MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • IBD India will be responsible for revitalising the brand image of KC Milk

    IBD wins KC Milk creative mandate in multi-agency pitch

    By A Correspondent

     

    IBD India, a Percept – Hakuhodo company, has won the creative account of KC Milk, the flagship pasteurised milk brand of KC Diary Products. It was a multi-agency pitch held in Chennai, and the account is estimated at Rs 14 crore. IBD India will be responsible for revitalising the brand image of KC Milk.

     

    Said S Kannan, Chief Marketing Officer, KC Diary Products: “We are very happy to partner with IBD as they bring with them in-depth knowledge and understanding of the category, which is key for creating effective advertising and communication. The strategic and creative approach we have seen from IBD is outstanding. They have brought fresh insights and a new thinking, which we believe will give us the desired impetus.”

     

    Rahul Gupta

    Added Rahul Gupta, Managing Director, IBD: “We are consistently winning business of diverse nature and it gives us a sense of satisfaction to be able to cater to diverse industry businesses. Our deep understanding of consumers and our ability to create a long-term vision for ‘KC’ with excellent creative execution were the key factors for this win. We are very excited to have bagged this mandate to work with one of the strong and upcoming brands in the country.”

     

  • Titan has consolidated its outdoor media business with two agencies and one of these is Milestone Brandcom

    An apology. Laqshya is not only agency to win Titan OOH account. Milestone Brandcom also wins Titan biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s one of those things in the business that shouldn’t happen, but once in a while they do slip in. On Tuesday, MxMIndia carried a news report on Laqshya winning the Media OOH mandate of Titan, the watch to jewellery to eyewear company of the Tata Group. This was based on a release we received from Jayanthy Menon of Laqshya and we carried it on the basis of that (http://www.mxmindia.com/2017/06/laqshya-wins-outdoor-media-business-of-titan/). As we do with most other such communiques from known media companies, we carried it without any verification.

     

    However, a day later, we received a very terse mail from someone at Laqshya that the outdoor company was in fact just one of the outdoor major partners.

     

    We protested, but there was not a word of regret from Jayanthy Menon and Karan Dalvi, the person who wrote to us and also called. Instead, he wrote: “Expecting your quick response.”

     

    We also addressed our mail to them on the issue to  AtulShrivastava, Group CEO, Laqshya Media Group, assuming that as a responsible senior executive, he would respond.

     

    We then spoke with Satyabrata Das, Head – Strategic Alliances and Corporate Communications, and we was exceedingly apologetic.

     

    There’s still no mail from Shrivastava, Menon or Dalvi. Meanwhile, we’ve received a communique from Dentsu Aegis Network’s Milestone Milestone Brandcom which notes that Titan has consolidated its outdoor media business with two agencies and one of these is Milestone Brandcom.

     

    Commenting on the win, Nabendu Bhattacharyya, CEO and Managing Director Milestone Brandcom said, “We are extremely happy and excited to partner with the Titan Group. Titan is one of the heritage brands of this country and We are honoured that they have chosen us to uphold their prestige and prominence in the OOH space. Titan is very active in the OOH space and we are only going to leverage it even further.”

     

    Yes, we haven’t received any proof from Milestone Brandcom, but we trust it entirely.

    Once again our apologies to our readers for publishing the Laqshya communique. We have now put the agency on our hotlist of companies from whom we will not accept releases without a self-certification. If necessary, we may even insist on a proof of a business win.

     

  • The account will be managed from Mumbai

    Motivator appointed as the Media AOR for Bajaj Corp

    By A Correspondent

     

    GroupM agency Motivator has won the media planning and buying mandate for Bajaj Corp. Ltd. The win include brands in the hair and skin care portfolio like Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil, Bajaj Amla Hair Oil, Bajaj Kailash Parbat Hair Oil, Bajaj Brahmi Amla Hair Oil, Bajaj Jasmine Hair Oi and No Marks, which was the pioneer in Anti-Marks category.

     

    The pitch was initiated about a month ago, where major global network agencies participated, Motivator won the entire media AOR for all the Bajaj Corp brands. The estimated size of the business is Rs 100 crore, notes a communique.

     

    Sandeep Verma

    Commenting on the new media partnership with Motivator, Sandeep Verma, President – Sales & Marketing, said: “We are happy to move media duties on our brands to Motivator, which is part of the GroupM network and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with them. Our brands, notably Almond Drops, Brahmi Amla and No Marks enjoy strong equities in their respective categories and we are confident that our partnership with Motivator will help us to scale these brands to new levels.”

     

    On winning the account, Trishul Bhumkar, General Manager, Motivator West said: “We are very excited to partner with Bajaj Corp in their ambitious growth plans. With iconic brands like Bajaj Almond Drops and category category challengers like Bajaj Bramhi Amla and Bajaj Jasmine, the business challenges to be managed are multiple. It’s a tough category challenge and we have our best foot forward. FMCG business wins are always an indication of an agency’s balance between acute science and firm gut calls. With Bajaj Corp win, we continue to fortify this aspect of Motivator. ”

     

  • Will handle the mainline, experiential and digital duties as the marketing communications partner

    Creativeland Asia wins mandate for Luxor, Parker and Waterman

    By A Correspondent

     

    Creativeland Asia has won the creative duties for Luxor, Parker and Waterman from the Luxor Group.

    On working with Creativeland Asia, Pooja Jain, Managing Director, Luxor Writing Instruments Pvt. Ltd. Said: “The Luxor Group is a global leader in the writing instruments category with innovation and disruption at its core. To continue our growth and success, we are delighted to have Creativeland Asia on board. Their exceptional body of work and the ability to create memorable, innovative and disruptive communication across 360 media is what excited us to work with them. We look forward to creating memorable campaigns together for Luxor, Parker and Waterman.”

     

    On the association with the Luxor Group, Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia said: “We are excited to expand our portfolio into the writing instruments category with prestigious brands like Luxor, Parker and Waterman from the Luxor Group. Pooja has very ambitious plans for her brands and I am delighted to partner her on her journey. While with Parker our task is to build on the global positioning, on Luxor we will be looking at a complete brand revamp. It is a highly competitive and challenging category. I am looking forward along with the team at Creativeland to create communication that works for the Luxor group in the market.”

     

    With this latest announcement, Creativeland Asia will now expand into the writing instruments category managing the mainline, experiential and digital mandate for Luxor, Parker and Waterman.

     

    About Luxor Writing Instruments Pvt. Ltd (LWIL):

     

    Started in 1963 under the entrepreneurial leadership of Late Mr. D. K. Jain, Luxor Writing Instruments Pvt. Ltd. (LWIPL) is one of the largest and most respected names in the writing instruments industry in India today. It is the leading manufacturer of writing instruments in India, producing over 6 million pens every day under the Luxor, Pilot, Parker and Waterman brands. Luxor as a brand is registered in more than 126 countries and Luxor range of writing instruments are exported to over 90 countries around the world including USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Australia.

     

    About Creativeland Asia:

     

    Creativeland Asia, one of India’s largest and most sought after independent agency completes 10 years on June 1 this year (2017) and is celebrating a month full of festivities to bring in this landmark year.

     

  • While Sangameshwaran will moderate the session, Chris Garbutt (Global CCO, TBWA), Bruno Bertelli (Global CCO, Publicis Worldwide) and Laura Jordan Bambach (CCO, Mr President) are the speakers on his panel

    Campaign India ed Prasad Sangameshwaran to moderate session at Cannes Lions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prasad SangameshwaranThere are many near-permanent fixtures covering Cannes Lions from India. With reason. Cannes Lions is the most sought after advertising festival for the A&M frat. While there are many from our country who are on the jury, there are very, very few who are accorded the privilege of speaking or moderating a session at the week-long festival.

    So it’s a matter of pride for the Indian contingent and especially the media covering A&M that one of our own has been invited to moderate a session at Cannes Lions, and this isn’t sponsored by his own publication, but is organised by the hosts.

    Campaign India managing editor Prasad Sangameshwaran, who has spent some two decades in the media across various publications – Business Standard, Economic Times, BusinessWorld, Hindu BusinessLine and now the India edition of Campaign which he joined in January this year – has been invited by Cannes Lions to moderate a session of global creative captains.

    The session titled ‘Chief Creatives on the Beach’ is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20 from 1 to 2pm on the beach. While Sangameshwaran will moderate the session, Chris Garbutt (Global CCO, TBWA), Bruno Bertelli (Global CCO, Publicis Worldwide) and Laura Jordan Bambach (CCO, Mr President) are the speakers on his panel.

    Interestingly, this is Sangameshwaran’s first visit to Cannes Lions.

     

  • New ad spend growth forecasts show caution in 2017 but improved outlook for 2018

    Global ad spend to hit $563.4 billion in 2017, notes latest Dentsu study

     

     

    Based on data received from 59 markets across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Ad Spend Forecasts – June 2017 point to a more cautious economic outlook in 2017 than the previous year, with global ad spend growth falling from 4.8to 3.8 per cent. However, conditions are set to improve in 2018 with forecast growth in ad spend of 4.3 per cent. Events will play a key role in 2018, with events such as the Winter Olympics & Paralympics in South Korea, the FIFA World Cup in Russia and the US Congressional elections all expected to stimulate ad spend growth.

     

    Despite concerns about the economic impact of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, UK ad spend growth held up better than expected in 2016 at 6.1 per cent. While there are signs of caution in 2017, with growth dipping to 4per cent, 2018 is forecast to see growth bounce back to 5.9 per cent. A similar picture unfolds in the United States, where a slowdown to 3.6 per cent is forecast for 2017, followed by a slight improvement in 2018 to 4.0 per cent. The United States also remains the largest market in the world, accounting for 37.7 per cent of global advertising spend in 2017. Advertising spend in emerging markets continues to outpace developed economies. For example, ad spend growth in India is forecast to grow at 13 per cent in 2017, while China is the second largest market in the world by share of advertising spend—remaining the only emerging economy to feature in the top five largest ad markets.

     

    The forecasts show how digital technology continues to disrupt and drive innovation in the way brands connect with their consumers. In 2017, we forecast that advertising spend on mobile will overtake desktop, reaching 56 per cent in terms of share of global Digital advertising spend. In 2018, mobile ad spend will grow further to account for a total of US$116.1 billion. With smartphone subscriptions set to reach 4 billion by 2025 and about a third of consumers reporting that their smartphone is their primary source of entertainment, we can expect to see this trend continue to strengthen.

     

    Furthermore, our forecasts suggest that in 2018 digital will be the top media in terms of global share of spend, taking over television for the first time. Digital’s share of total media spend is predicted to reach a 37.6 per cent share in 2018 (up from 34.8 per cent in 2017), versus 35.9 per cent for television (down from 37.1 per cent in 2017), amounting to a total value of US$215.8 billion. Reflecting the continued disruption by digital technology of the print media industry, Paid Search (advertising within the sponsored listings of a search engine) is forecast to overtake traditional print media (newspapers and magazines) in 2018. Print media has been on a downward trajectory for some years now, but will likely fall to a 13.8 per cent share of total spend in 2018 (down from 15.1 per cent in 2017) while paid search is forecast to grow to 14.6 per cent up from 13.6 per cent in 2017.

     

    While digital ad spend is growing rapidly and set to overtake television, within digital there are a number of new sources of growth that point to the future of advertising. For example, in 2017, online video is set to grow by 32.4per cent; social by 28.9per cent; and programmatic (i.e. automated ad buying) by 25.4 per cent. Looking ahead, brands will need to embrace the potential of disruptive technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and voice activation. However, research suggests that only 8per cent of brands currently intend to use virtual reality for advertising purposes.

     

    Commenting on the latest ad spend forecasts, Jerry Buhlmann, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network, said:“We are reaching a tipping point in ad spend now as digital overtakes television, mobile overtakes desktop and paid search overtakes print. Digital and data must now be the default settings for advertisers. Evolving to people-based marketing rather than audience-based marketing and using data to increase address ability is essential for brands to manage tighter conditions in 2017 while positioning themselves for future growth.”

     

    “At the same time, the challenge for brands is to ensure that they are ready to embrace the potential of new innovation. As technologies such as virtual reality and voice activation become more prominent, brands must ensure that they remain relevant by creating new value for their consumers.”

     

    Commented Kartik Iyer, MD, Carat India: “India continues to be amongst the few countries seeing growth rates in double digits. While this may be slightly lower than past expectations owing to various market drivers like demonetisation and GST, the growth is clearly expected to continue. Driving this growth is digital with a growth rate of over 35per cent which is far in excess of that seen by other more traditional media. And with digital quickly progressing on its path of becoming the Go To media for entertainment, this trend is also expected to continue. Other media like TV and cinema are expected to grow at around 12per cent while Radio and OOH should see a growth of 10per cent and Newspapers around 8per cent. Another medium that is driving growth is that of ambient (at over 15per cent growth rates). Considering the changing retail environment, the medium, in tandem with digital is becoming pivotal for delivering quality engagement with consumers.”

     

    Figure 1: Growth in advertising expenditure 2016-2018 (selected economies)


  • Mobile advertising projected to overtake ​d​esktop by 2020​, notes the study​

    Adspends to grow 11.5% in 2017: IPG Magna

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    ​India​ is recovering from aftereffects of demoneti​sation introduced in Q4 2016 and the currency deficit faced during this period has helped the country leapfrog towards a lesser cash economy. The country is set to move towards a uniform tax regime with Goods & Services Tax (GST), effective July 2017, while this fuels growth it is likely to create a fleeting disruption in the short term when the industry realigns and adapts to the new tax structure. GDP in real terms is estimated to grow +7.2% in 2017 compared to +6.8% in 2016 according to International Monetary Fund (IMF). Within the next decade India will gallop to become one of the largest consumer markets in the world according. Rising affluence, ease of doing business, urbani​s​ation and enabling infrastructure will contribute to this status.

     

    Advertising revenue which is accounts for 0.38% of GDP (gross domestic product) is likely to grow CAGR of +12.6% to touch INR 992bn by 2021. Within Advertising, offline is estimated to grow at a CAGR of +9.7%, while digital will grow at +25.5% CAGR in the next 5 years. Mobile is projected to overtake desktop by 2020. Television will still be the largest media in 2021 with a market share of 39%.

     

    In 2017, Adex is estimated to grow +11.5% to touch INR 611bn, predicts ​Magna, ,the intelligence, investment and innovation strategies agency of IPG Mediabrands​ (earlier called MagnaGlobal)​. Adspends will be driven by sectors like social, fin-tech, and payment banks, telecom service, content distribution platforms etc., in addition to FMCG, Auto and Ecommerce

     

    TELEVISION the foundation of advertising spends continues to dominate the industry with its market share of 41% and will grow+10.3%. With BARC release of rural audience data, new revenue stream in the form of FTA channels have gained significance. Quality locali
    ​s​ed content and HD experience will help regional TV to keep their audiences hooked. Sporting leagues outside of Cricket is finding way to generate mass involvement and Television will play a larger role. Star Sports Tamil demonstrating tangible results will increase fandom for local/state level formats.

     

    PRINT in India has been successful in guarding its revenues well with revenue expected to grow by +5.7% and India is one of the large markets where circulation is still growing thanks to rising literacy. The second biggest category with 36% share despite growing is losing its share to Digital year-on-year. Traditional sectors like auto, telecom and education will contribute to ad spend growth. After a gap of 3 years, the category will invigorate with the release of new IRS and help publishers reali ​s​e merit based value. Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) measuring digital consumption will lend authority and help in moneti​s​ation. We expect the ad spends to grow beyond the estimated +5.7% in 2017 thanks to government’s focused campaign to populari​s​e their marquee initiatives.

     

    DIGITAL will grow +28% and within digital, mobile is driving spends with a growth rate of +65.7%. The launch of 4G triggered low price data products there by increase in usage. With improved speed Video, native and customi ​s​ed content has tremendous potential to grow. BARC putting out a road map on digital panel takes India one step closer to a robust measurement not only for digital but also to showcase capabilities in incremental metrics. With expanding content library, OTT viewing is no more restricted to national languages. Aggressive push by Amazon and Netflix to address the original content gap will attract larger base of audience. With mobile increasingly being the choice of access, traffic will be higher than desktop resulting in advertising propelled by mobile which is estimated to grow at CAGR of 48%. E-commerce, Telecom, Auto, BFSI, Durables are large contributors to the revenue.

     

    RADIO reach with around 150 new frequencies sold during phase III is set to deepen further and will help generate incremental revenue. We estimate radio to grow +13% and continue to grow at CAGR of 13.8% in the next 5 years. Currently the measurement is limited to 4 cities, widening this will help radio increase its share from the current 4%

     

    OOH will grow +12% in 2017. Technology integration will increase effectiveness and helps drive adspends. Urbani ​s​ation in the form of new Metro lines and smart cities, moderni​s​ation of Indian Railways and their new advertising policy etc., will provide opportunities for a planned development of quality assets and also push the industry to innovate and move beyond billboards. Regional cinema is pushing boundaries to outdo Bollywood cinema which augurs well for the industry.

     

    Table 1 – Media owner revenue by category in INR Cr Net

    Media Category 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
    Television 24516 27416 31062 34774 39012
    Print 20644 21916 23348 24696 25884
    Digital 10227 12973 16538 20394 24868
    OOH 3552 3979 4530 5074 5642
    Radio 2227 2539 2920 3329 3762
    Total 61166 68822 78398 88266 99167
    Media Category 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
    Television 24516 27416 31062 34774 39012
    Print 20644 21916 23348 24696 25884
    Digital 10227 12973 16538 20394 24868
    OOH 3552 3979 4530 5074 5642
    Radio 2227 2539 2920 3329 3762
    Total 61166 68822 78398 88266 99167

     

    Table 2 – Traditional Vs Digital Adex growth rate

     

    Table 3 – Mobile gaining shares over desktop

  • The Indian contingent bagged 14 metals including a Grand Prix and four Golds

    India Shining as Cannes Lions takes off

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian men’s cricket team’s performance on Sunday may have been a downer, but for the Indian contingent who came in early and even those who were just wheeling their bags in, there was was reason for job. Indian agencies bagged as many as 14 metals on Day One alone.

     

    India sent in 1227 entries this year, less than the 1317 sent last year. Last year, Indian entrants returned with 27 metals followed by 15 in 2015, 27 in 2014, 33 in 2013 and 14 and 24 in 2012 and 2011 respectively. Given the rich haul of 14 metals on Day 1 including a Grand Prix, there is reason to bring out the bubbly, a fair bit of which is already flowing. Last year, there was one Grand Prix (Mindshare), three Golds, seven Silvers and 14 Bronzes. In the shortlists announced on Sunday, India has seven nominations in PR, two in Glass, nine in Print, 13 in Outdoor and 10 in Promo & Activation. India drew a blank in Cyber.

     

    McCann Health Delhi bagged the Grand Prix for Good plus four Golds and there were nine others which came in to the Indian contingent.  Titled Immunity Charm created for the Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan.  McCann bagged four Golds in the Pharma category which ensures it will be right on top in the final tally by the end of the festival. This also helped take McCann Health India to taking third place in the Healthcare Agency of the Year award with McCann Health being the Healthcare Network of the Year.Last year’s Healthcare Agency of the Year was runner-up this year, bagging two Silvers for the Indian Paliative Care Association.

     

    Click to see Indian entries

     

  • Alica Purple is a leading INS accredited advertising and event agency based in Mumbai with networking offices pan India

    Alica Purple completes 15 years in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was celebration time at the Head Office of Alica Purple in Mumbai which completed 15 eventful years recently.

     

    Alica Purple is a leading INS accredited advertising and event agency based in Mumbai with networking offices pan India. Said Lloyd Monteiro, Managing Director and Padmini Monteiro, Director: “It’s been a long journey for us to complete 15 successful and fruitful years and I’m delighted to say that we have a dedicated and professional team of people working with us. Our commitment and dedication to our clients have help us reach this milestone”.

     

  • The unit is headed by Sunny Vohra, who joined the agency seven months ago from GroupM with teams in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru

    Madison World launches experiential marketing unit Madison Turnt

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison World has announced the official launch of its experiential unit – Madison Turnt. Turnt is an oft-used word by millennialsto describe the feeling when someone is excessively excited or is high on life.

     

    The unit is headed by Sunny Vohra, who joined the agency seven months ago from GroupM with teams in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. The unit will provide 360* integrated plans with strategic and research-based insights to effectively bring together brands and their target audience through flawless execution.

     

    The unit focuses on events, activations, exhibitions and field marketing and will be a part of Madison Out-of-Home group.

     

    The Unit has already worked with a large number of prestigious clients likes Vivo, Nissan, Britannia, Michelin, Reebok, Roca, LinkedIn, Marico, LG, Philips, Kohler, JSW, Toyota, Raymond, Renault, Asian Paints, Dabur, CNBC, Godrej,Pidilite, Tata Motors andCroma.

     

    Said Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World:“I am delighted that under the leadership of Sunny Vohra, Madison Turnt has got off to a great start. More and more clients are discovering the power of experiential marketing, so our timing for the launch of Turnt is most appropriate.”

     

    Added Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO Madison Media & OOH:”Experiencing a brand is one of the most immersive forms of brand engagement. I am excited to be launching Madison Turnt – Our New Age Experience Company which combines the Physical with Digital, Data and Social. Sunny Vohra who leads Turnt is a transformational marketer and in a short time has built some exciting experiences for Brands”.

     

    Said Vohra:“We started a new journey under our new identity “TurnT” six months back with a young and dynamic team. We are now truly off the block, having created meaningful experiences for a host of brands and we are truly excited about the future. It has been a privilege working under the mentorship of Sam and Vikram as they push the envelope and bring out the best in us as a Unit.”

     

  • Mullen Lintas Mumbai will also provide strategic recommendations and creative ideas for the digital and social space

    Mullen Lintas Mumbai wins creative business of Motlilal Oswal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading financial services firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services has appointed Mullen Lintas Mumbai as its creative agency. The agency was chosen after a multi-agency pitch.

     

    As part of the mandate, apart from delivering solutions on conventional mediums like TV, Print, Radio and OOH, Mullen Lintas Mumbai will also provide strategic recommendations and creative ideas for the digital and social space.

     

    Ramnik Chhabra

    Commenting on the appointment, Ramnik Chhabra, Marketing Director, Motilal Oswal said: “Mullen Lintas managed to creatively interpret our communication brief with simplicity and impact. Important parameters while communicating in a category with low penetration and awareness.”

     

    The win marks Mullen Lintas’ foray into the financial services sector. Launched about a year-and-a-half ago in India, the agency has been having a brilliant run over the past few months with multiple new business wins across key markets of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. This win marks another important milestone for the agency in the current financial quarter after it recently won the new business mandate of Tata CliQ and Too Yumm!

     

    Amer Jaleel

    Speaking of the win, Amer Jaleel, Chairman & CCO, Mullen Lintas said: “Motilal Oswal is a large enterprise that’s founded on strong principles. And the simplicity with which they approach financial services is quite impressive. When we met the people behind this inspiring organisation we were really thrilled by their childlike enthusiasm towards the advertising idea that we had proposed. Their reaction and response pretty much sums up our campaign premise. You’ll soon get to see some really clutter breaking work.”

     

     

    Virat Tandon

    Expressing his views on the win, Virat Tandon, CEO, Mullen Lintas said: “Everyone knows that Motilal Oswal are the best at what they do – making money for their clients. But, what we also realised in the pitch process was that they are also very good at understanding and buying good creative work. Their brief was very clear and I guess we gave them an idea that they believe will make money for them. We are very excited on winning this mandate.”

     

  • The film showcases the Championships through the lens of Odisha

    Percept One unveils film promoting 22nd Asian Athletics Championship

    By A Correspondent

     

    The, bringing together nearly 800 athletes from 45 countries, participating in 42 different disciplines during the four-day extravaganza.

     

    Percept One has unveiled the official TVC for the Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bhubaneshwar from July 6 to 9, 2017.

     

    Nila Madhab Panda, the acclaimed filmmaker, has directed the film to infuse in it the quintessential Odiya flavour. Said Nupur Mahajan, CEO and Creative Head, Percept One: “The swiftness of athletes juxtaposed with the stillness of time that one experiences in Odisha – this unique coexistence of yesterday with today– is the story that we have crafted. In Odisha, the athleticism of international athletes is matched perhaps by the deftness of the barefoot sevayats who climb the 215ft high Neela Chakra,for the Dhwaja Parivartan, at the Jagannath Temple everyday! This confluence of heritage and modernity is representative of AAC in Odisha, and what Nila Madhab has beautifully captured.”