MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The acclaimed CD and film-maker will work from McCann's Delhi office

    Sabyasachi ‘Zap’ Sengupta joins McCann as National Chief of Films & Content

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sabyasachi Sengupta

    Zap or Sabyasachi Sengupta is set to join McCann Worldgroup India as National Chief of Films and Content. Working from McCann Delhi he will have a national responsibility.

     

    Said Prasoon Joshi CEO & CCO McCann India and Chairman Asia Pacific: “Zap is from a rare breed of professionals who have integrity and unmatchable work ethic. He’s an exceptional creative mind and has also explored multiple disciplines of Advertising. He will add another dimension to McCann’s client offerings especially in today’s complex media world where the need for such layered talent is high.

     

    Zap began his career in Delhi two decades back, working at agencies like JWT and O&M and created some popular work like Pepsi – Nothing official about it, Adidas, Kit Kat – Have a break, Seagram’s -100 Pipers etc. As an independent adfilm-maker, he has produced work for brands such as Nescafe, Saffola, Vaseline, Maggi, Bajaj, Caratlane, Stayfree etc.

     

    Zap who will be onboard with McCann from July 2016 expressed his excitement for this new chapter, saying: “Films are the most powerful narratives of the contemporary world, and McCann has acquired a creative edge with its own unique signature. I look forward to further stimulating, synchronising and streamlining the whole process within an expanded McCann framework.”

     

  • The topic will dwell on 'New Retail Strategies For The New Competitive Environment'

    IAA announces next Knowledge Seminar in Bengaluru

    By A Correspondent

     

    The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter will host the next Knowledge Seminar in Bengaluru on retail marketing strategies. The event is on Saturday, 11th June at Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru from 14.45 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

     

    IAA India Chapter brings together decision makers from the field of retail marketing, advertising and media with the goal of addressing the challenges faced by the retail sector and to guide its future course of action.

     

    Srinivasan K. Swamy

    Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President, Development Asia/Pacific region said, “IAA Knowledge Seminars bring in fresh perspectives for the audience. In this session we have acknowledged experts addressing important issues related to the retail industry including brand building, valuation and retail spaces. We also have a mix of veterans and young leaders speaking on various topics. We are very glad that Vijayvani has partnered us for the second time in succession”

     

    The speakers include Bijou Kurien, Board member L Capital, V Vishwanath, Director – Brand & Marketing, Urbanladder, Senthil Kumar, CCO, JWT India, Sruti Swamy, Head, Hansa RetailScape, Ramesh Jude Thomas, President and Chief Knowledge Officer, Eqitor Value Advisory

     

  • The two divisions will collaborate and work as a seamless on and offline team and partner HouseFull

    HouseFull appoints Lowe Lintas & LinTeractive Delhi as its agency partners

    By A Correspondent

     

    HouseFull, a furniture brand with strong online presence, has awarded its agency mandate to two divisions of the MullenLowe Lintas Group. Lowe Lintas Delhi takes on the creative agency role for HouseFull, while LinTeractive Delhi takes on digital marketing. The two divisions will collaborate and work as a seamless on and offline team and partner HouseFull.

     

    With over a decade of expertise in making furniture, HouseFull has helped numerous customers in making their homes more aesthetic and beautiful. Their designs are not just desirable but have an international feel as well. Their products are known for undisputed durability and quality, offered at a compelling price.

     

    Akshay Chaturvedi

    Commenting on the appointment, Akshay Chaturvedi – CEO, HouseFull said, “We welcome Lowe Lintas & LinTeractive as our brand partners for HouseFull. We were really impressed with their holistic thinking that went beyond the conventional approach. The thing about Lowe Lintas is that apart from a fantastic creative sense, they possess a sharp business acumen which is strategically superior to its peers. This is important for a brand like ours which has aggressive plans and wants to have a nimble startup-like culture with an eye on a rapid scale-up.”

     

     

    Naveen Gaur

    On winning the new mandate, Naveen Gaur, President, Lowe Lintas Delhi said, “We are thrilled to win the communications mandate for a brand like HouseFull, which has taken it upon themselves to be extremely aggressive challengers in the highly competitive sector of online furniture and home decor. We at Lowe Lintas, will bring to the table, our sharp and insightful understanding of the e-commerce business along with the emerging modern Indian buyer. What makes it special is that we managed to win the mandate for both above-the-line as well as digital communication. We approached the problem in an integrated manner, with a motley crew of our folks from different specializations and the results are extremely encouraging to say the very least.”

     

    Sumanta Ganguly, EVP – LinTeractive added, “We see a great opportunity in HouseFull to win category conversations through our platform thinking and creative approach. A category that is today in a hyper-competitive state requires not just creative thinking but also focus on pushing the right interactions on the platform.”

     

     

  • With the completion of three years this July, Event Capital has been a pioneer in curating event IPs such as Bike Festival of India, The Edutainment Show, etc

    Event Capital rebrands itself; unveils new logo

    By A Correspondent

     

    Event Capital has unveiled its new logo which signifies the company’s transformation from an event IP aggregator to focussed creators and curators of IP events in the live space. The modern typeface is new age and concept driven which reinforces Event Capital’s capability of creating powerful content driven stories. With the completion of three years this July, Event Capital has been a pioneer in curating event IPs such as Bike Festival of India, The Edutainment Show, etc.

     

    This announcement by Event Capital is just one of the first in the series that the company has made after appointing a new CEO, Swaroop Banerjee, only a month ago. A festivals & branded entertainment specialist, Banerjee will be actively involved in expanding the current bouquet of live intellectual properties owned by Event Capital. He will also focus on introducing live and digital content creations and will oversee development of new verticals in lifestyle, music and sports.

     

    Swaroop Banerjee

    Explaining the change, Swaroop Banerjee commented, “The new logo of Event Capital has a bold outlook in the font with a colour that has a digital millennial filter woven into it. This depicts our ability to curate for youth genres as ably as for other genres. This is our third year in existence and there has been a phenomenal track record so far; we needed a fresh outlook to chart our trajectory higher and therefore the most important thing was to ensure that we come across as a youth consumer focussed organization. Additionally the introduction of a music vertical will change the dynamics for EC and the initiatives under this vertical will form core headline products under the EC hood. Ultimately the bulls-eye for us this year is to become content creators in the live space.”

     

    Deepak Choudhary

    Adding to this, Deepak Choudhary, Co-founder & Director, Event Capital said, “It’s has been three exciting business and brand years for Event Capital. Market orientations have changed and the IP industry is now extremely matured. We had started with acquisitions and collaborations with existing IP owners and now we have moved to creating our own IPs. It was only natural that we go through an image makeover as we have gone through a concept makeover.”

     

  • Ambi Parameswaran's book was launched with much fanfare on Thursday at the Godrej India Culture Lab

    An evening about ‘Nawab, Nudes, Noodles’

    By A Correspondent

     

    The author was very apprehensive at the beginning to launch his book at Godrej India Culture Lab because he thought there would not be enough people to fill the huge auditorium. But he was in for a surprise when not only was the auditorium full; people had to occupy the aisles to sit through the book launch. We are talking about MG Parameswaran or Ambi as he is popularly known, who launched his book ‘Nawab, Nudes and Noodles’ on June 9.

     

    Presented by Pan Macmillan and Godrej India Culture Lab, the launch saw a cross-section of the fraternity and many students congregate in the auditorium.

     

    The book is as much the story of Indian advertising as it is about India. From sartorial taste and food habits to marriage and old age, music and language to celebrities and censorship, the author examines over a hundred ads to study how the Indian consumer has changed in the past five decades and how advertising and society have shaped each other.

     

    He gave the audiences an insight of the book through a very interesting and interactive presentation. He started from the very idea of the social concepts about marriage, gender, music and language is changing and ended with how advertising is important for the economy to grow. Combining anecdote and analyses he shared a slice of modern history and evaluated the relationship between affluence, aspiration and desire in India. He spoke about the changing trends in our country where he discussed the ads that caught imagination of the entire country. From ‘Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar’ to the controversial Tuffs shoes campaign, the book delves in to a memorable journey through brands, consumers and the world of advertising.

     

    The presentation was followed by a chat between the author and brand expert and MD and CEO of Future Brands Santosh Desai. They spoke about the challenges and the approach he took while researching about this book. The trend in advertising these days seem to be moving from traditional mediums like television to more contemporary mediums like digital. So, when Desai asked whether the consumer approach of advertisers has changed due to digital, Parameswaran said, “I do not think as yet but it will change. Most people who are below the age of 30 or 25 do not read the newspaper and do not watch television. We have to figure out new ways to reach them. The interactive medium gives you an option to do a lot more. I am sure if we have been able to fully exploit that. The other worry I have is in India we have this huge power distance equation. May be our consumers do not want interaction. But that story will play out in the future. As of now, I think it will change eventually.” Parameswaran also stressed on the fact that due to digital evolution the society is also changing and people are very aggressive in the manner they express their opinions due to the emergence of social media.

     

  • Tammal joins DDB Mudra from Scarecrow where he was a founding employee and was Executive Creative Director as well as Design Director since 2011

    Kapil Tammal joins DDB Mudra West as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kapil Tammal

    DDB Mudra West has brought in Kapil Tammal as Executive Creative Director. He will be based in Mumbai and will report to Rahul Mathew, Creative Head, DDB Mudra West.

     

    Kapil Tammal joins DDB Mudra from Scarecrow where he was a founding employee and was Executive Creative Director as well as Design Director since 2011. Before his stint with Scarecrow, he was associated with McCann, Umbrella Design, Triton Communications & Concept Communications.

     

    Talking about his appointment, Tammal said: “While DDB Mudra West has always been a creative powerhouse, globally, what really impressed me was the rapid inroads the agency has made in the Indian market, in recent times. Meeting with Sonal, Rahul and Rajiv further fueled by belief in the agency. They are insanely creative and driven to put DDB Mudra Group on the global map. I have worked with Rahul in the past; and I am eagerly looking forward to team up with him again, for shaping the creative product at DDB Mudra West.”

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Quoting on the appointment, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said: “Kapil is not just a hugely talented and experienced creative professional, he is a genuinely nice guy. In today’s day and age of restless creativity, Kapil is one the rare breed of creatives who has complete mastery over his craft. It’s been exciting times for all of us at DDB Mudra Group; with our work being recognised in multiple forums for its effectivity as well as its creativity. And with Kapil joining our family, I’m sure we’re going to see our work reach even greater heights.”

     

     

    Rahul Mathew

    Added Mathew: “Our band of merry men and women grows stronger and stronger. Kapil not only adds more muscle to our craft, but also brings great enthusiasm and excitement to the workplace. He understands the effort and resilience that goes into building an agency; having helped build one. We all look forward to him helping us build DDB Mudra West into the creative force that we know it can become.”

     

  • Neo@Ogilvy has appointed Deepankar Kapoor of Havas Media as Vice President and Head of Strategy – India

    Deepankar Kapoor to head strategy at Neo@Ogilvy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Deepankar Kapoor

    Neo@Ogilvy has name Deepankar Kapoor as Vice President and Head of Strategy – India, Neo@Ogilvy. He will be based in Gurgaon.  Kapoor joins Neo@Ogilvy from Havas Media where he was leading the digital strategy function while working with brands such as Star TV, Sun Pharmaceuticals, LG, Amway, Xolo, Clovia among others.

     

    Said Rajesh Bhatia, President & Country Head, Neo@Ogilvy, India on the appointment: “I have always emphasised the need and importance of sophisticated strategy and planning talent – this skill is often compromised by digital agencies.  I am fortunate to have worked with some of the best talent in the industry who have reinforced that belief.  I am delighted to haveDeepankar join us in our journey to help establish our thought leadership and provide digital strategic direction to the brands we partner.”

     

    Rajesh Bhatia

    Before Havas Media Group, Kapoor has led digital strategy at the Grey Group and DigitasLbi where he drove digital transformation journeys for brands such as Tata Motors, Volkswagen, Quikr, Cadburys, Vespa, ITC, Dell, Johnson & Johnsons portfolio, Indian Army, Network18, Wipro Corporate, etc.

     

  • The attempt is to offer integrated solutions and thereby bridge the gap between large companies and tech startups through the Drugstore India initiative

    Publicis Groupe opens Drugstore in India… no, it’s selling medicines or legalising you-know-what

    By  A Correspondent

     

    Over the last ninety years, Publicis Groupe has worked closely with its clients to build some of the most iconic brands around the world.  Today as we enter the era of the fourth industrial revolution wherein the lines between physical, digital and biological spheres are narrowing, it is imperative for large companies to avoid the ‘Kodak moment’.  Our goal is to help Publicis Groupe clients brace for this change by helping them innovate and stay ahead of disruption. We intend to do this by bringing together some of the sharpest minds from within the tech startup ecosystem in India and  the Publicis Groupe brand builders to ‘hack’ solutions  on the various brands that we work with across the Groupe.

     

    Uff, did all of the above mean anything to you. But then that’s communication conglomerates are masters at doing. Foreplay.

     

    So read further:

     

    The Publicis Groupe has always strived to help their clients constantly stay ahead of the game. In the late 50s Publicis Groupe founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet started the  Drugstore near Arc de Triomphe in Paris to bring multiple brands physically under one roof, with the express idea of getting ‘consumers to experience brands and for brands to get to experiment with them in return’. Today, we invoke our founder’s vision to bring this concept of disruptive innovation thinking & prototyping to our clients and help them ‘thrive at scale’.

     

    Okay, okay, let’s get on with it.

    Drugstore India is an innovation facility (oh, thank heavens, it’s not been called a lab!) that fosters relationships between large companies and early stage startups for mutual benefit.  This innovation thinking will be mentored by the best of minds across Publicis Groupe companies such as L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis India, Leo-Burnett, MSLGROUP and Razorfish. True to the spirit of today’s startup ecosystem, where collaboration matters more than competition, the idea for a platform such as Drugstore is just right and timely.

     

    The idea of the Drugstore is fundamentally based on the spirit of identifying and harnessing these innovations and innovators and bridging the gap between needs and resources. Drugstore India will collaborate with leading players in the Indian startup ecosystem like Zone Startups amongst others to bring some of the proven and agile innovation programmes such as Minibar, Meet the Makers, Demo Days, Supper Club, Rapid Prototyping and Incubator Accelerator to capitalise on inventions and have radical outcomes in the process, products and services.

     

    Besides helping successful client brands stay successful, Drugstore will add strategic marketing value to the emerging startup fraternity through both physical and cloud-based access to brand building resources across the Publicis Groupe and by collaborating with them to help them acquire scale expertise and by mentoring and immersing them on turning any business into a successful brand.

     

    Publicis Groupe has successfully launched the Drugstore in London, Sydney, Johannesburg and Zurich and the first Drugstore edition in Asia is now officially starting in India and will be based in Mumbai.

     

    The Drugstore India team will be led by Anil K. Nair (CEO, Digital L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi) along with a core team comprising Sreeraman Thiagarajan (Publicis), Parth Nagar & Aarti Samant (L&K Saatchi & Saatchi), Sanju Menon (Leo-Burnett), Suryasen Kundu (MSL Group), & Swapnil Puranik (Razorfish) and  under the overall  mentorship of Praveen Kenneth, Chairman & Managing Director, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

     

    Phew!

    So that was the communiqué we received from the Publicis Group this morning (Tue, June 14). Now, basically this is what it’s all about: Publicis Groupe has set up (no, we didn’t saying waking up to!) the increasing demands of the start-up community and setting up a pan-group(e) initiative. We are sure this doesn’t mean Anil K Nair and Co will give up their rest of their commitments and embrace this alone.

     

    Now, here’s a thought that was expressed by an insider?  Does the fact that Praveen Kenneth has been entrusted with the responsibility mean that if this is a success he could be given greater responsibilities within the group? Like overseeing the umbrella company of the communications business of Publicis? India is one of the few countries that doesn’t have a head for Pubicis Communications though Publicis Media did name Anupriya Acharya as CEO for the group’s media businesses. Or is it that it’s a sop to Kenneth and someone else may be made the big(g) boss?

     

    We’ll know it soon. A CEO of one of the Publicis Comm firms told us that India may not have that such a position.

     

    PostScript: Why name it Drugstore? We know it’s advertising and it helps in being disruptive etc etc, but Drugstore? Next is what? Well, as long as what’s dished out are good solutions and not placebos. Right?

     

  • Rina's hire reinforces 20:20 MSL's standing as a preferred destination for top talent as well as being well-equipped to provide strategic and specialised counsel to its clients

    20:20 MSL appoints Rina Sen Goel as Sp Advisor- Ent’mnt & Cons Practice

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rina Sen Goel

    20:20 MSL has announced the appointment of Entertainment and Lifestyle PR industry veteran Rina Sen Goel as Special Advisor to its Consumer, Lifestyle & Entertainment practice.

     

    Rina who comes with a rich experience of 25+ years across journalism and PR, will work closely with teams across the offices of 20:20 MSL to help cater to agency’s aggressive plans of expanding its portfolio of Consumer, Lifestyle and Entertainment clients.

     

    Chetan Mahajan

    Commenting on the development, Chetan Mahajan, Co-MD MSLGROUP India said, “Rina brings valuable experience in managing strategic and award winning campaigns and will be an asset to 20:20 MSL’s team. Her knowledge of Consumer, Lifestyle and Entertainment industry will augment the Agency’s ability to support the expanding portfolio while leveraging market opportunities for growth”.

     

    In her earlier role as Senior Client Services Director/Practices Lead at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Rina was responsibile for leading prestegious consumer and entertainment campaigns. With her career spanning over 25 years Rina got an opportunity to play multiple facets of communication and storytelling roles including being a journalist with The Times Group for over 8 years and Corporate Communciations and PR lead for Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd for 5 years. She has consulted for some of world’s leading corporations including P&G, HUL, Colors – Viacom18, Tata Sky, Intel, Dolby, Godrej Industries, Marico, Skoda, Marriott International, Times Entertainment, & Hyatt Corporation among others.

     

  • … and presents the annual Eureka awards for this year

    Hum Saath-Saath Hain! Aditya Birla Finance felicitates marketing services vendors

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Marketing campaigns define a brand, to an extent. To create effective campaign, every agency needs to be innovative and come up with new ideas. The success of these agencies is determined through encouragement and motivation.

     

    Taking a cue from the same, Aditya Birla Financial Services Group (ABFSG) launched Eureka Awards four years ago wherein the group honours its agencies and their hard work. This year too, ABFSG held its Eureka Awards with all of its agencies attending and celebrating the success of their hard work.

     

    Speaking to MxM India, Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Financial Services Group, said, “This is our way of thanking our agency partners. All year round they work very hard for us, they are thinking of us, they are slogging for us. So, this is our way of thanking them, giving them a fun time but also rewarding the agency for the award and the agency colleagues for hardwork.”

     

    The agencies that participated were Mindshare, DDB Mudra Max, Eikona, HansaCequity, Ketchum Sampark, TrackDDB, The Social Street, Taproot India, 9 Point Design, Pi Communications and Resultrix. There were 40 entries comprising the campaigns and work done by the above mentioned agencies.

     

    This year the awards categories were compressed into two categories: Agency Eureka and People Eureka. The former category awards the work of an agency and the latter is to recognise individual effort.  Out of the 40 entries, 23 were for Agency Eureka and 17 were for individual Eureka. But there were only 15 winners, eight in Agency and seven in People Eureka.

     

    This unique concept of recognising hard work not only encourages the agencies and individuals, it takes the agency-client partnership to another level.  “I think it is a very innovative thing which motivates people to work harder. It is a good way to recognise contribution. It is a very nice gesture on part of the company,” said N. S. Rajan, Global Partner and Managing Director of Ketchum Sampark, who was also a jury member. Added Rakhshin Patel, Managing Director of Pi Communications: “I have been in the business for 30 years, I have not seen any client appreciate the agency this much. Relish your love and affection and appreciation for what teams do.”

     

    Indeed.

     

  • The consumer contact has almost doubled due to this new medium available to consumers to register their complaint

    ASCI sees 30% increase in complaints with introduction of WhatsApp contact

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Standards Council of India which had introduced a WhatsApp number (+91 77100 12345) to facilitate consumer reach has seen a significant rise in complaints received. (See Disclosure). According to ASCI, the consumer contact has almost doubled due to this new medium available to consumers to register their complaint. WhatsApp is now contributing to more than 12 per cent of the total advertisements complained against and deliberated upon by the Consumer Complaints Council. With the increased awareness levels, it has also had an incremental effect on the overall number of complaints received directly by other means such as Mobile App and Website. This has resulted in more than 30 per cent increase in the overall number of advertisements complained against. (Disclosure: MxMIndia Editor-in-Chief Pradyuman Maheshwari is a member of ASCI’s CCC).

     

    Speaking on this, ASCI chairman Benoy Roychowdhury, said: “We launched ASCI WhatsApp number with an objective to provide an “on-the-go” and easy “where-ever, when-ever” access for consumers to lodge complaints against objectionable advertisements and to increase ASCI’s reach across India trickling down to smaller towns. This initiative has, indeed, exceeded our expectations proving to be successful within three months of launch. Our WhatsApp number was welcomed not only by consumers but also taken note of, by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Prasar Bharati, etc. It was called out as a proactive step to be emulated by other similar agencies. Indeed, we are happy and proud that ASCI is in the forefront of “Transforming India”, leveraging technology for consumer meaningful tools.”

     

  • As a part of the mandate, Option Designs will be responsible to create and manage the creative campaigns and brand strategies

    Option Designs bags creative & digital duties for Bluebird Pure

    By A Correspondent

     

    Option Designs has been appointed the 360 degree branding, advertising and digital marketing mandate for Bluebird Pure. Bluebird, a company known for its trust in making voltage stabilizers, has recently entered into the healthcare product segment with its range of Water Purifiers, Water Softeners and Air Purifiers under the name of Bluebird Pure.

     

    As a part of the mandate, Option Designs will be responsible to create and manage the creative campaigns and brand strategies for Bluebird Pure while working closely on both ATL and BTL marketing collaterals. As the agency on board, Option Designs will also build and implement a 360-degree advertisement campaign with ace Bollywood and Hollywood actor Anil Kapoor who has been roped in as the brand ambassador by Bluebird Pure.

     

    Aditya Mittal

    Expressing his expectation from the agency, Aditya Mittal, Founder, Bluebird Pure said, “We chose Option Designs because of their keen understanding of Bluebird’s business needs, additionally their passionate, irresistible energy and unconventional creative approach is noble.” He further added that, “Association with Option Designs will create a better and stronger brand positioning via innovative solutions and in turn will give mileage to the brand in reaching to its target customers.”

     

     

    Japneet Singh

    Japneet Singh, M.D & CCO, Option Designs, said, “It is an honor to work on Bluebird. We as an agency are excited with an opportunity to work in the healthcare segment as it has a lot of scope in terms of creativity, communication and also in terms of building the brand as a trustworthy and reliable brand for purity. It will be quite interesting to work in this industry as there is a lot, which has not been covered yet by the advertisers. Through our strategic advertising campaigns we will try to bring out some clutter breaking advertising in this segment”