MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • I know most of you editors are located in Delhi and therefore politics runs in your blood. But the rest of us in India aren't really crazed about the battle between Maya and Mulayam.

    Anil Thakraney: Dear News Channel Editors…

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Er, we don’t want to hear about or watch any of the following, most of which seems to be getting prime time coverage from you guys. Either you’ve run out of news or have run out of edit judgment or both.

     

    Please go easy on the political turbulence in Pakistan. We really aren’t interested in their internal machinations and electoral problems. Whichever government or army chief comes to power, their India obsession will go on anyways. And Kasab’s cronies will try to slip in anyways. Tell us the ‘moti moti baat’ and cut them out. Please.

     

    And the army general’s age? Really, we are fed up of figuring out his date of birth, and frankly, we don’t care. We have to worry about the potholes that have sprung up on a newly built flyover. And to think the officer isn’t even a lady that we must pay so much attention to the age. Hatao, yaar!

     

    Please don’t overkill on the UP assembly elections. I know most of you editors are located in Delhi and therefore politics runs in your blood. And that you are obsessed with Rahul Gandhi’s shenanigans, but the rest of us in India aren’t really crazed about the battle between Maya and Mulayam. Also, whoever comes into power, the mass migration out of the state isn’t going to end. So cool down, people.

     

    Kindly snip out those TV shows where the usual suspect ‘experts’ dole out gyaan on why India got thrashed by Australia. There’s only so much we can take about ‘Indians should have batted, bowled and fielded better’. Yaawn! Either invite some totally fresh minds to your studios, or knock this faltu ‘analysis’ out.

     

    No more Kolaveri tidbits, please. The song is screaming out of our ears and lungs already. There’s only that much you guys can milk a good thing.

     

    Oprah’s only ticket to fame is a TV talk show. That too back in Amreeka. So okay, you told us she’s around, she’s partying and she’s shopping in Colaba. Cool. Now can we leave her alone, please? I’d rather you told us a bit more about that deadly tuberculosis bacterium. Or, you could invite Oprah to conduct a talk show on it. That would be nice.

     

    Thank you in advance!

     

    ***

     

    PS: The quick history of advertising. From 2000 BC to 2011 AD. With the help of cool illustrations. Enjoy!

     

    Link: http://mashable.com/2011/12/26/history-advertising/

     

     

  • Brands are increasingly employing social messages to touch the heart-strings and attract attention

    Winning consumers, dil se

     

     

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    ‘Advertising’ generally relates to a 30-60 second commercial which is, in some way, a break from whatever has grabbed our attention on the TV. It is, at times, packed with humour or creativity which manages to engage audiences and pay attention to the product being endorsed. But these days, brands are thinking beyond short term goals such as increasing sales to a long term goal of maintaining goodwill for the brand.

     

    For a while now, a lot of advertisements are not just based on a self-centred motive to sell the product but the brands and creatives are becoming more and more altruistic and trying to engage the audiences by including them in the commercial.

     

    Whether it is Coca-Cola “spreading happiness” or Tata Tea asking the consumer to “Jaago Re”, almost every brand is trying to step ahead and be an element revolutionising society.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ECJrnqPcI[/youtube]

    R Balki, Chairman and CCO, Lowe Lintas India, said, “There needs to be a connect of the message with the product. Brands just cannot jump onto the bandwagon by saying something which isn’t connected with the product. Even before Tata Tea or Lead India, it was Lifebuoy that came up with ‘koi dar nahi’, which encouraged kids to walk out and clean the streets. Hence, there is a definite need of product association with the message. Even in the Tata Tea campaign, tea is always associated with awakening and, with a name like Tata attached to it, we took it a step ahead and correlated it with awakening against corrupt politicians and so on. The thought was based on being optimistic and not cynical.”

     

    As a matter of fact if we are to recall, such advertisements are also the ones that manage stay in our minds the longest. Be it ‘Jaago Re’ ‘Lead India’ ‘Hum Mein Hai Hero’, ‘Idea’ commercials or the latest Stayfree campaigns.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0M0EZ8T5J8[/youtube]

    “Every businessman today realises that just a transactional relationship with a client does not work these days, there is a very important need for emotional connect with the consumers, and brands like Coca Cola are realising the same. The trend has been there for a while, but its gaining momentum as every brand wants to be in the good books of the consumer. This is a worldwide trend where the society needs to know what exactly we are giving them back,” explained Prasoon Joshi.

     

    The problem lies when rather than being engaging, these commercials become preachy. The idea should be that it sermonises in such a creative way that it manages to engage a consumer, who considers an advertisement a break from a nail biting cricket/football match, or a soap opera that he /she is watching

     

    KV Sridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett, India, said, “More and more brand are realising these days that whatever we do is replicable. All the uniqueness and benefits get blurred after a while. Be it the uniqueness of an iPhone which is replicated by Chinese and Korean companies or the uniqueness of a brand communication. The other thing that marketers have understood is that ‘honesty’ and ‘selflessness’ are the keys to attract audiences. The Brand now tries to tell the audience that your ideas and my ideas are the same and this has become the solution to connect with the masses.”

     

    It won’t be wrong to say that Indian society gives utmost importance to values when compared to any other society. Hence, it helps a brand to come across as socially responsible.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DkS7wfPMdQ[/youtube]

    Rahul Kansal, CMO, Bennett, Coleman and Co, said: “When it comes to using a social message to promote one’s brand, it has to have certain connection with the product. Sometime back, we saw Aircel’s campaign to Save the Tigers. Despite being a good concept, the campaign did not leave a mark, as it didn’t really help the brand because the cause wasn’t really connected with the brand. On the other hand, if we talk about Tata Tea’s Jaago Re campaign, it is a beautiful example of laddering up by a brand since tea is always associated with awakening and here the brand communication took it a step further by making it an awakening of the society towards the corrupt system. The Coke ad is also an example of going ahead with a thought of a drink which is meant to quench thirst, stepping ahead and becoming a brand to spread happiness. Times ofIndia’s ‘Lead India’ and ‘TeachIndia’ are also an example of laddering up by using a social message.”

     

    One might wonder, is creativity becoming a follower rather than a creator? One can also speculate that creative thought is the slave of trend, where one does something exceptional and others follow, as that becomes what the audiences want. The fact that such campaigns manage to capture the consumers’ eye is evidence. This practice had been seen in the past as well, but more and more brands have been adopting the concept lately. Will it continue, and how well can creativity present it? The fact remains that any product endorsing itself on such messages, even if remotely, needs to be connected with the communication at a certain level.

     

  • Stalwarts from advertising and media paid fulsome tributes to the memory of Bal Mundkur, at a prayer meeting held in Mumbai.

    Industry veterans remember Ulka founder Bal Mundkur

    By a Correspondent

     

    Draftfcb Ulka Group held a prayer meeting in memory of the late Bal Mundkur, veteran adman and founder of what is today Draftfcb Ulka. The prayer meet was held on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at Yashwantrao Chavan Pratisthan in Nariman Point, Mumbai.

     

    Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia Ogilvy & Mather India; Alyque Padamsee, theatre personality and ad film-maker; Gerson da Cunha, stage and film actor, social worker and author; and theatre veteran Dolly Thakore were some of the notable personalities from the advertising and media fraternity, other than the leadership team from Draftfcb Ulka who attended the prayer meeting.

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, Lodestar UM remembered the late Mr Mundkur as a man who was always a leader, and never a follower. A man who was very generous, always ready to help those who needed help, and a man who did not work for money alone but, also for a lot of noble causes which he did not give up even after his retirement. Mr Sinha pointed out that Mr Mundkur had left his cushy job to start his own agency, and that he named the agency – Ulka – at his mother’s suggestion.

     

    A two-minute silent prayer was observed in memory of Mr Mundkur which was again followed by close friends, associates, former colleagues etc. sharing their thoughts and memories of the late advertising veteran.

     

    Mr da Cunha highlighted the recently released ‘Ad Katha’, a special volume tracking the history of Indian advertising, as one of Mr Mundkur’s huge achievements. Mr da Cunha was also quick to point out that a lot of people not just owed Mr Mundkur the brands he created for them, but many owed him their career as well. Mr Mundkur has created great professionals, he said, while dedicating the 300-page ‘Ad Katha’ to the memory of Mr Mundkur.

     

    Mr Alyque Padamsee was also among those who spoke about Mr Mundkur at the prayer meet, saying he remembered Mr Mundkur as a man of rumbustious character. A man who had big ideas and was determined to see each one through. Mr Padamsee also added that his inspiration comes from Mr Mundkur, who was always ready to defend someone – ie, if you believe in something then stand up and fight for it.

     

    Mr Mundkur passed away in Goa on January 7, 2012 due to heart failure. Mr Mundkur had founded Ulka in 1961, ten years after he joined the world of advertising. In a span of another ten years, Ulka had become the fourth largest agency in the country, and by far the largest independent Indian start-up.

     

  • Ogilvy & Mather announced that it has acquired a 33.3% position in STW's leading digital communications firm, DTDigital.

    Ogilvy expands in Australia with 33.3% stake in DTDigital

    By A Correspondent

     

    DTDigital, one of Australia’s largest and most successful digital agencies joined STW Group in 2003 and during the next eight years grew revenues from $1 million per annum to forecast revenue for 2012 of $14 million. Clients include Bunnings, Myer and NAB.

     

    For the past four years, DTDigital has been working alongside Ogilvy in Melbourne. Today DTDigital has more than 110 full-time staff in its Melbourne office.

     

    STW Group CEO Mike Connaghan said, “It’s not in our nature to sell parts of our prized assets but the logic in this instance was overwhelming. DTDigital already partners closely with Ogilvy Group Melbourne, and there are intentions to expand this partnership with Ogilvy to other markets. The integrated nature of many of our client campaigns makes it absolutely right for Ogilvy that we have DTDigital even further aligned with that business. It’s a good deal for all stakeholders.”

     

    STW Group owns 66.7 percent of Ogilvy Group Australia, with WPP holding the remaining 33.3 percent. The investment by WPP in DTDigital brings its ownership in line with that of Ogilvy Australia.

     

    “Ogilvy knows brand, social and CRM while DTDigital provides great digital, channel and technology skills making the combination a winning formula. We have worked in partnership for the past four years and acquiring part of DTDigital cements that relationship, allowing us to offer first class integrated digital to clients inside Australia and across Asia,” said Paul Heath, CEO, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific.

     

    DTDigital is an award-winning digital marketing design and technology company that has been a pioneer in the industry for more than 15 years.  Founded by STW Group’s Chief Digital Officer David Trewern in 1996, DTDigital evolved from a multimedia design studio into a business that’s helped transform some of Australia’s leading brands in the digital age.

     

    Success has come through a unique, full-service offering, which includes deep specialization in high-growth areas that are not typically part of an ‘advertising agency’ offer. DTDigital has developed capabilities in specialist areas beyond strategy, creative and production such as user experience, design and consulting, advanced web application engineering, e-commerce, email marketing, data and analytics, social media and social business strategy, mobile marketing and application development, and immersive ‘beyond the browser’ digital experiences.

     

    This breadth of specialist capabilities allow DTDigital to focus on innovation, conceptualizing, developing and connecting the entire digital ‘ecosystem’ for sophisticated clients that increasingly connect and transact with consumers via digital channels.

     

    “This deal accelerates DTDigital’s launch to the Sydney market. Andrew Baxter, David Trewern and Brian Vella were instrumental in bringing the businesses together in Melbourne and the same team will ensure it is an instant success in Sydney,” Mr Connaghan said.

     

  • The Bates charman and exec CD will be chairman-chief creative officer at DDB Mudra

    Sonal Dabral to head crack team at DDB Mudra Group

    By Amit Bapna

     

    Sonal Dabral, India chairman and regional executive creative director at WPP-owned Bates, is set to head the crack team at DDB Mudra group as its chairman-chief creative officer, people with direct knowledge of the development said.

     

    Prior to this, Mr Bobby Pawar, who recently moved to JWT India as the chief creative officer, was the group Chief Creative Officer at Mudra group.

     

    When contacted, both Mr Madhukar Kamath, group CEO and MD of DDB Mudra Group and Mr Sonal Dabral refused to comment. John Zeigler, Chairman & CEO (Asia Pacific, India and Japan) of DDB Group too refused to comment. He, however, said in an email reply, “I will answer all questions when we make our formal announcement on our choice for the Chairman and CCO for DDB Mudra.”

     

    While Sonal will be the creative face of the organisation, Madhukar will be the busness head, say sources. For over some weeks now, many names were doing the rounds regarding the new creative face of the DDB Mudra. Interestingly, Dabral, one of the hottest Indian creatives of the 90s, was being seen as the best contender, say industry sources.

     

    Dabral spent his best creative years with ad veteran Piyush Pandey at Ogilvy India, where the two forged a great chemistry and worked on brands such as Asian Paints, Cadbury and Fevicol.

     

    Another industry veteran points out that Mudra in its new avatar-post Omnicom buyout-would obviously have ambitions of occupying a much bigger space in Indian advertising, for which they would need a creative face with right clout of local and global experience. And Dabral fits the bill, as he turned around the Ogilvy offices in Malaysia and Singapore before moving to Bates.

     

    Interestingly, this would be Dabral’s second stint at Mudra. He had a short stint with the agency almost 20 years ago, but it did lead to one of the first and most memorable Hinglish campaigns of the country – ‘ Humko Binnies Mangta. Let’s see what he may have in store this time.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • This 'phorein' fixation after over 60 years of Independence is showing not just our media badly, it's projecting India as a very unconfident and slavish nation

    Anil Thakraney: An unconfident nation

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Media ODing on three news items last week caught my attention. And it made me feel, both, confused and agitated. Confused, because the relevance of these stories eluded me. And agitated, because they show a nation of crores of people in a very poor light.

     

    First, the media going ballistic over Oprah Winfrey. Big time Indian celebs behaving like crazed fans and fawning over her like wannabes. And excitedly uploading their smiling pics, in the company of the exalted lady, on Twitter. The grand finale: Fisticuffs between Oprah’s bodyguards and some journos in a small town. Hello, what’s going on? The lady is just a talk show host, that’s her ticket to fame. So she’s made a little brand of herself, but she’s still a talk show host. Would Barkha Dutt, our own chat show girl, evoke such hysteria in America? I would be surprised if they noticed her on the streets of New York City. And after all the brouhaha, Ms Winfrey has sworn never to return to India. When will the Indian media learn to get some balance in its reportage.

     

    Later in the week, journalists lost their heads when it was learnt that the notorious mischief monger Salman Rushdie wasn’t going to make it to the Jaipur Lit Fest. And the breathless coverage gave me a huge jolt, I thought a tsunami had hit the Thar desert. Who really cares if Rushdie arrives or not? He keeps coming and going, in any case. Would the Lit Fest be a disaster in his absence? I can assure you, the one person who must be quietly sniggering over this media tamasha is Rushdie himself. This is exactly the sort of stuff he covets; it keeps him in the public eye.

     

    Then there was that collective outrage over the juvenile comments made by the BBC’s Top Gear host. On our loo habits. And this made the media lose its knickers. Oh, please!

     

    I don’t know if this has occurred to our content heads and editors, but this ‘phorein’ fixation after over 60 years of Independence is showing not just our media badly, it’s projecting India as a very unconfident and slavish nation. Let’s move on, people. Enough of ass licking these buggers. Let’s look inward, we have many problems of our own, and they need urgent attention.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Happy that at last historian Ramchandra Guha has created his own website. It’s a collection of his best essays, apart from other stuff. Quite valuable. Because Guha isn’t just a columnist, his views give us glimpses into this nation’s past and present. It’s a treasure trove, really.

     

    Link: http://ramachandraguha.in/

  • Katrina looks glam and the situation is endearing. Mother and daughter living it up together warms the heart. Simple idea, zippy execution.

    Debrief: Titan Raga: Great attitude

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Titan Raga has released a new commercial with brand ambassador Katrina Kaif. And it strikes the right balance between attitude, lifestyle and product.

     

    In the commercial, Katrina appears all set to go off on a journey, but her plans get scuttled by a sudden text message, apparently from her boyfriend, saying: “My flight’s cancelled, let’s postpone our trip.” (Incidentally, this isn’t Salman Khan’s message, and I say that for one significant reason: Bhai cannot craft one English word without glaring typos.) Disappointed, but only for a moment, the sprightly actress decides to carry on with the journey. She grabs her Titan Raga, and invites her mom to join her. Both zip off in a car, grooving to a cool track.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCGsUqI3RW4[/youtube]

    Nice commercial. Highlights the ‘Life is now’, never-say-die spirit of young urban India. Katrina looks glam and the situation is endearing. Mother and daughter living it up together warms the heart. And there’s just enough branding in the film, it’s there but it’s not in your face. Simple idea, zippy execution. Good show.

     

    Just one small gripe: Did Kats have to ask her mom out ONLY because her partner let her down? Couldn’t she have done it anyway? Wouldn’t that have been cooler? But, no matter. It still works.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Brand and attitude nicely matched.

     

  • 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: McDonald’s Happy Price Menu

    KV Sridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Happy Price Menu

    The Brief: Since the launch of Happy Price Menu in 2004, McDonald’s & Leo Burnett have constantly endeavoured to go to consumers every year with a fresh way of communicating the already established Rs 25 affordability message. The outlined challenge for the 2012 campaign was to go beyond transactional/value communication and forge an emotional bond with customers.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKCe0Za3lBA[/youtube]

    Research insights: While food is why people come to McDonald’s, it’s the moments one shares over that food that makes them come back.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: McDonald’s is all about simple easy enjoyment. The burger may cost a few rupees, but the conversations, the human connection one creates over that burger is priceless. And hence, the core thought – real happiness doesn’t cost a lot – interpreted through simple, everyday, innocent charming stories that bring a smile to your face.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22P9FCX2Ybg[/youtube]

    Media vehicles chosen: The campaign launches with a TV plan and in store merchandizing in the first phase and additional media like radio, outdoor etc will be added in subsequent phases.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: We needed to adhere to brand tone – fun, optimistic, welcoming and genuine. While we worked on compiling mushy priceless moments, we needed to take care that we weren’t being over the top or unreal. All McDonald’s communication must be stories that you can imagine happening around you.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief? Simple execution, enjoyable stories and adorable performances – cliched as it may sound, the films touch an emotional chord and take the happy price menu beyond the basic value for Rs 25!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sTqF1owZvI[/youtube]

    What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad? From discovering love in an arranged marriage to realizing that you are more than just a driver to a bunch of school kids to a role reversal between a father and son, all such moments no one can put a price to. So we took these real slice of life situations and married them to the Happy Price Menu’s affordability to create this fresh campaign-emphasizing price yet talking of making moments that will last a lifetime.

     

    Market and client feedback: Rameet Arora, Senior Director McDonald’s, says, “The new McDonald’s campaign for the Happy Price Menu reflects the joy, optimism and happiness that epitomizes McDonald’s. The Happy Price Menu, with its deliciously affordable pricing and iconic products, opens the doors for everyone, young old; affluent, budget seeker; working adult, families. The campaign ropes together the brand, the food and the prices. In my opinion it isn’t just advertising for the budget menu, it’s advertising for McDonald’s the brand.” Within a week of the launch, McDonald’s has reported a significant rise in footfalls.

     

    The campaign got 8,000 hits on YouTube within 4 days of the launch. The films are also being circulated heavily on social media websites.

     

  • Suresh has the right combination of passion, talent and commitment to partner our creative and account management teams to take our creative product to the next level, says Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, DentsuIndia

    Suresh Mohankumar is National Planning Head @ Dentsu

    By A Correspondent

     

    Continuing with the series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group has announced the appointment of Suresh Mohankumar as National Planning Head, Dentsu Communications

     

    Based out of Bengaluru, Mr Mohankumar will lead strategic planning and brand management at Dentsu Communications across its offices inNew Delhiand Bengaluru. A seasoned planner with nearly two decades of experience, Suresh joins Dentsu from MudraIndiawhere he was Senior Vice President and Head of Planning – Mudra South.

     

    Welcoming Mr Mohankumar to Dentsu, Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, DentsuIndiasaid: “I’m really happy to have Suresh as a part of the leadership team of Dentsu Communications. Suresh has the right combination of passion, talent and commitment to partner our creative and account management teams to take our creative product to the next level.”

     

    Taira Kimura, Chief Operating Officer, Dentsu Communications said: “Suresh brings on board strong experience across brand, categories and regions. I have great confidence in his abilities and expertise to add value to our service deliveries and up the ante at Dentsu Communications.”

     

    On joining Team Dentsu, Suresh Mohankumar, National Planning Head, Dentsu

    Communications said: “The communications business is at a crossroads as convention increasingly gives way to real consumer engagement. That integration and media-neutral planning is the way forward and it is exactly what Dentsu believes in and I believe that Dentsu is uniquely structured to deliver that. Also as part of an organization at the cusp of an exciting transformation, I am very excited about my journey ahead and look forward to my mandate at Dentsu Communications.”

     

    Mr Mohankumar started his career in Account Management with RK Swamy/BBDO in Chennai. He worked with Contract and Lowe inBangalore. He switched to Account Planning in 2000 when he moved to Mudra Chennai. As a strategic planner he then worked with Contract and JWT in Chennai.

     

    Tanishq, BPL, Ford, Volkswagen, Carbon, MRF, Lotte, TI cycles, Henkel, Fa, Reynolds, McDowell’s, Johnson & Johnson and Lipton are some of the brands that he worked on. He cites his experience while working on Tanishq’s ‘karatmeter’ campaign as something that motivated him to become a strategic planner.

     

    A commerce graduate, Mr Mohankumar completed his MBA with a dual specialization in Marketing and Finance from T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) in 1993.

     

  • There are many problems with these awards shows in the Indian context, and for their own credibility, the organizers must do their damndest to sort them out.

    Anil Thakraney: ‘Giving’ season for Bollywood & TV-land

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It’s that season when many organizations will gave away many awards to many Bollywoodians. And the number of award givers is increasing with time, and I hope it stops right here. It would be a joke if in the year 2020 we have stars lining up for 30 events. Rather, I wish there were, at the most, two ceremonies, so that the awards are truly coveted and valued.

     

    Aside from numbers, there are many problems with these awards shows in the Indian context, and for their own credibility, the organizers must do their damndest to sort them out.

     

    For one, there must be absolute integrity in the judging process. Everyone and his father knows some winners get picked by non-jurists. Often either by the organizers themselves or by their sponsors or associates. And this gets amply proved when everyone who attends the show gets an award, and only the winners land up for the events. This is not the way it pans out either at the Oscars or the Golden Globes. And that’s the reason why Aamir Khan shuns these tamashas. Surely there is a way to deal with this continuing malaise. Maybe the will is lacking.

     

    Two, since all the moolah comes from television rights, these shows are tailor-made for the tube. Quite a few acts don’t happen on stage, they get inserted in later. This makes no sense. If the stars are going to perform on stage, then they must do so in real time, in front of the hundreds of people in the audience. Because capsules get inserted in later, the show looks pretty artificial and scripted. Again, nowhere does this happen in the world. Organizers must make it mandatory for performers to perform live. That’s the beauty of an event. If we wanted to watch recorded stuff, we’d watch the regular TV shows.

     

    And third, because these events get packaged as TV dramas, awards become the side show. ‘Extras’, in filmi lingo. In fact, awards for vernacular films and for the technical crew get done in a big rush, so that the entire time and energy goes into entertainment. Which is dance and thakela banter. Awards should be the big act, the rest of the stuff woven around them.

     

    Lots of issues to be dealt with, and I am not even talking of the shoddy camera work. Hope one day we can put out an awards show that the West will envy and emulate.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: If you haven’t watched ‘Shattered Glass’ already, you should quickly grab the DVD. Especially if you work in the media. It’s the story of a young reporter who cooks stories and quotes to quickly rise up the hierarchy. And also to deal with the intense pressure in the newsroom. This can so easily happen to any young journo. A warning for everyone.

     

  • Sandeep Pathak joins boss Sonal Dabral in exiting Bates and Raj Kamble leaves BBH India to make way for Russell Barett as managing partner

    It’s bye-bye time for Sandeep Pathak and Raj Kamble

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s now confirmed. Both captains of the Bates ship are bidding goodbye to the agency. Although there’s no official communiqué from the agency, Sonal Dabral, India Chairman and Regional executive Director, Bates Asia and Sandeep Pathak, CEO, Bates Asia have put in their papers.

     

    While Mr Dabral is moving to DDB Mudra, Mr Pathak’s destination next is not known, refusing to comment on the issue. He has been with the agency since four years.

     

    Meanwhile, at BBH India, Raj Kamble who had replaced Priti Nair last year as Managing Partner, has also called it quits.  ECD Russell Barrett has been elevated to the post of Managing Partner. Kamble’s next port of call is unknown.

     

    In an official communiqué, Sir John Hegarty said:  ‘It’s always sad when great creative people leave you, but it’s greater satisfaction when you can promote an outstanding creative leader from within. Russell Barrett has created most of our best work and put BBH India on  the creative map. I believe with his creative leadership our Mumbai office will go from strength to strength.”

     

  • After working with TBWA for almost 4 months,yatra.com is again on a lookout for a creative partner. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to MxM India.

    Yatra.com on lookout for a creative partner

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    After providing TBWA with its creative mandates in August last year, yatra.com, the travel porch has once again called for a creative pitch. The account size then was pegged to be around Rs15-20 crore.

     

    Before TBWA, Yatra.com had appointed Rediffusion Y&R as its creative agency in 2009; while Leo Burnett was the official agency in 2007.

     

    The online travel company entered the market in August 2006. It had initially appointed Everest Brand Solutions as its creative agency, and Mudra’s media agency, Optimum Media Solutions (which was re-christened Mudra Connext), handled its media duties.

     

    Yatra Online Pvt Ltd. is a travel company providing information, pricing, availability and booking facility for air travel, hotels, buses and car rentals across 5,000 large cities and small rural areas around the globe. It acts as a complete tour planner for travellers and is a one-stop shop for every travel need.