Airtel has launched its latest campaign ‘Recharge Revolution’ conceptualised and executed by Taproot Dentsu. The commercial highlights recharging facilities at ATMs and Pharmacy stores. The film has been shot indoors across Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Noida while adhering to the norms and guidelines of the lockdown.
Commenting on the film, Pallavi Chakravarti, Executive Creative Director, Taproot Dentsu said: “Some services are more essential than others. I think the past few months have taught us that telecom is one of them. Cooped up indoors, a single day spent without data or good signal strength meant losing touch with loved ones and the outside world at large. So, imagine the setback millions of prepaid users would have faced with the lockdown shutting down recharge stores everywhere. Airtel rose to the challenge and in a short span of time, changed the face of recharging as we knew it. The ad just captures what actually happened – nothing more, nothing less, and that’s the beauty of it.”
Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk has unveiled a new TVC based on its brand proposition of ‘How Far Will You Go For Love’ that was launched earlier this year.
Commenting on the release of this heartwarming film, Anil Viswanathan, Director – Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India said: “Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk has long stood for the best taste of chocolate in India. This has manifested in our communication over the years as the expression of romance amongst youth. With the youth of the country and their meaning of love evolving, there is a higher emphasis on gestures and acts that keep the romance fresh and alive. This had led to conceptualizing of the new proposition ‘How Far Will You Go For Love’ which kick started with the Valentine’s Day campaign earlier this year and has now turned into a ritual of sparking new relationships, deepening the meaning of love, and standing for a feeling that can’t be purely expressed in words but best felt through acts of active expression. The aim is to continue to make Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk an integral part of expressing love for your special ones, through gestures big and small that go above the norm.”
The film is conceptualised by Mondelez India and Ogilvy India. Said Ganapathy Balagopalan, Head of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy Mumbai: “Chocolate and romance have always gone hand in hand, but no Indian brand has truly capitalised on the connection until now. While Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk stories often hinted at a romance, the hero was always the product. It was always about the melty-chocolate. We believe it is time for the brand to evolve from being just a bar of indulgent chocolate to something greater, more desirable – make sharing a Silk, a symbol of romance. It feels like a natural evolution for the brand and will give us a more relevant role in young people’s lives.”
Media & Entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment has announced a national level CSR drive towards enhancing the country’s healthcare infrastructure, further strengthening its fight against Covid-19.
In line with its CSR policy, the company will support state governments & local governing bodies with critical interventions across 10 cities – Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai.
The company will be utilising the sanctioned CSR budget (for the fight against Covid-19) to provide the following:
:: Ambulances – 200+ ambulances to be donated to the municipal corporations (46 ambulances have already been donated to BMC).
:: Humidifiers – 50 High Flow Heated Respiratory Humidifiers to be donated BMC.
Zee Entertainment has said it will donate over 200 ambulances, 40,000 PPE kits and build 100+ ICU units across the nation to fight against Covid-19
:: The company has flagged off the healthcare infrastructure centric initiatives with Mumbai, by donating 46 ambulances and 50 high flow heated respiratory humidifiers to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
:: Company to also feed 10,000 migrants with 6,00,000 Daily Meals for a month across the Nation.
The drive was flagged off in the presence of Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Minister for Tourism, Environment & Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray and Zee Entertainment Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Punit Goenka, by donating 46 ambulances and 50 high flow heated respiratory rumidifiers to BMC. This support will help build capacity and enhance the existing healthcare infrastructure in Mumbai.
As per an announcement, Zee will approach and work with all state governments and local governing bodies across the nation, to formulate an action plan that is structured on fulfilling the immediate requirements to fight the pandemic.
Over and above the support towards healthcare relief, ZEE has also partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide 600,000 daily meals which will support 10,000 migrants across the Nation for a month.
Speaking on this announcement Punit Goenka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Zee said: “The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in India have been fa reaching and calamitous for vulnerable communities. It is important that we stand up during such times and step up our efforts as responsible members of the society. Zee is committed to continue its strong support towards the government, with a key focus on strengthening the overall healthcare infrastructure, to save our Nation from this pandemic. We are also significantly increasing our efforts on-ground to provide relief to migrants across the country. We will continue to do our best to serve the Nation in these challenging times.”
Added Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray, Minister for Tourism, Environment & Protocol, Government of Maharashtra: “The scale of this pandemic is enormous, and the government of Maharashtra is working round the clock to enhance the modular medical facilities and support our frontline workers. Every step ahead is a successful step towards beating the current humanitarian crisis. We would like to thank Mr Punit Goenka and Zee for their support in this time of need towards Covid-19 response and relief.”
Said Iqbal Singh Chahal, Commissioner, BMC: “We are dealing with challenging times where being ahead of the virus is key to fighting the war against Covid-19. We have implemented several path breaking innovative measures across the city to curb the increase in number of cases and are ramping up our medical facilities. We are glad to receive this support from Zee that will further strengthen our efforts while also ensuring the well-being of the citizens. It is humbling to see organisations such as Zee coming forward and fighting this crisis together with us.”
Marketing and branding agency Gemius Design Studio bags creative and digital mandate for Surat City Traffic Police, the government body that manages the traffic for four zones of Surat and is responsible to manage over 32 lakh vehicles on the roads of Surat.
Said Prashant Sumbe, DCP, Surat City Traffic Police: “With the growing urge of Digital interactions and communication, Surat City Traffic Police department found it apt to explore the domain of Social Media to establish a connect with the citizens. Through the means of infographics, content creation and interactive dialogue with the citizens, we intend to create an online community which can eventually lead to better practices and execution of rules among the city. Our creative approach has been on the lighter note so as to attract the millennial audiences and be connected with the youth.”
Added Saurabh Pacheriwal, Co-founder and Captain, Gemius Design Studio: “We were glad to know that the responsibility of Surat’s Traffic Department is in such fine hands. We were surprised with the approach the officials, especially DCP, had towards bringing in new age technology to interact with the citizens. We are glad they chose us to take care of their digital duties and campaigning. We are working on creating interactive and informative content which can act as a one-point source of information in the longer run”.
The next time you are on the beaches of Bali, don’t be surprised if you run into good ol’ media boss from India, Satyajit Sen. Havas Group Indonesia has announced his appointment as CEO of Havas Media CEO. Sen takes charge of a position left vacant after the exit of Anwesh Bose in November last year. His mandate is to accelerate Havas Media Indonesia’s journey of transformation and exponential growth with a focus on collaboration, new business and building and leading a team. He will report to Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO Havas Group, SEA, India and North Asia. Sen’s appointment is effective immediately and he is based in Jakarta.
Sen joins Havas Indonesia from Samsung India where he led the media management function from 2014. Prior to the South Korean giant, Sen was CEO of Zenith Optimedia in India.
Commenting on the appointment, Mohan said: “Satyajit’s proven expertise in delivering value across the spectrum of media services encompassing digital, content and data coupled with extremely strong leadership skills will build on what we have already achieved in Indonesia, which has a strong portfolio of media clients like Indofood, Grab, and Godrej and take Havas Indonesia forward in its next phase of growth and expansion. His experience encompassing both brand and agency will be huge advantage in a critical market like Indonesia. I am delighted to welcome Satyajit to the Havas family and I am confident that he will propel Havas Indonesia in its next phase of evolution.”
Added Sen: “This is an interesting opportunity in changing and challenging times. Havas has been a pioneer in integration with its Village model of organisational structure and this multi-dimensional approach to marketing and advertising is exactly what clients are looking for. I am extremely excited to be a part of Havas Group’s futuristic agency model and looking forward to working with the team to start a new chapter for Havas Media in Indonesia.”
Bali, by the way, isn’t exactly close to Jakarta. It’s around 17 hours away by road given the 1154 km distance. That’s a little less than a couple of hours by air.
WatConsult, has bagged the integrated e-commerce mandate for Meyer Vitabiotics. For the record, Meyer Vitabiotics is a part of UK’s No. 1 Vitamin Company Vitabiotics, headquartered in London.
As per the mandate, ecommencify, the agency’s e-commerce division will focus on scaling Wellman, the internationally acclaimed multi-vitamin and mineral brand marketed by Meyer Vitabiotics in India, across various marketplaces including Amazon and Flipkart. Last year, Virat Kohli was appointed its brand ambassador.
Uma Kalekar
Said Uma Kalekar, Director, Meyer Vitabiotics: “Our parent company, Vitabiotics is UK’s No.1 Vitamin Company and has been a pioneer in providing targeted nutrition across the life stage of an individual. Brands like Wellman, Wellwoman, Perfectil, Menopace, Pregnacare, Immunace etc. are all UK’s No. 1 Supplements in their respective categories. Our company is known for innovation and our brands have been awarded with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Innovation.”
Heeru Dingra
Commenting on the win, Heeru Dingra, CEO, WATConsult: “Vitabiotics has numerous differentiated brands in its fold providing targeted supplementation, which indeed has a huge potential on the e-commerce platforms. And, with the health and nutrition market growing exponentially year on year, it will be our endeavour to help the brand amplify its presence in the Indian market. Our goal would be to help the brand resonate with the Indian audience, enabling it to make its presence felt in a substantial way. With such a highly influential youth icon, Virat Kohli on board, we are excited about the prospects of this partnership.”
Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN has promoted Rajni Menon to Head of Solutions Development and Chief Strategy Officer for DAN Solutions India. Prior to this, Rajni was CEO for Carat India, the flagship media agency from the house of DAN India.
In her new role, Rajni will lead the development of solutions, strategy, and research for the recently launched DAN Solutions India and report to its CEO, Narayan Devanathan.
Narayan Devanathan
Commenting on the appointment, Devanathan said: “Strategy is the art of unlocking value through problem-solving without giving primacy to the form the solution takes. As someone who has been doing that throughout her career, Rajni is a natural when it comes to helping deliver the promise of DAN Solutions. As we see a new confluence in marketing today, beyond just the re-integration of creative and media offerings, Rajni’s stock-in-trade, along with her untiring energy, vast experience, and intuitive grasp of what moves business, make the idea of a solutions-orientation practicable and credible. I’m thrilled to have Rajni join DAN Solutions, and look forward to us partnering clients and colleagues to greater success.”
Elaborating on her role, Menon said: “Connecting the brand and the consumer is what really excites me. Therefore, with this opportunity, it seems like my playing field has exploded. The prospect of working closely with an extremely gifted talent pool at DAN in co-creating brand and consumer connections and experiences is what I am really looking forward to.”
Essilor has partnered with iProspect India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), to launch the #SeeGoodDoGood campaign.
Executed by iProspect India, #SeeGoodDoGood is an initiative by the brand to support the livelihoods of the sales staff at optical stores. The agency’ is assisting Essilor to disseminate the brand’s first-of-its-kind initiative in the optical industry across India, digitally. It is pertinent to note here that the agency’s Bengaluru office assisted to churn out supportive communication pieces for the campaign.
Talking about the initiative, Krishna Kumar Revanur, Branch Head – South, iProspect India said: “Digital medium is helping brands to communicate during such difficult times. We are happy to partner with Essilor on their latest campaign.”
Added Maarten Geraets, CEO – South Asia, Essilor: “By leveraging the digital medium, we want to reach out to the ones affected by the pandemic and help as many as possible. #SeeGoodDoGood campaign is one of our several initiatives that is meant to support our partners in trade to relaunch themselves post the Covid-19 crisis. The campaign will help the stores revive and support their staff as we drive more footfalls to the store. We are all together in our efforts to fight the current crisis and everyone – brand or an individual – need to help and support each other.”
Advertising is a way to enhance Brand value. As a result, brands expect growth and higher revenue. Every era has a different approach that seems to work with the generations. Brand Purpose appears to the current favourite and brands are opportunistically flirting with it.
A brand in its strategic madness must leverage topical opportunities. However, I think Gillette is diluting its image associating with a confusing brand purpose if any. What is the brand purpose? It is about being a secular product or an anti-racism advocate that avoids discrimination basis races and colour. Do you buy that for Gillette?~
I have grown with Gillette selling me the golden dream of the masculine clean-shaven man. It created that image for my idol. The one every woman is fascinated with. At least that’s what the brand been telling me for long.
I was young, the razor had just two blades. The 5pm shadow could be the difference between success and failure. Shaving an almost non-existent stubble was a ritual before any evening outing.
Gillette had you by the balls and ruled the mind space.
The times must have changed. It seems shaving is no longer about sharp, smooth, silky feel.
System1
Every week I get System1 newsletter. It is a marketing outcomes agency. System1 picks up ‘the spot of the week’ by measuring emotion at scale and predicting the business impact of brands, communications and ideas.
System1 says, ‘The more people feel, the more people buy. Emotional advertising leads to long-term brand growth’.
You cannot fault this thinking.
Mostly I agree with their analysis and find it absolutely bang-on. Just to say that our thinking matches. At times, System1 outlook does not pass my filters or fit the pattern of my thinking. I then talk about it.
Gillette- Made Of What Matters.
Last week, the System1 spot of the week was Gillettte; ‘MADE OF WHAT MATTERS’.
Gillette advertisement stars British footballer Raheem Sterling. He plays for Manchester City.
The advertisement was launched around the world in February 2020. It was about helping kids who’d become disengaged from education.
However, it was not released in the US. Possibly the Gillette team thought that an unknown British soccer football player may not work in the US, where the game itself is of niche interest. Later, when Black Life Matter and racism wave hit the US, the spot was released. Now it takes a different cue.
https://youtu.be/GnaChQh5Slo
It Is About Brand Purpose Or Opportunity.
The spot seems an answer to a topical opportunity. There is a seamless repositioning of existing creative. ‘Made of What Matters’ celebrates the idols in the game and outside it. The sports code of goodness, positivity and passion gets reflected in actions and life to push. Black lives matter. Made up of what matters.
The protest around police violence in the US gives the communication a good head-start. However, the brand response if much delayed and deliberated. Forget the brand purpose. The TVC was available for release much earlier.
It seems that learning from other brands like Pepsi (the Kendall Jenner ad), Gillette did not want to rush in. It waited to understand and evaluate the sympathy curve. When it became clear that the protest is triggering strong emotions across the nation. That the skin colour is not segmenting the protesters and that there is little chance of alienating a segment. It qualified as the window of intervention.
Questions.
Is Gillette opportunistic? In India, Gillette has recently been all about acts than ads. Does this imagery conflict? Or it does not matter. After all, it is about a silly sharpened plate of metal cutting beard.
So what is the Gillette Brand Purpose?
I am confused. The brand keeps shifting the dialogue to successfully leverage topical causes; obvious, insightful, created or opportunistic. Will someone on Gillette stand up and tell us what is the brand purpose.
Not The First Time For Gillette
There was a lot of talk when Gillette asked men to be their best during #MeToo era. In communication, Is this what the best can get. Gillette asked men to measure their impact and try evaluating what they do. Much against a ‘boys will be boys’ attribute. It was wonderfully opportunistic. Remember the mother brand P&G. The economic power of women forced the brand to align with the dominant social statement. Oh, for a brand that is best for shaving.
Branding and purpose branding is risky, and when you keep shifting the post, it is totally risky. Will, the brand Gillette, keep finding a new topical purpose to remain salient and fight growing competition or will it find a real purpose.
In India, the brand tried discriminating between men who shaved or not. A clean-shaven man or with stubble. It keeps raising questions. Do women like a man with stubble? Is three-blade better than two?
Gillette in India also presented the real-life story of Lt Col M K Sinha SM (Retd) and his father in an attempt to define the way for a new understanding of manliness and strength. Something that the next generation of men could aspire to. Was that the brand purpose? If yes, there is nothing wrong with it. However, somewhere we are lost in articulation or focus. Now, what is Gillette all about? As a customer, I am just seeking consistency
P&G: Mother Brand with a Sharper Focus
On the other side, the mother company P&G has been on the track of undifferentiated living, equality and anti-racism. It made sense. Look at the #WeSeeEQUAL.
P&G says ‘A gender-equal world is a better world for all. Through our actions and the conversations that we spark, we aspire to build a better world for all of us — inside and outside of P&G — free from gender bias and with equal representation and an equal voice for women and men. A world where everyone sees equal’.(YouTube)
https://youtu.be/g6E4pfAzUCE
In other communication, P&G directly attacks racism with ‘The Talk- My Black is Beautiful’. It addresses racism frankly and direct, something that opportunistic razor brand has failed in trying to create a space for itself to embrace progressive causes. Oh yes, the Gillette brand purpose is to embrace progressive causes that give them topical momentum.
“My Black is Beautiful” campaign focuses on the lessons black American parents have to pass on to their children. Lessons about language, presentation and beauty to help them survive in a majority-white society. The goal is to remind black Americans, they are valuable, worthwhile and capable of success despite obstacles. To encourage other audiences to think more deeply about biases they might hold themselves. (YouTube)
OLD MEMORIES OF Gillette.
When the first time I shaved, I needed a razor, and I wanted Gillette. At that time, people used the standard razer with the Topaz, Bharat, Swords, or Wilkinson type of blades.
Gillette was power. Gillette was the mark. It had the rich history of more than a century of the woman falling for clean smooth-shaven men, full of confidence. Removing the 5PM light sky coloured shadows was an essential ritual before stepping out.
Gillette has helped men to be their best in a totally different context. Now it wants to guide the next generation by telling them what it means to be made of what matters. Here is the link from Gillette to understand what women want.
Gillette always remained faithful to women appreciation. So much that the brand promoted a crazy act of ‘Women Against Lazy Stubble. It sounded adventurously sexy and perfect fit. Then what?
What am I a mere consumer wanting a clean, perfect shave make out of this slithery purpose shifting opportunistic moves of the brand?
The Brand Purpose.
The cause the brand promotes must be genuine and part of the brand/organisation culture and DNA. Reflected internally and externally. Relevant to the business, consumer-first than society. No functional brand can exist with the sole purpose of creating a better world. It is a commercial entity. It is not about being opportunistic and amplifying whichever purpose is relevant at that stage. Maybe the new generation values something they may miss in their life, a purpose. As Santosh Desai says, ‘You start with a purpose, you have it, or you don’t. You don’t source the market and latch on what is good for the time’.
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This article was written before the excellent debate on June 20 2020 titled ‘Brand Purpose; Responsible or opportunistic’ under the banner Vice&Versa and presented by the Advertising Club. Santosh Desai spoke about how Brand Purpose is nothing but opportunistic and Josy Paul talked about how it is the core. The session was moderated by Agnello Dias. The article was edited to add the Santosh Desai quote and recraft a few parts.
MullenLowe Lintas Group has launched an advocacy campaign with ‘Differences Make Us Who We Are’, a diversity and inclusivity statement that is part of a larger initiative focusing on gender identity, sexual orientation, LGBTQIA+ definitions and inclusive language. The group has outlined policies and practices which are inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community in line with MullenLowe Group and IPG’s global guidelines.
Virat Tandon
Expressing his views about equality and inclusivity, Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, said: “The Pride month is a way to spotlight the importance of diversity and help create much-needed awareness of and sensitisation around this subject, not just in our organisation, but also in our circle of influence. We’ve reaffirmed our commitment to provide a work environment conducive for all and to help include the LGBTQIA+ community through ongoing conversations, workshops, and relevant work. Encouraging diversity enriches our organisation and makes us all better at what we do.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group has rolled out programmes celebrating Pride Month, educating its employees about various aspects of inclusiveness and the importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Kickstarting the Pride Month is a film collaboration between Mullen Lintas and Chrome pictures.
Heather Gupta
Talking about encouraging and fostering an environment for inclusivity, Heather Gupta, Group HR Director, MullenLowe Lintas Group, added: “We already have a clear commitment to equality for all, and we work hard to ensure a supportive and harassment free environment for our employees. However, we can do more, and our conversations with activists and members of the LGBTQIA+ community this PRIDE month have helped bring real awareness of some of the areas in which we can do better.”
Leading hosiery brand Dollar has undergone a makeover. The brand’s new identity is a result of a a brand architecture exercise led by LinConsult, the strategic consulting division of MullenLowe Lintas Group. To promote the new face of the brand, a campaign conceived by Lowe Lintas Kolkata was released soon after.
Said Vinod Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Dollar Industries Limited said: “Our new vision focuses on ‘Wear The Change’ which is aligned with our business ethics to constantly innovate and keep up with the trends and changing consumer needs. The reinvigorated brand identity will provide a new dynamism to the business profile internally, to the end customers and stakeholders.”
The campaign film featuring Akshay Kumar is directed by ad-film maker Shiven Surendranath. Commenting on the campaign, Janmenjoy Mohanty, Regional Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas added: “These are fascinating times. We are perhaps living through every cliché about change we had ever heard. If ever there was a time to embrace change and new thinking, it is now. Dollar’s new point-of-view reflects this and urges us to begin from within and wear the change we’d like to see in the world.”
Mirum India has appointed Kalpesh Patel as Director of Martech Services. Besides leading the Salesforce practice, Patel will also lead other areas of practice such as Sitecore, SEO, UX_UI in addition to other CMS and e-commerce solutions. He has been with Mirum for over four years and was leading the technology practice.
Hareesh Tibrewala
Commenting on the appointment, Hareesh Tibrewala, Joint CEO, Mirum India, said: “Kalpesh is a very passionate and detail-oriented leader. He brings both: the emotional quotient required to run and manage a large team; and the discipline and processes required to ensure flawless and timely delivery. Post COVID, we expect to see an accelerated requirement for digital transformation for businesses. And under Kalpesh’s leadership, we are set to deliver the same for our clients”
Kalpesh Patel
Added Kalpesh Patel: “With the Martech vertical, Mirum India has now combined all the offerings which brands need on their digital transformation journey. I am excited to leverage my experience in delivering technology solutions for domestic and global clients, to add value to the Martech vertical. I am looking forward to my new role and keen on contributing to the success of Martech and the organization.
Media & Entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment has announced a national level CSR drive towards enhancing the country’s healthcare infrastructure, further strengthening its fight against Covid-19.
Essilor has partnered with iProspect India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), to launch the #SeeGoodDoGood campaign.
Advertising is a way to enhance Brand value. As a result, brands expect growth and higher revenue. Every era has a different approach that seems to work with the generations. Brand Purpose appears to the current favourite and brands are opportunistically flirting with it.
