MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • AdStrat: Ceat Tyres: Banking on ‘superior grip’ offering

    Objective:

    • To increase awareness about wide range of CEAT SUV tyres
    • The primary focus to be on “superior grip”, which is the core proposition provided by CEAT brand
    • The campaign intends to position CEAT Tyres, as a savior in unsafe accident-prone situations coming in the way of one’s journey

     

    Brief:

    • CEAT communication strategy has always been led by strong consumer insight. And consumer insight here was how people follow superstition blindly out of their anxiety for a safe journey
    • To create buzz around the brand communication, which allows the brand to enter the purchase consideration set among SUV owners
    • To leverage strong visuals to bring out the core proposition of the product in full glory

     

    Execution:

    • The TVC showcases how people pacify their anxiety for safe journey by adhering to superstitious beliefs, while ignoring the condition of the tyres of their SUVs
    • The TV campaign will have two distinct creatives taking on two different journey related superstitions. At the same time the campaign will also highlight the importance of the tyre with the focus on the ‘Superior Grip’ proposition by CEAT
    • While the brief did not have celebrity as the face of the campaign, it was only decided after listening to the scripts to leverage a celebrity like Irrfan Khan, who adds important values of credibility and premiumness
    • As Irrfan is known for being choosy about his films & brand endorsements, this association promises a unique exciting proposition
    • Irrfan is very relatable with people across India with his strings of movies successes in Bollywood and Hollywood. He is a self-made man, who’s created his own identity in the industry without Godfather
    • The creative was made keeping in mind CEAT tyres promise of “superior grip” while on the road and ensuring safety during the journey

     

    Client quote: Prabhakar Tiwari, General Manager, Marketing, CEAT Tyres

    “We at CEAT conceived this campaign based on a strong consumer insight around blind belief on journey related superstitions. We have a credible face in Irrfan to give this simple message about tyre being the real saviour in any journey. The approach will be 360 degrees in naturekeeping TV and digital as lead mediums. We plan to be innovators in SUV tyre segment by creating fresh marketing approach.”

     

  • The OBD team has effectively registered 40,000 first time youth voters to exercise their fundamental right

    DDB MudraMax’s OBD attracts 40,000 first time youth voters

    By a correspondent

     

    Since taking flight about six months ago, Operation Black Dot, an initiative by DDB MudraMax and Thincquisitive Foundation to help make voting easy, engaging and fun for the urban youth, has managed to successfully bring about a shift in the way youth looked at voting. By breaking down politics and making it more engaging and inclusive, the OBD team has effectively registered 40,000 first time youth voters to exercise their fundamental right.

     

    The aim was to present conventional political discourse in a format which interests below 25 age group as well as explain important political events/facts. At one level the team worked in 60 campuses across the city, helping students make their voter IDs by use of cutting edge technology to quicken the process and at another also conducting such engagements to generate awareness leading up to the 2014 General Elections.

     

    Pratap Bose

    Pratap Bose, COO, DDB Mudra Group, “The whole concept of “voting” has always been looked as an activity that is to be addressed and taken upon by the older generation. While it is the youth of our country who are going to play a significant role in building the Indian economy and tend to the future of our nation. It was hence important for us to not only change the face of voting, to make it appealing to the youth, but also provide guidance, help them understand the nature of politics and also reiterate the fact that they can make a difference.”

     

     

    Samyak Chakrabarty

    Samyak Chakrabarty, Founder of Operation Black Dot & Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Group said, “Operation Black Dot has been able to successfully convey that political discourse does not always have to be conventional and can be disseminated in a format which appeals to the younger generation. From putting Member of Parliaments on a bean bag at youth hangouts to catchy videos on complex parliamentary affairs, we are making an attempt to bridge the gap between policy makers and young citizens. Going forward, our intent is to continue this movement and find more innovative methods to keep young India engaged with political affairs.”

     

  • The ad highlights the sheer delight of experiencing the Blue Star inverter AC

    Daddy Cool does it for Blue Star

    By a correspondent

     

    It vowed the consumers with its ‘Get office like cooling at home’ proposition last summer. AC brand Blue Star has once again taken that route to get the consumers to take a liking to the brand.

     

    This time around, the TVC shows a serious looking boss dancing around in the office, to the Daddy Cool tune by Boney M. The music stops abruptly when he steps out of the office and so does his ‘cool’ dance. When he reaches home, the song and dance resumes. With the voice over saying: “Cool in the office, cool at home.”

     

    Girish Hingorani, GM – Corporate Communications & Marketing, Blue Star, said, “The market for inverter ACs is showing promising signs of growth. Significant power savings, intelligent features and perfect cooling are likely to make this technology the future of room ACs. Being leaders in office cooling, we realise that it’s a matter of time before this category catches the fancy of the home buyer. This ad highlights the sheer delight of experiencing the Blue Star inverter AC and will help us reinforce our expert image.”

     

    Robby Mathew

    Robby Mathew, National Creative Director, Interface Communications said, “Blue Star’s advertising has always been quirky. And this one is no different. A corporate type who can’t dance to save his life, breaks into some ‘ludicrously cool’ dance steps in the office and then at home. All to make the point that Blue Star is the company that offers office like cooling at home!”

     

  • The man who created properties as 'Paani Ka Doctor' and many more has decided to call it a day

    Renton D’Sousa bids adieu to Triton

    By a correspondent

     

    “Paani Ka Doctor” is synonymous with the leading water purifier brand. But for everyone at Triton and some outside it, the man who created such properties and many more has decided to call it a day.

     

    Commenting the development, Ali Merchant, Director Triton said “Renton has been with us for over a decade and contributed to some solid and memorable brand building creative work for our clients. At the same time he has been responsible in the professional development of Triton especially for the people that have worked with him. His ‘never say die’ spirit will always be remembered. I will miss him at work and will remain his friend for all time to come. I wish him the very best in his next endeavour. I am sure he will do us proud.”

     

    Echoing Ali’s sentiments, Munawar Syed, Director Triton said, “Renton, a multi talented individual has been a key contributor to Triton’s rise and stability over many years. Such talent feeds on new challenges, new experiences and Renton’s stepping out from the warmth of Triton is in keeping with his desire to explore new horizons. I wish him a smooth journey.”

     

    Prior to joining Triton over ten years ago, Renton was the creative head of a few units at Lintas Mumbai. He has also been associated with Contract and Mudra. His next destination was not known as yet.

     

  • Presenting highlights from Elephant Design's Trendswatch on the new Indian woman

    7 trends about the ‘Ambitious, Balanced, Confident’ Woman

     

    Pune-headquartered Elephant Design is celebrating a quarter century of strategic design consultancy. Earlier this month (around International Women’s Day on March 8), co-founder and principal designer Ashwini Deshpande sent us the link to an e-publication of a trends watch the firm had done.

     

    Those who are regular consumers of MxMIndia would be aware of a slight bias we have towards design. We cover all design conferences extensively and patronize these too wherever possible, even though our content may not necessarily reflect that.

     

    So we requested for permission to carry sizeable bits from the report, which Ms D readily agreed to. So here we are. We also did a quick Q&A with her on the report.

     

     

    What is the concept behind Elephant Trendswatch 2014?

    As leading multi-disciplinary experts on emerging markets, our teams based out of Pune, Delhi and Singapore get to work in variety of domains including FMCG, Healthcare, Banking, Energy, Automobile and Lifestyle products. No matter what the domain, our approach is always user-centric and always starts with design research. We observe, meet and farm life-stories with users and turn our understanding into insights that lead to innovative design solutions. Usually, rich insights lead to two significant sets. The first set gives an overview of shifting mindsets, transitions, beliefs and emerging aspirations. This typically can be called Trendswatch. The other set comes out of analyzing the observed trends along with visualization of future. This is called Trends Forecast.

     

    We believe our insight-led work has reflected positively on the users. But we want to share the benefits of these insights with more users, marketers, brand owners as well as students of design and branding. So we decided to publish what we learnt in the last year and make it an open source by publishing Elephant Trendswatch 2014 online.

     

    What made you embark on this new initiative — The New Woman, Ambitious, Balanced, Confident, and how are you taking it forward?

    As we looked at our insights and work done during last year, we realized there is one persona that has figured most often in any research. The New Woman! So we are dedicating the first edition of Elephant Trendswatch 2014 to this Ambitious, Balanced, Confident woman many of identify with.

     

    Hmmm. But what is the goal of this initiative? Who are you reaching out to?

    The goal is knowledge-sharing. We have articulated seven trends that we observed. Each trend is supported by some of the examples that led us to articulate the specific learning. We have also put in what the trend means to her and to someone who is looking at building a brand for this woman. We want brand owners, marketers and students to read and benefit from this initiative.

     

    The new woman – Ambitious | Balanced | Confident

    • Confident
    • Strong sense of pride & self-worth
    • Substantive
    • She knows what she is doing!
    • Rooted benevolent, yet discerning attitude for making choices
    • Role model, opinion leader, decision-maker

     

    Trend 1: Inside out beauty

     

    The new story visualizes beauty very differently. It is about a woman who inspires, has an opinion, acts on it and exudes her inner confidence; making her a beautiful person inside out.

     

    What is she expecting from her brand?

    • Brands that represent products & services that give her…empowerment
    • Brands that speak of liberal viewpoints

     

    Recent sightings: A moisturizer that protects her confidence, a tea she brews as an empowered voter, a scooter that liberates her from her less-privileged status in the family, a wedding jewelery collection that celebrates second innings and finally a social movement that collectively reverberated a voice against rape.

     

    Trend 2: The new me is within me

     

    Brands that understand the new order in which she needs to outperform herself, overcome any personal discomforts without causing disruptions in her challenging routine are being embraced.

     

    What does she want her brands to do for her?

    • Brands for gentle care and self awareness
    • Brands that help positive attitude and self image
    • Boost confidence through hygiene and comfort

     

    Recent sightings: An intimate hygiene product that takes care of her long hours away from home, whitening products that restore her natural skin, a razor designed for feminine skin & curves and a marathon that specifically draws attention to breast cancer awareness.

     

    Trend 3: New pick Nature + science

     

    Nature and science that are increasing her awareness and need for balance between goodness of natural ingredients clubbed with positive effects of science.

     

    How does she look at balancing the new order?

    • Fusion of nature and science
    • Contemporary Organic / rooted

     

    Recent sightings: Convenience of non-stick cookware in a traditional clay-pot so that she can have the best of authentic flavours and aromas at her disposal, dozens of beauty products from every leading brand trying to give her active ayurveda or effective nature in a jar or tube, products that promise elimination of problems like sweat odor, sun tan, pollution spots etc. using science & nature.

     

    Trend 4: For me DIY, natural, instant and flexible is a must

     

    However, she will not compromise on what is inside the “instant” effect. She will ensure the presence of natural ingredients for safe & effective experience.

     

    How will she push the boundaries of R&D?

    She will look for…

    • Multi-tasking beauty products
    • Salon at home
    • Quick fix glow for on the go lifestyle
    • Hygienic and travel-friendly
    • Anti pollution

     

    Recent sightings: Out-of-home beauty products like beauty-regime wipes, home facial kits, 3-in-1 products, mood uplifting beverages & happiness snacks

     

    Trend 5: My life. My stories.

     

    Online shopping has opened the world to her. At the same time, she is cautious of coming across as “generic”. She is fiercely seeking one-off/ exclusively crafted/ limited editions by shopping for carefully selected home & fashion ware. She is appreciating objects with stories as her social media presence matters.

     

    What engages her?

    • Niche range products made available through online brands
    • A story behind the product

     

    Recent sightings: Specialized online “women’s stores that emphasize on story, emergence of multiple narratives to suit every kind of personality, craft stores with online presence.

     

    Trend 6: A celebration of motherhood

     

    Motherhood has become much more than a stage in life. It is being celebrated as never before through a plethora of services, supplements, fashion, specialized coaching, support groups, exclusive birthing facilities

     

    What is she looking forward to?

    • Healthcare Brands which cater to the happiness factor more than illness
    • Comfort with style
    • Technology that facilitates personal care
    • Safe motherhood
    • Comforting indulge

     

    Recent sightings: Apps that help finding best days for conceiving, coaching sessions on parenting for him and her, exclusive birthing hospitals, DIY pregnancy-test kits, nutrition supplements, pregnancy fashion-line

     

    Trend 7: Never leaving roots.

     

    Despite significant western influence, women from emerging economies like Asia & Africa want to stay rooted and do not want to emulate the west blindly. This choice comes out of pride for the culture and need for staying real and authentic.

     

    How does she stay connected with her roots?

    • Blend of old & new, modern/ western & tradition
    • Self-selected fusion of both worlds
    • Contemporary yet rooted

     

    Recent sightings: global brands embracing local influence for festivals & celebrations, global brands offering local, age-old beauty secret ingredients in a contemporary format

     

  • Uncertainty about IPL's future freezes ad sales

    Freeze! Media agencies put on hold IPL-7 buys given uncertainty over tourney

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media-buying firms have frozen all ad sales of the Indian Premier League for the next 48 hours as they await clarity on the future of the tournament, two top officials of leading media buying firms said.

     

    They said advertisers are considering either re-negotiating ad rates for the IPL, or considering pulling out of the twenty20 tournament and putting their money on elections instead, after the Supreme Court on Thursday recommended suspension of two teams – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

     

    Gautam Kiyawat

    Gautam Kiyawat, CEO at media buying firm Madison Media group, said the development will hit the sentiments of marketers. “There was a bit of scepticism from the beginning with some matches being moved out of the country and now with the potential disappearance of two star teams, advertiser sentiments are going to tank even further,” he said. Media buyers, which represent some of the country’s biggest advertisers, are of the opinion that if 20-30 per cent of the IPL matches are scrapped, it would bring down the overall revenues of the popular twenty20 tournament by half.

     

    Multi Screen Media-run Sony Entertainment, which holds broadcasts rights for the tournament, would also face a similar quantum of losses because advertising airtime would also shrink with less number of matches, said the CEO of a top media buying firm.

     

    Multi Screen Media (MSM), which is charging Rs4.5-5 lakh for 10 seconds, was expected to better its last year’s IPL earnings of around Rs900 crore that was helped by 30 per cent – 40 per cent jump in advertising revenues. Rohit Gupta, president at MSM, said: “Since the final order has not come yet, it is too early for us to comment on the matter. Let the order come.”

     

    If Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are banned, then it would have a direct negative rub-off on advertisers. Title sponsor PepsiCo, which had has committedRs400 crore for five years, stands to lose the most, as it has hinged its entire annual plans on the tournament that falls in peak summer season for the soft drinks sector. PepsiCo declined comment on the matter.

     

    CVL Srinivas

    CVL Srinivas, CEO at GroupM, the country’s largest media conglomerate that also represents PepsiCo, said, “It is too early to take any decision (on whether or not we should advice our clients to stay away from the IPL) as we don’t know which way the scenario will pan out. We will get more clarity in days to come and then we will weigh the options for our clients.”

     

    Some matches of the IPL will be played in the UAE, which is not a market for many brands, and with the Supreme Court banning two teams, advertisers stand to accrue huge losses if the tournament is scrapped. Navin Khemka, managing partner at media buying firm ZenithOptimedia, said absence of two key teams will bring down the value of IPL as a property.

     

    IPL’s brand value grew 4per cent, from $2.92 billion in 2012 to $3.03 billion in 2013. The total brand value of the nine franchises last year reached $325.8 million from $321.12 million in 2012, according to consulting firm Brand Finance.

     

    Nandini Dias

    Mr Khemka said that big advertisers may choose to be on elections over IPL, while likely lower ad rates may open IPL doors to smaller companies. “The sense is that overall ad rates could come down in the IPL. The flip side is that many small advertisers, who otherwise were not able to afford IPL as the entry costs were very high, may get a chance to be a part of it this time,” he said. Nandini Dias, CEO at media-buying firm Lodestar UM, said the agency was not advising clients to pull out of the tournament.

     

    “Controversies in cricket seem to have become a regular occurrence. Advertisers like PepsiCo have paid unprecedented amount of money despite all the controversies and uncertainties,” she said. “There are enough clients who want to ride on the higher viewership likely due to controversies. In fact, there are clients who change their media plans and skew their media plans to news channels when the channel is breaking news regarding controversies and scams.” The hospitality industry too could take a hit if some matches are cancelled.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The film – part of the #Pledgetovote series – hopes to inspire both – seasoned, as well as first-time voters

    Google ‘Pledge to Vote’ film with India’s first voter

    By A Correspondent

     

    Independent India’s first general elections may have happened in early 1952, but an exception was made for Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh as snowfall was expected. Hence the polls were held in October 1951 and there lies the story of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s very first voter, and a 97-year-old retired schoolteacher. This is the theme of the new Google commercial in the crafted by leading ad agency Ogilvy.

     

    Since 1951, Negi has voted in every single election, including each of the 15 Lok Sabha polls held thus far. The years haven’t diminished his belief in democracy and the power of elections. He also continues to be an inspiration to his family, friends and community in Kalpa.

     

    The film was shot in Mr Negi’s hometown, Kalpa, over several days in early March. The team worked closely with the village folk and Negi.

     

    Says Sandeep Menon – Director, Marketing, Google India: “Perhaps more than any other election in the past, these elections are about capturing the imagination of millions of both first-time as well as experienced voters. This video has been developed to inspire Indian voters to vote this election. The story of Mr Negi is a testimony of Indian voters’ belief in the power of democracy.”

     

    Abhijit Avasthi

    The film – part of the #Pledgetovote series – hopes to inspire both – seasoned, as well as first-time voters, said an Ogilvy India spokesperson. Added Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director at Ogilvy: “While all of us have cribs about the state of affairs in the country and a cynicism about the government, we forget that the only weapon of change we have in our hands is our vote. Like so many others, Google too wants to motivate people, especially youngsters to exercise their right to vote. But rather than being preachy, it wants to do it the inspirational and emotional way. And who better to inspire us than Mr Negi.” Leading internet services conglomerate Google has been attempting to integrate with the country through ad films that strike a chord. Its film on showing an Indian and Pakistani reuniting for the first time after Partition, has received rave reviews.

     

  • Cannes announces jury list for Cyber, Design and Direct Lions categories

    Juries for Cyber, Design and Direct Lions announced by Cannes

    By a correspondent

     

    The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest global annual awards celebrating excellence in creative communications, have announced members of an additional three juries set to participate at this year’s event for the Cyber, Design and Direct Lions categories.

     

    Commenting on the jury line-up, Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals said, “The prestige associated with winning a Lion is largely a result of the calibre of the professionals judging the work. It is therefore fitting to have such a formidable group of industry experts, who will no doubt help inspire and advance the global communications industry with the outcome of their deliberations. We very much look forward to welcoming them all to Cannes in June.”

     

    The juries will be chaired by Susan Bonds, Chief Executive Officer, 42 Entertainment, USA (Cyber Lions); Karl Heiselman, Chief Executive Officer, Wolff Olins, USA (Design Lions); and James McGrath, Creative Chairman, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Australia (Direct Lions).

     

    Three Indians have made it to the list including Meera Sharath Chandra, Founder Chief Executive Officer & Chief Creative Officer, Tigress Tigress, India in the Cyber category; Mangesh Rane, Founder Director, Open Strategy & Design, India in the Design category; and Rajat Sethi, Partner, Strategic Caravan International, India in the Direct category.

     

  • On the happy occasion of Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand, Navreh, Shajibu Cheiraoba & Chaitra Sukhladi, we look at what works for happiness as a theme in ads

    More khushi when there’s gham

     

    By Shobhana Nair

     

    Advertising and marketing have always been in a happy state in India. It’s an emotion that combines joy and delight of consumers, thereby creating a happy environment for consumption.

     

    Lloyd Mathias

    Before going for a macho refrain, soft drink Thums Up had embraced its tagline of ‘Happy days are here again’ nearly four decades back. In fact as one brand manager told us, it’s an evergreen emotion and always works magic for a brand. “Happiness is a very positive emotion with most brands wanting to build messages around it as it is a primary emotion,” says Lloyd Mathias, director Green Bean Ventures who was head of marketing at Tata Docomo, Motorala and Pepsico India.

     

    Indeed it is. From Thums Up to Domino’s Pizza with Khushiyon ki Home Delivery and from Khushiyon ki Planning at Max Life Insurance to Khushiyon ki Chaabi for Tata Nano and Khushiyon ka Khazana wali Maggi for Maggi, it’s khushi-ness all over. In fact the same line – Khushiyon ki Diwali – was used in the ads of brands Airtel and Asus.

     

    The recent Coca-Cola campaign with Deepika Padukone and Farhan Akhtar talks about the little moments of happiness. The entire sequence of missing the bus, chasing it and boarding it. “It makes a lot of sense to be associated with a positive emotion. Products like beverages and food are consumed by people in a positive frame of mind,” reasons Mr Mathias. “Another commercial by Nestle about a family adopting a girl child and how the boy makes up with her over food is a good campaign. There’s a lot of joy in the food category.”

     

    K V Sridhar

    Khushi, when there’s Gham: Although happiness is an emotion that has been used by marketers for decades, in times of a slowdown and a liquidity crunch, it’s often the possible solution to keep buyers happy. Says K V ‘Pops’ Sridhar, Chief Creative Officer India subcontinent, Leo Burnett: “When society is depressed, it needs something which is optimistic or makes people happy. Unemployment, corruption, politicians, etc add to this state. Therefore, brands are showing optimism and presenting a picture that not everything is going wrong. Today, it has become important for big brands to not talk about the values their brands have, but the values that the brands will bring.”

     

    Santosh Padhi

    According to Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Taproot, happiness is an emotion that’s employed by most brands. “If I want to sell something, I would rather do it in a positive way. In general, brands talk positive unless it is a category like insurance where you need to make your point in a negative way where it gets hammered and more understood. Otherwise, life is all about positivity. Happiness is one part of it; humour is another. And then there is hope and simply being positive.”

     

    Happiness is of course not a phenomenon that works only in India. It’s a global sentiment. Adds Mr Padhi: “In China, Pepsi released a big campaign on Happiness. There’s a man who’s offering happiness to people who are in need like education, shelter, umbrella, spectacles. Pepsi is running it for the past 20 years in China. So when Coke came a few years back with ‘Open Happiness’ as part of a global mandate, Pepsi China didn’t stop. In a huge market like China, two competitors are ‘doing’ happiness.”

     

    The Coca-Cola brand launched the campaign internationally in 2009 – around the time of the slowdown – and the ongoing  Deepika-Akhtar commercial is a part of the five-year-old activity.

     

    Bobby Pawar

    Over-used concept: Says Bobby Pawar, Director and Chief Creative Officer, South Asia, Publicis Worldwide: “I think in tough times, brands want to hold out people to heart. Happiness has a gravitational point for that. But it is such a broad concept unless you try to find true meaning in it. ”

     

    Mr Pawar believes not all advertisers are doing it right. “Happiness as a term is getting over-used. Coke has nailed it internationally. They do create happiness with their world machines,. Only Coke has got it right. Rest of them are like whatever.”

     

    Anand Halve, brand consultant and a veteran ad professional and Co-Founder, Chlorophyll adds on to Pawar’s sentiment:  “Not only happiness, all emotions are being over-used. Brands have started to use this term that aapki zindagi badal jaayegi. Just look at the number of brands that use the word ‘life’. Brands should aim to do beyond just the functional thing. You have to be careful about not going overboard and sounding incredible.

     

    “Coke is doing really well through Coke Studio. Music makes people happy and that to me is genuine happiness. Just hanging a line at the end of an ad doesn’t mean anything… agar mujhe khush karna hai toh, take me out for dinner…don’t just send a voucher,” says Mr Halve.

     

    But Mr Mathias believes, happiness is here to stay. “It can never go out of style. It is a very basic emotion and in a typical day one has a lot of happy moments. It is very logical for brands to show people in a happy frame of mind especially categories like beverages or food which are driven by this. It is an important emotion to build your brand on.”

     

  • Vespa India has appointed BBH India as its creative partner

    Vespa India to ride on BBH creativity

    BBH has won the advertising account for the iconic scooter brand Vespa.  As a part of the global alignment, BBH India has been tasked with the development of communication for the brand to position it as a lifestyle product in the Indian market.

     

    On choosing BBH India as creative partner, Krishna MV, AVP Marketing, Piaggio (Vespa) said “Vespa is an iconic brand and is more statement of personality than a mode of transport. The brand requires strategic thought that’s different from traditional automobile category thinking. We have got BBH on board globally and in India to provide just that.”

     

    Said Subhash Kamath, CEO and Managing Partner, BBH India: “Vespa is a very cool and very stylish brand, we’re thrilled to partner them in India. BBH has always been known for creating ideas that travel across the globe to different markets and cultures. For Vespa too, we’re looking forward to making the global brand idea resonate with Indian consumers through some pathbreaking work.”

     

    Added Russell Barrett, CCO and Managing Partner BBH, “Vespa is a legendary brand that’s somuch more than a scooter. It’s a state of mind. What’s even more exciting, is the kind of modern, cool work we havebeen tasked to create for Vespa.”

     

  • Indian entries enjoy unprecedented success at D&AD Awards 2014

    India Shining @ D&AD global awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Indian craft and creativity was recognised in a big way at this year’s D&AD Awards, with an incredible 25 Awards handed out to Indian entrants, with three of those in contention to win a Yellow Pencil as Nominated* work.

     

    In 2013, India achieved just two In Book Awards with no Nominated entries. Meanwhile, this year’s haul elevates India to a highly respectable 9th in the global table, further consolidating the Indian creative community’s burgeoning reputation on the international stage. While In-Book refers to work that will be included in the 52nd D&AD Annual which will be published in September 2014, Nominations refers to work that will be included in the D&AD Annual and is also being considered by the Jury for the award of a Yellow Pencil. The Yellow Pencil results will be announced at an event in London on 22 May 2014.

     

    Ogilvy & Mather India earned two Nominations in Graphic Design and Crafts for Design for its work with WWF India in addition to a further four In Books within Outdoor Advertising.

     

    At this stage (before the Yellow Pencils are awarded in May), McCann Erickson India is the most awarded agency from India, earning 10 In Book Awards and a Nomination in the White Pencil category for its Share My Dabba campaign for Happy Life Welfare, The Dabbawala Foundation.

     

    D&AD is partnering with Kyoorius to bring the awards with the same standards of judging and creativity. The awards are scheduled to happen on June 12 in Mumbai with the Call for Entries having been issued already.

     

    Tim Lindsay

    Said D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay: “Entries to D&AD have gone up over 10% this year, which is a reflection of D&AD’s increasing popularity in maturing creative markets like Brazil and China. The main theme we’re seeing this year is one of convergence: the lines between categories are becoming more and more blurred, which means ideas have to be smarter and the execution more pristine than ever. We’ve also seen a massive increase in smaller design studios entering – which I hope indicates the creative industries are in rude health at every level.”

     

    In total, 683 awards were handed out at the 2014 awards, up on the figure of 614 from the previous year. Globally at this stage (before the Yellow Pencils are awarded on May 22), Grey London has racked up the highest number of Awards with 19 (2 Nominations and 17 In Books).

     

    There has been a crop of Awards for Ogilvy&Mather Paris’s ‘Smarter People for Smarter Cities’, which took 13; Grey London’s ‘The Sunday Times Rich List’, which took 11 and Ogilvy & Mather Brazil’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’, which took six.

     

    As a non-profit, all of D&AD’s surpluses go straight into programmes that develop the next generation of creative talent while campaigning for the creative industries to help solve the world’s toughest social and environmental issues. As has been reported earlier, the surpluses from the D&AD Award’s Indian avatar, will also be ploughed back to help the fraternity.

     

  • The refreshed service would enable MSLGROUP to offer seamlessly integrated campaigns across multiple channels for marketing and communications programmes

    MSL Group enhances Events & Experiential service offerings

    By a correspondent

     

    MSLGROUP India has announced the enhancement of its service offering – Events and Experiential. The refreshed service would enable MSLGROUP to offer seamlessly integrated campaigns across multiple channels for marketing and communications programmes. Integrating with its existing service offerings in traditional PR, social media/digital and content solutions, MSLGROUP, India will now provide event planning, management and execution for a range of projects targeting media as well as other stakeholders. The team comprises of extremely skilled professionals with a diverse range of experience and skills having worked extensively with reputed clients.

     

    Audiences today skim through the onslaught of information provided by various media, forcing advertisers and marketers to constantly scramble for new, inventive ways to connect and make an impact with their target audience. As the most impactful campaigns are based on one, big idea which is rolled out through a 360 degree approach, MSLGROUP further enhances this critical offering from amongst its roster of traditional PR, Digital, Creative and Content Creation. This refreshed service offering will employ a strategic and innovative approach to convey the brand message thereby helping the company create stronger connections and relationships with the consumer.

     

    Jaideep Shergill, CEO, MSLGROUP in India, said: “The industry is evolving and clients are looking for creative and innovative ways to engage with their target audience, which goes beyond tried and tested methods. Being an integrated communications firm, we, at MSLGROUP, in India, firmly believe in the power of well-crafted and well-executed experiences which enables the target audience to engage with the brand and its story. Our distinctive way of conceptualizing and creating successful events for our clients helps us to stand out in the marketplace.”

     

    The team has been instrumental in planning the event to announce the historical launch of Australia’s leading back, Westpac, in India. Some other notable clients that the firm has worked with are Steelcase for the launch of its Gesture Chair, Manpasand Beverages India Pvt. Ltd. for the launch of a new beverage, Global Gases Pvt. Ltd. for a plant inauguration in Chennai, History TV18 for the visit of extraordinary magician, Dynamo to name a few.