conditions. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.4 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 

     The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     

     
    MEDIA
    DAINIK BHASKAR GROUP Circulation in Bhopal As per the complaint, “Dainik Bhaskar is making a comparison on the basis of Net Paid circulation as per market estimates treating Patrika newspaper on 1/8th position in respect of circulation in the city of Bhopal. The remarks are totally untrue and baseless as the basis on which the comparison was said to be made was not shown in the advertisement nor the publication Dainik Bhaskar has stated the name of any agency on which such comparison was made. As evident from the website of DAVP, the circulation data of Dainik Bhaskar (as provided by RNI) and circulation data of Partika newspaper (as provided by Audit Bureau of Circulation ABC) are almost equal but despite of the above fact Dainik Bhaskar have diminished the circulation size of Patrika newspaper to the extent of 1/8th as shown by the graphical comparison.” 

     

    		 The CCC concluded that the claim that Dainik Bhaskar “had 8 times more Net Paid Circulation than Patrika in the city of Bhopal”, was not substantiated with ABC/RNI or IRS Data, and was misleading.  The advertisement contravened Chapters I.1 and I.4 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 

    The advertiser has subsequently withdrawn the advertisement.

     
    OTHERS
    CENTRAL UP GAS LIMITED  CNG As per the compliant, “Central UP Gas Ltd (CUCL) CNG”, is 100% Safe”. The claim needs to be substantiated with scientific evidence. The CCC concluded that the claim, “100% safe” was not substantiated with scientific evidence. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. The complaint was UPHELD. 

    The advertiser has subsequently modified the advertisement.

     

     

    During the month of November, the CCC also received complaints against 7 advertisements. The complaints were received against the advertisements of Emami Ltd’s ‘Himani Fast Relief’, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited’s ‘Revital Capsules’, Cure Spect’s ‘Eye Care’, L’OREAL INDIA PVT LTD’s ‘Inoa Hair colour’, PARLE PRODUCTS P. LTD’s ‘Parle Londonderry’, MICROMAX INFORMATICS LTD’s ‘Micromax Ninja 3.5 & Ninja 4’, Dabur India Limited’s ‘Dabur Chyawanprakash Sugar Free’. However, as these advertisements did not contravene ASCI’s codes or guidelines, the complaints were NOT UPHELD.

     

  • Khumaar, a musical event organized in his personal capacity by Bipin Pandit, Chief Operating Officer of The Advertising Club, will be held in April, along with the launch of a book on music with contributions by CEOs and MDs

    Bipin Pandit’s Khumaar show in April, book launch too

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bipin Pandit

    Khumaar, a musical event organized in his personal capacity by Bipin Pandit, Chief Operating Officer of The Advertising Club, will be held on April 19 at Savarkar Hall, Shivaji Park, at 5.30 pm. At the event, a book will also be launched containing contributions by CEOs and MDs on their favourite music director and/or lyricist.

     

    Speaking about the book, Mr Pandit said, “Today I have more than 37 articles and some of the formidable names who have written wonderful pieces for my book are Piyush Pandey, Pradeep Guha, Bharat Dhabolkar, Ayaz Memon, M.G.Parameswaran, Nagesh Alai, Madhukar Sabnavis, Apurva Purohit, Paritosh Joshi, Priti Nair, CVL Srinivas, Subhash Kamath, Ashwin Deo, Hemant Kenkre, Ajay Kakkar, Ajay Chandwani, Gokul Krishnamurthy, Narendra Kusnur, Rajiv Vijayakar and Chaitnya Padukone (Phalke award-winner in journalism), among others.”

     

    Billed as a quality show for corporates, Khumaar is backed by a team of professionals who meticulously select and present songs and music that aim to stay as close to the original as possible. So far the shows that have been held have attracted well-known names such as Suresh Wadkar and Roopkumar Rathod, and have been well received by audiences which have seen participation from the advertising, media and marketing fraternity.

     

    The thought of starting Khumaar came to Mr Pandit following his career over 20 years as a professional Hindi compere, combined with his command over Urdu and skill in mimicry. Khumaar presents old Hindi musical hits from great films of yesteryear, with ghazals, Sufi songs and a qawwali interspersed for variety. A selected few new songs are also presented.

     

    The show will be webcast on www.bipinpandit.com.

     

  • 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: WagonR rides on the chemistry of Madhavan, Raghu and Rajiv

    Soumitra Karnik, NCD, Dentsu India

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Maruti Suzuki WagonR – Prank

     

    The Brief: The WagonR is one of the most successful brands from the MSIL stable. Its features, functionality and design have always catered to the needs and tastes of its target group. With changing consumer preferences and growing competition, it becomes imperative that a seasoned brand like WagonR evolves so as to continue to meet consumer expectations. The new TVC must announce the launch of the new WagonR and communicate its features without it being a blind spot.

     

    Research insights: After the huge success of the last campaign ‘Big like India, Smart like you’ which first saw the trio of Madhavan, Raghu and Rajiv of Roadies together in a novel format describing the car and its various features, the core idea of the new campaign picks up from there, talking about the new features of the smarter WagonR in an engaging format, once again using brand ambassador Madhavan and celebrities Raghu and Rajiv. This communication piece celebrates the feature-rich WagonR and its smart buyer.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: The story revolves around two characters in clown masks who get into Madhavan’s car and tell him to drive them around while he’s held hostage at gunpoint. During the interaction, the features are revealed. However, Madhavan tricks them and drives away leaving them behind, proving his wit and smartness. In the end it is revealed that the clowns are no other but Raghu-Rajiv themselves who had set out to prank Madhavan but end up getting tricked by him.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: TVC, Digital, Print, In-store.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: Soumitra Karnik, NCD, Dentsu India, said, “The task was to announce the new changes in the widely sold WagonR and the challenge was how to make this announcement engaging. We decided to continue with the casting of the last commercial of Madhavan, Raghu and Rajiv as it was quite well received. This particular script was found to have all the elements of being an entertainer. A prank played by the twin brothers wearing clown masks who at the end get outsmarted by Madhavan, the car’s owner, who impresses them with all the new features in the car. One thinks of many different things but in the end you go with your gut with a script like this.”

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? The star power of Madhavan, along with Raghu and Rajiv in an engaging narrative with a prank, makes it easy to recall.

     

  • The Advertising Club in association with the Times group, official representative of Cannes in India, will screen the Cannes showreel on February 11 at the Mayfair Rooms, Worli, at 5.30 pm

    Ad Club to screen Cannes showreel in Mumbai today

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club in association with the Times group, official representative of Cannes in India, will screen the Cannes showreel on February 11 at the Mayfair Rooms, Worli, at 5.30 pm.

     

    The screening will last for two hours. Beer and snacks will be served during the course of the screening. Those interested may contact the Ad Club secretariat on 23810213 / 23894091 for donor passes.