MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The account size is estimated to be approximately Rs 30 crore

    Havas Media wins digital media mandate for Sri Lanka Tourism

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Havas Media India partnering with their local partner in Sri Lanka, Agxa Pvt Ltd., won the digital media mandate of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

     

    The account size is estimated to be approximately Rs 30 crore and will be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office led by Uday Mohan, Managing Partner – North and East India. The mandate includes social media, mobile and website.

     

    The SLTPB intends to launch a global destination marketing campaign for Sri Lanka over a period of three years. The campaign will be an integrated brand campaign focused on promoting awareness of tourism products in Sri Lanka, increasing the number of tourist arrivals, and targeting more high-value tourists to achieve the targets laid out for the sector.

     

    Said John A.E. Amaratunga, MP, Minister of Tourism Development: “A transformation of the tourism industry is required to make Sri Lanka competitive in the global travel market place. Our vision is to be the world’s finest island for memorable, authentic and diverse experiences. SLTPB’s aim is to provide improved quality of services and service delivery by embracing digital and social mediums. The underlying goal of all efforts is to offer world-class visitor experiences while still being firmly rooted in the inherent natural, cultural, historic and social capital of Sri Lanka. We are happy to be partnering with Havas Media on this transformational journey.”

     

    Added Anita Nayyar, CEO – India and South Asia, Havas Media Group: “Sri Lanka is a vibrant, exciting and cultural destination and tourism is an incredibly important sector with over 2 million visitors each year spending approximately US$ 3.5 billion. According to a study conducted by Havas Group, travel & tourism ranks No. 1 as the most meaningful category globally and brands that are meaningful enjoy 60% higher chance of purchase in this category. The industry is poised to offer great growth and investment potential. We are delighted that Sri Lanka Tourism found value in our offering and appointed us to partner them in their endeavour to promote this beautiful island nation.”

     

     

  • He will oversee all strategic operations related to production

    Endemol Shine India appoints Gaurav Gokhale as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gaurav Gokhale

    Endemol Shine India announced the appointment of Gaurav Gokhale as Chief Operating Officer. Gokhale will work closely with Abhishek Rege, CEO, Endemol Shine India, to leverage growth for Endemol Shine India. He will oversee all strategic operations related to production and play a key role in new business development and in identifying new verticals for Endemol Shine India.

     

     

    Abhishek Rege

    Said Rege: “Gaurav’s rich experience and deep understanding of today’s dynamic environment will help Endemol Shine India to leverage business opportunities and create new benchmarks in the industry. His keen vision and interesting outlook on the entertainment business is sure to add an edge to our business.”

     

    Added Gokhale:  “Leaps in creativity, technology and affordability of data have made high-quality content accessible to Indian consumers like never before. It’s an honour to work with one of the leading and most valuable content production companies in India. I am looking forward to working closely with Abhishek and Endemol Shine India’s high-performance team to further evolve and grow the business.”

     

     

  • The films have been released on TV in Hyderabad and are available on the Ikea Facebook page

    Dentsu Impact shows how Ikea products talk for themselves

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ikea has released a series of new films on TV and digital to bring to life some hero products from the brand. Every film has one main hero – an Ikea product itself.

     

    Speaking about the films, Ulf Smedberg, Country Marketing Manager, Ikea India: “We at Ikea saw the need early on to find an emotional connection with consumers and their future relationship with our range. In order to de-dramatize and make parts of our range more attractive, inspiring yet even human, we created our new communication campaign which we internally call “Talking products”. In this series of short films, we let some iconic products speak and express their personality, in a fun and engaging way. The reaction so far been very positive, with people finding them to be surprising yet distinctively Ikea.”

     

    Added Megha Jain Sadhwani, Senior Vice President, Dentsu Impact: “The reason why Ikea is the world’s most loved Swedish home furnishing brand is its products, they are the heroes that make this brand what it is. The intent behind this series of films is to introduce these heroes to the Indian audience in a typical Ikea style – simple and playful, and what better way to do this than to let the products do the talking themselves, literally!”

     

     

  • Ajay leaves Ogilvy to pursue his own interests

    Ajay Gahlaut moves on from Ogilvy

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s been doing the rounds for weeks. But now it’s official. Ogilvy India has announced the departure of Ajay Gahlaut, Deputy Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, CCO – Ogilvy North. Gahlaut leaves Ogilvy to pursue his own interests.

     

    Gahlaut joined Ogilvy for the second time, in November 2007. His first stint with Ogilvy was in 2001 and until 2005. In the last decade, he has worked to help build brands such as Pernod Ricard, BMW, KFC, Tacobel, Dabur, Perfetti, Mother Dairy, Pizza Hut,  Sprite, Best Foods, HT Mint, Philips, to name a few.

     

    Said Sonal Dabral, Group Chief Creative Officer & Vice Chairman, Ogilvy India: “Ajay did some excellent work in his decade long innings in Ogilvy Delhi. I’d like to thank him for building a great team and wish him all the best for all his future endeavours.”

    Added Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South Asia: “Ajay is looking for life beyond advertising and for that reason, I cannot stop him just like I couldn’t stop Abhijit. If Abhijit was going to another agency, I wouldn’t have let him go. Everyone has a dream and unfortunately, I can’t fulfil that dream. He has done a stellar job and I am very proud of him. He worked very closely with me and I will miss him. He is a very dear friend.”

     

    So why did Gahlaut go? And what’s he doing next? And who’s going to helm the all-important Delhi/North India operations of Ogilvy next. We don’t have answers to these, though there are murmurs on why Gahlaut was keen on moving out. Since these are murmurs, perhaps they should stay that way. If we know for sure, we’ll come back with a report.

     

     

  • The playbook was authored by Robert Tilt, Director of Nowlab at Isobar Australia

    Isobar launches Blockchain Playbook

    By A Correspondent

     

    Isobar has published a playbook to explain what blockchain is, the technology in practice and how it can be integrated into businesses today, including high growth markets Brazil, India and China. The playbook unpacks blockchain’s potential impact on the global media and marketing industry including supply chains, transparency, brand management and creativity, as well as explaining what marketers should do next.

     

    Vikalp Tandon

    Said Vikalp Tandon, Global Chief Technology Officer, Isobar: “Digital has changed the way we live and work forever. If the past is evidence, whenever a near monopoly emerges, a new technology also emerges that disrupts the industry. Blockchain could be that opportunity.”

     

    Speaking on the launch, Shekhar Mhaskar, Executive Vice President & Commerce Practice Lead, Isobar India said: “India has been on an impressive, rapid economic growth path for several years across industry sectors. With the efforts of the government and industry leaders in the Blockchain space to arrest plaguing issues, the progress is only going get catapulted into brighter and bigger realms.”

     

    The playbook was authored by Robert Tilt, Director of Nowlab at Isobar Australia, with contributions from Vikalp Tandon, Isobar Global Chief Technology Officer, Shawn Mishra, SVP, Isobar Global Managing Partner, Isobar Commerce Practice, and Simon Gill, Isobar EMEA Chief Experience Officer & Shekhar Mhaskar, Executive Vice President & Commerce Practice Lead, Isobar India.

     

     

  • Of the 89 advertisements wherein the complaints were upheld, 27 belonged to the education sector

    ASCI upholds complaints against 89 erring ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    In June 2018, ASCI investigated complaints against 208 advertisements. For 63 advertisements, the advertisers promptly ensured corrective action as soon as the complaints were received. ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 89 advertisements from a total of 145 advertisements evaluated by them.

     

    Of the 89 advertisements wherein the complaints were upheld, 27 belonged to the education sector, 25 to the healthcare sector, 15 to the food & beverages category, five to personal care and 17 were from the ‘others’ category.

     

    Amongst various advertisements that were examined, the CCC observed that, a popular chef was found endorsing an oats product from a popular foods & beverage company, stating it to have twice as much protein and fibre whereas this comparison was not versus other oats but was versus cornflakes as per disclaimers. The disclaimer in the advertisement was illegible and not as per the ASCI Guidelines on Disclaimers.  Furthermore, a famous celebrity was seen endorsing a juice powder brand, claiming it to have natural fruit energy which was not substantiated and was misleading by ambiguity and implication about the fruit content in the product. In another advertisement a popular celebrity was shown driving a car without seat belt showing an unsafe practice. These advertisements violated ASCI’s Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising.

     

    D Shivakumar

    Said D Shivakumar, Chairman, ASCI: “ASCI’s evolving self-regulatory framework continues to be responsible and responsive to the needs of the consumers, the advertising industry and the regulators. Our focussed efforts towards building awareness and establishing better compliance in the industry, will continue to make a positive contribution to the advertising ecosystem,”

     

     

  • Conceptualises the new campaign launching Anushka Sharma as the brand ambassador

    Makani Creatives bags creative mandate of Lavie

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lavie’s latest ad campaign launching new brand ambassador Anushka Sharma, has been conceptualised and curated by Makani Creatives.

     

    Said Sameer Makani, CMD of Makani Creatives: “When creating a brand or campaign and keeping the dynamism of fashion in mind, we always strive to strike the right chord with the end consumer. With Lavie we have had a great relationship since 2015 and are very excited about working with them again. We had much fun with Lavie on last year’s campaign too, and with this year’s campaign launching Anushka Sharma, we have successfully strived to go younger and cooler. We are thrilled to know that both the client and audiences are both kicked about the current campaign too!”

     

    Added Sandeep Goenka, Chief Operating Officer of Bagzone Lifestyles: “We have always had a great and satisfying relationship with Makani as they have a keen understanding of the market and its challenging intricacies. And, once again, they have successfully reflected our brand proposition and communication into the best possible perspective. Fashion and our audiences being key. Makani also has a fabulous track record of building & sustaining top brands and we look forward to working with them into the future.”

     

     

  • The mandate includes marketing strategy, creative development and public relations

    Product of the Year appoints PointNine Lintas

    By A Correspondent

     

    Product of the Year (POY) has partnered with PointNine Lintas to design its communication strategy.

     

    Speaking about the association with PointNine Lintas, Raj Arora, CEO of Product of the Year India, said: “We are proud to partner with PointNine Lintas as our agency of choice. They bring to the table a holistic and refreshing approach, and we are confident that together we will exceed expectations this season.”

     

    Added Vikas Mehta of PointNine Lintas: “Being a brand for brands, Product of the Year (POTY) is a very interesting win for us. Raj and his team have put in a lot of hard work over the past ten years in bringing the platform this far. Coming in as their agency in the eleventh year, the priority for us is to help the platform leap into its next stage of evolution into becoming one of India’s most prestigious. There’s been a natural meeting of minds in our discussions so far, about the future of these awards and I would like to see this relationship grow into a deeper partnership.”

     

     

  • Both appointments will help Zenith put out passionate, exciting and compelling work, said Group CEO Tanmay Mohanty

    Zenith refreshes top deck. Jai Lala is COO, Gurnani is Chief Client Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media agency network Zenith India has announced new appointments at senior levels. Jai Lala has joined for the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Zenith and will oversee operations, structure and expansion in addition to the scaling up of specialised, future-facing offerings for the agency. Focus will be on areas where Zenith is already market-leading such as Data, Dynamic Content, Tech, Analytics, Performance and Programmatic.

     

    In addition, Zenith has elevated its Managing Partner and Head, West & South Ajit Gurnani to the newly created role of Chief Client Officer. He has already had a great role in firming up client relationships for Zenith and will continue to interface with key clients, bringing in new and critical perspective on businesses and enhancing Zenith’s overall strategic product and delivery.

     

    Lala has over two decades of experience across across Media Planning, Buying, Research & Sales. He is has worked in organizations such as UTV, ESPN Star Sports and was last with Medicom as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer. He has serviced clients across the country such as Unilever, PepsiCo, GSK, ICICI, Castrol, Lenovo, USL, Coke, Marico and many more in various capacities. Jai is also a visiting faculty at ISB & MICA.

     

    Elaborating on the appointments, Tanmay Mohanty, Group CEO of Zenith India said, “Zenith stands at an important growth juncture; we have witnessed an absolutely spectacular year so far in terms of new business wins and performance on  key client businesses. In our endeavour to build further on our ROI+ offering, delivering transformational growth to our clients, we are announcing two big appointments at senior levels. Jai Lala needs no introduction and has over 20 years’ experience in media planning and buying. He will aid me in client deliveries,  keeping up the scale and momentum of operations,  integration of  existing talent and new hires and the  expansion in overall footprint for Zenith. Ajit on the other hand has been with us for over three years and  brings in huge expertise and value to every client conversation. He has transformed the way we deliver to clients and will shape our client relationships further. Both these appointments will help Zenith put out passionate, exciting and compelling work.”

     

     

  • BARCs newsletter on advertising in the festive season throws up exciting insights

    Maximising adsales in the festive season

     

    Text courtesy BARC, slightly edited for the introduction

     

    TV in India remains the most penetrated medium at 66% and with 100 million households yet to own a television it will only soar further. The year-on-year growth is seen across viewership – content and ads; as well as across the number of advertisers and brands wooing these growing viewers. While spikes in viewership could be fuelled by unplanned happenings and topical events, there are special events where television plays the role of a common entertainer for the entire family where collective television viewing by the family members becomes a part of the festivities.

     

    Broadcasters on their part, make these days attractive for the viewers through compelling and clever programming and scheduling. Increase in viewers results in increase in advertisers as well. As we step into the festive season, BARC helped in decoding the advertising juggernaut and shed some light on how the viewers and advertisers evolved during festivals especially in the high decibel festival season from September to December.

     

    Television viewership has been rising over the last three years. The average weekly viewership of ads in India is growing steadily each year as well. From 2016 to 2018, the advertising impressions has increased by a phenomenal 45% from 521billion to 755billion with 2018 yet to witness its festive season. For the Jan to Aug 2018 period the average ad duration stands at 31 million per week, taking the total advertising volume to 1.07 billion for the same period.

     

    This growing viewership has seen endorsement from the advertising fraternity as well, with average weekly advertising volume clocking 31 million seconds from January to August 2018. The trend line for the last 36 months plotted against the monthly advertising volume is also on a growing trajectory.

     

    The peaks in advertising coincides with planned tentpole events – be it related to sports or national interest topics like budget and elections, or with the festive season. Please click on the link below for a more detailed account on advertising in the festive season over the last three years.

    Advertising During Festivals

  • At Indigo Consulting, he will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Rajesh Ghatge, CEO, Indigo Consulting

    Prasanna Kulkarni joins Indigo as Head of Creative

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prasanna Kulkarni

    Indigo Consulting has bolstered its key leadership team with the appointment of Prasanna Kulkarni as Head of Creative. Kulkarni has 20 years of advertising, brand strategy and digital media experience, and his last stint was with Cheil India as Creative Head – Digital. At Indigo Consulting, he will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Rajesh Ghatge, CEO, Indigo Consulting.

     

     

     

    Rajesh Ghatge

    Speaking about the appointment, Ghatge said: “We have driven aggressive acquisition of new clients in the last couple of years, winning large digital marketing mandates and complex digital transformation projects in the bargain. We have some of the largest brands across categories engaged with us. To deliver the best-in-class intelligent digital and omni-channel experiences, we have built and groomed an amazing creative community at Indigo Consulting. Prasanna’s mandate is to lead this community from the front across our communication and digital platform design, and build offerings. I look forward to him leveraging his deep expertise in both, brand communication and interaction design, to fuel our momentum further. His endeavour will be to deliver a fantastic creative and innovative product to our clients.”

     

     

  • Author Meghna Pant (@meghnapant) has tweeted anonymous accounts of two women

    Whyness surprised with allegations against Ravi Deshpande. “Will look into and verify”

    By A Correspondent

     

    Yet another #MeToo revelation shook the advertising fraternity industry on Thursday with a tweet from awardwinning author Meghna Pant (@meghnapant) carrying anonymous accounts of two women on the sexual acts of veteran adperson Ravi Deshpande.

     

    Other than helming agencies like Contract in the past, Deshpande has now set up his own agency called Whyness, and also runs a design school at Ecole Intuit.lab.

     

    When we asked Deshpande and Whyness to respond to the allegations, this is what we receive via email: “We are surprised to learn about the allegations made against Ravi. We will look into and verify this.”

     

    There have been several allegations against advertising professionals ever since the #MeToo revelations rocked the country earlier this month. The co-founders of Happy Creative Services, now a part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, and a few other senior professionals have already faced the axe from their respective employment.

     

    There have also been allegations against the founders of Creativeland Asia and Famous Innovations. According to sources, some leading advertisers who have retained big to small-named agencies are also conducting their own investigations and may terminate mandates if the acts of agency professionals are found to be in dissonance with their own values and ethics, and if the agencies do not act against the ‘erring’ professionals.