MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Mitrajit Bhattacharya has a few guidelines for big-ticket names looking for the right avenues.

    The Anchor: 6 pointers for luxury advertisers when choosing a magazine

    By Mitrajit Bhattacharya

     

    #1 Whether the magazine caters to the right TG of the brand, not the TG that the planner/ advertiser belongs to, which may not necessarily be the same.

     

    #2 Most luxury brands in this country are consumed by the wealthy, so an income profiling is often better than SEC. The business community scores over the salaried class, who often simply cannot afford luxury (unless they are a rich banker). So, choose your vehicle accordingly.

     

    #3 Often a multi-brand distributor/ company has the same magazine list for all their brands. Decide for individual brands and not for the group; consumers finally see them individually.

     

    #4 Frequently check how the layout of copy/ edit pages is coordinated with that of advertisements. Many luxury magazines go to the extent of designing facing edit pages with relation to the ads and that really helps noticeability/ engagement.

     

    #5 Do not lose sight of sales; maintain the right balance of image-building (which is so critical for a luxe brand) without losing sight of the real impact on sales.

     

    #6 Be sure of the strengths of the medium and use it the best possible way, and not necessarily have the ‘same size fits all’ ad strategy across all media.

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya is the President & Publisher, Chitralekha Group & Vice President, AIM.

  • Palasa, the creative workshop has added two new accounts to its kitty, Housefull and Rawwar

    Palasa obtains the creative mandates for Housefull and Rawwar

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Palasa is on a roll, having bagged two businesses back to back, one for a low-cost furniture brand called Housefull and the other for a young fashion brand to be launched in February, named Rawwar. Palasa is a creative workshop formed by Sandeep Bomble, better known as ‘Bomble’ in the advertising circuit.

     

    The account size for both the businesses is estimated around Rs 20 crore. Palasa won the Housefull account by just recommending a communication strategy and a defined path to make Housefull a reliable furniture brand in the industry. For Rawwar the communication strategy gives a lift to the catalogue advertisement. They are also designing the T-shirts and the exclusive retail outlets for the brand.

     

    On the win, Sandeep Bomble, Director, Palasa, said, “Palasa as a creative place is different from other advertising agencies as we do not have any ATL and BTL barrier. No job is small or big; a visiting card or packaging or even merchandizing is as important as a television commercial. Both require idea and thinking. For Houseful we’ll be doing creatives across mediums from ATL to BTL.

     

    The approximate media spent is about Rs 12 to 15 crore. Housefull are on an expansion spree and plan to open maximum number of stores across India in the year 2012. “We saw this as a great opportunity to make Housefull ‘the’ household furniture Brand of India,” he added.

     

    The second account Rawwar, a young fashion brand to be launched in February, was recommended by Palasa. Mr Bomble explains their communication strategy, “To survive in this ever-evolving fad, being raw isn’t good enough. To overcome, situation demands a reverse in trend or to announce a fashion war. The idea is in the name itself the mirror reflection of RAW is WAR. And with Rawwar, it’s a Win-Win situation.”

     

    Mr Bomble had spent nine years at Ogilvy from where he moved to JWT and stayed for three and half years. The mix of creative sparks in Ogilvy and strategic strengths from JWT initiated Palasa’s birth. Palasa believes that as long as the clients are happy they do not need to come out and create any buzz.

  • Ogilvy & Cadbury were Client & Agency of the Year respectively @ Effies 2011. Vodafone & JWT were runner-up. Taproot bagged Grand Effie for Pepsi

    Cadbury & O&M top Effies 2011 honours

     

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    On an exhilarating race day, at a place where horses would be galloping and competing their way for a finish to the top, yesterday it was the turn of the advertising fraternity to trot the turf and vie for their prized silverware. Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai was host to Effies 2011, the only awards show of its kind that recognizes effective advertising by creative agencies.

     

    Having finished as the agency with the highest number of shortlists, Ogilvy & Mather didn’t disappoint as it swooped a bagful of awards – 19 metals in all – leading it to be pronounced the Effie Agency of the Year for 2011. With a tally of 195 points – 7 Golds, 6 Silvers and 6 Bronzes, Ogilvy thumped its nearest rival JWT by almost thrice the number of metals, a milestone that has been a regular affair at the awards. JWT came a distant second with 65 points – 3 Golds, 1 Silver, 2 Bronzes, while DDB Mudra and Lowe Lintas were tied for the third spot with 45 points each.

     

    The icing on the cake for O&M was when its coveted client Cadbury was declared the Effie Client of the Year. With 4 Golds and 2 Silvers, Cadbury edged out Vodafone India – an Ogilvy client as well – which occupied the second spot with 2 Golds, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. HUL came third with a single Gold and 4 Bronzes.

     

    Flagging off the awards ceremony, Shashi Sinha, President of the Bombay Ad Club welcomed the gathering by stating that it had been a stellar an experience for the organising committee and the judges who managed to sieve and rummage through a bundle of noteworthy entries. Apart from the big number of entries and new additions the event managed to attract, Sinha said that the awards was different from the others, as it was run on international guidelines and was importantly, controversy-free.

     

    Lavishing praises on the event, Chairperson – Effie Committee and fellow-member, Ajay Kakar began by citing an anecdote. “During my early days as an executive in an ad agency, I used to often hear marketers say that half the money I spent on advertising is wasted and the trouble is, which half was wasted was not known. But with the instituting of the Effies, that perception has changed. In fact, it is the only awards show where both the client and the ad agency walk together to collect the awards.”

     

    According to Kakar, it was truly a remarkable experience for the organising committee this year as there were more categories – 12 in all, which saw around 300 entries and the 80 judges had the arduous task of shortlisting the best.

     

    Winning stance

    Elated with another super showing, Abhijit Avasthi, NCD, Ogilvy India remarked: “We are absolutely thrilled, given that Effies is a culmination of the year’s efforts and that it is the right balance between creativity and effectiveness in the marketplace. What’s more reassuring and satisfying is that the wins are across a lot of categories and clients.”

     

    When asked to comment on his client bagging the Client of the Year award Avasthi said: “Though we are happy that Cadbury has bagged the Client of the Year award, we have been supported phenomenally well by our other clients too.”

     

    Not disheartened by the performance of his agency, Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT India, which came in second, said: “Every year, around this time, we review the works that we do for our clients and given our standing at the Effies this year, we hope to start 2012 with a brand new team so as to compete closely with the No 1.”

     

    On Effies being a great creative platform for agencies, Colvyn said: “I think Effies is a great platform for one to showcase their work, because finally, creativity may be everything but this is as important, if not more important, from a client’s point of view. If you are not successful in the marketplace, then nothing else matters. So my ambition is obviously to do well at the Effies and back that up with a good creative showing as well.”

     

    It was a night of thrilling proportions for Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi from Taproot India as they bagged the envious Grand Effie award. Sharing his initial reaction on the win, Agnello Dias, co-founder, Taproot India said: “It keeps getting better. When I won for Lead India, I thought this is it; I won’t get another Grand Effie. Then Teach India happened and this year I won a Grand Effie again. So it keeps getting better. It’s even more satisfying that we are doing it outside of a large network agency and we are doing it on our own.” On the hopes for next year, Aggie said that he aimed to continue the feat with Airtel and maybe also Pepsi.

     

    Enumerating on their win, Santosh Padhi, co-founder of Taproot India said: “We had sent four entries, of which three were shortlisted, while two bagged awards. So I guess it was a pretty good showing. Considering the size of our agency – we have around 30 people, versus other big agencies that have 3,000 people, or more. Competing with them and coming fifth is an outstanding achievement for us. This shows that it is not numbers that matter but the power of an idea that is important.”

     

    Joseph George, CEO, Lowe Lintas, which tied for the third spot, said: “I think we could have done much better because Effies are the only awards that we seriously participate in. Actually, we were a bit disappointed with the shortlist itself considering we had sent more than 20 entries. But no worries, we will try harder and do better next year. What is important is that the No 1 tag is never to be taken for granted and the same goes for No 2 and 3. So we hope to be back next year, bigger and stronger.”

     

    The other commendable awards for the night included Marico Uncommon Sense Award that was bagged by O&M for Vodafone’s ‘Blackberry for Everyone’ and Brand Equity Bravery Award that was bagged by BBDO India for Gillette Mach3 Turbo – Shavesutra.

     

    Tally:

     

    Effie Client tally:

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia brings for you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad. AdStrat is compiled by Shubhangi Mehta

    Ad Strat: Max Weekends – chillout time

    Priya Pardiwalla, Vice president and senior creative director and Steven Mathais, Associate vice-president and senior creative director, JWT.

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Max Weekends

     

    The Brief: Showcase that Set Max has the best collection of Bollywood blockbusters and the best way to spend weekends is, at home watching Max

     

    Research insights:

    A sizeable chunk of the Indian public is so tired after work that by the time the weekend arrives, they would rather stay at home and enjoy the weekends with family than venture out to crowded malls and other public spaces.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiP5h7-awpE[/youtube]

    Thought process behind the creative:

    Tap into popular perceptions that certain people like policemen, cricketers and models have a very cushy life and their jobs are rather ‘easy’ or ‘glamorous’ to perform. And then demonstrate how things are not as they appear. And the way to recharge and bounce back is by chilling over the weekend and watching Max Weekends.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    TV and limited outdoor in upcountry markets.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    While the situations are based on real insights and experiences, the treatment is humorous and over the top.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief:

    Max is an entertainment channel for the whole family so the commercials too need to be as engaging and entertaining as the movies showcased and should appeal to all concerned.

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad:

    The fresh factor is that ads show professions generally perceived to be very easy, glamorous and cushy and the irony and truth behind them. The spin on this insight is what creates the differentiation!

     

  • Rahul Dravid warns that not thinking about the fan is one of the reasons for the fast-diminishing crowds at Indian stadia. And how this portends very badly for the future of the game. It's TV that is busy slaying the goose that lays the golden eggs

    Anil Thakraney: Treating the fan like shit

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Everyone’s talking about Rahul Dravid’s speech at the Bradman Oration. It is sharp and insightful. And it proves that the man is not just a great batsman, he’s got a thinking brain when it comes to the sport. Jammy makes many pertinent points about the dangers to cricket, but one that caught my attention was on disrespecting the fan. Quite coincidentally, I had alluded to this in an earlier post.

     

    Dravid warns that not thinking about the fan is one of the reasons for the fast-diminishing crowds at Indian stadia. And how this portends very badly for the future of the game. He is right, of course, and I believe it’s TV that is busy slaying the goose that lays the golden eggs. Because the BCCI earns almost all its revenues from television rights, they have paid scant attention to the stadia. The last time I made the mistake of going for a one-day match, it turned out to be such an awful experience, I swore never go back, even if someone paid me a whole lot of money to do so. Stinking, dirty toilets. Crowd mismanagement. Shortage of drinking water. Very uncomfortable seats. It was like the organizers were saying to me: “Who asked you to come here, you idiot? Go home and watch.”

     

    Dravid categorically states that it is no fun for the players either. That it is depressing playing in front of empty stadia. Really hope the BCCI is listening to him and takes urgent measures to sort this out. If they won’t take the rest of us seriously, surely they must pay close attention to what the experienced cricketer has to say. He can’t be wrong.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr4bK63WxXY[/youtube]Here’s the link to Dravid’s speech if you haven’t watched it yet. In addition to his views, the suits must pay attention to his style. Dravid makes very serious points, but he doesn’t bore the audience. Something to learn from here for those who speak at seminars. Boring speakers who never fail to put us to sleep. (One of the main reasons I politely decline invitations to seminars.)

     

    ***

     

    PS: Completely wacko ad from BurgerKing,Russia. It’s over-the-top and bizarre, perhaps an indication of the desperation caused by their declining market share. But you have to say one thing: At least they’ve made the burger the hero!

     

     

     

  • dummy post

    December 16th is Johann Wilhelm Ritter’s birthday. Ritter was a German scientist who invented one of the first dry pile galvanic batteries.

    • Early batteries used electrodes dipped in an acid solution where the energy is produced through oxidation reactions. A dry pile uses just enough moisture to function and did not have the dangers of spilling acid solutions.
    • Ritter’s pile used alternating pieces of silver and zinc foil separated by pieces of paper.Ritter was also responsible for the discovery of the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. While investigating the discoloration of silver salt crystals exposed to sunlight, he discovered there was a part of sunlight beyond the violet range responsible for the discoloration.
    • He initially called this part of the light spectrum ‘de-oxidizing rays’ because of their chemical reactivity.
  • While I can understand the producers wanting to promote Don 2 – even planting those cheap 3D glasses inside newspapers is okay to a point – Shahrukh must understand that his continuous presence in the media is going to hurt his charisma in the long run. How much of the star can we take?

    Anil Thakraney: Doesn’t SRK get it?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Oh no! Don 2 (it actually should be Don 3, because the earlier Don was a rip-off of the original Bachchan film) is all set to hit the cinemas and we will have to sit back and ‘enjoy’ Shahrukh Khan’s nautanki, as he shuttles from one TV studio to another, desperately hawking the flick. He just did ditto for Ra.One and pakaoed the hell out of everyone. The popular Twitter joke at the time was: The only thing left for SRK to do is to insert breaks during the film’s screening, so that he can plug it!

     

    Did the media hero’s 360-degree effort for Ra.One save the film? Despite all those tall claims on initial collections (which would have happened even if Khan didn’t do the studio rounds… his name anyway gets lots of folks interested), the film was dissed by all and sundry and reportedly lost some money. So what is the use of all this mad self marketing?

     

    Now, while I can understand the producers wanting to promote the film – even planting those cheap 3D glasses inside newspapers is okay to a point – Shahrukh must understand that his continuous presence in the media is going to hurt his charisma in the long run. How much of the star can we take? In fact, I gave Ra.One a quiet miss because the last thing I wanted after his full-on blast in the media was more Shahrukh Khan. Sure, the content-starved TV channels will welcome him with open arms. Because it gives them a chance to talk about all issues unconnected with the film, including SRK’s opinions on how to end communalism in this nation, and how to send a man to Uranus (okay, I made the last one up). But what good does all that fluff talk do for the film’s fortunes?

     

    Dear SRK and all the other stars: Guys, spend all this moolah and energy on creating sparkling content. Two, zealously protect the mystique around your own image. And three, leave the TV studios to the netas and to Mr Suhel Seth.

     

    ***

     

    PS: I sincerely hope Anna’s Jan Lokpal bill gets passed in toto by the government. Not because I believe it will end corruption, but because I don’t want Team Anna doing their number from Mumbai. The traffic is already a mess out here, and we just can’t handle another frenzied public spectacle.

  • Starcom win Novartis worldwide, India office unaware if it will also get business. Meanwhile, it has won media biz of Caratlane.com

    Starcom win Novartis worldwide, Caratlane in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Novartis has awarded Starcom with its $600million global media account, reports Advertising Age. The review apparently started earlier this year.

     

    On Tuesday, the Starcom India spokesperson said the offices here weren’t aware of the win. Novartis, the AdAge report adds, is one of the 100 largest advertisers in the world.

     

    Meanwhile, what the India office did inform MxMIndia was about being awarded the mandate by Caratlane.com, an online portal offering a selection of diamonds and diamond jewellery. Starcom will handle all the media investments for Caratlane.com from its Chennai office.

     

    Confirming the appointment, Narendra Alambara, Vice President, Starcom Worldwide, Chennai said, “We are extremely happy to partner with the pioneers of online diamond jewellery business. Caratlane.com has a superior business model that ensures quality of the product, with better prices for the consumer. Their decision to work with us will help them accelerate visibility. Starcom’s solid research and strong consumer data will help Cartlane.com achieve higher business returns and become a name to be reckoned with in the diamond jewellery business.”

     

    Caratlane.com is one of the first and few online businesses that offer a range of diamonds and diamond jewellery. They also have offline operations and diamonds are available at select stores. The diamonds have a Jaipur quality stamp and the automated manufacturing system and quality control processes ensure that jewellery is made exactly to specifications. This is especially to ensure trust and uniform quality as the customers buy a piece of jewellery based on specifications rather than look-and-feel.

     

    As to whether the India office will also handle Novartis, guess one will have to watch.

  • Arvind Sharma's end-of-year wish list for the ad industry – agencies, creatives, clients… oh, and the consumer.

    The Anchor: 6 wishes for Santa from the advertising industry

    By Arvind Sharma

     

    #1 A year of bountiful growth for the economy: We really need Santa’s intervention on this. Only if the economy is good will clients put money into new launches. And support their current businesses with confidence. And help the advertising industry thrive.

     

    #2 Many dozen outstanding campaigns across categories: These become tougher to sell in a tight economy, which I anticipate.

     

    #3 Hundreds of high-quality young people joining the industry next year: Talented young people are the lifeblood of our industry. We need lots of them.

     

    #4 Emergence of a real alternative to cricket:  There is just too much of cricket. Audience interest in it is flagging, and so are returns from it.

     

    #5 Penetration of high-speed broadband internet across the length and breadth of the country: After the cellphone revolution, this can be the next big driver of growth for the country and the advertising industry.

     

    #6 Many more global campaigns out of India: Global recognition for Indian advertising talent has been growing. This should now convert into India becoming a major centre that MNC clients regularly look to for their global campaigns.

     

    Arvind Sharma is the Chairman of India Subcontinent at Leo Burnett.

  • He was the jury president for Film some years ago at ADFEST and now he will oversee the Press Lotus jury panel

    Prasoon Joshi is Jury Prez of Press Lotus @ Adfest 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman and CEO, McCann WorldgroupIndiais joining ADFEST’s all star line-up of jury presidents in 2012, overseeing the Press Lotus jury panel.

     

    As Regional ECD for McCann Erickson (Asia Pacific), Mr Joshi is one of the region’s most powerful advertising creatives. He was recently mandated with the leadership of McCann Erickson’s worldwide Creative Council, making him the most influential creative executive in the network.

     

    “I was jury president for Film some years ago at ADFEST, and today the quest for excellence remains intact. ADFEST is one of the oldest advertising communication festivals, which understands and appreciates the unique cultural fabric of Asia. It has experimented and has tried to reinvent itself and stay relevant in these changing times,” said Mr Joshi.

     

    Winner of more than 400 national and international awards, Mr Joshi also won the prestigious National Award by the President of India for his socially impactful work in 2009.

     

    “It is an honour to have Mr Joshi oversee the Press Lotus juries at ADFEST 2012. He is not just a phenomenal talent – he’s one of India’s most powerful creative executives, and we are humbled to have him accept our invitation to attend next year’s Festival,” said Jimmy Lam, president, ADFEST.

     

    The Times of India recently cited Mr Joshi amongst the nation’s Top 60 icons; while Business Today named him as one of the Top 21 Business Leaders who will shape India in the 21st century.

     

    With a postgraduate in Physics, Mr Joshi is also a prolific poet, feature film song and scriptwriter.

  • The challenge 'Aapke paas nahin hai kya?' makes the owner of the phone feel superior, and this trick should appeal to kids who are forever looking to outwit their seniors, to go one-up on them.

    Debrief: The one-upmanship trick

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It’s raining smart phones in the market. And they need smart ads to get noticed. Well, Samsung has found a Smart Alec way to achieve that for its new brand, Galaxy Y.

     

    The phone, as you can imagine, is targetted at the tech-savvy youth. And the core idea is that the smart phone helps the kids ‘fix’ their seniors/elders. In one ad, a suit stops his luxury car and asks some youngsters for directions to a place. But he makes the fatal mistake of addressing them as ‘kids’, and this energizes one of the spunky girls to show some attitude with her hot new phone. As she challenges the ‘uncle’ with: Aapke paas nahin hai kya? Similarly in the other ad, an angsty boss gets put in his place by a junior who plays around with his funky Galaxy.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTlU2kLjyg[/youtube]
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMUSdYSa3Qs[/youtube]

    Not a bad idea. The challenge ‘Aapke paas nahin hai kya?’ makes the owner of the phone feel superior, and this trick should appeal to kids who are forever looking to outwit their seniors, to go one-up on them. In that sense the insight is relevant and the idea campaignable. Should work.

     

    However, where the commercials falter a bit is in the execution. The treatment lacks finesse, it looks sophomoric. And the humour could have been stronger, they need wittier situations. Nothing that can’t be fixed.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5. Good thought, but needs stylish play.

  • The agency has come out with a compelling campaign for Mumbai Mirror which showcases the newspaper on a crusade giving voice to the unheard stories

    Taproot India gives voice to the Mumbaikars

    By A Correspondent

     

    TaprootIndiahas come out with its campaign for Mumbai Mirror. The newspaper had first come out with a campaign in the year 2005 during its launch. This is the paper’s first campaign after that initial launch campaign.

     

    The focus of the campaign is to showcase the newspaper as the voice of the Mumbaikars and brings to its readers umpteen, untold stories.

     

    Talking about the campaign, Rahul Kansal, Chief Marketing Officer, Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd, said: “Mumbai Mirror is a strong newspaper that looks out for its readers. In a city where the ordinary guy can feel rather helpless as he is always at the receiving end of an insensitive system, the paper empowers the reader and gives him a voice.”

     

    The campaign which is out in print, television, cinema, digital and outdoor takes four real stories from Mumbai: burning of Rohinton Mistry’s book, the milk adulteration scam, the case of remand home for children and political posters and then creates fictionalized accounts of how these affected the Mumbaikars.

     

    The objective of the campaign is to underline the fact that every citizen, rich or poor, oppressed or cheated has a voice that reaches the city every morning.

     

    Mumbai Mirror has been bringing to the forefront its readers’ unheard voices through a relentless series of exposes.

     

    Talking about what it is with TOI that has made Agnello Dias and his team come up with the countless powerful campaigns, he said: “Its trust that TOI has in us and I am scared to let them down.”

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Mr Dias said: “Mumbai has many faces. Some that evoke, others provoke. But if we were to look every one of them in the eye, we will find that all of them are the face of Mumbai. Many stories make this city and some need to be told.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVb01vfbVEw[/youtube]

    Credits:

    Agency: TaprootIndia

    Client: Bennet & Coleman

    Brand Team: Rahul Kansal/Priya Gupta

    Creative Directors: Santosh Padhi/Agnello Dias

    Media Agency: Lodestar UM

    Copy: Agnello Dias

    Account Management: Mandar Sawant

    Production House: RDP

    Director: Abhinay Deo

    Music: Ram Sampath

    Executive Producer: Apurba Sengupta

     

    Mumbai Mirror – I am Mumbai