Category: ADVERTISING

  • Isobar wins creative and digital mandate for four Diageo India brands

    By A Correspondent

     

    Isobar India has been appointed as the creative and digital partner for Diageo India. Isobar India won the account following a multi-agency pitch and will manage the duties out of its Bengaluru office. As per the mandate, Isobar India will manage integrated communications for Diageo’s Antiquity and Captain Morgan, along with the digital duties for Signature and Royal Challenge.

     

    Speaking on the association, Amarpreet Anand, Executive Vice President & Portfolio Head, Diageo India said: “We are very happy to bring Isobar on board as our partners on some of our most prestigious brands in India, to handle the mandate of creative and digital across different brands. At Diageo, we are constantly trying to build a strong agency ecosystem and onboard the right set of creative minds to build our brands. Isobar bring their insights on brand building in the creative space and digital-first thinking which will be of much value.”

     

    On the win, Shamsuddin Jasani, Group MD, Isobar South Asia added: “We have grown from being a digital agency to an agency for the digital age. I am very happy that Diageo has appointed us as the integrated agency for Antiquity and Captain Morgan, along with awarding us the digital duties for Signature and Royal Challenge. It is an exciting opportunity and we are looking forward to delivering result-oriented strategies aiming at business transformation through the creative use of digital.”

     

     

  • 12 Super Bowl Ads You Must Watch

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    If you are in Marketing and advertising, you would have watched all the Super Bowl ads by now. Every year around this time, the heat is on between brands to make an impression and get maximum instant reach for their messages. Some try being playful, some introduce new themes, and some try to provoke.

    In all, a total of more than 50 advertisements get released in the Super Bowl at an astronomical figure (by Indian standard) of $5.6 Mn per 30 seconds. Most brands must be finding it relevant and efficient, as some brands always have spots aired with the  Super bowl. The inventory is almost sold by November of the previous year.

    Brand, creative and media specialist mourn the absence of any such opportunity in India. Neither the pre-festival advertising in October nor the hyped-up IPL. And let us not talk of the opening episodes of any of the famed reality shows like KBC, KKK or Bigg Boss – none have the oomph, aah and wah of a Super Bowl.

    Not unexpected there is beer advertising as a category dominating the super Bowl commercial. And surprise, everyone investing what we would call a long story format to get their simple message across.

    When brands invest in an immediate reach build-up with an event that guarantees a massive number of eyeball, it is good to see them invest big. The super bowl spots maybe shorter version, but these extended versions show the intent.

    Like every Super Bowl event, many brands spots are just nice or templated around their style of storytelling. They made you smile and at the same time got the brand message across. All under one roof. You can watch all these spots at Adweek.

    ……………………………………

    So here are my 12 favourites brand spots. That’s a high percentage of likability from the commercials aired during the Super Bowl. They are rightly messaged, superbly crafted and executed.

    While watching the Super Bowl, the consumer mind aperture is open for entertainment and excitement. Hence, the ads that have a similar story presentation style that stimulates and engages are contextually better placed than others trying to present the message in a different way.  And one who use the context and the DNA of the event best, win.

    ……………………………………..

     

    MICROSOFT screened a lovely commercial. The protagonist Katie Sowers- first female super bowl coach, explaining that she wants not to be the best female coach but the best coach. People expect women to do certain things and do not expect to do many other things. However, the first in the filed opens the arena for others. That is like ENCOURAGED BETI ENCOURAGED FUTURE. An attitude we mostly miss in advertising. It is one of the best-crafted spots. It is my Favourite ad.

     

    https://youtu.be/_xPn4DXIj5w

     

    GOOGLE has this ad about how people lived before Alexa. It is contextually better placed in the event environment. It is humorous with some crazy situations to drive home a simple point of what Alexa can do.

     

    https://youtu.be/RF9t2rFmTVE

     

    GOOGLE has another emotionally powerful linking ad. It is very product dominant in all its visual impact and experience and hence my favourite Number II. ,

     

    https://youtu.be/6xSxXiHwMrg

     

    So, how can beer as a category be away from the super bowl?

     

    BUD LIGHT two spots, INSIDE BRAIN, are highly engaging and entertaining.

     

    https://youtu.be/wsnnU3fJTWg

     

    https://youtu.be/pj1meOmpezs

     

    Then there is BUDWEISER, identifying Typical American with their beer. And I am partial to beer advertising.

     

    https://youtu.be/yt-zXuAAD6Q

     

    MICHELOB ULTRA does it one better with its simple message, ‘it is only worth it if you enjoy it.’

     

    https://youtu.be/U7h6Vls-uO8

     

    MICHELOB ULTRA PURE GOLD makes a passionate appeal to pick 6 packs and see how it can change American farming. I literally love this very Patriotic beer ad.

     

    https://youtu.be/ANarZ_113Xc

     

    Another category that uses Super bowl best is cars. Here HUMMER ELECTRIC makes an impactful promise and delivers message quite soundlessly.

     

     

    HYUNDAI SONATA is not far behind in its impact with self-parking demonstration has an extra edge on conversation and experience. It is nothing new, but it engages because of the conversation and the way it clarifies self-parking at any place.

     

    https://youtu.be/85iRQdjCzj0

     

    But PORSCHE, Wins the category battle of commercial with THE GEIST. It is so captivating and smart. My favourite number, -3.

     

    https://youtu.be/FJNmHwBgV4M

     

    In FMCG, coke, Pepsi, Doritos, Mountain Dew, Cheetos, Sabra SodaStream and others were there. But there was not much excitement around them. They were what they were.

     

    HEINZ innovative ‘four in one’ commercial does stand out. However, it is a bit disorienting to see them simultaneously- but does that matter?

     

     

    There was this REESE’S TAKE 5 with ‘The best bar that you have never heard of’. Likeable but then you have seen Bars and chocolates in that territory so many times. For me, SNICKERS beat it hollow any day.

     

    https://youtu.be/SLAV4LYO-yU

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    And the last one for Milo Kotnala, the WEATHER TECH spot.

     

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    What say, will we see such hype with brands and IPL, I doubt, but one never knows. Why do you think, IPL will never reach this type of hype as a powerful window with such a hype?

     

  • Is Super Bowl the American version of IPL?

     

     

    By Prabhakar Mundkur

     

    The Super Bowl represents the most prestigious marketing event of the year. Which is why it draws so many specially made commercials and each has an aura around it.  Everyone is watching the Super Bowl so marketers almost think that they will be judged by the quality of their advertising.   It is also a great place for peer comparison, so how good the advertising is a matter of company prestige as well. It is also the day when the second largest food consumption happens in the US.

     

    Ticket prices normally hit the roof.  This year the cheapest ticket was priced at $4308 with the most expensive ticket going for $385,000.  And the most expensive 30 second commercial this year cost $ 5.6 million. In comparison a 30 second commercial cost Rs. 18 lakh on IPL.  While both are league games one has to remember that the Super Bowl is a one-day show, while the IPL lasts 6-7 weeks, so it is almost like a season.

     

    One difference I have noticed between the IPL and Super Bowl is that while the IPL is likely to have a lot of cricket stars in their advertising, the Super Bowl has a wide array of celebrities from TV, Hollywood and other sports, or in other words not just football stars.

     

    For example, take a look at the Amazon ad for this year’s Super Bowl starring Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, where they wonder what the world might be before Alexa.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF9t2rFmTVE

     

    The Google Ad for this year’s Super Bowl was quite a tear jerker.  I couldn’t help shedding a few tears for Loretta.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xSxXiHwMrg

     

    Social psychologists refer to two kinds of reactions from sports fans. For those of you who might describe the Indian fans as fickle, the reactions of Indian fans are in line with the global experience.  BIRGing which stands ‘basking in reflected glory’ typically happens when the home team wins and people start feel better about themselves. They will often say “we won”, that’s how closely they identify with the home team.

     

    CORFing (or Cutting Off Reflected Failure) and BIRGing happens at the Super Bowl as well just like it happens at IPL.  This is evident when people use the third person and when Patriot fans say “They couldn’t stop Denver”.  Of course, because the Super Bowl is just a 4-hour game including the break and advertising, the effects of BIRGing and CORFing doesn’t last as long as say the IPL does which is a tournament that lasts 6-7 weeks.

     

    The Super Bowl boasted of a 48% female viewership and in 2019 had an audience of 98.2 million people. IPL has a male viewership skew 58-59% with females at 41-42% which is not so bad.How does the Super Bowl advertising compare with the IPL?  Many marketing experts I spoke to felt that the advertising on the IPL didn’t feel as special.  While many ads are created especially for the IPL, some are extensions of regular campaigns. Certainly, the ads have a lot of cricket celebrities.

     

    David Warschawski, CEO and Founder of Warschawski the integrated ad agency, said in a 2016 article in Adweek “America has a love affair with Super Bowl advertising.”  Would we say that we have a love affair with IPL advertising? I am not so sure, but maybe we are getting there. But we are in love with cricket and if the same passion was translated to its advertising, we might just push the bar a little up from where it is now.

     

    With the Star Re-imagine awards to reward creativity for ads aired in the IPL, advertisers might want to give the IPL a better shot.

     

     

  • DAN Data Sciences announces global launch of Dentsu Marketing Cloud

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an effort to provide data-driven solutions to clients, the Data Sciences Division from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India, has announced the global launch of the Dentsu Marketing Cloud (DMC). The announcement was made at an exclusive DAN client event at Facebook’s Thailand HQ earlier this month.

     

    The DMC brings together a slew of Dentsu proprietary ecosystems such as the Facebook Marketing Partner (Ad-Tech) Badged DAN Data Labs Product Suite, Dentsu Explore and other proprietary mar-tech tools. It also has advanced analytics solutions such as the Dentsu Pixel and the Dentsu DSP to help clients plan, buy, measure, analyse and optimise campaigns. Additionally, the DMC helps in establishing greater control of client data in one place.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Sarnchatt Chansrakao, CEO, Dentsu X Thailand said, “On the backbone of cutting-edge technology, Dentsu Marketing Cloud provides us with the necessary resources to deliver more relevant and effective marketing solutions for clients. Through DMC we will be able to provide bespoke services to clients such as multi-touch attribution and market mix models; consequently, helping us deliver the full strength of planning and optimising digital campaigns – all whilst ensuring privacy and providing clients with greater control of their data.”

     

    In an attempt to promote greater collaboration across teams and share insights, the DMC will promote a customer-centric approach to marketing by equipping teams to deal with modern client structures. It has been built on integrations between the DAN Data Labs Facebook Product suite and Advanced Analytics products. DMC has already been a great success in 30 global markets and has won numerous client awards.

     

    “The DMC revolutionises the way modern and future-focused advertising agencies operate. With the launch of new products and solutions such as the Dentsu Ad-server (D-Serve), the Dentsu Pixel, etc., the DMC will present to clients more control over their data and allow them to analyse their cohorts. This enables clients to create better segments for sharper targeting. The Dentsu Marketing Cloud is just the first step in our platform’s story. As an organisation, we are committed to enabling marketers in achieving their goals as we promote greater transparency, control and the best of technology,” added Gautam Mehra, CEO, DAN Programmatic & Chief Data Officer, DAN – South Asia.

     

     

  • Ipsos India recasts leadership team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ipsos India has rejigged roles of its top team in operations. Deepak Garkhel, Operations Head of Ipsos in India, has been elevated to Operations Director, Ipsos Asia Pacific Excluding China (APEC) region; Pratim Thakurta, National Field Head, is promoted to Operations Head of  Ipsos in India; and Kedar Padgaonkar, responsible for Scripting, will now spearhead Data Processing for Ipsos in India.

     

    Amit Adarkar

    Said Amit Adarkar, CEO of Ipsos in India, who held the additional charge of APEC Operations Director has now handed out the APEC Operations portfolio to Garkhel: “It was extremely important to synchronise operations in the region and to tie up the loose ends, at the same time leverage opportunities, which I did for most part in 2019 and now that things are on a smooth grid, Garkhel will be adept at taking it forward. I have my hands full with my India role,” said Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos in India.

     

    Garkhel will be overseeing operations of 12 markets in the APEC region (India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, ANZ, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan). He will report to Hamish Munro, Global CEO, Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) and Operations and on the dotted line to Christophe Cambournac, CEO, Ipsos AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa).

     

    Thakurta, on the other hand, apart from leading the National Field Operations will also oversee Quality Assurance & Budget & Planning for Ipsos in India, and report to Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos in India. Thakurta has about 27 years of work experience straddling Ipsos, Nielsen, TNS, Gallup and Indica in different capacities, within India and other geographies.

     

    Patgaonkar, with almost two decades in data processing is credited with driving new initiatives for iField (data capture via tablets, completely eliminating pen and paper form of data gathering), automation and dashboards, interfacing with other Ipsos markets in the region. He reports to Raja Bunet, executive director, Mobile First & New Initiatives, Ipsos in India.

     

     

  • Vedanta unveils maiden TVC #KabhiSochaHaiKya

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vedanta has unveiled its first TVC themed #KabhiSochaHaiKya which is designed to create awareness with the audiences on the importance of metals in our day-to-day lives. Saluting miners for their invaluable contribution, the new TVC gets us thinking as to where all the important things that we use in our daily lives have come from.

     

    Said Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources: “Can we enjoy life’s good things without mother earth’s blessings? Metals such as iron, steel, zinc, copper, silver, etc. have become a part of our lives, but humne Kabhi Socha Hai Kya (have we ever thought about) where do these metals come from? Our entire campaign revolves around these questions as we salute the miners who toil hard, day in and day out, to make these metals available to us from our very own mother earth in an environmentally sustainable manner. #SahiSochBadaleZindagi.”

     

    Added Prasoon Joshi, CEO, McCann Worldgroup: “This is a very unique campaign. Our team has brought out the message in the most creative and innovative manner possible. We indeed need to appreciate the good things that we are privileged to have in our life and thank mother earth.”

     

     

  • 10.7%: GroupM forecast for AdEx 2020

     

    By A Correpondent

     

    GroupM formally announced its advertising expenditure (AdEx) forecast for 2020.  As per the GroupM futures report ‘This Year, Next Year’ (TYNY) 2020, India will continue to top the list as the fastest-growing major ad market in the world. TYNY forecasts India’s advertising investment to reach an estimated Rs. 91,641 crores this year. This represents an estimated growth of 10.7%, for the calendar year 2020.

     

    India will continue to be the third-highest contributor to the incremental ad spends, only behind UK and USA while China drops to the fourth spot and the eight fastest-growing country with respect to ad spends across the globe.

     

    Commenting on the TYNY 2020 report, Prasanth Kumar, CEO – GroupM South Asia said: “We expect the global AdEx to grow by 5.1%. The Indian media landscape is constantly evolving, will continue to witness the fastest growth of 10.7% to reach Rs 91,641 crores. While we expect sustained and stable investment across media in India, Digital to garner 65% of incremental ad spends in 2020. In 2020, India faces challenges and uncertainties across sectors just like other markets. However, this also brings opportunities for brands to innovate because of which we see an evolving media stack. This will be propelled by greater use of technology and better content across media.”

     

    Digital secures #2 position as the most used media vehicle and is estimated to reach 30% of adspend in 2020 with growth coming from 3Vs (video, voice, vernacular-Indic) and advertising on e-commerce. The growth of digital is set to soar high because of changing consumer habits.

     

    Added Tushar Vyas, President Growth and Transformation – GroupM South Asia: “There are multiple advancements happening in technology which is transforming digital advertising and other mediums. India being a diverse country, digital will keep growing, especially with the rise of content platforms and its availability in multiple languages powered by the growth of 3Vs. From a predominantly ‘at home’, ‘urban’, ‘English print’ & ‘TV’ consuming market, the Indian media consumer evolved to include ‘on the move’, ‘rural’ & ‘regional’ counterparts, experimented with digital media in the early 2010s’, adopted social media in middle of the decade and started consuming digital videos voraciously after 2016.”

     

    Even with an overall slowdown in the global economy Indian media spends are expected to be between low to moderate in H1, with robust growth anticipated in H2 2020.

     

    Said Sidharth Parashar, President – Investments and Pricing of GroupM India: “The format of print storytelling is changing but the content is still the strongest. With print media organizations undergoing transformation across India. Publication houses have invested heavily in promoting digital subscriptions and have started limiting access to digital versions of epapers. We believe that this would pave the way for newer business models. Print will continue to remain relevant to advertisers wanting to build credible brands. Television will continue to grow at a steady pace. This year, the growth rate for TV is estimated to be 7% and Radio is expected to grow at 6%. While cinema and OOH will grow at 15% and 6% respectively in 2020.”

     

    OTT has seen a faster evolution in India, which is now complementing television. OTT hybrid models looking at both advertising and subscription will continue to be an effective model.

     

    Speaking on the trends for the year, Ashwin Padmanabhan, President – Partnerships and Trading of GroupM India said: “While there are challenges and uncertainties in the market, it is a world of abundant opportunities in the content eco-system. This gives us vibrant options to reach and engage with consumers. It necessitates us to be agile, invest in new-age talent and technology while keeping an eye on the future. The key is to be always prepared while we are shaping the media landscape.”

     

     

  • Praveen Vadhera to head newly created Publicis In-Motion

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Groupe India announced the creation of Publicis In-Motion, its specialist entity focusing on building brand salience and creating experiences and a strong engagement with consumers. The entity will see the coming together of Arc Worldwide, Solutions and Ecosys OOH and will be powered by data and tech-enabled insights to deliver execution at scale across the Groupe.

     

    Praveen Vadhera

    Praveen Kumar Vadhera has been onboarded in the newly created role of Head of Publicis In-Motion, South Asia. In this role, all the teams in Arc Worldwide, Solutions and Ecosys will report into him and he will work closely with Sejal Shah, Head of Publicis Media Exchange and the Executive Sponsor on Ecosys.

     

    Vadhera joins Publicis Groupe from Interspace Solutions, where he was the CEO. During his stint at Interspace, an entrepreneurial venture, he helped deliver media-agnostic business solutions for brands.

     

    Said Shah: “With fragmenting consumer attention and reducing attention spans, there is a growing need to connect with consumers at every touch-point in an engaging manner. With strength of 150 people and capabilities spanning across activation, shopper marketing, retail design and strategy, OOH and ambient marketing, without doubt Publicis In-Motion will provide our clients unmatched ambient and experiential capabilities. And Praveen brings in excellent and demonstrated credentials across this entire gamut of services. Delighted to have him on board.”

     

    Anupriya Acharya

    Added Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia: “Publicis In-Motion is an effort to make our Power of One offerings even more impactful and substantive for our clients where they can leverage all experiential capabilities at one go. We have highly specialized teams under each capability but the synergized structure will make it simpler and speedier for the clients to leverage it. We expect much momentum in this space as clients move to create more impactful engagements with their customers on the ground.”

     

     

  • P&G’s Kainaz Gazder named Jury Head at APAC Effie

    By A Correspondent

     

    Effie Asia Pacific has announced Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Kainaz Gazder in its third set of Heads of Jury for the 2020 APAC Effie Awards.

     

    Kainaz Gazder

    With nearly 25 years in the FMCG industry, Kainaz Gazder has built a track record in launching new brands, turning around struggling businesses and taking strong businesses to greater heights. Starting out with P&G India in 1996, Gazder has been credited for numerous business-building and award-winning brand campaigns.

     

    Commenting on her appointment, Gazder said: “An Effie award is a global symbol of achievement, representing ideas that build brands. As a brand builder for over 20 years, I am thrilled to help champion the most effective ideas as a Head of Jury for the APAC Effies.”

     

  • Anita Nayyar quits Havas Group (& Vivendi)

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anita Nayyar

    On October 11, MxMIndia reported on Anita Nayyar moving out of day-to-day ops at Havas Media. She had then moved to a larger group-level assignment with Vivendi, the holding company of Havas. But now the news is that Nayyar, the New Delhi NCR-based media agency veteran is moving on from the agency network and the holding company to pursue other interests. She will leave the group in the beginning of May 2020. Her India leadership role, as reported by MxMIndia earlier, has transitioned to Mohit Joshi, Group MD, who is reporting into Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India.

     

    Nayyar joined Havas in 2007 as CEO of Havas Media India and save a few months when she moved to Bennett Coleman and Company Ltd (BCCL) as Head of Customer Strategy and joined back seven months later, she has been spearheading Havas Media. Joshi has also been working with the group since 2007. In 2018, Nayyar was promoted to CEO of Havas Media Southeast (SEA) Asia in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media India.

     

    Vishnu Mohan

    Commenting on the development, Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO, Havas Group, India & Southeast Asia said: “Anita has played a pivotal role in Havas Media India’s success and growth over the years. A future forward-thinking leader with a deep understanding of people, brand and media, Anita has also been an inspiration to many young professionals. We are grateful for her significant and lasting contribution to Havas Media India and wish her the very best for her next chapter.”

     

    On her departure, Nayyar added: “It has been an extremely fulfilling and meaningful journey at Havas India over the last 13 years. I am grateful for the opportunities given by the network including the broader remit of SEA in 2018. As Havas Group India continues to reinforce its integrated model of operations, I am confident the Group will continue to chart its success story and I wish the team at Havas Group well with its future development.”

     

    Rana Barua

    Said Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India in a statement: “Anita is credited with growing Havas Media India’s footprint and elevating its presence. Her dedication and passion are exemplary that has led to her becoming a strong voice in the industry. On behalf of the network, I would like to thank Anita for all that she has done and wish her all the best going ahead.”

     

    And this is what Joshi has said: “Working with Anita for over a decade has been an immensely rewarding and learning experience. She has been an integral part of Havas Media and valued by both clients and colleagues alike. As I welcome the new challenge, I would like to thank the network for the opportunity and Anita for her mentorship and guidance.”

     

    That, we must say, is a nice tribute for a mentor and former boss from Joshi, which is part of an official release from Havas.

     

     

  • Zenith honoured with Honor mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pardon the forced play on words in the headline but perhaps that was the only way to differentiate ourselves from the 20-other publications that you’ve read the same news.

     

    So here’s the juice: Zenith has won the media mandate of smartphone brand Honor. This includes the mainline media and digital duties of the brand. The business was won after a tightly contested multi-agency pitch.

     

    Speaking of the appointment, Winston Li, CMO, Honor India said: “It was a comprehensive pitch process and among other agencies, we were impressed with Zenith’s approach to drive business results. As a TechChic brand, we were looking for innovative ideas and fresh thinking that matches our style of working, brand and product proposition. We look forward to work with them.”

     

    Tanmay Mohanty

    Added Tanmay Mohanty, CEO of Zenith India and Head of Global Partnerships for Publicis Media India: “We are tremendously delighted at the win. Zenith will look to leverage its strong ROI+ proposition and expertise in digital marketing to building market leadership for Honor. Our focus on the full consumer journey and a single view across touchpoints will unlock new opportunities for the brand.”

     

     

  • Big Brands to converge at Godrej L’Affaire on Feb 22

    By A Correspondent

     

    Godrej L’Affaire, a curated experiential lifestyle platform by the Godrej group, is all set for its fourth season to be held in Mumbai on Saturday, February 22 at Godrej One, Vikhroli. This year, Godrej L’Affaire is themed on ‘New Beginnings: Going Back to Roots’ to showcase India’s unparalleled legacy and rich culture that will inspire future lifestyle experiences.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group, said: “After three consecutive successful seasons, we are proud to announce the fourth season of Godrej L’Affaire. We have curated an exciting line-up of brand integrations that will bring out the essence of the participating brands in an experiential manner. With over 40 participating brands, Godrej L’Affaire is all set to be bigger, brighter and will bring together key opinion leaders, influencers and consumers together to celebrate nuances of lifestyle.”