MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • As the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Unsubscribing from TV audience measurement might help improve television programming in India.

    Anil Thakraney: Divorcing TAM could be a blessing

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so a whole lot of broadcasters are busy unsubscribing from TAM’s data. If you ask me, I would say that’s not such a bad thing. TAM’s methodologies have been questioned and debated for years and years, and yet the issues haven’t been resolved, there is discontent in the world of media, nobody seems to be happy. TV audience measurement has been a monopolistic situation, and therefore broadcasters had to simply bite the bullet. So far.

     

    I had met Shashi Sinha for an interview last year (for mxmindia), and we brought up the subject of lack of credibility in audience measurement. Sinha feels this is a problem that can be fixed with moolah. This is what he said: “Someone has to put money on the table, it’s as simple as that. The solutions are all known, I know very bright and talented people in research, what needs to be fixed is known. The problem is: No one is willing to invest. Today, if television measurement costs Rs 20 crores, what if Rs 100 crores was spent on it?” Although I am not an expert on this subject, have to say I am not sure if the problems have to do only with lack of adequate funding. Perhaps BARC will set it right next year, though I wonder if they have such deep pockets.

     

    Anyway, from the looks of it, crores of rupees worth advertising spend will now be decided, at least for the next one year, by many advertisers without using TAM’s data. And speaking for myself, this situation excites me. Because this means that advertisers and media planners will start using common sense and intuitive thinking. Instead of blindly putting massive amounts of money based on questionable data. As far as the Hindi GECs go, perhaps all the money won’t be spent on saas bahu shows, other formats/ideas could find much-needed support. This would put pressure on producers/channels to experiment more. Even on the news channels, advertisers would use gut feel, and perhaps shows whose anchors holler and shriek less will find some ad revenue. And if the decisions are proved wrong, planners and brand managers will be forced to take responsibility for their choices, rather than pass the buck onto TAM. In short, this would result in risky but innovative decisions.

     

    As the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Unsubscribing from TV audience measurement might help improve television programming in India. And cheers to that.

     

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    PS: A photographer managed to get these expressions from bachchas. By giving them an ice-cream cone, and then abruptly taking it away from them. I know that’s mean. But it’s cute too. 🙂

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • India's 2012 haul was lower than that in 2011. But with adland putting on its game face for this year, will we see a larger basket of metals coming home?

    Can(nes) we give our best in 2013?

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    With 3 Golds, 3 Silvers and 8 Bronze Lions the Indian tally at Cannes Lions last year ended at a disappointing 14 metals. This was a sharp decline compared to the 24 metals that India had bagged in 2011. But the dismay of last year seems to be forgotten as the Indian camp gets ready to put up a better, if not the best, show this year.

     

    MxM India gets a few biggies of the ad fraternity to share their expectations from camp India this year.

     

     

    Prasoon Joshi, President – South Asia, McCann India

    The tally apart, I go to Cannes with a completely open mind to discover new surprises, works, etc that are done from around the world. To be able to predict India’s performance would be unfair on my part because the festival is such that agencies from around the world come and participate. As a result one goes there with a very open mind to see what are the new trends that have emerged in recent times. Also, where India’s performance is concerned it keeps wavering; I do not go there with too many expectations ever. It’s always a bonus if you win more. But as I said it is always a learning experience where one can learn a lot more.

     

    As for McCann India, we did well last year and managed to win a Gold. For this year I am counting on work around Stayfree to win us metals. It is work that we are very proud of. The work managed to win Gold at Abbys too. We have managed to use multiple mediums very well for the campaign like video, uses advocacy of intention of people to drive home an important point of social change with the brand. It’s all about girls drop out of school because of toilet/sanitation issues and therefore try and create awareness of the issue and try and educate girls in the process. The project also benefits the brand equity in the market and also encourages good social habit. When such work gets awarded it kind of encourages the whole team to do more.

     

     

    Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director, O&M India

    I am an eternal optimist and hope that this year will be India’s best ever. Across agencies, across disciplines and across categories there is some very interesting and original work we have submitted as a country. Yes there is always a lot of cultural nuancing in our work but therein lies the responsibility of our country’s jurors to educate the jury about the brilliance of our work. Judges from other countries, especially Latin America, do make the effort to do the same and hence they benefit from it.

     

     

    Sridhar Kondiparthi, Chief Creative Officer – India Sub Continent, Leo Burnett

    I think India stands a good chance this year. We should do better than last year and I hope we win in all verticals including Digital and Mobile. But I do not think this will be our best year ever at Cannes.

     

     

     

    Mahesh Parab, Executive Creative Director, DDB Mudra Delhi

    I am quite confident of Indian talent and craftsmanship so I am expecting India to win a lot. I would also like India to see India winning in some of the most challenging categories like Titanium, & Integrated, Promo & Activations Lions etc. As technology evolves, so does the possibility of what you can do with your ideas. So I would expect more innovative stuff from India this time around.

     

    As for the tally, it’s going to be tough to go past the tally of 25 Lions (2009). After the glory of 2008, India’s first Grand Prix ever, it’s going to be a Herculean task for Indian agencies. All the best.

     

  • India has sent over a thousand entries (1110, to be precise) and so far the performance has been fair, if Day 2 shortlists were to be included: 43 shortlists in Outdoor, 37 in Press and just 2 in Media.

    1 Minute View: Can we do it at Cannes?

    Pardon that exceedingly irritating over-use of the word ‘can’ in headlines on Cannes Lions, but we couldn’t help use it especially when it comes to wondering how Indian entries would fare at Cannes Lions 2013 which kicked off in right earnest on Sunday.

     

    India has sent over a thousand entries (1110, to be precise) and so far the performance has been fair, if Day 2 shortlists were to be included: 43 shortlists in Outdoor, 37 in Press and just 2 in Media.

     

    Now 2 from 106 entries sent in Media is a rather poor showing. Similarly, while there are 37 shortlists in Press, remember that we had sent in 257 entries. And in Outdoor the score is 43 of 249.

     

    The question now is how many of these shortlists actually go on to win a Lions.

     

    The results of the PR, Promo & Activation and Direct will be revealed by tonight, and there’s a good chance of Hindustan Lever’s Lifebuoy Roti Reminder winning a big ‘un.

     

    To the question in the headline: Yes, we can. The question is how much. Can we win more Grand Prix? Can we win more Golds? Can we increase our conversion rate of entries to shortlists?

     

    Those who’ve been on the various juries at Cannes should counsel our younger creative folks on what works for the juries and what doesn’t.

     

  • The Cannes Lions 2013 India Tally (Updated Monday, June 17, 6pm)

  • The Cannes Lions 2013 India Tally (updated Tuesday, June 18, 9am)

  • In the PR category, there were 1 Silvers and 2 Bronzes and in Direct a Bronze. Among the shortlists: 43 in Outdoor, 37 in Print and 2 in Media

    Mixed Day 2 for India@Cannes2013: 3 PR wins, 1 Direct; 82 shortlists

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was a mixed day for India on Day 2 of the Cannes Lions 2013 International Advertising Festival.

     

    In the PR category, there were 1 Silvers and 2 Bronzes and in Direct a Bronze.

     

    In Direct, DDB Mudra Mumbai, bagged a Bronze Lion for its campaign titled ‘Help Desk’ for the NGO Aarambh. Titled ‘Help Desk’. There were 61 Direct Lions winners in all. There were 79 Indian entries and 3 shortlists in all. Last year, India bagged 1 metal from out of 108 entries.

     

    In PR Lions, there were 95 winners. India sent in 27 entries of which 4 were shortlisted. Last year, no Indian entry won an award even though 19 entries were sent. Interesting the winning agencies in PR were not Indian public relastions agencies. In fact the metals were won Publicis Communications (Silver) and BBDO India and O&M India/Mindshare Fulcrum winning a Bronze each. There were no metals won in Promo and Activations where one Indian entry was shortlisted.

     

    Meanwhile, Indian entries had a good showing in the shortlists of the Outdoor and Press categories. In Outdoor, there were 43 shortlists, whereas in Press there were 37 shortlists. In Media, there were only 2 shortlists, where India drew a blank in the Mobile category yet again this year.

     

  • Jury members will gather for an on-ground and open-conversation jury session where they will discuss and decide the winners via private voting.

    Kyoorius Awards jury announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    Creative platform Kyoorius Designyatra will be home to the Kyoorius Awards starting this year. The Kyoorius Awards have been conceptualized by Kyoorius in partnership with D&AD and the International Advertising Association (India Chapter).

     

    A specialist jury panel has been selected for these awards, including some of the most inspirational creative professionals from across the globe. In a new format, all jury members will gather in Mumbai or Delhi for an on-ground and open-conversation jury session where they will discuss, debate and decide the winners via private voting.

     

    The jury will review entries from nine professional categories including identity, packaging, communication, digital, space, books, editorial, craft and design for good. The jury will also review and nominate winners in the six student award categories – Identity, typography, publication design, open brief, illustration and packaging. Each student winner will receive one free student pass to the 2014 Kyoorius Designyatra along with being featured in the annual awards showcase book.

     

    Judging of entries would be based on key three criteria:

    1) The originality of the concept and visualization

    2) The quality of execution

    3) The relevance and context of the idea

     

    This year’s jury comprises some of the biggest names in the creative industry across the world.

    – Elsie Nanji, Managing Partner, Red Lion, Mumbai

    – Hansen Ho, Founder and Creative Director, H55 – Sinagpore

    – Jeremy Leslie, Creative Director, MagCulture – London

    – Simon Sankarraya, Founding Partner and Creative Director, AllofUs – London

    – Tania Singh Khosla, Founder and Design Director, TSK Design – Bangalore

    – Gabor Schreier, Executive Creative Director of Saffron, Madrid

    – Ton Van Bragt, Founding Partner and Creative Director, Design Team, Kuala Lumpur

     

    “We at Kyoorius aim to recognize and honour outstanding creative work across the country. It is an extended effort to follow international standards and gather all jury members in Mumbai to review, discuss and elect the best of the best over three intensive days,” said Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, Kyoorius.

     

    The deadline for entries has been extended to July 2. The awards ceremony will be held in Goa on August 29 at the Kyoorius Designyatra. Winners in the professional categories get one free entry of their choice to the next D&AD awards and one for the winning studio to Kyoorius Designyatra 2013. All finalists and winners get space in the special Awards Book, of which 5,000 copies will be printed and distributed across corporate world, agency and studios, schools, institutions, etc.

     

  • The interactive video-views platform is also available on Android phones.

    Firstpost launches promo for YouSpeak

    By A Correspondent

     

    Firstpost.com, India’s leading news and views portal has just launched the longest commercial for its interactive, video views platform, YouSpeak, which is also available on Android phones.

     

    Conceptualized and directed by Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract, the ad runs for three minutes and 52 seconds and showcases a monologue of a quintessential modern woman spanning multiple subjects. She urges users to express themselves, as bottled-up feelings can be toxic.

     

    Mr Deshpande commented, “Often, your opinion, is linked to the way you are as a person. When you hear or read someone’s opinion, you can envision his face in your mind’s eye. That’s why, seeing the person speak is more powerful than just reading or hearing an opinion. The idea was to create a short film which is in fact a person’s opinion. Who she is as a person is clearly reflected in the content and delivery of her talk. Just as the personality of thousands of other video uploaders will be evident from what they have to say on YouSpeak.”

     

    YouSpeak, which was launched in March, allows users to express their views/ opinions via a 30-second comment on any topic on Firstpost.com and also allows them to start a conversation of their choice. It is also available for Android Mobile users, which will allow users to upload their points of view anytime, anywhere.

     

    The full ad can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGa3R4yCYg and the app can be downloaded at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.youspeak.

     

    Creative Agency: Contract India

    Art Director: Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and CCO, Contract Advertising

    Writer: Malobi Dasgupta

    Concept & Direction: Ravi Deshpande

    DOP: Faroukh Mistry

    Actor: Priyanka Bose

    Account Management: Anish Kotian, Gayathri Bhaskaran

    Production: FAR productions

     

  • The Cannes Lions 2013 India Tally (updated Wed, June 19, 9am)

     

  • Such an award will help shift the focus back to real journalism. The reason why many of us opted for this profession in the first place. But got disillusioned along the way when we discovered that a healthy financial bottom-line seems to matter more than a healthy nation in the corporatized Indian media.

    Anil Thakraney: Tehelka’s award for courage is a good idea

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Tehelka has announced the ‘Tarun Sehrawat Award For Journalism Of Courage And Conscience’. The award is named in the memory a young journo who died on duty last year, at the age of 23, in the Naxal heartland. I think such an award is needed, and it’s a timely idea.

     

    Because, with the massive media explosion in India and the resultant cut-throat competition, real journalism seems to have been relegated to the back seat. Proprietors and marketing directors are calling the shots in most organizations; the editor’s role has become secondary. Profitability is now the name of the game, and this is what leads to ugly, completely unethical practices like paid news. Naturally, this is terrible news for India. For the nation’s good health, we have to encourage journalists to push the boundaries, and within the restrictions they find themselves in today, find a way to unearth the hard truths. There are plenty of awards given away to the members of the media each year, but I find them meaningless. Because they appear to reward style more than substance. Tehelka’s effort therefore is very welcome.

     

    And what I find most interesting is that the award is meant only for young journos, those under the age of 30 years. Terrific. We need to motivate the youngsters, we need to remind them why are journalists, we need to make sure they don’t get lost in the world of materialism and puffery. And if these dudes taste blood at a young age, chances are high they will retain the same passion for journalism throughout their careers.

     

    Of course, Tehelka is trying to build its own brand, and that’s fine. The important thing is this: Such an award will help shift the focus back to real journalism. The reason why many of us opted for this profession in the first place. But got disillusioned along the way when we discovered that a healthy financial bottom-line seems to matter more than a healthy nation in the corporatized Indian media.

     

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    PS: Crazy. A totally harmless commercial has invited a dirty backlash on the YouTube video. All because it features a mixed-race family. As a matter of fact, I think such ads should be encouraged, they are important for the plural societies we live in. And a pat on the back to the advertiser for refusing to pull the commercial. Cheers to Cheerios!

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Even an otherwise confident brand like Axe has fallen for the Indian celebrity circus. However, the cool thing they have done is that Ranbir gets beaten by a non-celeb.

    Debrief: Axe Blast: The chick scorecard

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Axe continues with the same old, tried and tested route: Use our deo, and chicks will chase you to the end of the world. This time they’ve roped in Ranbir Kapoor to do the honours. Even an otherwise confident brand like Axe has fallen for the Indian celebrity circus. However, the cool thing they have done in the commercial is that Ranbir gets beaten by a non-celeb.

     

    My feminists pals aren’t going to like this TVC at all (just they loathe all the male deo ads), because the chicks our guys ‘score’ are now being metered. A clicker device is used by the star each time he gets ‘favourable’ female attention, which is plenty of times. Just as our young Casanova is feeling all chuffed, another man shows him his own clicker, which has a much higher score. Well, Ranbir needs to work harder, which means start using Axe Blast.

     

    Not bad. For one, the celeb isn’t the brand user in this case (though subliminally he is), which is refreshing to see in desi advertising. Two, the chick meter is an idea that young chaps will like. Guys do boast about the women they have scored with (the figure is almost always vastly exaggerated), and the device helps put that (fake) number on record, so to speak. Axe can build on this simple little tool in the future.

     

    In short, this ad works. That it will leave feminists pissed off won’t worry Axe too much. This brand isn’t for them, it’s meant for chronic skirt chasers like young Ranbir.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Same old stuff, but refreshing use of celeb

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The Taproot story is outstanding not just because it’s got some really hot and happening accounts. It’s even how it’s not just an agency for the big, elite brands.

    1 Minute View: What makes Taproot outstanding

    Depending on when you are reading this, it would be known (at least to the media at Cannes, albeit under an embargo till after the presentation is over this evening) about how many more metals Indian entries have received. Specifically, it would be known if or not Taproot has bagged any more accolades for their work in the Press and Design categories awards for which will be given away today.

     

    It’s also not the first time that veteran to senior to mid-level to junior adfolk have broken away from the biggies to set up their own. Most of them have done well and only few have fallen by the wayside. Many of these got acquired by larger agencies, even networks. Quite like Taproot.

     

    The Taproot story is outstanding not just because it’s got some really hot and happening accounts… from Times to Airtel to Pepsi. But it’s even shown how it’s not just an agency for the big, elite brands. By helping change the image of Karbonn mobile phones, it has shown that the ‘kamaal’ works across brand types.

     

    Call it a stroke of luck or sheer hardwork, to our mind what works for Taproot is that the boys still have their feet on the ground. Plus a connect with the masses.

     

    And eventually that’s what finally matters.