MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • … as Hindustan Unilever is Media Client of the Year followed by Cadbury India and Tata Docomo

    Mindshare emerges victorious in a closely-fought Emvies 2013

    The victorious Mindshare team winning the Best Media Agency of the Year 2013

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    When an award show in the dynamic world of advertising returns with its next edition, one always expects an element of newness or surprise to come along with it. In keeping with the tradition, Emvies, the annual awards property honouring the best works coming out from media agencies, managed to do just that. The Ballroom at Taj Lands End, Mumbai was a house under deafening noise attack last Friday (September 6) as The Advertising Club hosted the thirteenth edition of its popular awards show. *See Disclaimer

     

     

    It is teamwork that matters: Atit Mehta

     

    It’s a different feeling to see your brand being felicitated at an awards stage that is meant to be dominated by another industry in limelight. But it’s become a habit now for Hindustan Unilever Ltd. that won the Media Client of the Year award at Emvies 2013, a platform that felicitates good work done by media agencies in the year gone by.

     

    Atit Mehta, Head of Media Services - South Asia for Unilever South Asia opens up on his excitement on winning the top prize at the Emvies and what makes HUL an organisation to vie for. Excerpts…

     

    Like your Agency of Record (AoR), winning the Client of the Year award at Emvies has become a habit of sorts for you too. Your comments.

    Rather than a habit, the good work getting appreciated is a very satisfying feeling. This year has been great; HUL has again won the Best Media Client of the Year award and our agency has also won the Agency of the Year award so it’s double excitement for us.

     

    What is the extent to which HUL associates itself with your AoR in reaching out the brand’s message to the masses?

    It’s teamwork that matters; they are our agency partners and whatever work comes out is a collaborative effort.

     

    What is the thrust that HUL lays on ad spends for its products under various categories?

    We are quite a large advertiser but more than that it is the hard work and sweat put in by the agency members that has resulted in us attaining the top spot this year too.

     

    How easy or difficult is it to get the desired work done by your agency year after year?

    It’s always a challenge but we push ourselves ahead with the belief that we need to excel and work hard every single day.

     

    Were you disappointed that some of the entries did not win any awards?

    No, there is no disappointment as such.

     

    What has been your emphasis on digital as a medium for advertising? How do you see it growing going forward?

    Digital is and will remain an important medium as we go forward.

     

    While those in attendance will vouch for the extent of euphoria that descended upon the venue, what was more unnerving was the neck-and-neck battle that was on between the Top 3 players every stage of the way. But at the end there had to be a single winner and it was no different this year as that honour was bestowed upon Mindshare, the WPP-owned agency that’s part of the Group M stable. With 165 points and 18 metals under its belt, including 3 Golds, 9 Silvers and 6 Bronzes, the agency just about marched past the others to emerge Agency of the Year for the sixth year in a row. Also, retaining its place as the best of the lot was Hindustan Unilever Ltd. that emerged the Client of the Year for 2013 as well. With 4 Golds, 4 Silvers and 4 Bronze metals to its credit HUL ended at the top of the client list tally with 120 points.

     

    But while Mindshare proved its dominance yet again what many would like to remember of the night was the manner in which it was challenged by surprise runner-up Lodestar UM. From the fifth position last year, the agency proved that it was right up there when it came to being the best as it finished a close second this year. With the most number of Golds (5) to its credit, the agency closed its tally at 150 points including 7 Silvers and a single Bronze metal. At No 3 was another regular Maxus, which ended its tally this year at 120 points that included 3 Golds, 6 Silvers, and 3 Bronze metals.  Maxus, also part of the Group M stable, was numero uno in the leaderboards for a good part of the awards ceremony.

     

    In keeping with the surprise element this year, what was also noteworthy was the emergence of another minnow (in terms of awards competence) ‘ibs’ that walked away with the Grand Emvie for work on its client Tata Docomo – Hyper personalization: The world’s first CRM-powered campaign on Social Media. With 65 points, including 3 Golds, it occupied the No 7 spot overall on the leaderboard. Also noteworthy, and surprising, was the presence of creative agency Ogilvy, which gave the big media agencies a run for their prowess, as it occupied the fourth spot with 85 points. It included 4 Golds, 2 Silvers and a single Bronze award with its work on Lifebuoy Roti Reminder and Akanksha Foundation – Classroom Mumbai being awarded across multiple categories.

     

    A total of 90 metals were handed out to agencies this year that had submitted the highest number of entries in 2013 at 742.

     

    As for the gold winners, Mindshare won two golds for work on ‘5.2 years of digital content viewed in just six months!’ campaign for Axe Deodorant in the Best Media Innovation – Digital (social media) category while its work on ‘Cholchhe Na Aar Cholbe Na: “Can’t Happen”, Won’t Happen Anymore!’ for ABP Ananda in the Best Integrated Campaign – Media/ Media Property category accounted for the third gold for the agency. As for Lodestar UM, its work on ‘National Headache Reliever’ campaign for Saridon (Best Media Strategy – Consumer Products) was one of the most appreciated and also won it a gold alongwith its work on ‘Making Milk Exciting – The Olympics’ campaign for Amul Milk (Best Media Innovation – Sponsorship), ‘Unfinished Stories’ campaign for Tata Docomo (Best Media Innovation – Print, dailies) and ‘Coke Studio: One with youth’ campaign for Coke Studio (Best Integrated Campaign – Consumer Products). Maxus bagged three golds for work on ‘The Advantage and Disadvantage’ for Fiat that won two golds in Best Media Strategy – Consumer Durables and Best Media Innovation – Digital (Search) categories, while the third gold came from ‘Your Wish is My App’ campaign for Nokia Lumia (Best Media Innovation – TV – Media/ Media Property).

     

    Hindustan Unilever awarded Media Client of the Year

     

     

    It’s not been that easy this year: Ravi Rao

     

    Emvies 2013 could be summed up as the closest contest ever fought between the Top 3 medai agencies in recent years. But it was business as usual for Mindshare as they bagged the Agency of the Year award for the sixth year in a row.

     

    In conversation with MxMIndia, Ravi Rao, Leader, South Asia at Mindshare shares his excitement of repeating the feat year after year, and, what to expect from the awards going forward.

     

    Lodestar UM and Maxus nearly toppled you from the top spot but in the end you prevailed and won the Media Agency of the Year title yet again. Did you expect the kind of contest that was witnessed at the Emvies this year?

    It has not been that easy this year. Two agencies Lodestar and Maxus almost gave me a heart attack with many of their works being appreciated. But this year was the sixth year in a row that we managed to win this title. The way the contest was fought this year only means that it is going to be a tough race again next year but I can assure you that we are going to give our best shot next year as well.

     

    Did you expect such a tough challenge from them?

    I did expect a close race from Lodestar UM and Maxus. I had seen some of their presentations and they were really up there. But all I want to say is that we want to continue to excel and keep giving the others a stiff competition. We will keep doing that all the time.

     

    Are you disappointed that a few entries did not make the cut and that the Grand Emvie did not come to you?

    There were a couple of shortlists that did not make the mark, so, yes, I am a bit disappointed over there. But that’s life; we’ve got to keep moving forward.

     

    Any entries or agencies that managed to spring up a surprise this year?

    I think the entry by ibs on Tata Docomo was brilliant. It was an agency that one had not heard of much before but the kind of work that they put up and the awards that they bagged this year makes them worthy of an admiration.

     

    How has Emvies as an award evolved this year? Are you happy with the way things panned out on this platform?

    I think this is one of the best media awards that you’ll see. Over here, the clients also decide on the calibre of work to be rewarded and for me that’s a huge compliment for the media agencies.

     

    Any words of advice to your sibling-cum-competitor Ajit Varghese?

    I’d like to say ‘hats off to you Ajit Varghese!’. It was such a close touch-and-go contest all the way. I know they are going to keep coming stronger… and I am prepared for that!

     

    What do you anticipate for the year 2014 on the awards front?

    I cannot say about 2014 right now but I wish and insist that it is us only.

     

    The other two big winners from the client’s end were Cadbury India Ltd that bagged a total of 3 Golds, 3 Silvers and 2 Bronze awards while Tata Docomo was third with 1 Grand Emvie and 3 Golds to its credit. Also noteworthy was the Young Emvie of the Year award that was bagged by Farah Siddiqui of Mindshare.

     

    As for the awards tally, the other winners include MediaCom Communications and ibs that secured sixth and seventh places with 80 and 65 points while DDB Mudra Max with 50 points, MEC with 30 points and OMD India with 20 points finished the tally in the eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively.

     

    The awards presentation was interspersed with media professionals performing and competing for team and solo Indian and Western categories of the Band Baja Award.

     

    *MxMIndia was a Media Partner of Emvies 2013

    Photographs by Puneet Chandok. Courtesy: DNA

     

  • Dentsu Communications mandated to unveil new aspects of the MRF brand to consumers

    Dentsu wins part of MRF’s advertising duties

    By A Correspondent

     

    For Gurgaon-headquartered Dentsu there was reason to bring out the bubbly. Dentsu Communications has won a part of the creative mandate of MRF. The account win was the outcome of a robust multi agency pitch process.

     

    Dentsu Communications’ mandate is to create newer aspects of the brand for consumers to see it in a new light altogether. Dentsu Communications – a Dentsu India Group company was chosen as a partner by the leading tyre manufacturer on the basis of the group’s exceptional understanding of the automotive segment.

     

    Commenting on bringing onboard Dentsu Communications as a creative partner, Koshy Varghese, Executive Vice President – Marketing, MRF said, “At MRF, we are looking at further consolidating our leadership position. We have plans to unveil new aspects of our brand to consumers. In this context we needed a partner who has an understanding of the automotive segment, and is in a position to work closely with us to fulfill our objectives.”

     

    Rohit Ohri

    On winning the prestigious account Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India Group said, “We’re delighted with this opportunity to partner MRF in India. It’s not just a dream come true for us, but also an opportunity to rapidly scale up our operation in Chennai. Dentsu Communications and Dentsu Media will be working together to provide integrated communication solutions on the business.” Ashwin Parthiban, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Communications and Suresh Mohankumar, National Business Head will lead the business.

     

  • Grey Group has hired Sanjay Chaudhari and Shahvez Afridi for its Gillette account

    Grey beefs top deck for Gillette, hires Sanjay Chaudhari & Shahvez Afridi

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Grey group has hired Sanjay Chaudhari as vice-president and regional client service director to lead Gillette’s regional client communication strategies and Shahvez Afridi as regional planning director to oversee Gillette’s planning practices across Asia Pacific.

     

    Both Messrs Chaudhari and Afridi will be reporting to Fernando Beretta, executive vice-president (Procter & Gamble), Grey Group Asia Pacific.

     

    Mr Chaudhari brings to his role more than 22 years of experience spanning across a diverse portfolio of clients that including multiple Fortune 500 brands such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive, Coca-Cola, American Express, Motorola and Philips. His multi-faceted insights to consumer behaviour was gained through assignments in diverse markets across Asia – Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, India and the Middle East – Morocco and Lebanon.

     

    Mr Afridi comes on board Grey with 19 years of end-to-end consumer insights and brand strategy experience spanning the region. His previous stints include nurturing and overseeing the planning function for some of the world’s biggest advertising agencies – BBDO in Singapore and Lowe Lintas & Partners in Mumbai and Delhi, where he was tasked to drive consumer and strategic planning for clients such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever, amongst others.

     

    “We are excited to have Gillette, the world’s leading men’s shaving line as our client. This is the second P&G account won by Grey globally following Duracell. The win signifies client’s continued trust and confidence in Grey – at Cannes this year, we picked up three Cannes Lions awards, a Gold and two Bronze for Duracell,” explained Mr Beretta. “The Asia-Pacific region is a huge untapped potential in terms of the male grooming market. With their strategic insights and broad management experience, I’m confident that Sanjay and Shahvez are well-positioned to drive the next growth phrase for Gillette,” he added.

     

  • Of the 4832 entries received, India was the fifth highest sender with 509 entries across 16 categories

    509 Indian entries to vie for Spikes Asia metals

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity, the awards and festival for the creative communications industry in Asia Pacific to be held from September 15 to 17 in Singapore, has reported receiving a total of 4,832 entries from 20 countries.

     

    Australia has submitted the most entries with 710, followed by China with 679, Japan with 622, Singapore with 520, India with 509 and Hong Kong with 307 entries.

     

    Entries have been submitted into 16 different awards categories: Film (373), Print (565), Outdoor (762), Radio (154), Media 447), Direct (342), Promo & Activation (385), Digital (273), Print & Poster Craft (368), Film Craft (331), Design (263), PR (195), Mobile (124), Integrated (58), Branded Content & Entertainment (161), and Creative Effectiveness (31).

     

    As many as 78 industry practitioners from APAC and beyond that make up the 10 juries will soon cast their votes and decide on who will take home the coveted Spikes awards. Leading the juries are: Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather and Chairman of Ogily’s Worldwide Creative Council (Film, Print, Outdoor and Radio plus Integrated); Jose Miguel Sokoloff, Chairman of Lowe SSP3 and President Creative Council of Lowe Worldwide (Direct and Promo & Activation); Masaru Kitakaze, Executive Creative Director and Corporate Officer of Hakuhodo (Digital and Mobile);  Mike Cooper, Worldwide CEO of PHD (Media); Derek Lockwood, Worldwide Director of Design, Saatchi & Saatchi (Design); Lynne Anne Davis, President and Senior Partner, Asia Pacific, FleishmanHillard (PR); Lo Sheung Yan, Chairman, Asia Pacific Creative Council, JWT (Craft); Anthony Freedman, Group CEO of Host, Sydney (Branded Content & Entertainment); and Jarek Ziebinski, President, Leo Burnett Asia Pacific (Creative Effectiveness). There are six Indian jurors in the 78 (in no specific order): Josy Paul, Sanjiv Sharma, Sudhir Sharma, Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Pratap Bose and Ajit Varghese.

     

    “This is an extraordinary amount of work that will require the full attention of the talented juries as they unite to select the best pieces of creative communications being produced in the APAC region,” says Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals.  “The winning work which will drive inspiration and push the industry forward, will not only have an impact at a regional level, but also globally. We eagerly look forward to the results of Spikes 2013.”

     

    The winners will be revealed during the Spikes Asia awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 17.

     

  • DDB Mudra COO Pratap Bose takes charge from Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands & Lodestar UM

    Continuing education, not awards to be focus of new Advertising Club prez

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group Chief Operating Officer Pratap Bose was unanimously elected President of the Advertising Club. He replaced Shashi Sinha, CEO, Mediabrands India and Lodestar UM, who held the post since 2011.

     

    Speaking on his priorities, Mr Bose said that while awards (like the Abby, Effies and recently held Emvies) are important activities of the Club, his priority will be continuing education programmes for the industry.

     

    Mr Bose and 14 others would constitute the office bearers and managing committee of the Ad Club, the country’s premier advertising club constituting members of the advertising, media and marketing fraternity.

     

    Other officebearers include Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group (Vice President), Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors (Secretary), Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept (Joint Secretary) and Umesh Shrikhande, CEO, Taproot India (Treasurer)

     

    The managing committee members are:

    in alphabetical order of last names: Punitha Arumugam (Google), Bhaskar Das (Zee Media), Kunal Jeswani (Ogilvy & Mather), Harit Nagpal (Tata Sky), Rohit Ohri (Dentsu), Josy Paul (BBDO India) and Ravi Rao (Mindshare).

     

    While outgoing president Mr Sinha (IPG Mediabrands, Lodestar UM) continues as Immediate Past President for a period of two years, Sunil Lulla (Times Television) and Prasanth Mohanachandran (AgencyDigi) have been co-opted on the committee.

     

    Said Mr Kakar on the constituting of the Ad Club’s top deck: “This year we are fortunate to have a very senior and strong committee comprising people who are not only committing their names but also their invaluable time to the common good of our industry,” Mr Bose too is happy with the core team. “It’s a good mix of people from across the spectrum,” he said.

     

    The Advertising Club annual general meeting was held in Mumbai on Wednesday (September 11) and the managing committee and officebearers were elected for the year 2013-14. The committee members can seek re-election next year.

     

     

     

    If processes are clear, there will be no problems with Creative Abby: Pratap Bose

     

    The new Advertising Club President’s has a day job that possibly has him work beyond 24×7. As Chief Operating Officer of the DDB Mudra Group and a member of the agency’s operating board, Pratap Bose joined DDB Mudra from Ogilvy & Mather in 2008, where he worked for 15 years in various capacities, and went on to become its youngest CEO in 2006.

     

    Excerpts from an interview with Bose where he speaks on his priorities, a problems-free Abby and how he hopes to drive the Ad Club forward.

     

    What will be your priorities as president of the Advertising Club:

    For a long time, the perception has been the Advertising Club is the purveyor of awards. While awards are important and they recognise the best in class, for me the focus is going to be on continuing education programmes. Giving back to the community in various forms - by not just awards, but also education, seminars and learning via interacttion with personalities.

     

    Speaking of awards and the Creative Abby specifically, while a lot has been cleansed, it touched a new low this year.

    Remember, the Emvies and Effies go without a hitch. It’s only with the Creative Abby. Mind you, there were no issues the year before. Last year, there were a couple of things that sprung up but we realise that these issues can easily be fixed. What I am looking to do is to institutionalise a very transparent and frank discussion on what needs to be done with all stakeholders well before Goafest. I am a strong believer that if you have a process that has a buy-in from everyone and it’s not a diktat, things will sort themselves out. If the processes are clear and there are no ambiguities, we should have no problems whatsoever.

     

    Some agencies have had reservations about going to Goa. Any thoughts of shifting the awards back to Mumbai?

    It’s not a Goa versus Mumbai debate in my mind. As long as the process is clean and you are fair, rational and honest, I don’t think there’s any issue about Goa and Mumbai

     

    The Bombay has been dropped from Advertising Club, how successful has the move to go national been?

    I think we’ve made a start. I believe the local ad associations - whether in Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai should co-exist. We are happy to have them on board… at the end of the day, we are one community. The whole idea is to be inclusive and work for the betterment of the industry. We have made some progress by having the awards judging of Effies and Emvies in Delhi. And there’s no reason why it can’t go beyond Delhi. We could extend to Kolkata, Bengaluru…

     

    What else in the next two years?

    Well, we are going to looking at all forms of communication. We are talking of a two-day workshop for the entertainment industry and looking at people to help us on film production. So, it’s not just talking to creative guys or planners. We are also looking at developing a new website, a new logo, be relevant on Twitter and Facebook. All in all, lift the image of the club and not just an awards club.

     

    All this is going to take a fair bit of time… how do you take care of your day job at DDB Mudra?

    (laughs) Well, that’s the reason why I have picked a nice mix of people. I am going to entrust each of them with a responsibility that’s clearly defined and they will all take things forward.

     

    		  

    Abby should continue in Goa: Shashi Sinha

     

    IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar CEO Shashi Sinha on his two-year term as Ad Club President, the Creative Abby controversy and the demand to bring the Abby back to Mumbai

     

    The IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar CEO Shashi Sinha is widely regarded as ‘Mr Consensus’ in the Indian advertising and marketing industry. Known to take the industry along in whatever he does which may require wielding the stick at times, Mr Sinha is credited with cleansing Ad Club’s Creative Abby awards process a few years back. In a short interview with MxMIndia, Mr Sinha speaks on on his two-year term as Ad Club President, the Creative Abby controversy and the demand to bring the Abby back to Mumbai

     

    How do you feel relinquishing charge after an eventful two years as Ad Club President?

    Mixed feelings, frankly. We successfully moved from Advertising Club Bombay to Advertising Club, and making it more national in character. We’ve done well financially. Goafest and the Creative Abby was a problem last year, though my first two years were excellent

     

    Any unfinished agenda?

    We started with other markets very well, but I wish we had done more on continuing education. I think we got stuck with awards and the plan to go to smaller towns couldn’t be done.

     

    And the Creative Abby controversy. Any solutions, as you look back?

    We discussed that in the meeting. The solution is that there are rules, put them down clearly, publish them and let there be no deviation.

     

    There is a demand for the Abby to be held in Mumbai and not in Goa

    Goafest brings the industry together, and I think we should continue to have the Abby in Goa. We are one industry and it shouldn’t be a divided house.

     

    Do you think the Abby should be given to a private operator like it is at the Cannes Lions?

    Right now, the Abbys are for the industry and by the industry. While we make profits that’s not our primary objective. I think when you hand it over to a private player, the entry and delegate fees will go up dramatically.

     

    What next?

    I am already actively involved with BARC, heading the technical committee. In fact the last two months that has taken priority over most other things, but I am happy with the way things are going on that front.

     
  • Ogilvy & Mather acquire a majority stake in Hyderabad-based PennyWise Solutions

    Ogilvy gets PennyWise. Acquires majority in digital co

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy & Mather announced it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in PennyWise Solutions Pvt Ltd, a leading digital technology and production company.

     

    PennyWise will serve as the digital technology and production centre of excellence for Ogilvy& Mather in India. It will power best practice digital delivery for the agency’s India network as well as the O&M APAC network. The Hyderabad-based firm was established by current CEO Anand Morzaria in 2003, and has grown from a six-member start-up to 140+-staff leader in digital delivery.

     

    Piyush Pandey

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia: “Creative is the soul of Ogilvy. And digital is today’s opportunity for creative expression. Digital is a critical growth pillar for Ogilvy India. As we build digital services, talent and thinking across the organisation, we also need partners with different skills.PennyWise are, quite simply, the best digital technology and production professionals in the business. This is a strategic investment. It will combine the digital skills and services of both companies to deliver solutions for our clients across India and APAC.”

     

    PennyWise has a global customer base, covering Europe and North America, as well as India.  The current client portfolio includes Vodafone India, Johnson & Johnson and WPP Agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Soho Square and a host of others.

    Said Anand Morzaria, CEO, PennyWise Solutions: “This partnership will help us combine our deep and proven expertise in developing digital and new media technology solutions with Ogilvy’s own offerings for clients across India and other APAC markets.”

     

    Kunal Jeswani

    Kunal Jeswani, Chief Digital Officer, Ogilvy India added: “Ogilvy represents excellence in digital strategy and ideation. PennyWise represents excellence in digital technology and production. They are exactly the kind of partner we were looking for.

     

  • Havas Sports & Entertainment and music licensing agency Music Dealers join forces to help brands better leverage music

    Dial Havas for music for your brands

    By A Correspondent

     

    Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E) has announced a global strategic partnership with Music Dealers, an independent music licensing agency and digital platform that provides clients with emerging music. India is also a part of this partnership.

     

    Music Dealers crowd-source existing and original music from their database of over 20k emerging artsts across 80 countries. HS&E is part of Havas Media Group which is headed in India and South Asia by Anita Nayyar.

     

    As brands look for new ways to incorporate music into their campaigns to drive social conversation and engagement, Music Dealers’ knowledge of the global music industry and music strategy will partner with Havas to offer clients unique music expertise and strategy.

     

  • He joins as Head of Strategy for the Northern Region at Mindshare from Lowe, where he was VP-Strategic Planning

    John Thangaraj is Mindshare’s strategy head for North

    By A Correspondent

     

    John Thangaraj

    Mindshare has announced the appointment of John Thangaraj as Head of Strategy for the Northern region. Mr Thangaraj will assume responsibility for the Mindshare strategy product across Delhi clients.

     

    In his last role, he was Vice President – Strategic Planning at Lowe, where he was responsible for the product planning on a cluster of brands including Wills Lifestyle, Nestle Confectionary, Hindustan Times, Dabur Real, Shine.com, Woodland, Expedia.co.in and OLX.in.

     

    Announcing the appointment, Alok Sinha, Leader – Strategy (South Asia) said, “We are glad to welcome John to Mindshare and the extended GroupM family. He’s got category and industry experience, and is a great team leader. I am confident he will be able to lead the strategy division to even greater heights.”

     

    Ravi Rao

    Ravi Rao, Leader South Asia, Mindshare said, “I am pleased to welcome John. He has the combination between being imaginative, strategic and entrepreneurial that our strategy community and clients need.

     

    Commenting on what he hopes to achieve at Mindshare, Mr Thangaraj said, “First and foremost, I hope to future proof myself. I have a strong belief in the fact that ‘advertising’ as is currently practiced in India does not have a shelf life of more than a decade (at the very most).

     

  • The DDB Mudra outdoor firm was commissioned by Star Plus to execute a big bang campaign for the epic serial

    Mahabharat characters come alive thanks to DDB Mudramax OOH

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Plus has partnered with DDB Mudramax OOH to create an awareness and buzz for the launch of its epic serial Mahabharat that starts today (Sep 16).

     

    A hi-decibel OOH campaign  has been executed across 100 plus towns in the country from metros to LC1 towns. The emphasis has been on innovation route to garner the desired eyeballs and buzz.

     

     

     

    Spencer Noronha

    Said Spencer Noronha, VP, DDB Mudramax OOH: “The brief was to create impact and buzz for Star Plus’ Mahabharat. We selected the most impactful media vehicles clubbed with three “first of its kind” innovations and ensured that the awareness and recall generated for the show launch is quick as well as lasting. The idea was to bring the billboards to life by recreating famous scenes from the epic on ground.

     

     

     

    The route we used was to put up large 3D sculptures on the billboards ranging from 17 to 22 ft in height emerging out of the billboards. The three innovations of Arjun, Shakuni and Draupadi look dominating and dwarf the conventional innovations done so far on the OOH platform.  These innovations have been entirely conceptualized and designed by our in-house OOH creative team.”

     

     

     

    Nikhil Madhok

    Nikhil Madhok, SVP Marketing added: “The work done for Mahabharat by DDBMudramax OOH has been outstanding. The innovations have been novel and the scale of execution has been a first of its kind in the country on the OOH platform. Star Plus always strives to disrupt and this execution is another example of our continued efforts in that direction.”

     

     

     

    Anirudha Pawar

    Anirudha Pawar, DGM, DDB Mudramax OOH explained: “We have installed large sculptures on strategically located high impact billboards in the city. We hired professional sculpture artists to ensure that the final output comes to life especially as it involved recreating human form. Getting all three sculptures ready and put up simultaneously at the start of the OOH campaign was a mammoth task and took detailed planning on our part.”

     

  • Indian entries secured 62 shortlists but drew blanks in the all-important categories of the future – digital, mobile and branded content/entertainment

    Mixed results for India as Spikes Asia gets underway

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Better known as the Cannes of the East, the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity is no new international adfest. It was set up way back in 1987 as the Asian Advertising Awards by Media Magazine. It was held in Hong Kong and for seven years thereafter. It later moved to Bali and finally to Singapore.

     

    Then, 21 years after inception, it got relaunched as Spikes Asia, following a collaboration between Haymarket, publishers of Media magazine now called Campaign Asia, and the organizers of the Cannes Lions. The proceedings take place in Singapore’s Suntec City.

     

    There are various other festivals in Asia, as they are on an international level, but Spikes has grown much in stature. This year, over 1800 industry professionals from 28 countries are said to be attending the three days of learning, insights, celebration and networking. Honouring Asia-Pacific’s creative excellence in advertising and communications, this year a total of 4832 entries have been received for the Awards which are judged by leading international and regional creatives and industry experts. The best creative work in the categories of Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Digital, Integrated, Direct, Promo & Activation, Media, Print & Poster Craft, Film Craft, Design, Mobile, PR, Branded Content & Entertainment and Creative Effectiveness are awarded.

     

    Australia has submitted the most entries with 710, followed by China with 679, Japan with 622, Singapore with 520, India with 509 and Hong Kong with 307 entries. Entries have been submitted into 16 different awards categories: Film (373), Print (565), Outdoor (762), Radio (154), Media 447), Direct (342), Promo & Activation (385), Digital (273), Print & Poster Craft (368), Film Craft (331), Design (263), PR (195), Mobile (124), Integrated (58), Branded Content & Entertainment (161), and Creative Effectiveness (31). Note the number of overall entries has reduced a wee bit and so have the entries from India.

     

    As many as 77 industry practitioners from APAC and beyond that make up the 10 juries will soon cast their votes and decide on who will take home the coveted Spikes awards. Leading the juries are: Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather and Chairman of Ogily’s Worldwide Creative Council (Film, Print, Outdoor and Radio plus Integrated); Jose Miguel Sokoloff, Chairman of Lowe SSP3 and President Creative Council of Lowe Worldwide (Direct and Promo & Activation); Masaru Kitakaze, Executive Creative Director and Corporate Officer of Hakuhodo (Digital and Mobile);  Mike Cooper, Worldwide CEO of PHD (Media); Derek Lockwood, Worldwide Director of Design, Saatchi & Saatchi (Design); Lynne Anne Davis, President and Senior Partner, Asia Pacific, FleishmanHillard (PR); Lo Sheung Yan, Chairman, Asia Pacific Creative Council, JWT (Craft); Anthony Freedman, Group CEO of Host, Sydney (Branded Content & Entertainment); and Jarek Ziebinski, President, Leo Burnett Asia Pacific (Creative Effectiveness). There are six Indian jurors in the 78 (in no specific order): Josy Paul, Sanjiv Sharma, Sudhir Sharma, Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Pratap Bose and Ajit Varghese

     

    “This is an extraordinary amount of work that will require the full attention of the talented juries as they unite to select the best pieces of creative communications being produced in the APAC region,” says Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals.  “The winning work which will drive inspiration and push the industry forward, will not only have an impact at a regional level, but also globally. We eagerly look forward to the results of Spikes 2013.”  The winners will be revealed during the Spikes Asia awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 17.

     

    Day 1 and 2 of Spikes Asia had an interesting set of speakers, but all eyes were on the shortlists that were declared in two instalments. India drew a blank in Radio, Digital, Mobile and Branded Content/Entertainment. But the news from the shortlists is no great shakes for India. There’s just one in Promotions and Activations, two each in Direct and Film, PR gets three (and these are not PR agencies), Design gets six, Media has eight (including some in digital and mobile which didn’t get a mention in the digital and mobile shortlists, Print gets 14 and Outdoor is the big one with 26. The tally thus far has 62 shortlists.

     

    It’s too early to do an agency-wise analysis. It would perhaps be more appropriate once the final results are out tomorrow (Tuesday, Sep 15) evening. The rest of the shortlists will also be announced tomorrow, which is the last day of Spikes Asia.

     

    SPIKES ASIA DAY 1 SHORTLISTS OF INDIAN ENTRIES

     

     

  • The Advertising Standards Council of India asks for withdrawl of Hike Messenger's online commercials

    ASCI asks Bharti Softbank to axe Taproot’s digital ads for Hike Messenger

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    The Advertising Standards Council of India has for the first time taken action against a digital ad, asking Bharti SoftBank to withdraw an online commercial for its free messaging app Hike Messenger because it violated its codes.

     

    The self-regulatory advertising watchdog has sent out a suspension order on a commercial titled ‘Keep Close Friends Close’ to both Bharti SoftBank and creative agency Taproot, after finding it “extremely offensive”.

     

    Arvind Sharma

    “This is the first time we could take a strict stand against an ad that was launched in the digital space,” Arvind Sharma, the outgoing chairman of ASCI and chairman and CEO India Subcontinent at Leo Burnett, said. Umesh Srikhande, CEO at Taproot, declined to comment. A person familiar with the development said Bharti SoftBank has agreed to take the commercial off YouTube. The company had released a set of four ads for Hike Messenger targeting young audience on August 27. One of them is set in a library where three boys spot a friend in a nearby seat with a girl. The boy with the girl ignores their hushed calls. Suddenly, one of the three boys stands up and screams abuses in Hindi and threatens to call the girl’s real boyfriend. And the boy sitting with the girl sprints out of the library. Although light-hearted in its tone, the film is riddled with abusive and obscene language and breaches the ASCI code, the regulator said.

     

    ASCI roped in internet giant Google as a partner to send out the suspension order, Mr Sharma said on the sidelines of the recently concluded ASCI’s annual general meeting. “And this collaboration with Google will hopefully go a long way,” he said.

     

    “Tracking ads releasing on websites is a huge challenge for us and we are taking baby steps in this space. The legal position is not well defined and we do not know how to even begin to monitor this vast ocean of websites,” Mr Sharma said. The regulator is now trying to get Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin on board as members to help it form a specialised team that will monitor ads on the Internet.

     

    Mr Sharma said the action against Bharti SoftBank’s ad was initiated after Allen Colaco, secretary general at ASCI, received a number of phone calls. The regulator brought the ad under the suspension pending investigation (SPI) article, where the ASCI chairman and two members of its consumer complaint council (CCC) make a fast-track decision. The SPI deals with ads that are obscene, indecent, and vulgar and that are against public interest.

     

    For this ad, Mr Sharma and two members of the CCC – Bobby Sista, founder and executive trustee at Population First, and Sameer Sathpathy, EVP and business head at Marico India – looked into the matter. “And we found it extremely offensive,” Sharma said. Besides sending out suspension order to both the client and the agency, ASCI have also written to various media companies that may have planned to release this ad on various media platforms to consider this ad as a serious offender.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

    See also: Maadar… Taproot crafts bold digital campaign for Hike

     

     

  • Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Home and Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever Limited, was elected Chairman of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA). He takes over from Kurush N Grant

    HUL’s Hemant Bakshi elected ISA Chairman

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Home and Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever Limited, was elected Chairman of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA). He takes over from Kurush N Grant. The newly elected Executive Council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on September 11.

     

    An MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Mr Bakshi has been recognized for his thought leadership in customer development and marketing in the industry. He is also the chairman of The Indian Soaps & Toiletries Manufacturers Association, a board member of Advertising Standards Council of India and is on the board of BARC, a nodal body for the advertisers, advertising agencies and broadcasters in the country. Apart from being a marketer, he is also a sportsman. He runs marathons and is a passionate golfer.

     

    On his election as Chairman of ISA, Mr Bakshi said: “We are going through a challenging period and it is crucial that ISA along with other associate members, works towards sustainable growth of the industry”.

     

    Other members of the Executive Council are:

    Atul Agrawal, Vice President – Corporate Affairs, Group Corporate Affairs and Media, Tata Services Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Abraham Alapatt, Head – Marketing,Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Narendra Ambwani, Director, Agro Tech Foods Ltd., Secunderabad.

     

    Jimmy R Anklesaria, Director – Business Development, Bajaj Corp Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Mohit Beotra, Chief Brand Officer – India, BhartiAirtel Ltd., Gurgaon.

     

    J C Chopra, Director, Infogain India Private Limited, Noida, U.P.

     

    Paulomi Dhawan, Director, Landmarc Leisure Corporation Limited, Mumbai.

     

    Sonali Dhawan, Marketing Director, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Rajiv Dube, Director, Group Corporate Service, Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Kurush N. Grant, Executive Director, ITC Limited, Kolkata.

     

    Sunil Kataria, Chief Operating Officer – Sales, Marketing & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Gurgaon.

     

    Siddhartha Mukherjee, Director – Chocolate Category and Media, Cadbury India Limited, Mumbai.

     

    Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, New Delhi.

     

    Bharat V. Patel, Board Member, Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co.Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Vice President – Communications, Nestle India Ltd, Gurgaon.

     

    R. Ramakrishnan, Group CEO, Polycab Wires Pvt.Ltd.,Mumbai.

     

    Shipra Tripathi, Vice President, Corporate Global Marketing, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd., Pune

     

    and

     

    Brahm Vasudeva, Chairman, Hawkins Cookers Ltd., Mumbai.

     

    Former chairman Kurush N Grant continues to be on the Executive Council.