MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • If Indian advertising has been trending recently, it has been due to the Ford Figo Fiasco and other F words that have since followed. But it is time to ditch all things F, says guest columnist Vinod Natesan

    Guest column by Vinod Natesan: Moving on from F words

    By Vinod Natesan

     

    If Indian advertising has been trending recently, it has been due to the Ford Figo Fiasco. And F words have since been used liberally around it.

     

    Festering at Goafest

    Controversies still continue around Goafest, India’s answer to Cannes. Leo Burnett and BBDO followed JWT on the scam trail. Leo Burnett’s radio spots for Tata Salt Lite were not paid for by its client and BBDO’s entry for DHL couriers was found to be very similar to work done in Singapore by Ogilvy for Allied Pickford. Both ended up having to return their awards. It is likely that many more agencies may also join that club if plagiarism is proved. Goafest therefore, has every likelihood of festering into a Goafarce.

     

    Finding the fountainhead

    There is indeed a need for the Indian advertising industry to introspect on where it is headed and what it needs to do.

     

    Marketing companies need advertising agencies, simply because agencies can do something which they cannot, even if they had the spare time. That “something” is the talent to unleash the drama in the given product, in a memorable manner, through mass media. The agency therefore has to have a DNA pool which produces ideas that can be monetized both by the agency and the client. Awards, to an extent, build credibility for this claim, since they represent an endorsement by the peer group. This is the only rational reason for awards and for Agencies to go hunting for them.

     

    In an interview, the head of a network mentioned that awards actually translated into the agency being able to make better margins for the services rendered. The awards provide credibility to the claim of superior creative firepower within the agency. Agency heads have therefore been pushing for metals to be won and showcased. While this is perfectly a valid ambition, the means adopted to meet this requirement have been suspect at times.

     

    Frauds and followers

    Talent spotting and nurturing the right talent possibly has been a casualty in agencies. Allegations of recruitment interviews becoming “idea shopping festivals” are rife. Creative Directors are alleged to move jobs with their own cliques in tandem. These cliques reportedly include “preferred” vendors for film making, model coordination, photography and even printing! Cabals emerge as power centers, driving away those who are not party to the “setting”. These often include talented, but upright professionals. Plagiarism of ideas within the agency and names being excluded from creative ownership lists are also refrains heard often. Absence of genuine talent could very well be a consequence in the agency. As an Indian saying goes, “You cannot grow mangoes from jackfruit seeds.” Scams, plagiarized work and work done by freelancer, all find their way into award shows.

     

    Filmi fever

    Celebrity endorsements in India have been the norm recently with astronomical sums being paid to “brand ambassadors”. Rather than ideas that are rooted in the product truth, it is the “celebrity fit” that seems to guide creative ideas. The brand differentiation is therefore linked to the celebrity endorser. Apart from the risk and implications for long term brand health, what is worrisome is the questionable nexus between the celebrities and the Creative Directors. Brand ambassadors end up endorsing film scripts written by the CD’s and finally starring in it. Ads done to curry favor with movie stars are not exactly award winning stuff. Scams therefore suddenly find life around the awards season.

     

    Fooling the client

    Random viewing of commercials and ads in recent times leaves most people perplexed. Even basic comprehension can sometimes be an issue. In a majority of the work released, the “consumers’ voice” is clearly not heard and the “consumer insight” is therefore conspicuous by its absence. The work therefore, has body and craft, but no soul. It would not provoke the consumer to move even a muscle. It is something that alienates clients and results in scam entries at awards. With the economy sliding into stagflation, advertising spends have begun to diminish. Patience with the Agency’s non-performance at the market place would probably have worn thin. Celebrity endorsements have been fatalities in many brand plans. Plagiarism for many clients is tantamount to counterfeiting and faking of intellectual property ownership. Releasing of brand communication without due approval would mean violation of copyright and the contract itself. Quod erat demonstrandum, agencies putting priority to awards over market share, and indulging in scams and plagiarism, may soon discover that an irate Client has put paid to the relationship.

     

    False favours

    Given their self-absorbed life styles, one would be forgiven for claiming that Corporate Social Responsibility is something that is preached but never practiced by agencies and people who populate them. However it has been a happy hunting ground for most creative agencies. Many sneer that these campaigns are akin to the devil quoting the scriptures. But the scriptures have somehow been used well enough to win awards in this category. It is, however, a big question mark whether the target audience ever saw this campaign and if it was given sufficient media weights to cross the threshold level. A tea brand recently did a highly rated campaign for encouraging people to vote. The voting percentage however dropped drastically in the following elections in Mumbai, the capital of Indian advertising.

     

    There is also lax follow-up when it comes to these causes. Adoption campaigns have been created, but not a single soul has continued with the effort to see where this issue has progressed to. Gender discrimination and domestic violence have been causes celebre in the advertising world, but people accused of sexual harassment still find favour and patronage in these circles. It is as if even charitable causes are being plundered for personal glory.

     

    Finally, the way forward

    It is clear that lust for awards without the consumer connect would only lead to a rape of the brand. Something that is clearly unwanted in India. To free itself from the shackles of the ills plaguing it, the Indian advertising fraternity needs to move towards genuine passion for the work, and nothing but the work. Then would come the greater glory and the good. God be with us.

     

    Vinod Natesan is a 21-year veteran of the industry and today runs a boutique brand and marketing consultancy, Mayan Consultants International. He can be reached on Twitter @vinodnatesan

     

  • We are a nation of a million scamsters and cheaters, so there's no reason why the desi ad guys won't join in the party. This nation scores very poorly on ethics, and it's a reality we have to accept and live with

    Anil Thakraney: Why plagiarism is unstoppable

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The root cause of scam ads and idea thievery in advertising is the mad lust for awards. As long as national creative directors continue to reward/hire people based on their ability to bag these (meaningless) trophies, creative people will continue to fraud and cheat. So that’s a given.

     

    But the moot question is this: How come the frequency of creating scam ads and looting ideas is higher in India than in the western world? Surely agency heads in those nations too value personnel who win awards. I think part of the answer to that question lies in the great Indian culture. We are a nation of a million scamsters and cheaters (look around you, it’s happening everywhere), so there’s no reason why the desi ad guys won’t join in the party. This nation scores very poorly on ethics, and it’s a reality we have to quietly accept and live with.

     

    The other answer is creative sloth, and to an extent, lack of talent. Not getting hit by a bright idea? Why not quickly scan the Black Book to see if an ‘inspiration’ strikes. Or trawl the internet to suss out what the firangi creatives are up to. Easy, no? Who will notice the lift? Award juries can’t keep an eye on millions of ads being created around the world. Also, if I do get caught, I can always claim it’s ‘divine coincidence’. In any case, by the time the chori is discovered, I would have got that massive pay hike.

     

    I’ll give you another insight: Notice that most plagiarism and scams ads happen for the static media. Press ads, posters, hoardings, stickers, etc. It’s not often that we catch people lifting TV commercials. And that’s because of two reasons: Senior creative directors in India are entirely focused on the TVC, and pay very little attention to the other stuff, which is delegated down the line. With no one to keep an eye on them, some junior/middle level creatives resort to cheating. There’s another thing: Art directors/Visualisers in India (this is not the case in the west) usually get left out of TVC script writing and production. This is because many are considered to be ‘the down market, vernie, JJ school types’. Which means their only chance of recognition is an award for a press ad/poster. And this leads to the frantic Black Book/D&AD annual scan.

     

    So now you know why scams and copying of ads won’t stop anytime soon.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Excellent press ad by Colgate. Am getting to see a truly brilliant print effort after a long time. Are you experiencing that ‘Why didn’t I think of it’ moment? Tempted to copy? Go ahead, lift this idea for your brand. I won’t tell anyone. Promise!

    Click to large

     

  • 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: Symphony: Cooling off

    Name of the campaign/ad: India Ko Rakhe Cooler

     

    The Brief: To create communication that expands the horizon of the category.

     

    Research insights: India is a country that experiences dry heat or humidity for most of the year. Diverse demographics and varied lifestyles ensure that India’s cooling requirements come in different shapes and sizes. It could be for cooling expansive living spaces, ever-so-small urban living rooms, or even outdoors where you unwind with your family or celebrate a special occasion with a gang of people. Each requirement is uniquely Indian and needs unique cooling devices that work sufficiently, and at the same time, provide excellent value for money.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: Coolers are cooler. They run on the electricity cost of just one or two bulbs, run on inverters well, can be used inside as well as outside and at any time, and provide natural cooling which is healthy and comfortable. This set of arguments is the key message used to create a distinct space for air coolers and in turn expand the market for them.

     

    Executed in a sincere, informative manner, the TVC captures life in India across geographies, age groups and cultures.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: There is a 90-second master with multiple edits running this season. This is a 360-degree campaign which will run across media (print, TV, radio, cinema, digital, on ground, outdoor and social media).

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: In our country penetration of any cooling appliance (beyond fans) is abysmally low. Air coolers are the most viable cooling option for a country like ours. They are versatile, cost-effective and healthy. The major challenge was to educate consumer about category benefits.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? So far all the air cooler campaigns have talked about the product, but this campaign is focused on educating consumers about the category.

     

    Client comment: Rajesh Mishra, GM Marketing, Symphony said, “India is a vastly under-cooled country with penetration of cooling appliances including air coolers being very low. Also, being a power-starved nation, air coolers are the best bet as they consume only a fraction of electricity compared to an air conditioner. Symphony being the category leader, the onus is on us to inform the consumers about the benefits of air coolers. We strongly believe that there is a relevant place for a Symphony air cooler in every home. However, this relevance has not been emphatically established by communication. This year we have made a shift from a specific model communication to “brand Symphony”. This campaign is a result of an extensive workshop that we conducted to arrive at key benefits that need to be communicated. We are confident that this campaign will help in category expansion. Incidentally, this being the silver jubilee year for us, it is apt that we take the stance that we have taken of Symphony – India Ko Rakhe Cooler.”

     

    Agency comment: Ravinder Siwach, Executive Creative Director, Mudra Ahmedabad, said, “Symphony as a brand has always talked in a humorous tone. This campaign is a slight deviation from that tone. The focus is on educating the consumers, present the large Symphony range with its relevance to different people and indeed India as a country where power cuts are commonplace and value proposition is very important.”

     

  • Not all in the creative frat agree that it's right to nail and name those charged of copy-paste advertising

    Is it right to damn the Copycats?

    By Johnson Napier and Ananya Saha

     

    Intellectual theft in the advertising industry is not a new phenomenon. The Creative Abby this year brought back focus on the topic, but plagiarism had never gone away. However, it has become easier to identify a stolen creative now, than it was earlier. We spoke to a cross-section creative people for a perspective.

     

    Abhijit Awasthi, National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather

    The way we look at plagiarism is that if there is an awards show and if there is a contentious piece of work that is brought to light by somebody, then I wouldn’t want to award that work. But I wouldn’t go as far as to say that so and so ad has been plagiarized or copied – I wouldn’t make that allegation, as I would like to give the benefit of the doubt to whoever has created it. We are in the business because we like coming up with and creating ideas. We live in an age where we are exposed to most ideas especially on the internet, so sometimes something that you like subconsciously in the back of your mind just comes out without you realizing it. So I would treat it as an unfortunate incident and carry on with my work. A lot of such allegations come to the fore when you see print or outdoor advertising where it is the question of some visual or wordplay or illustration technique, which is not really worth mentioning. Like I keep giving examples of chemical processes which are 8- or 10-stage in process, and when it comes to filing a patent one realises that it has already happened before. So you come to terms with it as being unfortunate and you move on.

    The thing is that there are thousands of different creative ideas that are churned out in different parts of the world and it’s impossible to keep track. Also one cannot keep a repository of every ad that is created and keep tabs on it. So there are discussions that are held on the similarity of ideas and also on an idea which has been seen before but which has been polished and presented in a better form. They end being given the benefit of the doubt and appreciated by the jury.

     

    Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Group India

    It’s a tricky thing, this plagiarism business. Especially when it comes to something creative. Because here’s the thing – say you make a hundred kids sit in a room and arm them with crayons and paper. Then, you tell them to draw (let’s say) a picnic. Or love. You’ll find out of 100 people, at least 30 of them have drawn a similar picture. Is that plagiarism?

     

    Bring it closer home to advertising. The web is filled with instances where something that has won big time this year was done some three years ago. Different agency, same execution. Of course, you could say that the present agency just poured over annuals and blindly copied each ad, and executed it slightly differently. Or, you could say (and incidentally this is what I think) that creative people think alike. They take similar leaps, think of similar insights, draw and write similar things. So most of the time, while the pictures may be the same, it’s the crayons that are different.

    As a mentor to an army of bright kids, I’ve vehemently discouraged them from poring over award annuals. Because here’s what happens – they think of an idea, then they flip through the annuals, only to see their idea in the flesh, beautifully executed. It’s a demoralizing thing. So my advice to them is, forget what’s been done. Think, think and think some more. Scribble out your ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s been done before. What’s important is that you thought of something that was worthy enough, a few years previously, to win a Pencil. And that’s bloody good, for an intern/ trainee.

    Having said that, I know of people who’ve blindly copied another’s folio to get a job. That’s quite shitty. Of course, the thing with shit is that sooner or later, it’s sniffed out and dealt with.”

     

    Ashish Khazanchi, NCD, Publicis Ambience

    We keep hearing of instances of plagiarism in advertising now and then. In the current scenario it has gone to the extent of being a witch-hunt where people are seeing things that don’t exist. What happens is that there are thousands of creative people from around the world who work on a similar kind of brief and it is possible that the out of the hundred different ads, expressions from a few ads will have some similarities. But there are some ads that are too apparent and imitations of earlier produced works.

     

    In most ads today, the visual referencing could be similar – like television ads could be inspired from some big film, but more often than not people are not so stupid that they will enter an ad in an award which has been copied from elsewhere. There could be some odd cases where ads could be termed as plagiarized ads and the only way they could be booted out is if the jury is selected with a lot of caution. After all jurymen are people who have travelled a lot and have been around to ad festivals and they know a lot of stuff that is happening in the industry. So, the tighter the jury, the better it is for the industry. You have to get people who know the category that they are going to be judging.

    I do not agree that plagiarism does not happen in the West or even South East Asia. It happens there too but the big thing is that the western world is moving more towards the digital world. Which means the work they are treading on is all known. For them, the way a Press or TV ad was done is not as relevant any more. They are looking at integrated communications across mediums, which means more accountability for the work that’s been done. So there is not much scope for plagiarism in new-age mediums.”

     

    Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions Festivals

    “We have clear and unambiguous rules against scam work across all our festivals and it is a matter of record that we can and will remove awards from agencies who have won using scam work.

     

  • The Goafest 2013 Creative Abby superjury met on Tuesday afternoon on the plagiarism issue and the Awards Governing Council will announce its verdict tomorrow

    Abby superjury meets, AGC to announce verdict tomorrow

    By A Correspondent

    The Creative Abby superjury,  comprising the chairpersons of the 12 categories that are part of the Creative Abby, were scheduled to meet today (Tuesday, April 23) in Mumbai to decide on the fate of the seven-odd complaints of plagiarism that came.

    They did meet… the 10 or 11 of the brightest and most creative minds in the business. Note they are not just the most creative minds, but also the most responsible amongst them as they are leaders of their individual agencies or firms.

    The task was not easy. Some of the work belonged to the members of the superjury. The decision would have a huge impact on not just the agency, but also the client and the international network. And, mind you, internationally the networks are listed and hence answerable to shareholders.

    But there is a fear that along with the creativity, some craftiness may also be at play and some or all members of the superjury may well have decided to vote not to vote. The fear is also that a section of the superjurors may get influenced by hectic lobbying to save the face of the fraternity.

    However, even as there were naysayers who said the meeting would be a sham, thousands of those watching the developments believe that the superjury will in fact vote without any biases and any personal stake.

    The official word we have received is that the superjury has voted and their decision is now with the 10-member Awards Governing Council who will now announce their verdict.

    Even though rumours of the superjury voting not to vote will be counted as mere speculation until the official word is out, the ball now lies with the AGC. There is also a view that in case the superjury has decided not to vote, the AGC is well within its rights to scrap the entire Creative Abby awards in order to ensure that the international ad and marketing fraternity does not believe that plagiarism (and plagiarists) rule in India.

    Tough times require tough measures.

  • Does the government value the life of a businessman more than that of the aam aurat? Had Ambani been given protection before December 16, 2012, there may have been less outrage

    Anil Thakraney: Ambani needs solid PR

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mukeshbhai is the first Indian private citizen to be gifted with Z+ security cover. Naturally, this has got the entire media (including the social media) up in arms. Very quickly, in order to dilute the backlash, it was announced that the multi-billionaire will pick up the tab. Smart move that, it has temporarily silenced the cribbers. And the bill, which is likely to be about Rs 15 lakhs a month, is less than loose change for our tagda industrialist. This is the amount Nitaben might tip the Antilla staffers each month. So that’s the end of that, one would imagine.

     

    The unanswered question is this: Is it incorrect for an industrialist to demand security cover if his life has been threatened by hard-core terrorists? In Ambani’s case, a threat letter was delivered at his office, this has been confirmed by the police. Incidentally, I must say it appears odd that the Indian Mujahidin guys would send out an advance warning, that’s not been their modus operandi so far. Be that as it may, the deadly letter did arrive, and therefore the security cover. But why is everyone so upset? Is Ambani’s life less important than all those undeserving politicians who enjoy Z+ cover, and make us, the tax payers, pay for it? Obviously that’s not the case. The man’s a global business leader, his life is as important as any other powerful person. So then what gives?

     

    The problem, according to me, is two-fold. First, the bad, bad timing. The security cover has been granted just when women are on the streets in Delhi, crying out for protection from rapists and molesters. Now this sounds bloody unfair. Does the government value the life of a businessman more than that of the aam aurat? Had Ambani been given protection before December 16, 2012, there may have been less outrage.

     

    The other, bigger problem is Ambani’s shoddy public image. He’s not perceived to be a socially conscious industrialist… in fact, his popular image is that of a selfish, self serving, hard-edged dhandhewala. Although his wife hangs out with deprived kids at the IPL matches, that hasn’t changed the image. And that monstrosity called Antilla isn’t helping matters at all. A billion people from a third world nation can’t understand why a family of four needs 27 floors to live in. So it’s actually an image issue, and it’s strange that with all his astounding wealth Mukeshbhai hasn’t been able to hire kickass PR agents (not Ms Niira Radia, she’s an image breaker!), who can swing a little public goodwill into his assets column. I think more than Z+ commandos, our man needs A+ spin doctors.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Another superb ad by Stella Artois, fantastic lateral thinking. Goes swimmingly with the punch line: Reassuringly Expensive.

     

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDkJVIsDRaE

     

  • 1 Minute View: Goafest. Creative Abby. Plagiarism. Shame.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    11 superjury members in their wisdom have let India down. There were complaints of plagiarism after people got to see the award-winning metals. Note, the works couldn’t be viewed after the shortlists were declared, and hence complaints could be lodged after the awards were handed out. The superjury – comprising chairpersons of individual juries – have junked the charges saying the awarding process cannot be questioned. The Awards Governing Council has said that since the awards belong to the creative frat, their word is final. Well. One wonders what clients have to say. One wonders what the rest of the international fraternity has to say. As for us, we have just three words: Sad. Shameful. Shameless.

     

  • DDB Mudra Group has been awarded the first India Innovation Award 2013 under the Enterprise Mobility category

    DDB Mudra bags India Innovation Award for Enterprise Social Networking

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group has been awarded the first India Innovations Award 2013 under the Enterprise Mobility category for Enterprise Social Networking initiative.

     

    The award was received by Sebastian Joseph, Chief Technology Officer, DDB Mudra Group from Milind Deora, Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and Shipping, Government of India. India Innovation Day 2013, a joint initiative of NetApp & Network18, mobilizes India’s leading CIOs, and CXOs to felicitate their innovation, determination and pursuit of business excellence using technology.

     

    The main objective of the first edition of the NetApp Innovation Awards 2013 was to recognize organizations that are leveraging technology, innovatively, to improve the efficiency levels of the organization and to enhance business value. The award serves as a benchmark for the industry to identify leading innovative practices implemented by Indian organizations through the use of IT products, services, projects, processes, procedures or methodologies.

     

    Commenting on this, Sebastian Joseph, Chief Technology Officer, DDB Mudra Group said, ¿Our mission is to create infectious ideas that influence behaviour.  In today’s social media world, we use creativity, to develop ideas, people want to play with, participate in and pass on. We call this ‘Social Creativity’, ideas that connect people with people, not just people with brands.  Our Enterprise Social Networking initiative helps address this. It is a great honor receiving the first India Innovation Award 2013.

     

  • What I find appalling is that the Super Jury dudes have used a technicality to escape the plagiarism mess. The bigger message, of course, is this: Keep the photocopy machine buzzing

    Anil Thakraney: Kya Super Cool Jury hain hum!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hahaha. If I was Ms Shobha De, I would scream ‘I told you so!!!’. But unfortunately because I am not, I shall try to keep the gloating level down. Yes, I have to say it was always pretty obvious that the so-called ‘Super Jury’ members would never declare themselves guilty as charged, even if the crime committed is a daylight robbery, witnessed by thousands. Simply because people charged with misdeeds can’t be appointed as policemen, that’s nothing short of a joke. Here’s the link to my last week’s post, in case you missed it.

     

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/04/anil-thakraney-superjury-keep-the-cds-out/

    What I find appalling is that the Super Jury dudes have used a technicality to escape the plagiarism mess. Nope, they aren’t saying there was no chori involved with the ads whose awards were taken away, they are using timelines as the explanation for retaining the trophies. According to a report, this is the ‘ final verdict’: ‘During the meeting, the Super Jury believed that sufficient time was given during short listing of entries and the final judging for complaints and objections, and all of them were accepted and followed up prior to the announcement of the final awards list. It was also felt that the awards’ sanctity had to be maintained and deadlines strictly adhered to. Therefore any speculation after the Goafest/Abby Awards cannot be entertained. In light of the above decision by the Super Jury, it has hence been decided that all awards given will stand. In addition, awards that had been rescinded due to similar complaints for DHL (agency BBDO Proximity) and Electrolux (agency DDB Mudra Group) will be reinstated’.

     

    Well, darlings, the robbery usually gets noticed once the entry is in the limelight. How could many of us be in the loop on every single entry being sent by every single agency for awards? And so what if the theft is discovered after the so-called ‘deadline’? That doesn’t make the cheating any lesser. Notice the stunning parallel, this is exactly what politicians would say: You should have discovered that the winning candidate is a rapist BEFORE the elections; you had ample time do so. Now that you’ve elected him, we shall take no action, go to hell.

     

    The bigger message, of course, is this: Keep the photocopy machine buzzing.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Who says advertising for soaps has to be boring, straightforward and led by a thakela movie star? Dove shows the way to doing excellent work in this category. Using a combination of realism and powerful lateral thinking, they have created a heart-warming ad. An ad that would make every woman feel happy. And beautiful. Respect. That’s the only word I have for people who create such wonderful communications.

  • Magnon\TBWA has announced significant strengthening of its digital capabilities with three senior level appointments in web/mobile technology, social media as well as client development functions

    Magnon\TBWA announces post-acquisition senior hirings

    By A Correspondent

     

    Magnon\TBWA has announced significant strengthening of its digital capabilities with three senior level appointments in web/mobile technology, social media as well as client development functions. This is the agency’s first round of strategic talent recruitment, after its acquisition by TBWA\ in December 2012. These hirings have been carried out for both Magnon\TBWA as well as Magnon E-GRAPHICS, the agency’s international digital delivery arm.

     

    The three appointments include KN Ajit Narayan as Group Director, Social Media Marketing, Paurush Pandit as Group Director, Web/Mobile Technology and Alok Garg, Associate Vice President, Client Development for Magnon\TBWA.

     

    Mr Narayan has moved to Magnon from Interactive Avenues, where he was managing social media offerings for a range of clients. Mr Pandit is a technology evangelist with over 10 years of experience in both start-ups as well as large organisations. In the past he has worked in key technology positions with Makemytrip.com and Yatra.com. Mr Garg comes with over 16 years of strong experience in client acquisition and managing key customer relationships.

     

    Speaking about the new appointments, Vineet Bajpai, Founder & Group CEO, Magnon\TBWA and Magnon E-Graphics said, “At Magnon\TBWA, people have always been central to strategy. As digital media evolves, agencies and marketers will need to find new innovative approaches to connect brands and consumers. The team expansion at Magnon is in sync with the current and potential opportunities and challenges. Magnon\TBWA stands committed to offering best-in-class interactive media solutions to our clients.”

     

  • 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: Hitachi: Cooling off, uninterrupted

    Name of the campaign/ad: Life Uninterrupted

     

    The Brief: Win the hearts of the consumers looking to buy an AC through a proposition that connects at an emotive level and is relevant to them.

     

    Research insights: The consumer wants to just switch on his AC and expects to do whatever he does without bothering about comfort & performance. Because, in today’s fast moving life no one likes interruptions.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: To win the heart and mind of the consumers it was imperative to understand what the consumers want. Diving deep into our consumer’s world to find a relevant insight, we took a closer look at our consumer…an evolved mindset, an uncompromising seeker who buys into the best so that he gets consistent performance without any interruptions. And today, in a category where players are desperate to stand differentiated only Hitachi with its iClean technology is not only an innovation in the category, but a true blue differentiator that promises consistent unperturbed comfort.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K15AlLGErWg[/youtube]

    Using the relevant consumer insight (‘Comfort isn’t comfort if it is interrupted’) and marrying it with the benefits of iClean technology (which not only gives the consumer a hassle free experience but also ensures consistent uninterrupted performance) gave birth to the idea – ‘life Uninterrupted’.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: Television, Print, Outdoor, Digital & POS

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: Hitachi being the thought leader in the AC category, we were very clear right from the start that we don’t want to jargonize the technology rather demystify it for the consumer and connect with them at an emotive level.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad? The uniqueness is in the way we have beautifully captured the nuances of daily life and situations that perfectly mirror the sentiment of ease and comfort.

     

    Client comment: Ashok Ray, Head Marketing, Hitachi Home and Life Solutions India Ltd. said, “Our brief was to make an entertaining film which also captures the essence of the product attribute very clearly and that has been achieved. The film is able to communicate the concept very clearly. This will further consolidate Hitachi’s image of being a technologically superior company with amazing products.”

     

    Agency comment: Amit Wadhwa, Senior Vice President,Dentsu Creative Impact Pvt Ltd, said, “The challenge for us was to demystify a technology (iClean), by talking about it in a more consumer friendly language. And deliver it in a way that was typically Hitachi. The beauty of the campaign is that it does all that, in the most simplistic of treatments. The moment we came up with this campaign, the entire team, including the team at the client side, was sure that we had struck the right note. Now, over to the consumers.”

     

  • Jet must regain the full service segment, invest in food and service, and with no competition on the horizon, they will own it for a long time to come

    Anil Thakraney: Opportunity for Jet to raise the bar

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    If you are a shareholder with Jet Airways, you just made a neat profit. The airline’s share price has shot up by over 20 percent, following the equity participation with Etihad Airways. But this post isn’t about stock prices (which I don’t understand at all), it’s about domestic air travel, and that concerns every single one of us.

     

    Am sure Naresh Goyal has exciting international expansion plans in mind with the huge sums he’s pocketed  following the tieup (a jaw-dropping 2000 crore rupees). All that’s very fine. But Jet must use a part of the huge funding to make domestic air travel a better experience for Indian flyers (at a reasonable fare), and thereby dominate the one segment that’s been stagnating in recent times: Full service flights.

     

    With the demise of Kingfisher, low-cost carriers have been ruling the Indian skies. Even Jet, which was at one point a full service carrier, had to cut down on frills and promote JetLite and JetKonnect, both low cost options from the group. If you visit their portal and key in any flight schedule, you’ll notice that most options thrown up would be Jet’s budget flights. In short, majority of the market is now dominated by cheap flights, flights where you are forced to pay for a cold, yucky sandwich. And that welcoming cold towel is now a thing of the past.

     

    Jet must regain the full service segment, invest in food and service, and with no competition on the horizon, they will own it for a long time to come. They can once again bring back the fun into flying (rather than the ordeal it’s now become), and pamper their guests with some cool frills. This will generate tremendous brand loyalty in the business travelling segment. They must also examine the possibility of providing additional leg room in the ‘cattle class’, that will be a huge draw for cramped flyers. Even Mr Shashi Tharoor would be delighted.

     

    In short, here’s hoping that in his quest to make Jet more global, Naresh Goyal doesn’t overlook the opportunity that’s staring at him back home. He’s finally got the moolah to make things happen.

     

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    PS: Yet another insensitive ad, this time Hyundai and its German ad agency are the culprits. The ad wants to communicate that the car doesn’t produce carbon monoxide fumes, it only jets out water emissions. And to demonstrate that, they have shown a man trying to commit suicide. Following outrage, the ad has been withdrawn and disowned by Hyundai. The only people who should kill themselves are creators of such utterly irresponsible trash.