Cornitos, a healthy snacking brand, has onboarded Crayons Advertising Limited, as an integrated communications partner.
Speaking on the development, Vikram Agarwal, Managing Director, Cornitos, said: “Our vision is to expand our reach and penetrate deeper across all channels pan- India. Our search was for a partner who understands Bharat, provides strategic inputs leading to high-impact marketing, and creates strong communication ideas. Over a few meetings and extensive interactions with Team Crayons, we strongly felt they understood our objectives and aligned with our Vision. We are very excited and look forward to strengthening our brand with Crayons as our integrated communications partner.”
Commenting on the account win, Samir Datar, Chief Strategy Officer, Crayons, added: “Cornitos created a taste for Nachos in India, long before international brands set foot in this market. With growing conversations around healthy snacking, Cornitos, with its expanded portfolio, is poised to capitalise on the opportunity. Their expansion into Baked Extruded Snacks with Crusties offers a unique opportunity to communicate the evolution of its brand identity and messaging in the coming months. We are proud to partner with the brand and delighted to be part of this exciting journey ahead.”
With an aim to give India’s creative community a platform to showcase their musical talent, Goafest 2023 has announced ‘Advertising Rocks’, a platform for the musicians in the fraternity to showcase their talent and also win some dosh.
With three categories – Vocals Solos (Indian), Vocals Solos (Western) and Bands (Indian & Western – mixed), all finalists will be given an opportunity to perform for a jury and delegates at Goafest and will be offered an all expenses trip consisting of air-fare, stay and entry at Goafest 2023. Moreover, the winning bands stand to win cash prizes of Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 1,00,000 for the first and second place respectively and soloists stand to win cash prizes of Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 for the first and second place respectively. Winners will be selected on the basis of final combined score by a jury and live voting attendees at Goafest.
On announcing ‘Advertising Rocks’, Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India and Goafest 2023 Co-chair said: “Advertising Rocks is a unique initiative and platform that recognizes the musical talents of people beyond their daily roles in the advertising and media industry. The initiative not only celebrates their creativity but also brings the industry closer together in a fun and innovative way. Being a music lover myself, I can’t wait to see the level of excellence that will be displayed at Goafest’s Advertising Rocks! this year.”
Added Subhash Kamath, Former CEO of BBH and curator of ‘Advertising Rocks’: “The advertising and media industry is full of musical talent. Over the years, I’ve heard some wonderful singers and bands. What better occasion than Goafest to give this talent a stage to perform in front their peers? Advertising truly rocks!”
Said Ashish Bhasin, Co-Founder & Chairman, RD&X Network and Chairman of the Events Committee at Goafest 2023: “Advertising Rocks is an exciting initiative that will surely drive engagement prior to the festival as well as on-ground. It also gives us an opportunity to know our industry colleagues beyond the creative business. We encourage the industry to participate actively in Advertising Rocks and look forward to some interesting performances at Goafest 2023.”
And one more quote. Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India & Chairman, The ABBYs Award Governing Council and Ajay Kakar, Managing Committee Member, The Advertising Club & Co-chair, The ABBYs Award Governing Council: “Our industry can boast of multi-faceted talent. And this initiative will draw out the hidden musical talent that either gets neglected or doesn’t have a platform to express itself, in this fast-paced life. Goafest is known to dial up excitement levels for our industry folks. Advertising Rocks offers a unique proposition for our industry to showcase its musical talent. It will be fascinating to see our colleagues perform for our industry at a festival of this scale.”
Emmanuel Upputuru, Founder of Efgh Brand Innovations, Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and Managing Director, ibs + Fulcro and Bobby Pawar, Chairman and CEO, Havas Group India, are Jury Chairs for Green Abby category, Jury Chair of Technology category, and Jury Chair of Static Print respectively, at the Abby One Show Awards 2023.
Said Mitter said: “The Abby One Show Awards is without doubt the gold standard of the advertising awards in India. With technology becoming ubiquitous in marketing and communication and CX becoming a critical lever of business success, the technology category at the Abby One Show awards is really the one to watch out for.”
And this is what Pawar has said in the communique: “I am thrilled to be on the Abby One Show Jury in a category I love which is Print. I look forward to raising the bar further in this prestigious award show.”
Havas Media Group India has announced the elevation of two of its senior leaders. Uday Mohan, previously President and Chief Client Officer, has been promoted as Managing Director of Havas Media India, while R Venkatasubramanian has been elevated to the position of Managing Director of Havas Play in addition to his current role as President – Investments at Havas Media India. They will report to Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India.
Rana Barua
Commenting on the elevations, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India said: “At Havas, we have created a unique and integrated Village ecosystem that fosters the best talent and leaders, enabling us to deliver distinct solutions that are at par with global capabilities. Scaling up our group and promoting home grown leaders has been a natural outcome of this approach. Uday and Venkat have been two very strong pillars of this ecosystem and in their respective new roles, I see them contributing in an even larger capacity to our overall media network and the group business goals.”
Mohit Joshi
Added Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India: “The elevations of Uday and Venkat, two of our key leaders come at a time when Havas Media Group India is on an incredible growth trajectory, having won several new accounts and being recognised for its innovative work. The agency is focused on providing its clients with innovative and effective solutions that help them achieve their business objectives, and with Uday and Venkat at the helm, we are well positioned for exciting times ahead.
Huge congratulations to Uday and Venkat on their well-deserved promotions and we can’t wait to see their continued contributions to the agency’s success in their new roles.”
Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, has completed 10 years in India and has unveiled a special logo unit to mark this occasion. The theme for the year is ‘Change Creators,’ which, notes a communique, reflects Interbrand’s belief that while it is good for brands to adapt to change, it is always better to create it.
Ashish Mishra
Talking about business growth, Ashish Mishra, CEO, Interbrand India & South Asia, said: “A decade back we began with a very clear purpose. To elevate the Indian brands to global benchmarks. This was necessary not only to make them better placed for the global markets Indian brands wanted to play in, but even more critically to safeguard their own domestic territories from the influx of global brands in their backyard. To be able to do that, we had to change the leverage of brands and branding from cosmetic to strategic. I am delighted that we have helped accelerate the shift in the way brands are appreciated as a business asset in the Indian market over time.”
Commenting on Interbrand’s India business, Gonzalo Brujó, Global CEO, Interbrand, said: “We have seen such incredible work coming out of India’s office over the last decade. Despite an extremely challenging environment for business across the world (lockdowns, war, supply chain disruptions, etc.), Interbrand India has grown an astounding 4 times while maintaining an excellent reputation as a solid partner for our clients. The last time I visited the country, I claimed India was to enter its own Decade of Possibilities. Currently, with a strong economic performance, businesses driving strategic shifts and technology advancements, I surely can confirm that India is already navigating its Decade of Possibilities.”
As the agency celebrates its tenth anniversary, it has unveiled a new concept called ‘Arenas,’ which offers “a fresh perspective on conventional ‘categories’ and the competitive landscape, as we know it”.
Talking about what is in store for Interbrand India, Mishra added: “We are looking at Increasing our Asia footprint, deploying Arenas as an Iconic Move for partners to create quantum growth in business value and adding specialised verticals. One of the verticals naturally emerging for us on the back of our series of projects including the branding of new teams in the IPL’S Capital’s franchise and rebranding Rajasthan Royals, is ‘Sports Branding.’ This is also a vertical well supported by our global experience including the world’s most talked about rebrand, Juventus.”
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has been awarded at the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) Awards 2023 . The award highlights the successful initiatives by the self-regulatory organisation (SRO) and its contribution towards ensuring higher ethical standards in Indian advertising. The award ASCI won is:
The Inspiration Award – for the best charter commitment initiative of SROs with limited resources.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, received the award at the ceremony held in Istanbul. Kapoor also presented the ‘Influencer Marketing – The India Experience and Learnings’ report to the Turkish government and ROK, the Turkish ad self-regulator which helped other attendees get a deeper understanding of the work done by ASCI in this growing space. Her participation in the panel discussion on ‘Dark Patterns – How Ad Standards Bodies Can Contribute to Fair Designs’ emphasised the crucial role such bodies play in promoting ethical practices. Recently, ASCI released a paper on Dark Patterns that aimed to spread awareness about misleading digital advertising practices that deceive or manipulate consumers.
Kapoor was also re-elected Vice-President of ICAS. She has been an active member of ICAS and is at the forefront of advocating for ethical advertising practices and consumer protection. Said Kapoor: “We are honoured to receive the award and also at the re-election. The reappointment is a validation of the role that ASCI has played on the global platform over the past 35 years. Our association with ICAS is the next step towards taking the best advertising and self-regulation practises across borders, which can help in the development of the advertising sector while safeguarding the interests of consumers. It will also help advance our shared goals and ensure that self-regulation remains an essential part of our industry. We also congratulate other fellow SRO countries who have done some amazing work.”
It’s raining press releases from the Goafest team. So when it’s not a new set of jury chairs there’s a new feature of the event. Like the announcement by the Advertising Club about a new award category, the ‘Young Maverick ABBY Award’ to “recognise and promote the new generation of talent, and reward the work they have created”.
Open to advertising professionals – individuals or teams, under the age of 30, entries for the Young Maverick Abby Award will be judged by a panel of industry leaders and experts based on creativity, originality, and impact for work created between March 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 under the category verticals of Art, Design, Digital, Film and Craft.
Speaking on introducing the new category, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India and Chairman, The Abbys Award Governing Council and Ajay Kakar, Managing Committee Member, The Advertising Club & Co-chair, The ABBYs Award Governing Council said: “It is important that we turn the spotlight on emerging creative talent. We are excited to introduce the Young Maverick Abby Award category at The Abby Awards 2023 and recognise the outstanding work of young professionals who are pushing boundaries and challenging conventions in the advertising industry. We are certain that by providing a platform for deserving talent to showcase their creative passion and work, we will not just empower them but also encourage new thinking, new talent and innovation in the industry.”
The winners of the Young Maverick ABBY Award will be announced along with other awards during The Abby Awards 2023, scheduled to be held at Goafest 2023 on May 24-26, 2023.
Information on the new category is at https://abbyawards.com/. The last date to submit entries for the Young Maverick Abby category is April 28, 2023.
Reliance Jewels- Scarecrow M&C Saatchi – consistency in communication
The brand building says that once a brand finds its unique appeal and develops a unique or easily associated and recognisable communication style, it should be consistent. And, if possible, frequently surprise the audience with a different interpretation of the same, evolving with the consumers’ needs and changing ecosystem. Ariel – Share the Load is a case in point. The brand concept has evolved with time, retaining the basic parameters and testing the coordinated repeatedly. It has been consistent, and the thought is strongly associated with the brand. Ariel’s latest communication remains rooted in the thought and has moved from being asked to share the load to an expression of new coordinates of self-realisation. Make My Trip, Frooti, and Dream11 are some other brands consistent with their communication approach and language. Another brand that has been hugely consistent with its approach and communication style has been Reliance Jewels, and Scarecrow M&C Saatchi has been creating some unique communication language for them.
Reliance Jewel Akshaya Tritiya
In the recent Akshaya Tritiya communication, the brand captured the more than 1000 years old history of Thanjavur’s art & architecture. Thanjavur – a mystical Kingdom and the cultural capital of spellbinding art and Dravidian architecture. Watch the Tamil version here.
This is not the first time the jewel brand ( Reliance ) and the agency has based the collection and the communication on Indian traditions, culture, dance forms and heritage.
A note from the agency updates that the inspiration behind Thanjavur is its intricately carved stones of the temples, the excellent craftsmanship of Poompuhar ships, the artistic traditions of Bommai Dolls, and the vibrant interiors of Thanjavur Darbar Hall. The reliance Jewels Akshaya Tritiya Thanjavur collection reflects and pays tribute to nuances of this craftsmanship from the artisans of Thanjavur. The film is a result of a deep study of the history and conversations with experts in different fields.
Music in the film is an essential element and captures the flavours of Thanjavur. The song is written in Gambheera Nattai raga and pays tribute to the ancient temples. The Hindi version of the song is written by Manish Bhatt. The film is long at 207 seconds, capturing the musical journey of two young girls; a dance choreographer and her friend. However, Manish Bhatt, Founder Director Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, believes that capturing the 1000 years of history in this short duration is an achievement. The Thanjavur typeface was also created to complement the collection and the traditional craft.
The brand- Reliance Jewel’s thematic jewellery collections are an ode to the country’s diverse culture and are appreciated by customers. This is, in a way, season 7.0 of such a thematic collection.
Reliance Thematic Collection Communication.
Every year Scarecrow M&C Saatchi with the client, creates a 2 to 5-minute long music-song song-led film based on the culture/art/ history that has inspired the Jewellery Collection.
Here are some of the films/
UTKALA – collection inspired by Odisha’s Ancient Art Heritage.
KAASYAM – collection inspired by Beauty & Divinity of Banaras
RANNKAAR collection Inspired by Rann of Kutch. And here is the behind the scene for the campaign.
MAHALAYA collection inspired by the Tribal, Ancient & Royal Heritage of Maharashtra.
Net Net.
Indian culture, heritage, design, and craft have so much to inspire creativity in jewellery design. I am biased toward such an approach to thematic collection and communication. By being consistent with the thematic collections and communication style, the brand is creating a niche for itself.
P G Aditiya, co-founder and CCO of Talented, Guneet Monga, Founder of Sikhya Entertainment and Mangesh Rane, Founder and Creative Director, Open Strategy and Design, join as Jury Chair for AV Cinema, TV, Digital OTT Category, Video Craft, and Out of Home and Ambient category respectively, at the Abby One Show Awards 2023.
Said Aditiya: “I am thrilled to watch, critique and recognise the best work from film which is such a team sport with an equally incredible team of jurors at this year’s Abby One Show awards.”
Added Monga: “I am happy to be associated with Abby One Show Awards Jury of Video Craft. I am sure with so much talent in India we can hope to raise the bar of excellence.”
Said Rane: “Abby is a grand celebration of not just what we have done, but what we want to become.”
For years, surrogate advertising has been the bane of the Indian communication industry. First it was cigarettes and alcohol and now for the last few years it’s been pan masala.
More than a year ago, Amitabh Bachchan had raised the hackles of many when the septuagenarian appeared in an ad for Kamla Pasand along with Ranveer Singh. The actor, who once was the darling of the masses, took quite a beating on social media when he first defended his action saying that the ad was part of the entertainment business which provides employment to many people.
When he was mercilessly trolled on social media and when a national anti-tobacco agency requested him to refrain from endorsing tobacco products, the actor put on a big act.
He grandly announced that he is terminating his contract with the company, returning their money and also said that he did not know that the silver coated elaichi, which was the product shown in the ad, was part of surrogate advertising. Ha!
Read that again. He said that he did not know that he was part of a surrogate ad. Mr. Bachchan wanted us to believe that his lawyers and his advisors were so unaware that they had no idea of this malaise called surrogate advertising. His naivety was an act for the ages.
The campaign had broken out in September 2021 and in October, on his birthday, Mr Bachchan had made the grand announcement.
But the ads continued. When another round of protests hit social media, Mr. Bachchan’s office released a statement in mid-November saying that they have sent a legal notice to Kamala Pasand, to stop broadcasting the TV commercials with Mr Bachchan immediately, as it was noticed that despite termination of the endorsement agreement ‘ Kamala Pasand ‘ has ignored the same and is seen to continue airing the TV commercials.
The result: Nothing. Zilch. Nada. No change. Social media got tired, bored, disillusioned of this tamasha and moved on. And the ad continued to be aired. Another version of it was also released. Right through 2022, all major cricket events unleashed the campaign. It went on even in 2023. Till almost the half-way stage of IPL.
After more than one-and-a-half year of endorsing a surrogate tobacco product, a time when other pan masala brands, no doubt emboldened by the free run that Kamla Pasand had, and featured celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan; Mr. Bachchan, seemed to have finally persuaded the brand to remove its ad. No, that should read as, the ad was withdrawn after maybe it had run the course of its contract.
But the legacy of endorsing a surrogate brand continued. And the culprit this time is another septuagenarian cricketing legend along with a dashing cricketer who has a school in his name.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Shri Sunil Gavaskar, ex-cricketing legend, ex-Sheriff of Mumbai, Padma Bhushan recipient, Arjuna Award-winner, ICC cricket Hall of Fame member as the latest entrant to the tobacco surrogate celebrity endorser Hall of Shame.
And he is keeping illustrious company. Shri Virendra Sehwag is a cricketer who changed Test cricket with his fearless approach to the game. And now his fearless approach is to endorse a surrogate for Pan Masala. Not fearing that it will influence many people into believing the veracity of pan masala. A Padma Shri recipient, Wisden Cricketer of the year and ICC Test player of the year, Shri Sehwag has also started Sehwag International School in Haryana on a piece of land gifted by the Haryana government. Undoubtedly, he will be a role model for the schoolchildren to consume pan masala.
It’s really shocking that neither the government, nor the advertising bodies and nor the celebrities themselves have an iota of responsibility to clean up this mess.
Why are the anti-tobacco advertising laws full of loopholes for the manufacturers to exploit? Or, if there are no loopholes, then why no action is being taken against the offending brands.
ASCI is a self-regulatory body of the advertising industry. Its rules and regulations are so warped that it is an impotent body which moves to takes action against advertisers after the deed is done. It waits for complaints and it has no legal leg to impose a punishment. It hopes for advertisers to be good boys/girls and accept the punishment, which incidentally cannot be a fine or a criminal complaint or any legal action. After all, the advertisers themselves fund ASCI. So this is a case of the accused having their own kin sitting on judgment?
Whereas the likes of Messrs Gavaskar and Sehwag are joining in the fun. After all if a Mr Bachchan can earn a few crores, why not them?
For the media companies, this is the easiest way to recover the millions they have put not their bids. At a time when inflation is high, global recession looms, a category like pan masala which always fears a blanket ban, is welcomed with open arms and big deals.
The curse of tobacco be damned.
The curse of a generation being influenced be damned.
The curse of lingering health issue be damned.
The curse of making an unhealthy product seem fashionable be damned.
And of course the legacy of the celebrities will not be damned.
All the above culprits, specially the celebrities deserve a kick on their backside. Because if a celebrity cannot care for the very people who made him a celebrity, if a celebrity will sell his soul for making his bank balance heftier and if a celebrity will doom a generation just because he thinks he can get away with anything then a kick in the backside delivered by millions of his fan in the form of a boycott may just make him see sense.
The boycott has been used as an effective tool in the past for political and religious reasons. For once, if we are ready to use this tool for a healthier society, then it will truly reflect the spirit of what the father of our nation meant when he introduced boycott as a weapon. Not just a tool but a weapon.
Let us boycott the channels which use these cricketers as commentators. Let us boycott the films which all the above film celebrities act in. Let parents boycott the school or whatever institutions or brands these celebrities endorse. Let’s boycott the shows which invite these celebrities.
Because if we do not boycott them today, tomorrow a few more will endorse an unhealthy product. And the cycle will continue.
So, stop waiting for the government or ASCI or anyone else to do anything. Just boycott anything and anyone which is associated with surrogate advertising.
And do not expect me to post a link of the ad. I refuse to use it to make a point too. Boycott the ad on you tube. If a friend forwards it, stop it from being forwarded or boycott him.
Make boycott the buzzword to fight surrogate advertising. To kick a few butts.
Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing strategy consultant and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other week, and sometimes more often. His views here are personal.
The India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted its first-ever onground digital event, TechPulse.
The theme of the event, “Digital Transformation: Implications for Advertising and Marketers,” saw discussions on opportunities and challenges presented by the digital landscape. Said Neena Dasgupta, Chairperson, IAA TechPulse, and CEO & Founder of The Salt Inc Consulting, CEO of Aidem Ventures: “With TechPulse, we brought together some of the brightest minds in the advertising and market industry. Going forward, IAA TechPulse will provide a platform for industry professionals to learn, share, and collaborate on the latest developments in the field.”
IAA India chapter TechPulse kicked off with a minute of silence in honour of Siddharth Rao, Co-Founder WebChutney (acquired by Dentsu) and Punt Partners. Neena Dasgupta and Avinash Pandey, President – IAA India Chapter and CEO, ABP Network, set the context for the event before a conversation by Megha Tata, CEO Cosmos-Maya, and Anant Goenka, Chairperson, IAA TechPulse & Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, on the change in content delivery in linear and integrated context.
The main event began with a session by Neeraj Roy, Founder & CEO of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Limited, on the role of technology in India’s digital foundation and the opportunities it presents for maximizing efficiency. The event also saw a session by Charulata Ravi Kumar, MD of Accenture, on the topic of digital disruption and its impact on socio-economic changes.
Karthi Marshan, Advisor, Kotak highlighted on the need for cautiously adopting the latest developments specifically in the areas of Banking and Finance. Niraj Ruparel, Emerging Tech Lead at GroupM/WPP presented some novel applications of Generative AI. Tarun Katial, Founder & CEO of COTO App discussed the marketer’s dilemma in the conversational AI era and how to solve it.
TechPulse also featured a panel discussion on “Marketing Solutions in a cookie-less world,” moderated by Nandini Dias, Former CEO, Lodestar UM. The panel members, Prasad Shejale, Founder & CEO, Logicserve Digital, Sanjay Sindhwani, CEO, Indian Express Digital, Siddharth Dhabade, Managing Director, MiQ, and Neil George, Managing Director, Nivea India, discussed the challenges and opportunities of marketing in a cookie-less world.
Satya Raghavan, Director Marketing Partners at Google India, highlighted developments happening at Google in understanding consumer behaviour given emerging environmental and contextual constraints. Shilpa Sadana, Associate Director of Sales at Affinity Global Advertising and Ritu Mittal, Head of Marketing and Digital at Bayer Consumer presented a case study highlighting the significance of research insights in formulating creatives for digital platforms.
The need for integrated media measurement and possible guidelines for it was presented by Priya Choudhary, Director of Business Solutions & Insights at Google India. This was followed by an panel discussion, moderated by Vivek Malhotra, Group CMO (India Today Group) and COO Consumer Revenue, focused on the new world of cross-media measurement. The panel members, L V Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research, Anand Chakravarthy, Chief Growth Officer, Omnicom Media Group, Vishal Chinchankar, CEO, Madison Digital, Gowthaman Ragothaman, Founding CEO of Aqilliz, and Prasun Basu, Head of Growth and Digital Transformation, Kantar, discussed the need for cross-media measurement and the challenges that come with it.
The last session was by Amer Jaleel, former Group Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of MullenLowe Lintas Group, on the importance of creativity in the world of technology, data, and methods.
The event also announced innovation awards to recognise the enterprises and the foresight of individuals to implement innovative thoughts into action. The innovation awards were identified under four segments – Marketing, Media, Agency and Platforms:
:: Prasad Pimple, EVP and Head of Digital, Kotak Life was presented the innovation award for going deep into customer mindset segmentation and linking psychographic triggers to behaviour to unlock value across all digital activities.
:: Niraj Ruparel, Emerging Tech – Lead at GroupM/WPP for diving deep into Conversational AI and Metaverse and bringing the two together to unlock and implement some of the best experienced innovations.
:: Neha Barjatya, Director Marketing, Google India for combining the power of platforms and the ambition of empowering rural women to create sustained opportunities and strong communities.
:: Vivek Malhotra, CMO India Today Group and COO Consumer Revenues for innovating on integration content, context and audience behavior to grow the customer base exponentially.
Sports brand Puma India has roped in Havas Media Group India as its Media AOR. As part of the mandate, Havas Media Group India will be overseeing the entire offline and online media service suit including digital, TV, print, radio, OOH and cinema mediums for Puma. The account will be managed by the agency’s Bengaluru team, helmed by Saurabh Jain, President – South, Havas Media India. As Managing Director, Havas Media India, Uday Mohan will support the team devise the strategy and ensure seamless operations. Just recently, the media agency had extended its offline media services (print and OOH) to Puma for its campaign announcing Anushka Sharma as the brand ambassador.
Commenting on the occasion, Shreya Sachdev, Head of Marketing at Puma India, said: “Puma holds a leading position in sports and lifestyle segment in the country with state-of-the-art product innovations and influence on youth culture. As a brand, we keep a sharp focus on staying relevant and resonating with our audience across markets and platforms. With Havas Media Group India, we look forward to effectively connect with our consumers at scale.”
Added Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India: “Puma as a brand is known for its strong voice and vibrant spirit. Havas Media Group India has been on an upward trajectory consistently; last year was a landmark year for us as we were recognized as a dominant agency by RECMA and secured second place among all media agencies in the country. For us, winning the mandate of a brand like Puma has set the tone for the remaining year and we can’t wait to offer our expertise to the global sports brand. At Havas Media, we focus on designing and delivering impactful media solutions and hence, resonate with Puma’s efforts to leverage relevant consumer touch points, services and messages that hold immense credibility for its audience. We are excited to make a meaningful difference for Brand Puma and look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
By Sanjeev Kotnala
It’s time to kick a few butts.