MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The campaign is inspired from the fact that Pepsi IPL is the biggest cricketing extravaganza in the world

    ‘Come on, bulaava aaya hai’, says MAX

    By a correspondent

     

    MAX & SIX, the official broadcasters of the Indian Premier League have announced their mega marketing campaign for the Pepsi IPL 2014 titled ‘Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai’. The campaign is inspired from the fact that Pepsi IPL is the biggest cricketing extravaganza in the world.

     

    The campaign kicks off with a series of four films set in diverse situations of different people’s life reaching a crescendo with three films and culminating into a final bulaava film. Be it a runaway bride drawn to the call of the IPL bugle, a son by the side of his ill mother or a priest struggling to free a woman possessed with a spirit, all films have the essence of the key nuance of IPL  ‘Bulaava’  prompting people to literally drop everything to watch Pepsi IPL.

     

    The entire campaign is the brainchild of the creative agency Havas Worldwide and has been directed and filmed by noted ad film director Rajesh Saathi of Keroscene Films.

     

    Neeraj Vyas, EVP and Business Head, MAX expressed, “In India, nothing supersedes the passion for cricket and during the IPL, that passion rises to an all-time crescendo. That is where we draw our latest campaign ‘Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai’  emphasizing that irrespective of anything that takes place in your life, the calling for the IPL will always reign supreme. This enthralling campaign coupled with world class talent on display is sure to entertain our viewers through this edition of IPL.”

     

    Vivek Rao, Executive Creative Director, Havas Worldwide said, “The campaign idea of ‘Come on, Bulaava Aaya Hai’ is played on a simple truth – no other property provides more action, more entertainment or more opportunity whether you’re a viewer or a player. So no matter what calling you have, it’s the call of the IPL that’s more irresistible. After last year’s campaign, we needed something that would entertain as well as move the IPL brand forward. This seemed instinctively right.”

     

  • The actor features in the new TVC announcing the launch of saffron blended, silver coated cardamom seeds, 'Rajnigandha Silver Pearls' from the house of DS Group

    PC to work her magic for DS Group

    By a correspondent

     

    Rajnigandha Silver Pearls has announced Priyanka Chopra as their brand ambassador. The actor features in the new TVC announcing the launch of saffron blended, silver coated cardamom seeds, ‘Rajnigandha Silver Pearls’ from the house of DS Group.

     

    The new 60-sec TVC celebrates the little gestures of goodness that we make despite our hectic day-to-day life, with the slogan ‘Achai ki ek Alag hi Chamak hoti hai ‘. The new catchphrase re-emphasizes the brand’s belief that real goodness always shines through in our words and deeds, and sets us apart as heroes of real life.

     

    Commenting on this occasion, Rajeev Jain, Senior General Manager, Marketing, Dharampal Satyapal Ltd. said, “Rajnigandha brand has always been a hallmark of achievement and our new product ‘Rajnigandha Silver Pearls’ that shares the same brand’s DNA, can be seen as symbolic of individuals who are successful and yet uphold a strong humanistic approach to life. Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as the brand ambassador as she is an epitome of a global achiever, and at the same time a grounded and humble person who is always ready to give time and effort for a good cause. The TV commercial highlights exactly this aspect of her life”.

     

    The film has been created by Dentsu Marcom and narrates the story of a successful film-star who has a massive following because of her inherent goodness. It shows interwoven scenes that narrate examples of little acts of goodness — Priyanka Chopra is seen performing an Indian classical dance, making a moment special for a little boy, throwing a scarf at the screaming sailors and surprising an old woman with a birthday cake.

     

    Finally we see the classical dance performance culminating in her final act of goodness where Priyanka Chopra calls her team for the final bow in front of the audience to acknowledge their contribution to the applause that she has received. It is in the journey back home, that she tastes Rajnigandha Silver Pearls and her chauffer looks through the mirror to realize that ‘achchai ki ek alag chamak hoti hai’.

     

    Titus Upputuru, National Creative Director, Dentsu Marcom said, “Rajnigandha Silver Pearls is saffron blended silver-coated cardamom seeds (Elaichi) Cardamom  is good for health, silver has shine, so we came up with ‘goodness shines’. At the same time we also considered the lineage of Rajnigandha which stood for success and achievement. When we decided to go ahead with Priyanka Chopra as the face of the brand, we thought let’s show stardom in a new light. Thus was born ‘achchai ki ek alag chamak hoti hai’”.

     

  • The ad brings out the importance of high performance and toughness of the tyres in an emotional setting

    TVS Tyres: counting on the letter-man to deliver happiness

    By a correspondent

     

    TVS Tyres has announced the launch of its new multimedia campaign in India. The ad brings out the importance of high performance and toughness of the tyres in an emotional setting as it shows an army jawan braving difficult terrains by riding on TVS Tyres to hand-deliver letters from home to his fellow compatriots.

     

    This is the first time that TVS Tyres has adopted a different route to showcases the ruggedness and dependability elements of the brand. The campaign has been created by Rediffusion Y&R and will be promoted heavily on television, print, outdoor, radio, cinema and ambient media over the next two months.

     

    The TVC begins with a rider sitting near the river side. As the rider moves ahead in his journey, he is shown negotiating his way through the treacherous path in the midst of gushing water – roads washed away, roads no more than dirt tracks and rubble, roads no decent driver would risk taking. The tyres act as his companion as he tries to negotiate through a particularly hazardous patch, where a landslide has occurred, weaving his way through boulders and riding on the absolute edge of the cliff, a steep drop barely an inch away.

     

    As evening approaches, the rider reaches a hillside town where a few army men are stationed. The driver stops, removes his helmet and opens one of the sacks and delivers a letter to one of the men standing around him. The man takes it from him, emotion writ large on his face, as he notices it’s a letter from home. He is joined by others in reading their respective letters. The film ends with the tagline “Koi toh raasta zaroor niklega”.

     

    The film has been created by Ananda Ray, NCD, Rediffusion while Lloyd Baptista is the Director of the film. Ravneet Mahajan is the producer of the film while 7 Films is the production house.

     

  • The jury members will meet in Cannes to judge work in the new Product Design, Film, Media and Promo & Activation Lions categories

    Cannes announces jury list for four categories

    By a correspondent

     

    The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the members of a further four juries who will meet in Cannes to judge work in the new Product Design,  Film, Media and Promo & Activation Lions categories.

     

    Commenting on the formidable jury line-up including the new Product Design Lions jury, Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals, said, “As a global festival celebrating the best creative ideas in brand communications, it is important to embrace all facets of this ever-changing industry, and as such we very much look forward to welcoming the members of the first ever Product Design Lions jury to Cannes Lions along with all our other juries. By judging and awarding only the very best work using integrity, commitment and unbeatable industry knowledge, this esteemed group of industry professionals selected for these juries, will ultimately help drive the industry forward on a global scale.”

     

    As implemented last year, there will be a two-stage judging process for the Media Lions category. A 40-strong jury of media professionals from around the world will be divided into eight sub-groups of five people tasked to cast the first round of votes that will determine the shortlist. Jury president Matt Seiler, Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, will spend time with each sub-group but will not vote during this first round. At the second voting stage, the shortlist will be judged and the winners selected by the Awarding Jury made up of 13 media industry leaders including the jury president.

     

    The three other juries will be led by Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, USA (Film Lions); Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, USA (Promo & Activation Lions) and Donghoon Chang, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics, South Korea (Product Design Lions).

     

    Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, USA is the Jury President for the Film category while Matt Seiler, Global Chief Executive Officer, IPG Mediabrands, is the Global - Jury President + Awarding Jury for the Media category.

     

    Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, USA is the Jury President for Promo & Activation while Donghoon Chang, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics, South Korea is the Jury President for Product Design category.

     

  • In 2013, the CCC decided on 1842 complaints out of which 1477 were upheld

    ASCI cracks whip on misleading ads; Education, Personal Care products major defaulters

    By a correspondent

     

    In December 2013, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 87 ads which was dominated by Health & Personal Care category that continued to lead with the highest number of complaints received.

     

    In 2013, the CCC decided on 1842 complaints out of which 1477 were upheld. Out of these misleading advertisements, approximately 40 per cent were the education sector advertisements and 36 per cent from the personal and healthcare category.

     

    In the year 2013, Advertising Standards Council of India introduced various initiatives ensuring quicker and stronger actions against all advertisements violating its code.  The National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) helped the self-regulatory body to cast its net wide on the defaulting advertisers, and Online Complaint and Monitoring Service (OCMS) made it convenient and faster for consumers to file complaints against misleading advertisements.

     

    In addition, ASCI also launched online monitoring of ads to track advertisements in the online space and also introduced Suspension Pending Investigation for taking quick action against those advertisements whose continuation may be against public interest. These initiatives resulted in a five-fold increase in the number of complaints.

  • The chief guest at the event was actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was also accorded the Honorary Membership of the IAA India Chapter

    HUL, McCann win big at IAA’s Olive Crown Awards for green advertising

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Holi weekend got off to a green start with the International Advertising Association India Chapter’s Olive Crown Awards on Friday, March 14 in Mumbai. The crème de la crème of the Indian advertising business was in attendance for the fourth edition of what is India’s first and only recognition for creative excellence in communicating sustainability.

     

    Mc Cann Erickson was crowned Green Agency of the Year. The agency also bagged the coveted Campaign of the Year for ‘Wake Up, Clean Up’. Dentsu Creative Impact got the Silver in the Campaign of the Year. Hindustan Unilever was awarded the Corporate Social Crusader of the Year as well as the Green Brand of the Year. Mathrubhumi too received the Corporate Social Crusader of the Year while the DDB Mudra group bagged the Silver in the Green Brand of the Year category.

     

    The Green Advertiser of the Year award went to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Karnataka State Government. The Green Crusader of the Year was awarded to Maneka Gandhi, Member of Parliament. The chief guest at the event was actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was also accorded the Honorary Membership of the IAA India Chapter.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Said Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman, R K Swamy BBDO and President, India Chapter and VP-Development Asia Pacific, IAA: “These awards have acquired the hue of a ’cause’ and this is one of the reasons for their universal acceptance.”

     

     

  • This unique platform provides brands and agencies a higher degree of campaign control, optimization and audience profiling

    Affle launches ad2campaign

    By a correspondent

     

    Affle’s ad2c business has been redefined and launched as ad2campaign. ad2campaign is the data centric mobile marketing platform for brands and agencies with mobile attribution intelligence and programmatic procurement that allows for unified ad delivery and analytics experience. This aligns ad2campaign with Affle’s data and audience centric mobile marketing platform strategy and the evolving industry dynamics of mobile marketing.

     

    Anuj Khanna Sohum, Founder and Chairman, Affle Group, said, “ad2campaign is a significant paradigm in the field of mobile marketing. This unique platform provides brands and agencies a higher degree of campaign control, optimization and audience profiling, thereby, boosting up impact and ROI. In an increasingly complicated environment for mobile marketing, ad2campaign provides a one stop platform solution to help brands procure media efficiently, deliver campaigns at scale and all of which is powered by smart and actionable analytics. The brand, marketing position and business model of ad2campaign is now perfectly aligned with Affle’s core strategy of providing highly integrated data centric mobile marketing technology platforms as a service.”

     

    Madan Sanglikar, Co-founder and Managing Director, ad2campaign, said, “Considering the lack of any standard measurement metrics; audience profiling and performance become the key parameters in evaluating effective media investments. This rebranding is an assertion of our focus on technology in order to provide end-to-end, seamless campaign management solutions to brands and agencies that can help them to reach out to their target audience in a more effective, efficient manner.”

     

    The ad2campaign platform has been used by hundreds of brands across India and Asia, including Samsung, Yahoo!, Mondelez, adidas, Max Bupa, Aircel, airtel, XL Axiata, Indosat Amazon, OnMobile, Redbus, TrueCaller etc. to drive, measure, quantify, analyze and improve efficiency of their respective campaigns on the mobile medium.

     

  • The Election Commission has sent a communication to concerned players to enact the Code of Conduct during elections

    IAMAI pledges support to EC directives for election

    By a correspondent

     

    Following a meeting with representatives from social networking websites in November 2013, the Election Commission has sent a communication to concerned players to enact the Code of Conduct during elections.

     

    The internet industry and IAMAI has been very appreciative of the EC’s efforts to broaden Indian democracy and conducting efficient free and fair elections through innovative use of internet and IAMAI would continue to support the EC it its endeavor.

     

    Some of the guidelines that have been issues by EC to political parties include

    – No political advertisement shall be accepted and displayed on the internet and internet based media without pre-certification.

    – Internet sites shall inform the Commission regarding the expenditure incurred by political parties / candidates on political advertisements, when requested for.

    – Internet based media will do active scrutiny to ensure that content displayed by them during the electoral process is not unlawful or malicious or violative of the Model Code of Conduct.

    – In case of any unlawful content coming to the notice of the election machinery and brought to the attention of internet based media, the same would be removed forthwith.

     

  • ASCI will now deliver its Consumer Complaints Council’s (CCC) decision on a complaint against an objectionable advertisement within a span of an average just 12 days

    ASCI betters processing time; wins accolades

    By a correspondent

     

    In a move that would encourage more participation from aggrieved parties, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) now delivers its Consumer Complaints Council’s (CCC) decision on a complaint against an objectionable advertisement within a span of on an average just 12 days from the date complaint is received. With the consumers and regulators demanding that ads which are a) misleading or make false claims, b) indecent, c) showing hazardous activities and d) unfair to competition should be promptly removed or modified, ASCI has taken effective action to reduce  the complaint processing turnaround time from 45 days two years ago to just 12 days on an average currently.

     

    Some of the actions taken by ASCI to achieve this unparalleled turnaround time include:

    1) From monthly meetings two years ago, the CCC now meets weekly by having two CCCs instead of one earlier and total number of CCC members moving up from 21 to 28.

     

    2) The turnaround time taken at ASCI to process the complaint and time provided to the Advertiser to respond to the complaint has been significantly reduced with the use of email and technology.

     

    3) Intra Industry complaints among ASCI members are being resolved in just seven days via Fast Track Complaint (FTC) process which was introduced in 2012. FTC, which handled 30 complaints in 2013/14 has been very popular among ASCI members who are seeing real time and cost savings by not taking the matter to the courts on intra industry ad content disputes.

     

    4) In the recent past ASCI also introduced ‘Suspension Pending Investigation’ (SPI) by which ASCI can order an extremely objectionable ad to be removed immediately pending investigation and decision of the CCC.

     

    Under its National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS), ASCI has also started tracking in print and on TV of all ads against which complaints have been upheld. And results show that over 90 per cent of such “upheld complaints” ads do not reappear or are appropriately modified. ASCI has now started reporting non compliant upheld ads to regulatory authorities such as the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for taking action as per the law of the land.

     

    The faster complaint turnaround time and improved compliance upheld complaint decisions by ASCI has taken place at the same time when number of complained ads processed by ASCI has increased more than 10 times. In 2011/12 number ads processed by ASCI were 176 which post the NAMS initiative in 2012/13 increased to 784 and for April 2013 to Feb 2014 period (11 months), ASCI has handled complaints against 1833 ads.

     

    Partha Rakshit

    Commenting on these developments, ASCI’s Chairman, Mr Partha Rakshit said, “ASCI’s effectiveness and credibility as an advertising self-regulatory organisation has increased several fold with speedier redressal of complaints and high compliance of its CCC’s decisions by Advertisers. Regulatory bodies like MIB, DCA, FSSAI, FDA now recognise and support our self-regulation work with the inclusion of the ASCI in the Inter- Ministerial Monitoring Committee formed to review misleading ad content.”

     

  • The campaign carries the brand philosophy of 'Desh ka Namak' forward

    Mary Kom endorses campaign for Tata Salt

    By a correspondent

     

    Five-time World Boxing Champion and Olympic winner MC Mary Kom will be seen endorsing a campaign for Tata Salt. The campaign carries the brand philosophy of ‘Desh ka Namak’ forward and celebrates contemporary icons that are going beyond their own success and giving back to the country in their own areas of work.

     

    The ad campaign tells the story of the inspirational icon, Mary Kom – an Indian pugilist who hails from a poor, tribal family from Manipur. Mary Kom’s journey is a humble and powerful human story that the TVC captures. She rose against several hardships to achieve success for herself and the nation in the international arena. Her vision of success however didn’t stop at medals and accolades; it encompassed her community and the nation.  She nurtures the dream to create many more Mary Koms who will put India on the world sports map.

     

    Speaking on the new campaign, Ashvini Hiran, COO – Consumer Business, Tata Chemicals said, “Tata Salt is honored to be an integral part of 80 million households and it is the brand’s persistent effort to sustain this faith by providing a product of the highest quality. ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ is reflection of the brand’s unflinching faith in the people of the country who are living the values of loyalty and are engaged in the holistic development of the nation.”

     

    Speaking of the brand’s new campaign, Shalaka Kamat, Head Marketing – Consumer Product Business, Tata Chemicals said, “Tata Salt has evolved from being a packet of salt to being known as ‘Desh Ka Namak’. The new campaign celebrates people who compose the moral fabric of the country. There is none better than MC Mary Kom to illustrate the brand values. She exemplifies the commitment of every Indian towards the country. Her journey of becoming a global icon and working towards creating future icons is truly inspirational. ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ aims to give people a platform to bring forth stories of other inspiring individuals doing their bit for the betterment of the community and the nation. With this initiative, ‘Desh ka Namak’ means to connect people through the core values of the brand making it a collective movement.”

     

    K S Chakravarthy

    KS Chakravarthy, National Creative Director of FCB Ulka said, “The new campaign ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ will reinforce the brand’s core belief, “Every Indian believes that he/she is making a difference to the country. We wanted to carry the legacy of this iconic brand forward with the new campaign to illustrate the brand credo, ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Hai’ we zeroed upon the story of MC Mary Kom. Hers is a story of courage and loyalty to the community that has the potential to inspire many. She literally lives the Tata Salt brand values.”

     

  • Her ex-porn star status opens up endorsement chances for the Indo-Canadian actor

    Sunny days welcome this Leone in brandland

     

    By Ishani Duttagupta

     

    Sunny Leone, to her throng of fans, conjures up images that are mostly too vicarious to describe. But once you hear her out, you would wonder whether it’s a former porn star – adult entertainer if you will – or a marketing guru doing the talking.

     

    “I think I offer a unique brand of worldwide traffic and fans that is different from what is offered by other celebrities in India,” says the Indo-Canadian actress who was born Karenjit Kaur Vohra to Sikh parents in Ontario, Canada. There’s more: she also lets on that she’s “specialized in social media marketing” and companies that tie up with the Sunny Leone brand “see the potential and value” in it.

     

    Meet Sunny Leone, porn star turned digital entrepreneur cum brand endorser. And if you aren’t still convinced here’s some more: “This year we launched our own Sunny Leone app and platform that integrates all social networks with our own marketing team [her business interests are run under her banner company Leone LLC]. We now reach the end consumer in a way that companies hope to in an everchanging world market,” she said in an email interview.

     

    Perhaps it’s time to take the Bollywood actor who was most searched online in 2013, the Penthouse Pet of the year a decade before that, and one of Maxim’s 12 top porn stars of 2010 a bit more seriously, and with more respect. A clutch of marketers is doing exactly that by signing her up to endorse their brands. Those labels of course are not of soaps, detergents or toothpaste but tend to be on the edgier side – think energy drinks, liquor, and inevitably condoms and adult entertainment websites.

     

    “Products such as energy drinks, alcohol and – more obviously – adult entertainment websites have sexual attraction built in either as subtext or as an overt promise. In that context, Sunny Leone becomes the perfect choice as brand ambassador. She’s a porn actress who has now become a Bollywood star – hence known and fantasized about by millions. Who better to be the face of an A-rated brand,” explains Sumanto Chattopadhyay, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Mumbai.

     

    A True Entrepreneur

    Raw sexuality, however, may not be the only reason marketers are making a beeline for Leone. Consider, for instance, why Mydala, an online discount coupon platform, signed her recently for a promotional contest partnering with Balaji Motion Pictures for the release of Ragini MMS-2, a ‘horror-thriller’ film in 3D.

     

    “That she’s the most searched Indian celebrity on Google, with 80% of the traffic coming from India, is obviously proof of her popularity. However, I personally connected with her as a woman entrepreneur who is practical, down-to-earth and unapologetic about providing a service, for which there’s obviously a big market in India,” says Anisha Singh, CEO and founder of Mydala, which is targeting 200 million consumers across 152 cities in India.

     

    Ms Singh points out that the contest, which offers an opportunity to the winner to “meet and greet” Leone, has registered over 7,000 participants so far. “The promo has also created a big buzz in the mobile space, from where a large number of our users are coming,” says Singh, who founded Mydala in 2009.

     

    The acceptance of Leone as a brand ambassador in India also signals an awakening of the Indian consumer, especially younger women, feels Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, an author who made her literary debut in the genre of erotic fiction with Faraway Music, published by Hachette.

     

    “Be it Sunny Leone or Katrina Kaif in the Aamsutra ad [for beverage brand Slice], what they are representing is already replete in our own cultural consciousness – desire, desirability and carnal cravings. Leone selling porn, under a commercial garb, still remains questionable but then so do certain vulgar sex comedies and item songs with double meanings – but even us talking about it is a coming out of sorts,” says Ms Kundu, adding that it’s high time we learn to talk about sex and a woman’s right to physical pleasure in the same tonality as we would lend to a man.

     

    Leone and Kaif may have their similarities – both grew up overseas and look more foreign than Indian – but it may still be early days to talk about them in the same breath. “Katrina Kaif is not only a popular Bollywood celebrity with fan following globally, but she also embodies the values of beauty and self-confidence,” says Chander Mohan Sethi, senior vice-president, Southeast Asia, Reckitt Benckiser Group. The company signed up Kaif as early as 2004, when it launched Veet, a hair removal cream brand, in India.

     

    It’s the “beauty” Sethi talks about that makes Kaif more acceptable in the mainstream; that trait, however, isn’t quite top of mind when brand Leone is recalled.

     

    Connecting with Desis

    Leone’s connect is more palpable with brands like IMbesharam, India’s first online store for adult entertainment products. “The most difficult challenge we faced when setting up the whole business concept in India was the misconception about the brand. Signing up Leone as brand ambassador was our best decision and she helped us get instant recognition and present the brand concept as an international store for Indian customers,” says Raj Armani, the US-based COO of Besharam Co. IMbesharam, which stocks everything from ‘adult’ toys and ‘energy and performance’ products to massage oils and aphrodisiacs, claims that Leone has played a key role in helping the web store reach out to 1.3 billion Indians worldwide.

     

    Armani explains that Leone comes across as an independent woman with an edgy and global lifestyle, who lives on her own terms. These are values, he insists, that appeal to both men and women customers of IMbesharam’s products. “Sunny connects well with both men, who look up to her and desire her, and women, who look up to her either with curiosity or in appreciation,” Armani says, adding that the store’s sales have tripled in the past six months, with traffic steady at roughly 120,000 monthly visitors from India.

     

    Manforce, a condom brand from Mankind Pharma, is another brand that would seem to have an obvious fit with Leone. “With Leone, Mankind has succeeded in positioning the brand clearly and establishing a strong connect between the celebrity endorser and the product Manforce,” says RC Juneja, CEO and chairman of Mankind Pharma who claims that the association is working wonders for sales of the condom label.

     

    A growing acceptance of the adult entertainment genre among younger Indians is translating into endorsements for Leone, along with the freshness and unpredictability she lends to the brand, feel brand experts. “In an era in which pornography is not looked down upon by the young at heart in India, Sunny Leone brings a lot to the brand endorsement party,” says Harish Bijoor, brand expert and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.

     

    Mr Bijoor expects Leone to gradually move into the mainstream as she gets accepted by more and more Indian consumers. “As of now Sunny Leone is all about the condom, the whisky, the energy drink, possibly an energy capsule and of course an adult website on the prowl, but expect her to move on from here to more solid categories of household consumption at large. From being a bedroom brand endorser to moving across to still broader categories is not going to be impossible for Leone,” adds the brand guru

     

    Wild Wonders

    Not everybody thinks that way. Ogilvy’s Mr Chattopadhyay reckons that brands targeted at family audiences would do well to stay away from Leone. “The housewife would certainly disapprove of her and try to keep brands associated with Leone away from her husband and kids,” he cautions.

     

    For the time being, clearly, it’s brands associated with libidinal pursuits that are riding on the Leone wagon. An example is XXX energy drink from Viiking Ventures, a Mumbai-based hospitality, beverages and FMCG firm that signed up Leone when it launched the drink in mid-2013. Market information suggests that the contract is worth Rs 1.5 crore, a figure the company rubbishes. A company spokesperson says Leone’s focus on “her body and fitness” was the key consideration when signing her up and “we decided to leverage those strengths. She was also a fresh face in the industry when we signed her up”.

     

    Leone signed her first endorsement contract with a mobile handset maker called Chaze almost two years ago. At that time Leone had expressed her excitement over being associated with a “young and vibrant” product. She could, however, do little to make that vibrancy endure; Chaze seems to have sunk without a trace.

     

    Today, however, the market may be more ready for Leone – or so would those banking on her like to believe. Says Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures: “Young people in India today are far more exposed to global trends and are open to adult entertainment genres. In that context, it is a coup of sorts that we cast Leone in Ragini MMS-2.” How that flick does at the box office will provide clues to the durability of the Leone school of brand endorsements.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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  • Priyanka in her earlier journey has had long stints with Ogilvy and JWT and brings with her solid cross-category experience

    Priyanka Rishi appointed GM at Taproot

    By a correspondent

     

    Taproot India has appointed Priyanka Rishi as their General Manager, based in Mumbai and will be reporting into CEO Umesh Shrikhande.

     

    With more than 16 years in the business, Priyanka in her earlier journey has had long stints with Ogilvy and JWT and brings with her solid cross-category experience.

     

    Umesh Shrikhande said: “With so many interesting opportunities for adding value to our clients’ businesses and brands, Priyanka is a welcome addition to our talented team. She is passionate about both strategy and creativity and comes with a deep and insightful understanding of brands. Infusing our team with such strong talent will further the process of adding depth and sparkle to brand Taproot.”

     

    On her appointment, Priyanka Rishi said, “To be a part of an agency that has set benchmarks for the industry is professionally stimulating and exciting. I look forward to building on Taproot’s strengths and work ethos to create an even stronger organization.”