MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Everest is currently in the process of undertaking an in-depth survey about the company's services and will roll out its first 360 degree marketing campaign to launch ZOOSH within the next quarter

    Everest wins Augere’s Broadband Wireless Services business in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Everest Brand Solutions has won the strategic and creative duties for Augere’s broadband wireless services being launched under the brand ZOOSH in India. Augere is a pioneer in the broadband wireless services business and currently offers 4G services under the brand ‘Qubee’ in several countries in Asia and Africa. Augere Wireless Broadband India was awarded with BWA spectrum in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh circle under the auctions held last year and will be one of the first to launch 4G(TD-LTE) wireless broadband services in India and globally.

     

    Aiming to create a unique positioning for a new brand while competing with a host of well established brands, Augere India had initiated a rigorous pitch process for the selection of a creative partner to launch ZOOSH in India. After several rounds of presentations, business was awarded to Everest Brand Solutions.

    Everest is currently in the process of undertaking an in-depth survey about the company’s services and will roll out its first 360 degree marketing campaign to launch ZOOSH within the next quarter.

     

    Confirming the development, Mayur Tanna, Chief Commercial Officer, Augere Wireless Broadband India Pvt. Ltd said: “Augere wants to develop ZOOSH as a brand which the youth in India associate with as an enabler to fulfill their aspirations. The current broadband market in India is an extremely cluttered space with innumerable offerings that often leaves the consumer confused. Even the quality of services falls much short of the communicated promise. ZOOSH aims to be a credible Broadband Wireless Service provider that makes the Internet experience fast, reliable and easily accessible. We are very passionate about ZOOSH and wanted a partner who shares our passion and vision for a young and vibrant brand in India; Everest has created a strategy aligned with our vision.”

     

    Augere was established in September 2007 by an experienced team of global telecoms executives with the vision of delivering ‘broadband for all’. It is committed to achieving this through the delivery of fast, reliable broadband internet services in emerging markets using wireless networks.

    Augere currently has access to spectrum in Pakistan, Bangladesh, the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in India, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

     

    Commenting on the win, Dhunji S Wadia, President Everest Brand Solutions said: “The Augere business is a significant acquisition in terms of scope and size. We were given a very detailed and specific brief. This helped the team in working on interesting creative solutions. We are delighted to be their agency of choice. This win also marks a good beginning to the year 2012.”

     

    Naveen Saraswat, COO, Everest Brand Solutions said: “Working on the pitch was very challenging and interesting. The entire team is very excited about working on the launch of ZOOSH. We look forward to building it into a strong brand in India.”

     

    Everest is the 2nd oldest agency in India, born in 1946 and has a glorious history, a robust brand name and reputation and has built some of the biggest brands in the market place – Parle Products, CNN IBN, GoAir, EMAMI, TATA Housing, AKAI, T-Series.

     

  • The campaign has been conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather and aims to differentiate Childsurance from other methods of planning for children's education which may fall short at the last minute

    IDBI Federal’s new Childsurance “fail-safe” plan

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    IDBI Federal has launched their latest ad campaign to announce the launch of their child plan – IDBI Federal Childsurance(R) Dreambuilder Insurance Plan. Childsurance is unit-linked insurance plan with innovative features that ensures a perfect combination of optimum returns and safety that can help parents create a child plan that does not fail at maturity.

     

    The campaign has been conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather and executed by Curious Films, and aims to differentiate Childsurance from other methods of planning for children’s education which may fall short at the last minute.

     

    The tagline ‘Plan jo Fail na ho’ emphasises the Childsurance plan’s positioning as “the child plan that does not fail”. The campaign taps into the insight of how most parents would not like to live with the regret that their children were not able to pursue the career of their choice, especially since they are responsible for planning their children’s education.

     

    The ads showcase people who missed their calling in life as they were unable to get admission for higher education due to lack of funds and the stories are portrayed with IDBI Federal’s trademark humorous storyline.

     

    Commenting on the ad campaign, Kawal Shoor – Head of Planning, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising said: “In a world of goody-goody child plan advertising, we wanted to ensure that IDBI Federal’s Childsurance stood out. And there’s nothing like some naked truth, well told, to set one apart in a sea of plastic emotions. Many of us have felt, sometimes very often, that had our fathers invested in a particular company stock, or bought that piece of land which was going cheap years ago, we would have been somewhere else. This uncomfortable truth became the cornerstone of our campaign. The challenge was to do it in such a way, that the campaign acts like a gentle pinch and yet land the key message of – a plan that never fails – powerfully.”

     

    Engineer
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYC26i6ru4 [/youtube]

    Mr. Aneesh Khanna – Sr. Vice President, Head – Marketing and Product Management, IDBI Federal Life Insurance said: “Choosing the right plan is very critical today, given the rising inflation in education costs. Childsurance has the in-built Waiver of Premium benefit which allows the planned accumulation of funds to continue even in the absence of the provider. This will ensure that the child’s education plans are not compromised due to lack of funds. Another key feature is the Systematic Allocator Fund which gradually moves the fund value from equity-based funds into debt-based funds as the plan approaches maturity. This diminishes the effect of a sudden drop in the equity market when your plan is close to maturity, at a time when you had to pay the planned fees for your child’s education.”

     

    Doctor
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksq2AEdZxuk[/youtube]

    Mr Khanna added: “Childsurance, with five unique features, can be the strong partner that parents seek to ensure that their children’s dreams come true, rather than see these dreams be compromised. This is captured humorously in our latest ad campaign.”

     

    The effort to choose the right child plan is further supported on ground by the S.T.A.R. Test, a unique test that can be done in 7-10 minutes, and helps customers understand their needs scientifically and create a customized plan to secure their child’s future.

     

    CREDITS:

     

    Advertiser: IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd

     

    Aneesh Khanna: Senior Vice President, Head-Marketing and Product Management, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd

     

    Abhijeet Powdwal: VP, Marketing, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd

     

    Alok Kalra: AVP, Brand, PR & Digital

     

    Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather India

     

    National Creative Director: Abhijit Avasthi

     

    Creative Director (Copy): Amitabh Agnihotri

     

    Creative Director (Art): Samir Sojwal

     

    Production:

     

    Film director: Vivek Kakkad

     

    Production House: Curious Films

     

     

  • Marketers tap designers to give their brands a fresh appeal and lure customers who have stayed away from them

    Brands get a designer touch

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Wendell Rodricks for Polo, Malini Ramani for Bata, Tarun Tahiliani for Timex… Some of the top Indian fashion designers have moved from their familiar territory of creating haute couture to creating new lines for popular brands.

     

    Wendell Rodricks has designed four new flavours called the Polo Fashion Flavours for Nestle’s Polo and has even given a funky new look to the staid-looking green and blue packaging of the mint.

     

    Malini Ramani, who is known for her bohemian style, has associated with Bata to come out with a new collection of footwear called Malini Ramani for Bata.

     

    Tarun Tahiliani has designed a special collection for Timex to help the brand break away from the sporty image it is associated with.

     

    Giving his views on this trend, Harish Bijoor, brand expert and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. said: “I would call it bringing bizarre into branding. Fashion designers have no connect with the (product) category and it’s a stretch to think of them designing footwear or a designer mint. This is done to just get eyeballs and media share, and not necessarily about gaining market share.”

     

    For brands, it may be an effort to garner eyeballs, especially now, when they jostle with numerous others to grab the consumers’ attention.

     

    For Bata the association came at a time when they were looking at opportunities at designer footwear market inIndia. This, in fact, is the first time that Bata India has roped in a designer to design a special collection for them.

     

    On the reason behind associating with a fashion designer, Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, Group Managing Director, Bata India Limited, said: “The designer market is unique and full of innovations and Bata, as a brand, believes in constant innovations to bring forth the best for their customers. Therefore, we decided to rope in Malini Ramani, who is one of the most coveted designers in the country.”

     

    The footwear major has had a positive feedback of its association with Malini Ramani and hopes to further strengthen this association and even look for similar opportunities with other designers in future.

     

    Mr Gopalakrishnan added: “With the increasing demand for footwear in the Indian market, it is essential for any brand to introduce various designs and variety often. BataIndiaoffers various footwear ranges in every category. We bring out new designs for our customers as per the global trends and standards every month. The entire collection is changed every quarter to cater to the changing needs of Indian consumer.”

     

    Besides the Malini Ramani collection, BataIndiahas genuine leather casual collection for men under Bata and North Star Collection for the young customers. For customers with an active lifestyle, Bata launched a new collection under the Weinbrenner brand with personalized branding. It has Marie Claire collection for women, Power brand for the sports enthusiasts and variety of designs in attractive colours for children under Bubblegummers and Baby Bubbles, besides school shoes for children.

     

    For Timex the association with Tarun Tahiliani was to give break to the stereotype image that the brand has been associated with. VD Wadhwa, MD & CEO of Timex Group India, said: “Timex has been perceived as a sporty and outdoorsy brand since its inception and we want to move beyond that image. To strengthen our connect with the women costumers; we associated with ace designer Tarun Tahiliani. The aim of this association was to establish credibility amongst the women customers at comparatively higher price points and cash in on the wedding and festive season.”

     

    Mr Wadhwa stated that the response has been tremendous as far the collection is concerned. In fact, many costumers have come back asking for more options in this line. Though Timex doesn’t have any plans to add to this collection with other designers.

     

    “Marketers are increasingly leaning on homegrown designers for business associations to launch signature or limited edition lines. All this is done to attract the young and ambitious Indian consumers who would happily pay a premium price to stand out in the crowd. Indian designers are the best bet, since each one of them has a specific style and can fuse Indian and international designs brilliantly to develop an aspirational product,” said Mr Wadhwa.

     

    Fashion designer Manish Malhotra has also been featured in La Opala Diva ads and there is a possibility that he may design for the crockery brand, though the plan has not been finalized yet.

     

    One may even recall that few years ago, Sabyasachi had designed Bombay Dyeing’s new bed and bath range. It is clear that the marketers have started tapping the designers to give a fresh appeal to their products.

     

    It could be to create an aspirational value or tap consumers that have remained away from the brands and lure them in. In a cluttered market, this may be the way to at least garner eyeballs and somewhere succeed in getting an increase in sales too.

     

    Polo image: Nestle.in, other images: courtesy company spokespersons

  • Beautifully stringed words that touch the heart and superb play on words are some reason when Prasoon Joshi selects his favourites

    The Anchor: Prasoon Joshi on 5 songs he wishes he had written

    1. Ye dunia agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai
    from the movie Pyaasa. This is a legendary song and the kind of work that I like doing. The song has a philosophical bent and is almost cathartic. It reflects the feeling of people and a song that has a social impact. This is Sahir Ludhianvi at his best.

     

    2. Bird on the wire by Leonard Cohen. The lyrics present a compelling imagery. Like a worm on a hook, Like a knight from some old fashioned book… It is a brilliantly written song and I admire the whole construct of the song.

     

    3. Mora gora rang laile from the movie Bandini. This is one of the first compositions of Gulzar Sahab and the lyrics are sheer poetry. In India where fair complexion is revered, here the request is to make her dark-skinned just like Krishna so that she can hide in the darkness and meet him. Beautifully stringed words that touch the core of your heart.

     

    4. Jyoti kalash chhalke from Bhabhi ki Chudiyaan. Again it presents a powerful imagery and a superb play on words. Huye gulaabi, laal sunahare, rang dal baadal ke, jyoti kalash chhalke/Ghar aangan van upvan, karti jyoti amrit ke sinchan, mangal ghat dhalke. Writing poetry is different when it has to be set on music as one has to ensure that while the song is written well it must also sound well. This is a perfect example of such a work.

     

    5. Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan. I love the lines – I’m ready to go anywhere. I’m ready for to fade. Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way. I promise to go under it.

     

    Prasoon Joshi is the Chairman & CEO McCann Worldgroup India, Executive Creative Director of the Asia Pacific region and Chairperson, McCann Global Creative council. He is also an awardwinning lyricist.

    Photograph courtesy Shailendra Pandey/Tehelka

  • SRK and Pepsodent – not working, G. Ra.One was more happening!

    Debrief: Pepsodent G: WTF, G??

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Pepsodent G takes care of your gums. Fair enough. But what does Shahrukh Khan have to do with this promise? Unless it’s about Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gum, which is not the case out here, hehe.

     

    The commercial features King Khan as a Sikh army officer. And it involves an exchange between him and his little son, on how the brand reaches the root of a toothache, and sorts our gum problems. Or some such thing. The only slightly cute thing about the TVC is that father and son address each other as ‘Pappu G’ and ‘Pappa G’. A take off on Pepsodent G. In fact, I think someone in the ad agency got the ‘G’ brainwave, and got so excited, he/she wrote a whole script on it, just to somehow make it work.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XNovcMh7w0[/youtube]

    Total waste of money, G. What’s the point of hiring the super expensive Khan when all he has to do is become the brand window for Pepsodent G? Where’s the idea? Where’s the entertainment? Caught up in the weak G ‘masti’, the writer hasn’t even tried to inject some life into the dialogue. The result: a maha boring ad. Despite Shahrukh doing all he can to pep things up a bit.

     

    Not working, G. Back to the drawing board, G. Make the star pay for his fat fees, G.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Lifeless script. Shahrukh Khan’s Ra.One was more happening. 

     

     

  • Vipin Dhyani, founder, Chief Creative Director, Thoughtshop Advertising on the agency, its USP and future plans.

    Vipin Dhyani: We create ads that our TG appreciates

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Thoughtshop is a 360-degree advertising and communication agency started by Vipin Dhyani. With more than a decade of experience in advertising, Mr Dhyani has the unique distinction of working for a diverse portfolio of brands and being involved in more than 120 ad films over the last couple of years.

     

    Thoughtshop has conceptualised and created communication films for various products for Parle which include Hide and Seek, Hide and Seek Bourbon, Milano, MonacoSmart Chips, Mango Bite, Krackjack. It has also created the TVCs for Nirma Washing powder, D-Cold Total amongst others.

     

    In the recent past Thoughtshop bagged three awards in the Big Bang Awards 2011 in Bangalore. One gold for Krackjack radio spot titled ‘Ladies tailor’, a bronze for another radio spot, ‘marriage councillor’ for the same and another bronze in TVC category for Parle Milano featuring Hrithik Roshan. In 2010, the agency has also won silver in Goa Festival for its Nirma washing powder TVC titled as ‘Splash’.

     

    Prior to this, Mr Dhyani has worked with Everest Brand Solutions and Mudra as Creative Director. He has also had stints with Lowe Lintas and Grey Worldwide in Mumbai.

     

    Q: What makes Thoughtshop Advertising different from the other advertising agencies? Why does a client choose Thoughtshop over other agencies?

    Our in-depth understanding of consumer insights, sound creative and a real good turnaround time. We are not selling ideas we like. We are not even selling ideas liked by our clients. We create ads that our TG appreciates. Pure honesty, sincerity and a very no-nonsense approach helps us whenever we approach a new client.

     

    Q: How satisfied are you with the progress of Thoughtshop Advertising since its inception? Has the outcome matched your expectations?

    I am very satisfied with the way things are shaping up. Initially it took me some time to figure out how to go about it. On one side, there was that sense of calmness which you crave in your own place and on the other side you need that aggression which is required to win business. Fortunately I could acquire both. And I am more than happy to achieve that unattainable balance. Overall, it was a plunge worth taking.

     

    The outcome has been very fruitful, I should say, but expectations are higher than what we have achieved so far. The hunger for good creative work is never ending and never satisfying in our field.

     

    Q: You have worked with some of the biggest agencies in India and then started one on your own. Could you highlight some pros and cons of working with a bigger agency and starting something on your own?

    When you are part of a big atmosphere, all you need to worry about your brand and its creative standards. You don’t actually think about the business and the ‘survival’ part of it. But when you run your own set up, you are not just responsible for your survival but for the whole team.

     

    In simple words, with bigger outfits I felt like a civilian, while on my own, it’s like an army man on a border, always on my toes, alert and responsible.

     

    Q: How much importance do you give to winning awards? Do you think that awards justify the measurement of creativity?

    I would say it is very important to win awards. If we belong to the creative fraternity, we have our moments of escalation, moments of getting admirations and moments of being known. Fair enough. But the sad part of the business is that sometimes an award-winning entry could be completely plagiarized and a genuinely beautiful work may go unnoticed at the same time.

     

    Q: These days awards focus on not only creativity but effectiveness as well. According to you which out of the two is a focus point while creating a brand communication?

    Efficacy awards basically talk about the real strategy transforming to a sound creative that is being liked and owned by the real end consumer. It is like performing a play in front of the real audience who can appreciate or completely disown you, depending on your performance. On the other hand, a creative show ‘primarily’ prefers and promotes a disruptive and innovative entry whether it is from mainstream product or a service or not. That’s where it creates a separation line.

     

    I think if we believe in creating a brand and not just one-off clever ads, we can create genuine work worth celebrating at both levels.

     

    Q: Could you throw some light on the brands you are working on?

    We are doing two new launches for Parle this year. The communication package is ready. Apart from Parle, we will be working for Nirma for at least one project while for Bayer CropScience, we are going to launch two projects (Decis & ECB) very soon. Then there is one property we have created for 9xM channel. It is going to be the first female animated character. We have got one more account recently, GET Punjabi channel. After a huge success in US andCanada, they are launchingIndia’s first GEC in Punjabi. Ekta Kapoor is going to be the producer for them in terms of providing content and we will be looking after the advertising and promotions.

     

    Q: Independent agencies are doing fairly well these days and competing with the larger agencies. What are your views about this?

    Actually it is not about smaller agencies versus bigger agencies. It has always been about a sound, feasible and appropriate idea or strategy. If a client finds an idea sensible, he will appreciate it in whichever case, whether it comes from a small agency or a bigger one.

     

    Q: What is your growth strategy for the coming year?

    Apart from 360-degree creative services, we are expanding to fulltime production and direction services both for our existing clients as well as for new ones. Expansion with one more branch is also on the cards.

     

  • Online viewers of the new HFZ videos can earn points on the leaderboard and upload their own video to stand a chance to win gadgets or a trip to Spain.

    Airtel’s HFZ campaign goes viral

    Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, after the success of its ‘Har Friend Zaroori Hai, Yaar’ (HFZ) campaign, has extended this brand idea with the launch of an all new online viral campaign on its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/airtel).

     

    Created by Taproot, these 20 videos are inspired by interesting ‘friend types’ or tags created by the online audience on Facebook (www.facebook.com/airtelindia) during an outreach programme which had been initiated by Airtel earlier.

     

    Over the coming weeks, the company will periodically release a total of 20 videos on the web and use the concept of ‘Gamification’ to excite viewers to unlock, access and share them.

     

    An interesting trend that depicts the way the current generation consumes and accesses information, Gamification is an infusion of gaming techniques and unique story telling that makes discovery content more fun and engaging. As part of this Gamification-led initiative by Airtel, everyone keen on watching these videos will need to visit www.youtube.com/airtel and will be provided interesting cues, by responding correctly to which they will be able to ‘unlock’ video levels and gradually move ahead.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new HFZ viral campaign, Bharat Bambawale, Director – Global Brand, Bharti Airtel, said, “The youthful rendition of Airtel’s ‘Har Friend Zaroori Hai, Yaar’ campaign and its accompanying foot-tapping friendship anthem have resonated well with people of all age groups and backgrounds – much like the brand itself. Given the theme itself, focusing on the discerning online audience was a natural choice for us. With this in mind, Airtel launched an online campaign that encouraged everyone to create unique friend types on Facebook which received 65,000 entries in a span of days. We have now chosen the most interesting friend tags like ‘Status Update fried, Activist Friend, Dhinchak friend’, ‘Filmi Friend’, ‘Chipkoo Friend’ and ‘Proxy Friend’ to create new HFZ online viral videos. These videos will follow the increasingly popular global trend of ‘Gamification’ to encourage viewers to spread the word on these evocative videos that bring alive ways in which friends touch different aspect of our lives.”

     

    Tagging others and sharing these videos on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ will allow viewers to gather points on the leaderboard. And then finally one can upload their own friend type video in order to win a Nokia Lumia 800 and a trip toIbiza,Spainas the grand prize.

     

    A complete deviation from traditional media strategy, Airtel will release these videos on the web starting January 4.

     

    The original HFZ soundtrack is now also available through new interpretations in laavni, bhangra, hip-hop, folk etc.

     

  • Ms Rebello will be a part of Rajeev Raja's team and her immediate mandate will be to head the creative team at DDB Mumbai.

    DDB Mudra Mumbai appoints Louella Rebello as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB, one of the three branded agencies under the DDB Mudra Group, has recently appointed Louella Rebello as Executive Creative Director. Her appointment will be effective from the first week of February 2012.

     

    She will move from OgilvyIndia, where she is currently serving as Senior Creative Director.  Louella will be a part of Rajeev Raja’s team and her immediate mandate will be to head the creative team at DDB Mumbai.

     

    Commenting on her appointment, Louella Rebello said: “It’s been a glorious nine years at Ogilvy, where I worked on some of the best brands, did some fun campaigns, worked with some fine people, and more importantly, made friends for life. But, I feel that it’s time to try something new. DDB Mudra seems like the right fit in terms of brands, the people, and their vision for the place.”

     

    Rajeev Raja, a consultant with DDB Mudra said: “Rebello has created some of the finest automobile communications in the country for Tata Motors. I have worked with her in the past and have seen her evolve over the last decade or so into one of the country’s leading creative talents. I look forward to work with her to make DDB Mudra an agency to reckon with in 2012.”

     

    Rajiv Sabnis, President, DDB India, called Rebello a bright, young talent waiting to explode on the big scene. “Her coming on board gives her a larger role and canvas to paint on. She has infectious enthusiasm and energy, and some path-breaking work in the automobile, financial, and FMCG categories,” he said.

     

    Ms Rebello has more than 14 years of experience in advertising. A post-graduate in Social Communications Media from Sophia Polytechnic, Rebello began her career in Pressman Advertising and Marketing as a copywriter in January 1998. After spending about two years at the agency, she joined Triton Communications in 1999 as senior copywriter. She joined Bates as copy supervisor in 2001. In January 2003, Rebello joined OgilvyIndiaas creative supervisor and held the post for about four-and-half years before she was promoted as associate creative director in 2007. In April 2011, she was designated senior creative director.

     

    DDB Mudra Group isIndia’s largest integrated marketing communications and services network. Its customized and collaborative approach helps its clients build valuable and enduring brands. With over 1,100 employees and 26 offices, they offer direct contact across 1,75,000 villages, 4000 towns, 3500 schools and nearly 7 million students. They wereIndia’s most awarded agency network at Cannes 2011.

     

  • There is no courage out here, only exploitation. Remove the prize money, and no one would want to appear on the show, that’s the hard truth.

    Anil Thakraney: Sach Ka Saamna: A new low in TV programming

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I watched two episodes of Sach Ka Saamna (SKS) Season 2, and I must say in contrast, Bigg Boss feels like a house of angels. SKS is a completely debauched and exploitative format, where the poor and the desperate are encouraged to wash their dirty linen in public. And in return, they could take home a crore of rupees. A few lakhs in the bag is almost a certainty.

     

    Some of the questions put out by the host would make even hardened souls cringe. They range from cheating at workplace to hatred for parents to adultery in marriage. And all this as the contestant’s family sits in the audience. Hottie host Rajeev Khandelwal sweetens the bitter pill by complimenting the buggers for being courageous, and that’s total bullshit. There is no courage out here, only exploitation.

     

    Remove the prize money, and no one would want to appear on the show, that’s the hard truth. So careers get destroyed, families get broken, marriages lie in ruin… but all justified under the garb of ‘speaking the truth’. Wow!

     

    The show’s TRPs for season 2 are quite poor. But that could be because this time it’s being aired on the channel Life Ok, Star One’s new avatar. More people will discover the channel and the pathetic show, so with time the ratings will go up. Who on the earth would want to miss out on such depraved programming? It appeals to the ultimate sadist in all of us.

     

    No, I am not being moralistic out here. And I am aware that desperate for viewership, channel heads would push the envelope on programming. But how can anyone justify blatant exploitation? I would be okay if they only featured loaded celebrities on the show. Richie-rich people who want us to enter their bedrooms only because they enjoy the trespass. But feeding on people’s poverty cannot be condoned at all. Hope Sach Ka Saamna dies a miserable death. Sooner the better.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Must read for all creative people. Great tips on how to energize inspiration and battle creative blocks.

     

    Link: http://m.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/jan/02/top-artists-creative-inspiration?cat=culture&type=article

     

    Former editor and ad man Anil Thakraney is editor-at-large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own

     

  • It's announcement time at LMG: Suresh Balakrishnan returns, Premjeet Sodhi to replace Sathya and Sudha Natrajan elevated

    Suresh Balakrishna to join LMG, Premjeet Sodhi likely to replace NP Sathyamurthy (who is joining Mudra)

    By A Correspondent

     

    Senior mediaperson and former chief operating officer of Mail Today, Suresh Balakrishnan is getting back to the Lintas Media Group fold. He is likely to be CEO of one of the agency’s arms and will report to LMG chairperson Lynn de Souza.

     

    Confirming the news to MxMIndia, Mr Balakrishnan said he’s looking forward to returning to LMG after a gap of nearly a decade.

     

    In his 25-plus year career, Mr Balakrishnan started his career in publishing with The Times of India group and spent a fair amount of media agency business at Initiative Media. After he quit Mail Today last year, he took a sabbatical and taught media management at the Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communications amongst others.

     

    Meanwhile, as reported by MxMIndia on December 15, N P Sathyamurthy is moving to Mudra. He is likely to be replaced by Premjeet Sodhi who is currently with LMG as president, The Collaborative. Yesterday, LMG also announced the elevation of Deputy CEO Sudha Natrajan to CEO of Lintas Initiative Media.

     

    Image courtesy: Stratagem Media

     

  • While I understand the show needs crazy and edgy contestants to keep the fights going (and therefore the ratings), do all of them have to be loonies?

    Anil Thakraney: The Bigg Boss Diary

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Chances are, if I wasn’t hired to write a blog on media and advertising, I would have given Bigg Boss a quiet miss. Watching fishmarket fights right before dozing off isn’t really my idea of fun. But watch I did, now and then, and now that the show is done and dusted, some observations.

     

    I have to grudgingly admit that the show is a success in India. Viewership ratings have been climbing every season, and the fifth season opened with a very healthy 4.3. It later fell a bit and hovered around 2, but even that’s not bad for a 10.30 PM reality show. Of course, the grand finale must have recorded a much higher figure. Another indicator of its popularity is the media’s huge interest in the show. Hindi news channels kept a faithful coverage going (they went near orgasmic when the final results were announced) and the show has been a hot topic of discussion on Twitter as well. Much as I hate to admit is, Bigg Boss is here to stay.

     

    It was quite clear Salman Khan was calling many shots on the show, and was playing way beyond the designated role of an anchor. I would not be surprised if he had a part to play in the elimination rounds, and this makes me wonder. Is the channel not able to stand up to a top actor? Or, is Sallubhai planning to pick up stake in the network? Contestant Pooja Bedi’s absence at the finale raised many eyebrows. She had been tweeting about Salman and Mahak Chahal’s (another contestant) good ‘friendship’.

     

    Sanjay Dutt does not fit into this format at all. A crashing bore. Hope we won’t have to suffer him in the next season. There’s already enough grief coming from the insane inmates.

     

    While I understand the show needs crazy and edgy contestants to keep the fights going (and therefore the ratings), do all of them have to be loonies? Does it not make sense to invite at least a few intelligent people on the show to provide some balance? That way, in between ugly confrontations, we viewers can be rewarded with a few meaningful conversations. Surely that would boost TRPs a bit. Something for Colors to think about for the next season. Even a mental asylum has doctors and nurses.

     

    I failed to see the need for a porn star if she cannot strip on the show. What’s the use of burning so much money on a contestant who cannot do on a family channel that which she knows best? Also, the very burnt-out Shakti Kapoor was a terrible idea, a disaster. And Swami Agnivesh?? Makes you wonder if someone is thinking clearly on the casting.

     

    Finally, can we please be told how many people voted to keep a contestant in the house? Can we have some numbers please? Can we have some transparency please? So that the frequent charges of rigging can be diluted to a certain extent?

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7av4zOpUSk[/youtube]

    PS: England and Chelsea football captain John Terry has threatened the Indian government with legal action. A photograph of the footballer has been cleared for use on an Indian ciggie brand. Well, hope he does file charges and seek compensation. The government makes too much dosh on excise duty in this product category, and smokers will be happy if some of that goes to a footballer.

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring 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: Parachute Advansed Hot Oil

    Rahul Mathew, ECD, McCann Ericksonn

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Parachute Advansed Hot Oil

     

    The Brief: Only Parachute Advansed Hot Oil gives deep conditioning in just 20 minutes

     

    Research: No one refutes the goodness of coconut oil, especially when it comes to conditioning the hair. But today’s young women have a grouse with traditional coconut oil – its efficacy takes far too long. They want the same efficacy at a fraction of the time.

     

    Parachute Advansed Hot Oil doesn’t just condition your hair. It deep conditions it, and in just 20 minutes.

     

    [youtube width=”380″ height=”230″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dhIxiJCpx8[/youtube]

    The thought process behind the creative: There are days when your hair is just not in the mood to listen to you. And that’s when it needs a little more than just a wash. It needs a little deep conditioning. Just to make it more manageable and a lot more cooperative.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: TV, Print, Outdoor.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: Imagery and visual language which is differentiated from the hair oil category. A relatable, relevant set-up which the audience can identify with.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?
    It captures a relevant emotion in a young woman’s life. And the brand comes as a quick, efficacious and effortless solution.

     

    What according to you is the differentiating factor about the campaign: It talks of all the goodness of hair oil with an imagery that’s young and aspirational. And it’s been seamlessly integrated into the film, even in the track that has been used. It’s from a 1960s film called Mere Sanam. A classic track made contemporary to appeal to today’s generation (by Dhruv Ghanekar), quite like the oil itself.

     

    Credits:

    Director: Sabyasachi ‘Zap’ Sengupta

    Production House: Gingerwater films

    Account Management: Loveleen Raina, Pradnya Sengupta, Rohan Parkar, Samruddhi Roge

    Creative: Rahul Mathew, Akshay Kapnadak, Trishay Kotwal, Ramchandra Patil, Godwin D’Mello, Deepak Jage