Mankind Pharma has launched a nationwide campaign on the occasion of World Hypertension Day called ‘Limit White India’. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive salt and sugar consumption which with other factors like sedentary lifestyle and obesity can be a major risk factor for hypertension.
Said Dr Sanjay Koul, Chief Marketing Officer, Mankind Pharma Ltd: “Hypertension is a silent killer, and Mankind Pharma is committed to tackling it head-on through the ‘Limit White India’ campaign. Excessive salt and sugar are significant contributors to uncontrolled blood pressure levels and blood sugar levels. Studies have shown Indians on average consume five times the WHO recommended quantity of sugar annually. By raising awareness and promoting lifestyle modifications, we aim to empower people to make informed choices for their well-being.”
If you looked at recent CMO surveys and panel discussions lately, artificial intelligence (AI) and influencer marketing are on top of the agenda. 81% of US marketers say that influencer marketers is an essential part of their social media strategy; 77% of Indian marketers are confident in their agency’s capability to effectively manage influencer campaigns[1]. At the same time, 81% marketers say that AI has had a positive impact on their work[2]; and over three quarters of Indian marketers (78%) say they are ready to embrace AI[3].
What happens when you combine the two? We get virtual influencers. Even though human influencers still vastly outnumber virtual influencers, the latter have caught the fancy of marketers and agencies and are becoming increasingly common.
52% of U.S. social media users already follow a virtual influencer, and that percentage is higher in India at 58%[4].
Global brands including Prada, Cartier, Disney, Puma, Nike, and Tiffany use virtual influencers to promote their products.
Lil Miquela is a pioneer in the virtual influencer space. Describing herself as a 19-year-old robot living in LA, she has 2.6 million followers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/?hl=en
and 3.5 million followers on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lilmiquela?lang=en
Managed by creative agency Brud, she has featured in brand partnerships with Prada, Calvin Klein and BMW, earning a spot on TIME magazine list of 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
Fashion brand Myntra created the virtual influencer Maya, incorporated her into the studio section of the Myntra app, where she doles out fashion advice apart from advocating mental health, inclusivity and body positivity. ‘Based out of Bangalore, and a student’, she has a follower base of 178K already, and endorses brands like L’Oreal.
https://www.instagram.com/maya_unlimited/?hl=en
Kyra or Kyraonig was created by Himanshu Goel, launched in Jan 2022, and enjoys a following of 243000 on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyraonig/?hl=en.
She has has been prominent in the music and entertainment industries, endorsing various brands such as Amazon Prime Video, boat, MG, Titan EyeX and John Jacobs.
Within two years, it is expected that marketers will dedicate 30% of their celebrity and influencer marketing spends to virtual influencers[5].
What should they keep in mind, as they embrace this opportunity?
Virtual influencers give you control over content
Brands that want to get across a certain message or have a specific point to make through their influencer partnership have a higher level of control over content with virtual influencers. Being able to control what an influencer posts can be appealing to some brands with a very specific message to share.
Youth entertainment channel MTV collaborated with DDB Mudra to develop India’s first virtual rapper ‘BotHard’ to draw attention to its property, MTV Hustle 2.0. The bot was brought to life with the GPT3 platform and was specially trained to find rhyme structures of popular rappers. This collaboration inspired the creation of over 350,000 rap videos, with the show racking up 2 billion views across social platforms. This represented a nine-fold growth over the previous season. By creating a virtual influencer in-house provided the brand with greater control, agility, intellectual property ownership, and brand differentiation.
Adaptability
Virtual influencers don’t age, can speak multiple languages and can be made to travel to any place. This level of adaptability and flexibility allows brands to potentially use one virtual influencer for campaigns in different regions instead of identifying and engaging different influencers in various markets.
British fashion house Ralph & Russo, successfully used a virtual influencer to launch its 2020–2021 couture collection. The company designed Hauli, a tall Black virtual model. Her name was derived from the Swahili words for strength and power.
The campaign featured her posing at the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and other wonders of the world, location where conducting a photo shoot with a human influencer would be difficult (and expensive). The combination of an African influencer and a global context contributed massively to the campaign’s success. The promotion achieved 19.4 million views worldwide, with the brand estimating the value of the media exposure at $65.1 million.
Brand safety and reputation
While virtual influencers may seem to be a safer bet than real-life influencers, they’re not completely immune to controversy.
Humans don’t fully understand how these systems work or make decisions, which poses a huge challenge for marketers and agencies. In the absence of clarity, is difficult for brands to predict how these virtual influencers might be accepted. Granted AI’s cool factor, marketers should be careful about diving in headfirst to avoid unfavourable PR.
Earlier this year, automaker Mahindra launched an AI-generated influencer named Ava, which was designed to showcase the team’s journey in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and towards a more sustainable future for the planet. Mahindra’s team used GenAI tools like Midjourney and Leonardo AI to create its new ambassador, saying ‘Having Ava, an influencer that is strongly associated with us and documents our journey, but with a broader appeal to help promote our core values as an organisation, is a project we’re hugely excited about.’
Eva’s Instagram account @avabeyondreality described itself as a “Sustainable Tech Queen & Racing Rebel Robot”, with the goal of fueling inclusion through AI innovation. It documented the virtual influencer’s life through 11 posts, the first of which dated back to 8 December 2023.
The launch of Eva was met with backlash from fans and media alike on social media. Many argued that the team should have hired a human ambassador rather than a virtual influencer. Devin Altieri, a PR consultant in motorsport, wrote on X: “Mahindra creating an AI team ambassador that is a woman instead of simply hiring one real, actual woman to fill that role is so incredibly messed up”. Alanis King, an auto journalist added: “I’m not an AI expert, but everything I see is about enormous energy use. Isn’t it weird to call this a ‘Sustainable Tech Champ’?”
Faced with such strongly negative response, particularly from experts, Mahindra abandoned the project and deleted Eva’s Instagram account.
Fuel fans and consumers’ desire for novelty.
With some brand ambassadors and influencers, some brands find value in stability and longevity. We know how Tiger Woods’s association with Nike lasted 27 years.
On social media era, on the other hand, many consumers crave something new and different, and find brands that rely on familiar celebrities as stale or uninteresting.
As they scroll social media quickly, it requires something unusual to make them pause.
Research shows that one reason consumers follow virtual influencers is that they are unexpected and previously unknown. Although betting on a virtual influencer may require a leap of faith, marketers should realize that human influencers may be perceived as overexposed or past their prime.
Traditional influencer marketing can be expensive, particularly when collaborating with celebrities or industry experts. On the other hand, virtual influencers are a cost-efficient and scalable option, requiring less time and resources. While the initial investment in creating a virtual influencer can be significant, the long-term benefits far surpass the costs.
Kunal Sinha is a senior strategy and foresights executive based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He is the author of several books including The Future of India’s Rural Markets and Raw – Pervasive Creativity in Asia. He writes for MxMIndia every other Monday. His views here are personal.
DDB Mudra Group has elevated Menaka Menon, current National Strategy Head, to take on the role of leading the south office. She will lead operations and strategic thinking for clients based out of the Bengaluru office. Ranji Cherian, who ran the south office for over 16 years, will now lead Client Excellence at the group.
Said Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group: “We believe that everything we do is built on strong strategic pillars; be it our work or how we do our work. In her new role, Menaka will use her strategic background to add more value to our client’s business, while building a strong culture of creativity in the office. Over the last few years, some of our best work has come from our South office and I’m really excited to work with Menaka to push us to newer heights.”
At long last an industry association representing the marketing services sector has spoken up, even if it’s after a week. It may be noted that when the agency involved with the Ghaktopar hoarding crash was referred to in reports, it was called an ad agency, thereby tainting the entire sector. We were hoping someone will speak up, and even as many in the trade expressed shock, we were hoping that the
Here’s the statement from The India Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA), signed by its President, Pawan Bansal:
On behalf of the India Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) and its members, we wish to express our deep sorrow over the tragic incident that resulted in the loss of life following the collapse of a billboard at a petrol station in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. This event has deeply affected us, and our thoughts are with the families enduring this painful time.
The IOAA has consistently advocated for strict adherence to local regulations and safety standards concerning the installation of hoardings. We prioritize safety and diligently promote compliance among our members.
In response to this incident, the IOAA fully supports the initiatives undertaken by the Maharashtra Government and the BMC to audit and regulate hoarding structures throughout the city. We are committed to assisting in these efforts to ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.
We are determined to work closely with all relevant authorities to enhance safety measures and regulatory compliance. We appreciate the ongoing support and understanding of the community as we strive to make necessary improvements.
Based on point totals for wins in The One Show 2024 announced last week during Creative Week in New York, Dentsu Inc. Tokyo is APAC Agency of the Year and #9 globally in The One Show 2024 Global Creative Rankings.
The Top 10 agencies in APAC are as follows:
The One Show 2024 Asia Pacific Agency Rankings
Dentsu Inc. Tokyo
The Monkeys Sydney
VML Australia Melbourne
M&C Saatchi Sydney
TBWA\Hakuhodo Inc. Tokyo
KMCgroup Tokyo
Leo Burnett India Mumbai
SIX Inc. Tokyo
Leo Burnett Taiwan Taipei
10.VML Singapore
Other One Show 2024 APAC rankings leaders include:
APAC Independent Agency: Howatson+Company Sydney
APAC Production Company: Airbag Sydney/Melbourne
APAC Design Firm: T-Change Design Studio Nanjing
Globally, FCB New York is the world’s top-ranked agency this year, with Rethink Toronto coming in as the leading independent agency.
Highlights of The One Show 2024 Global Creative Rankings are as follows (click the category links to view the full list for each):
Agency Rankings
FCB New York
Rethink Toronto
McCann New York
Marcel Paris
TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles
FCB Chicago
Ogilvy PR New York, Publicis Conseil Paris (tie)
Dentsu Inc. Tokyo
FCB Canada Toronto
Agency Network Rankings
FCB Global
Ogilvy Group
McCann Worldgroup
Agency Holding Company Rankings
Interpublic Group
WPP
Publicis Groupe
Highest Ranked Work
“Dreamcaster” by FCB New York with 456 Studios New York for AB InBev, Michelob ULTRA
“WoMen’s Football” by Marcel Paris with Les Artisans du Film Paris and Prodigious Paris for Orange
Virtue Worldwide, the creative agency powered by Vice Media Group, has appoints Sumbul Khan as Business Lead for the India market.
Said Lesley John, Managing Director, Virtue APAC: “Our team in India has tremendous talent, ambition and drive to make work that lives and breathes culture whilst driving business results for our clients, and in Sumbul we’ve found a leader who will support the team in continuing to foster thriving client relationships whilst driving growth for the agency. All of this, with what I’m starting to see as her signature leadership style – always laser-focused on effective outcomes, whilst unflappably calm and collected, with empathy above all else. I look forward to working closely with Sumbul to continue to build our culture and business in India.”
Mindshare, the media services company that is part of GroupM and WPP, appoints Dimpy Yadav as the new Head of Digital Strategy. Dimpy’s expertise and experience will play a pivotal role in shaping Mindshare’s digital narrative and enhancing our digital product offerings for both existing and new clients. She will be based out of Mindshare’s Gurgaon office.
Amin Lakhani, CEO of Mindshare – South Asia said: “Dimpy’s wealth of experience and expertise will be invaluable in propelling our digital strategy forward. Her deep understanding of the digital landscape and track record of driving impactful results align perfectly with our vision for innovation and growth.
P&G Shiksha, the flagship CSR programme of P&G India, launched its new campaign – #StandUpForLearningGaps, to spotlight the issue of learning gaps in children, which affects over six crore children in the country as per National Achievement Survey 2021.
Speaking about the new film, Abhishek Desai, Vice President – Brand Operation and Category Leader – Grooming, P&G India said: “For 19 years now, P&G Shiksha has championed access to education for millions of underprivileged children in India, impacting over 45 lakh children. We have reinforced this with our commitment to driving large-scale awareness regarding learning gaps, which impact over 6 crore children in India. These gaps can lead to frustration, a lack of understanding, and even ridicule. However, what often gets missed is the reason behind. By raising a pertinent question – “Would you laugh, if this happened with your child?” we are seeking to educate parents, guardians, teachers and well-wishers on the existence and impact of learning gaps, while also empowering them to identify and take steps to bridge these. We can come together to #StandupForLearningGap. Timely action can unleash a child’s full potential in leveraging education as an enabler for a brighter future.”
Added Rajdeepak Das, CCO Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman Leo Burnett South Asia: “To draw attention to one of the most overlooked problems in education in our country, “The Learning Gap” – we have used humour as a platform for our latest campaign for P&G Shiksha. We often come across memes of children making mistakes on the internet, not realizing the grim reality behind this. This is actually a learning crisis that affects almost 6 crore kids in India. By using stand-up comedy as a medium, we want to build awareness of this critical gap in learning.”
It almost didn’t happen, but the bravehearts in the Indian advertising, media and marketing ecosystem decided that it’s got to happen. The Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, which jointly organises Goafest, announced the 17th edition of the annual Goafest and 55th edition of Abby for May 29 to 31. In Mumbai, instead of Goa. Overlooking Powai Lake instead of the Arabian Sea. The venue: Westin Powai, what was called Renaissance earlier and host to Ficci Frames for eons.
Prasanth KumarJaideep GandhiMohit Joshi
From the organising leadership of Goafest, Prasanth Kumar, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO of GroupM South Asia, Jaideep Gandhi, Chairperson of the Goafest Organising Committee and Mohit Joshi, CEO Havas Media Network India and Goafest 2024’s Co-chair spoke with MxMIndia early on Thursday.
It may be noted that the detailed agenda hasn’t been unveiled yet, but that’s understandable. All the Goafest folks have busy day jobs, and everyone is trying their damnedest to make it a runaway success. And this we know from reasonably close quarters. Even the naysayers are helping. In fact, Prasanth Kumar or PK, as he’s known to the world, is delighted that Goafest 2024 will see each and every association in the M&E ecosystem chipping in. This includes the newspaperwallahs, the broadcasters, the digital folks… everyone.
Gandhi joined him in adding: “Visionaries like Sundar Swamy, Arvind Sharma, Colvyn Harris, Ambi Parameswaran, Nagesh Alai, Nakul Chopra, Ashish Bhasin, Sam Balsara and Shashi Sinha have been key pillars of shaping and scaling Goafest to this magnitude over the last 16 years. Each one of them made unique contributions that made the festival larger, and relevant each year.”
Hmmm. So here’s what our conversation generated.
On Goafest in Mumbai:
The organising leadership had a logistical issue of doing Goafest in Goa. PK: “We didn’t want to take a break, especially in the context of the way the industry is evolving. We felt it’s important for the industry to get together.
Hence, Age of Adaptability is the theme, and, said PK, “in the true spirit of adaptability, we are doing the event in Mumbai”.
On delegates not staying over like in Goa affecting the spirit:
The fact is that if you want to be in the fest, you’ll be there. This is regardless of it being in Mumbai or Goa. We have taken a lot of time and effort to make the three days very interesting. We are going to offer a lot of opportunities for people to network. This Goafiest is not only about Goa or Mumbai… it is the largest event for the entire industry
On registrations:
PK: Good registrations, excellent response.”
Gandhi: Last year’s registration count was upwards of 1600
PK: This year, given the conversations we are having, we could get close to 2000. We are going to see a lot of clients, media publishers, owners, media agencies… We had an early bird entry fee which had a cut of 20% instead of the usual 10%
On Absence of clients/marketers at Goafests in the past, and this year:
Lot of speakers are from client organisations, So we hope to see them at least for a day
On the Agenda:
Joshi: We have over 20 sessions with panel discussions and keynotes. There are close to 50 speakers, and each of them sticking to the theme of adaptability. Industry experts and leaders. We are really excited about the agenda and are sure that people will learn from it.
PK: We are also going to have a large number of masterclasses – From D&AD, some of our own sessions
Meanwhile, the Goafest committee has been able to attract a string of sponsors, and some of them are still being signed up, according to the information received. There is at least one more international tie-up that is being inked, but details of that have still not been unveiled.
The Advertising Club has always said that its flagship Abby Awards is ‘’for the industry, by the industry and of the industry”. And this is what Ajay Kakar, Ajay Kakar, Chairperson of Awards Governing Council Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show and Managing Committee Member The Advertising Club, told MxMIndia in a virtual chat with MxMindia on Thursday evening.
Like last year’s edition, the Abby Awards are powered by One Show and have received a total of 3506 entries as against 3301 last year. As many as 73 entrants for the Media Abby as against 63 last year. In Creative, there are 198 entrants as against 181 last year.
The total number of entries for Media Abby were 1258 this year (up from 1019 last year) and in the various categories under Creative, it’s been 2248 this year, as against 2282 last year. Digital, Mobile, and Technology, have collectively garnered 626 entries from 75 companies.
There were 23 jury chairs and 204 jurors across 23 categories. Of these there were 53 new, young, award-winning judges. There were 68 women amongst the judges (nine jury chairs are women).
So what’s new this year? Well, Lowe Lintas and McCann have entered in a bigger way, we are told. DDB Mudra and Famous Innovations are also there. Ogilvy continues to stay away.
A ‘Best Use of AI’ sub-category has been introduced as also Copywriting for web and digital craft has been added in still digital and digital verticals. A new vertical called Health has been added with sub-categories such as OTC Oral Medicines, OTC Products, Nutraceuticals among others. A new specialist agency award that has been introduced is Health Specialist of the Year for the best performance by a company in this vertical.
It’s difficult to believe that the Kyoorius Creative Awards is happening without Anant Rangaswami. While it’s the energy and drive of Kyoorius whole-and-soul Rajesh Kejriwal, its Rangaswami (Anant, to his friends) who ensured that the Kyoorius becomes a name to reckon with in adland as well. Until then, the paper merchant had earned its stripes with an excellent conference for the folks in design. Called Kyoorius Designyatra.
Happening this evening (Friday, May 24) is the 11th edition of the Kyoorius Creative Awards (KCA). As many as five dozen jurors populated the juries for varos disciplines and categories. All the jurors are listed at: https://www.kca.kyoorius.com/kca24-jury. KCA has also introduced the Next Jury, a group of six creatives from the industry who were given a chance to attend and shadow a jury group from start to finish. According to a communique, the aim of the exercise is to expose participants to the nitty-gritties of the judging process, and help them understand what it takes to be a juror – to be able to distinguish great from good.
So what’s new this year? “Besides various tweaks to the existing and popular award disciplines and categories, the eleventh edition of the Kyoorius Creative Awards also introduced new specialist awards for Health and Pharma, Regional Advertising and Creativity In PR.”
And how many entries? Kyoorius received over 3600 entries from over 280 entrants to the awards this year, the highest ever since it started. Only 1060 entries made it to the First List after the first round of online judging.
What else is new? The GiveBack initiative. For every entry that did not make it into the First List (i.e. beyond the First Round of judging) at the KCA, Kyoorius is giving back 50% of the entry fee to the entrant. According to an industry insider, Kejriwal is said to be paying back around Rs 1.25 crore to entrants.
Post the in-person jury session, 282 entries emerged as winners of the Baby Elephant (In-Book winners). How many win a Blue Elephant, or if a Black Elephant (equivalent of a Grand Prix) will be seen at the Awards Night. There are no golds, silvers or bronze medals. Instead, only the work that deserves recognition wins an Elephant.
“GiveBack was not just a campaign idea for us – it was a way to recognise the pain points when it comes to award shows. We’ve already started the process and entrants are receiving their GiveBack money. We took this initiative to make the Kyoorius Creative Awards more accessible to smaller agencies and have recorded the highest number of entries this year,” said Rajesh Kejriwal, founder and CEO, Kyoorius.
And, yes, Zee is the sponsor of the Kyoorius Creative Awards. The fact that it continues to be its primary benefactor despite all that the entertainment conglomerate has gone through speaks a lot for Zee and Kyoorius. And the friendship of the two bosses.
Cheil India has been appointed as the creative agency for Luminous Power Technologies. The mandate us for Integrated Strategy, Creative, and Key Campaigns for Luminous Power Technologies, wherein Cheil will be responsible for taking Luminous’ vision forward through large campaigns as well as solar category enhancement led by digital.
Said Neelima Burra, Chief Strategy Transformation and Marketing Officer, Luminous Power Technologies: “Luminous is a leading brand in the energy solutions industry and is now strengthening its position in the rooftop solar segment. We aim to bolster the brand through innovative, meaningful, and purposeful consumer campaigns to effectively strengthen consumer affinity. With Cheil’s strong creative and marketing capabilities, we are excited to collaborate with them as we embark on the next phase of growth for brand and business.”
Added Neeraj Bassi, Chief Growth Officer, Cheil India. “We are excited to partner with Luminous Power Technologies as they seek to reinvent themselves. It is a great opportunity for us to showcase the breadth of integrated capabilities that we offer to our clients and help them achieve their business goals. We look forward to doing some exemplary work in this category with them.”
If you looked at recent CMO surveys and panel discussions lately, artificial intelligence (AI) and influencer marketing are on top of the agenda. 81% of US marketers say that influencer marketers is an essential part of their social media strategy; 77% of Indian marketers are confident in their agency’s capability to effectively manage influencer campaigns[1]. At the same time, 81% marketers say that AI has had a positive impact on their work[2]; and over three quarters of Indian marketers (78%) say they are ready to embrace AI[3].
Fashion brand Myntra created the virtual influencer Maya, incorporated her into the studio section of the Myntra app, where she doles out fashion advice apart from advocating mental health, inclusivity and body positivity. ‘Based out of Bangalore, and a student’, she has a follower base of 178K already, and endorses brands like L’Oreal.
Eva’s Instagram account @avabeyondreality described itself as a “Sustainable Tech Queen & Racing Rebel Robot”, with the goal of fueling inclusion through AI innovation. It documented the virtual influencer’s life through 11 posts, the first of which dated back to 8 December 2023.
