MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Agency accelerates position as a leading commerce player

    Razorfish named Global Strategic Partner by Hybris

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital shop Razorfish has named a Global Strategic Partner in Hybris Software, a SAP company and the world’s fastest-growing commerce platform provider. The development comes on the heels of the recent announcement that Publicis Groupe has acquired Crown Partners, a leading full service firm that drives commerce and content solutions, to align with the Razorfish business.

     

    Razorfish and Hybris have worked together for a number of years to offer their clients integrated commerce experiences with technology at their core. The agency has previously been recognized by the platform provider as a Regional Gold Partner in 2013. Hybris’ most recent decision to deem Razorfish a Global Strategic Partner is based on the anticipated powerhouse that will result from merging the Razorfish and Crown organizations.

     

    “Razorfish’s deep understanding of hybris’ omni-channel commerce platform is evident in how it’s been effectively leveraged to deliver dynamic commerce experiences to many of their clients,” said Pat Finn, senior vice president, global channel & partnerships at Hybris. “For many marketers, implementing a successful digital commerce strategy can be very challenging with the need to deal with different partners, suppliers and departments. By providing a one-stop-shop for CMOs, Razorfish makes the implementation and management of digital commerce programs easy, quick and effective.”

     

    Amplifying Razorfish’s well-established position in the commerce space, the integration of Crown gives the agency’s clients access to cutting-edge commerce, marketing and content technology platform-related services, including historically strong alliances both organizations maintain with the hybris platform.

     

    Collectively, Razorfish and Crown have executed over 100 commerce engagements and 13 go-lives on hybris in the past year. To learn more about Razorfish’s Global Strategic Partnership with hybris, visit the hybris partnership page.

     

  • The annual awards for excellence in communication and media will be held on for September 19 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bengaluru

    Ad Club Blr to hold Big Bang Awards on Sept 19

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club Bangalore has announced that this year’s edition of the Big Bang Awards will be held on September 19, 2014 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bengaluru.

     

    The Club received a record number of 956 entries this year from various cities including Mumbai and Delhi NCR. Speaking on this, Malavika Harita, President, Advertising Club Bangalore said:  “We have received good number of entries almost across all categories. Digital advertising entries are on the rise, in keeping with the general trend in advertising”.

     

    Said Arvind Kumar, Executive Director of the Ad Club: “A unique thing that is being added to the awards night this year, is a panel discussion on the topic ‘Online Killed the Offline Star – True or False’ with the panelists likely to be Colors CEO Raj Nayak, Puneetha Arumugam from Google India with media serial entrepreneur Annurag Batra as moderator.

     

    “The Ad Club roped in close to 40 judges, who are judging the Big Bang entries this year, and each entry is being judged by a group of three judges, who are experts in their field of communication, to ensure there is fairness in the judging process,” Mr Kumar added.

     

    Those interested in getting entry invites to the event can call Mr Manjunath at Ad Club Office on 080-2361 4888 or +9199005 42055

     

     

     

  • The partnership will assist in developing the best strategic communication route for Pro Ecuador, create a stable, impactful image for the destination and promote investment and trade opportunities for Ecuador in India

    LinOpinion GH bags PR mandate of Pro Ecuador

    By A Correspondent

     

    LinOpinion GH has announced their win of Pro Ecuador, the Institute for the Promotion of Trade and Investment for Ecuador working part of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, represented by its Commercial Office here in Mumbai. The partnership will assist in developing the best strategic communication route for Pro Ecuador, create a stable, impactful image for the destination and promote investment and trade opportunities for Ecuador in India. The account was won via a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Speaking on the association, Trade officer in India, Priscila Moscoso Meiller said, “We are proud to be associated with LinOpinion GH and we look forward to a successful and long standing partnership with them. With their vast expertise in the travel, tourism and trade promotion, we are sure that Pro Ecuador will gain from this association and evolve into an even stronger entity with distinct awareness and positioning created for its products and services thereby impacting Ecuador’s image and market share in India.”

     

    Ameer Ismail

    Commenting on the new win, Ameer Ismail, Executive Director, LinOpinion GH and Lowe Lintas and Partners says, “We are thrilled to have won such a prestigious mandate. With our domain expertise and proven track record, we demonstrated the right mix of insight, strategy and ability to build salience on Ecuador, its unique offerings and position it as a great investment and travel destination. We are honored to partner with Pro Ecuador and will use unconventional and innovative communication routes to add value to their marketing campaign as it unfurls.”

     

    For LinOpinion GH, the win comes as a significant addition to their already existing roster of some leading clients in the travel, tourism and trade vertical. These brands include Tourism Victoria, Starwood Group of Hotels, Etihad Airways, to name a few.

     

  • The three-day design, digital and creativity conference ended on a high with a 1970s-style theme party coinciding with the D&AD-backed awards.

    Ivan Chermanyeff and Ajaz Ahmed were highlights of Day 3 of #KDY14

    By Abhijeet Amonkar

     

    Ajaz Ahmed

    It was the last day of an event that no one wanted to end. The three-day design, digital and creativity conference ended on a high with a 1970s-style theme party coinciding with the D&AD-backed awards.

     

    The day began with Mat Heinl, CEO, Moving Brands who was of the firm belief that for brands to be successful, they must stop separating themselves from their products and services. Brands must create behaviours, instead of artefacts, he said.

     

    The next speaker, Todd Rovak, Managing Partner, Fahrenheit 212 said that while making toys, children respond more to Batman, a human being who gets to the top through training rather than Superman, who is born perfect. As far as innovation is concerned, an idea must solve a problem for the consumer as well as the business. He believes that “In order to go big, first go small.”

     

    Next up was Morihiko Hasebe, Executive Creative Director from Hakuhodo Inc who showcased the idea of combing various sectors to create an aesthetic and useful product. His company looks ahead, and is preparing designs for as much as a decade ahead.

     

    The two highlights of the day were Ivan Chermanyeff, Principal, Chermanyeff  & Geismar & Haviv and Ajaz Ahmed, Founder, AKQA. Chermanyeff, widely regarded as the god of logos , spoke about the thoughts that went into designing his work. “I’m one of those few people who can’t sit still,” he said while talking of his formula of success. His advice to future graphic designers is “Bring an idea that stays in place for a long, long time.”

     

    Ahmed, on the other hand, who founded leading digital agency AKQA at age 21, gave said even the smallest seed of an idea can cause a great revolution of hope.

     

    Earlier, Holly Hall, the Awards Director of the London-based D&AD spoke on the ‘What If?’ theme. The final speakers were Nathan Prince and Liam Paton from Silent Studios. They spoke about how music enhances our lives, and how in advertising, music is very important. Like most of the speakers, they said “Experiences, rather than products, make people happy.”

     

    So what was the highlight of the Kyoorius event versus various others held in the country or the region. When asked to comment on this, Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, said that the event was a serious business. “We don’t want to people to come here for entertainment and drinks, even if it’s Goa. We want them to return inspired and be brimming with more ideas.”

     

    A senior marketer, who had been to the festival for the first time, echoed this sentiment. “I was told that you come here for the content, and I wasn’t disappointed,” she said.

     

  • There were two Black Elephants and 27 Blue Elephants present at the D&AD-governed Kyoorius Design Awards

    Ogilvy, Bombay Duck Designs win top accolades at #KDY14

     

    By Sandeep Puraname

     

    It wasn’t like any other award night. Around a thousand-odd creative and allied industry professionals were in attendance at the D&AD-backed 2014 Kyoorius Design Awards in Goa.

     

    In the signature Kyoorius style of a larger-than-life format, the audience was treated to a 1970s theme party.  A total of 680 entries were submitted across nine categories – Branding and Identity, Communication Design, Book Design, Editorial Design, Design for Space, Design for Packaging, Writing for Design, Design Craft and Design for Good. The 72 In-book winners were also nominees for Blue Elephants, and the jury awarded a total of 27 Blue Elephants and two Black Elephants. Student awards were also presented to meritorious submissions.

     

    Two Black Elephants were awarded to outstanding work that cut across categories, both in terms of concept and execution. Bombay Duck Designs was awarded a Black Elephant for Blued Book in the Design for Books category while Ogilvy & Mather was awarded a Black Elephant for :{to:) CleftToSmile, created for Operation Smile India in the Branding and Identity category.

     

    The 27 Blue Elephant winners included work by (in no specific order): Alok Nanda & Company, Trapeze, Redlion, Kulture Shop, Umbrella Design, Bombay Duck Designs, Locopopo, Eleven:43, The Architects Office, NH1 Design, Please See, Out of the Box, Lotus, Famous Innovations and Grey Worldwide, Publicis India, Creativeland Asia, TBWA India.

     

    While the awards are named Kyoorius, the entry and judging procedure is governed by D&AD, a London-based premier creative body. A mix of international and Indian jurors participated in a three-day judging session held in Pune in June 2014.

     

    Click on the Tables to view larger

     

     

     

  • Design dominated discussions on the second day of the Kyoorius weekend in Goa, although it was technically Day One of the mainstay Kyoorius Designyatra

    Follow your heart and do good: Message from Day 2 of #KDY14

    By Abhijeet Amonkar

     

    Design dominated discussions on the second day of the Kyoorius weekend in Goa, although it was technically Day One of the mainstay Kyoorius Designyatra. The theme was the same as the Digiyatra on Thursday: ‘What If’.

     

    The day began with Jonathan Ford, Founding Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Pearlfisher whose presentation centered mainly on good ideas. “The most impossible ideas are the ones that bring about the most change,” Ford said. To truly improve your brand, you need to learn to say no, and if you find yourself conflicted, you need to follow your heart.

     

    The next speakers were Simon Manchipp and David Law, both Executive Creative Officers of SomeOne. Their presentations were humorous, earning quite a few laughs from the audience. The secret to their success has been their ability to turn a brand, into a superbrand. The standout statement from their session (which was tweeted a number of times) was: “Most brands are so busy telling their stories, that they forget no one is interested!”

     

    Meanwhile, David Berman, founder of David Berman Communications, spoke about a topic close to his heart. He believes that all designers must set aside 10% of their weekly time, and devote it to design solutions for the problems that our world faces today. His main agenda was sustainability, something that will reduce the clutter in the world tremendously, in addition to making creative designs. “Don’t just do design, do good,” he said.

     

    Post lunch, Natasha Jen, Partner at the global firm Pentagram, took over on the topic “The price of Creativity”. Her real inspiration to designing things stems from Legp, and most of her designs have them incorporated in some way. Most of her projects are pro-bono, since she believes that money can never buy you happiness, and that designing should be done because you love it.  Her belief:  “Stay calm and keep hustling.”

     

    Next up was Kayonaaz Kalyanwala from Video Volunteers which creates a low-cost medium for people to voice and uncover stories, and make the common people take notice.

     

    The Designyatra ended with a bang, literally. Karsh Kale performing along with Abhijit Jejurikar and the kids from Dharavi Rocks. They were given a standing ovation at the end of their rousing performance, and it was a fitting and energetic end to the day. Famous last words from Kale: “It’s very easy to become static if you aren’t curious.”

     

  • The Adclub has brought about interesting changes not only in terms of the categories and awards but also the venue

    Stage set for Adclub’s Emvies awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Adclub’s EMVIES awards, will be presented at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday, 17th September, 2014 at 6.30 pm at the Palladium Hotel, Lower Parel, Mumbai.

     

    While it is the 14th year of the EMVIES awards it happens to be the 60th year of The Advertising Club. The Adclub has brought about interesting changes not only in terms of the categories and awards but also the venue.

     

    A unique feature about this year’s EMVIES is that an EMVIES trophy would be presented for every winning entry to both the agency and the client.

     

    This year the Adclub received 650 entries across various categories. The judging sessions were conducted at both Mumbai and Delhi. As many as 105 judges from the media fraternity graced the Round 1 judging sessions while 34 top notch clients judged the Round 2 judging sessions that takes the shape of case study presentations spread across three days at the WE SCHOOL. Thus Adclub had a jury panel of 140 judges judging the EMVIES entries. Out of the total of 650 entries 132 were shortlisted.

     

    EMVIES has always attracted an audience in excess of 1000 more importantly it has a fine blend of top notch professionals from the Media, Marketing, Advertising, Research and the communication world.

     

    An exciting feature about the EMVIES awards is the Band Baja Award which is Adclub’s own way of promoting musical talent from the media fraternity. This is a popular segment of the show in existence since the past four years.

     

  • More than 10,000 couples have experienced happiness through Select Shaadi

    Shaadi.com highlights personalized matchmaking offering through new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shaadi.com has launched a new TVC for Select Shaadi – the personalised matchmaking service. Based on the premise that in today’s world it is not easy to find one’s life partner, the TVC is directed by Vikas Bahl of ‘Queen’ movie fame. The creative agency is JWT and media agency is Havas Media India.

     

    The Select Shaadi TVC highlights the difference in perspective between two generations. The father is confused when his daughter says she ‘Likes’ the boy but does not ‘Like-Like’ him and says he must be a little like minded. The earlier week she explained that ‘Opposites Attract’. Dad is quite perplexed. And it’s not a smooth experience for either.

     

    Celebrating the success of over 10,000 matches, this TVC is built around the concept of personalised matchmaking and assistance from a dedicated advisor with the objective of changing the experience and understanding and helping young people find like-minded life partners.

     

    This service entails the member to have an expert Select Advisor who partners with them during their matchmaking journey. The Select Advisor amalgamates technology and experience to understand member requirements and help them with curated profiles periodically. Based on the members confirmation, the advisor connects with prospects and initiates introductions.

     

    Premanshu Singh, AVP & Head-Emerging Business, Shaadi.com said, “We are elated to launch Select Shaadi and look forward to helping each and every single person find his/her special someone. Technology combined with experience and a little human touch is the secret ingredient, which makes Select Shaadi the most successful personalised matchmaking service in India.”

     

  • The campaign brings alive the brand promise of Exide Life Insurance which is to help you prepare financially for a long and happy life

    Exide aims at building customer confidence through new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the positive launch of its new brand identity earlier this year, Exide Life Insurance has launched its second advertisement campaign, that brings alive the brand promise of ‘Helping you prepare financially for a long and happy life.’ The campaign which went recently across broadcast and digital is a progression to the launch phase and re-emphasizes the role of Exide Life Insurance in the life of its customers, in a heartwarming way.

     

    Exide Life Insurance is an over 13 year old, established and profitable life insurance company that serves over 10 lakh customers in over 200 cities across India.

     

    The heart of the campaign lies in the simple truth that today Indians are living longer and aspire to live a life full of hopes and dreams. Advancements in the economy and health care have ensured that the average life expectancy has gone up from 32 years to 68 years since independence. The objective of the campaign is to communicate how timely financial planning can pave the way for a beautiful tomorrow, with Exide Life Insurance helping you plan and prepare for a beautiful, happy life.

     

    Talking about this second phase of communication, Mohit Goel, Executive Vice President – Marketing of Exide Life Insurance, said, “Considering that the Exide Life Insurance Brand was recently launched, the communication highlights the core essence of who am I as a company. Stemming from the truth that our lifespan is getting longer and we need to plan well for the years ahead, the objective was to make Exide Life Insurance relevant during the course of our lives. This campaign has been designed around the beautiful possibility of a well-planned life. And Protection, Savings and Investments solutions from Exide Life Insurance can help you prepare financially so that your long life is a happier one. We believe that this new brand campaign will definitely resonate well with our customers and keep them intrigued, excited, informed and involved.”

     

    Anil Nair

    Explaining the rationale behind the campaign, Anil Nair, CEO, L & K Saatchi and Saatchi, stated, “We have conceptualized this campaign, keeping in mind the core brand ethos of a long standing, trusted companion in the journey of life. The creative concept clearly highlights benefits of planning for a long life, and captures the spirit of time in the life of a newly married couple. The TVC illustrates the various milestones every couple hopes to achieve during their entire lifetime and the seriousness of the concept is balanced well by the playful banter between the couple.”

     

    The campaign has been released in six Indian languages, spread over a period of three weeks.

     

  • Rohitash Srivastava has joined SapientNitro as Director-Marketing & Brand Strategy and Abhishake Das has joined as Director-Creative

    SapientNitro beefs up leadership team

    By A Correspondent

     

    SapientNitro has announced two senior appointments to its local leadership team. Rohitash Srivastava has joined SapientNitro as Director-Marketing & Brand Strategy and Abhishake Das has joined as Director-Creative.

     

    “We are thrilled to announce the addition of Rohitash and Abhishake to our growing team,” said Rajdeep Endow, Managing Director, SapientNitro, India. “Both bring great thought leadership, experience and demonstrated track record and will empower SapientNitro to better serve the growing client demand for truly integrated creative and technology services.”

     

    Rohitash Srivastava
    Abishake Das

    Rohitash Srivastava brings a decade of experience as a brand strategist and consumer expert and comes to SapientNitro from Future Group’s ideation and cultural insights cell, Future Ideas. He has played a key role in creating memorable work on brands like Thums-Up, Stayfree, Saffola, Maaza, Limca, Union Bank and Uninor Telecom. In the past, he has worked with agencies such as McCann, Leo Burnett and DDB, amongst others.

     

    Abishake Das comes to SapientNitro with more than a decade of experience across traditional and digital agencies in India. He is an early adopter of digital in India and moves to SapientNitro from Whyness Worldwide. In the past he has headed creative teams and set up the digital disciplines at Tribal DDB, McCann Erickson and BBH, among others. He has to his credit more than 50 awards, both regional and global.

     

  • The brand has arrived at a stage where it needed to broad base the thought and appeal to larger audience

    Dark Fantasy takes ‘Live your moment’ thought further with new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    FCB Ulka Bangalore has unveiled a new TVC for Sunfeast Dark Fantasy. The TVC is about celebrating little accomplishments or idiosyncrasies of oneself.

     

    The film is set in a fashion studio, where the protagonist (fashion designer) is working on her creation. The pack, which is the other character in the film, is patiently waiting and singing to the beautiful lady. Once done with her work, our woman turns to the pack and celebrates the accomplishment with it. The jingle is the soul of the film. It gives the brand a voice, bringing it to life.

     

    On the rationale behind the thought, Dennis Koshy, Vice President – FCB Ulka Bangalore, said “Dark Fantasy has already established its unique offering and image in consumer’s mind. The brand has arrived at a stage where we need to broad base the thought and appeal to larger audience. ‘Live your moment’ as a thought takes the brand forward beautifully.”

     

    Dharmesh Shah, Creative Director – FCB Ulka, Bangalore, expressed, “This film is a candid exploration of self-discovery – finding joy in the little, unguarded moments. What’s unique about this film is that the product is seamlessly playing the role of a character integral to the story. Because the only two characters in the film are the girl and the pack.”

     

  • Ajit Varghese's "unfinished agenda" of being numero uno at Emvies was accomplished by Kartik Sharma & team

    Maxus wins big at Emvies 2014

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    In September 2013, when it was announced that Ajit Varghese was promoted to an Asia-Pacific role at Maxus, we asked him whether there was any unfinished item on the agenda. Knowing how fiercely competitive he is, although always gracious in praise for his competitors, we were digging for an answer he gave us. “May be winning at Emvies is an unfinished agenda,” he said with a smile.

     

    Maxus, given Mr Varghese’s spirited leadership over the years and with Kartik Sharma at the helm ever since he moved to Singapore, has ensured the Maxus flag flies high.

     

    At the 14th edition of the Emvies on Wednesday night, soon after an all-new logo of the Advertising Club was unveiled by recently re-elected President, Pratap Bose, Maxus was the clear winner. Ahead of runner-up by a good 55 points.

     

    But the icing on the cake was that not only was Maxus the Best Media Agency of the Year, it also won the Grand Emvie along with client Tata Global Beverages for the Power of 49 campaign. In fact Tata Global Beverages shared the Best Media Client of the Year with Hindustan Unilever for its seven big wins for the Power of 49!

     

    “We have accomplished a lot over the last seven years,”  Mr Varghese told MxMIndia. Unable to attend the ceremony as he was in Shanghai, the Maxus South Asia Managing Director said: “Emvies was a summit that was left unconquered. Although we came close and gave a tough fight but you know there is less room for No 2 and No 3 in life. We wanted our clients to feel the No 1 status of their work getting showcased as “the best”.

     

    And what’s his sentiment now that the Summit is scaled? “What a feeling to get it all! Agency of the Year, Client of the Year and the Grand Emvies!!!  I truly believe that today every Maxusite who is and has been part of this journey feels he or she is a winner! That’s makes us proud. Cheers to Kartik and team to continue the Maxus Creativity, Passion and Entrepreneurial spirit. A new journey has begun with a bang!”

     

    Among other notables, Samyak Chakrabarty of DDB Mudramax bagged the Gold in Young Emvie of the Year with the Silvers shared by Alka Bhavnani of Mindshare and Vikesh Jain of Maxus.

     

    As for the rest of the story, the tables below tell it all.

     

     

    Photograph: Facebook post by Gaurav Hirey, GroupM Chief Talent Officer South Asia