MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies

    Jury meets to select winners of the 9th Mirchi KAAN Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ninth edition of the Mirchi Kaan Awards had an unprecedented response when the Ad gurus met to select the best radio ads of 2011. There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies. And the number of entries for the Best Use of Radio as a Medium saw a tripling of entries to a record 31. Entries were spread across 15 categories, ranging from food to cosmetics.

     

    The winners will be felicitated at a gala event hosted by Cyrus Broacha on April 17 at Comedy Store, Phoenix Mills. The Mirchi KAAN Awards was introduced in 2004 to celebrate creativity in the challenging and evolving field of radio advertising. Over the years it has recognised and honoured ground-breaking and original radio campaigns.

     

    Speaking about the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards, GG Jayanta, National Marketing Head, Radio Mirchi, said: “Every year the stakes get higher. In our 9th edition, the entries and the number of participating agencies have doubled. This is a testament to the prestige that winning a KAAN award gives. I thank the jury for having taken the time out of their busy schedule and selecting the winning entries.”

     

    The eminent jury included stalwarts like Pratap Suthan, Priti Nair, Amit Akali, Malvika Mehra, Manohar Nayak, Josy Paul, Rekha Nigam, Deepa Krishnan, Ramanuj Shastry, Tista Sen, Sonal Dabral and Ravi Deshpande.

     

    Sharing his thoughts about the quality of entries received this year, Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director- BBDO India, said:  “Radio is a very personal and one to one medium. Hence good execution is of utmost importance. There has been resurgence in lot of fresh ideas this year which has lead to more freshness in programming.”

     

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said: “I am on the Mirchi KAAN Jury for the very first time this year and I am quite excited to be a part of this process. Radio as a medium has a lot of potential. Unlike earlier, a lot of brands have now started including and demanding for Radio advertisements to be included in the overall marketing campaign.”

     

    Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising, said: “Advertising is always evolving, and especially radio advertising has seen tremendous amount of growth. Interesting trends of conversations are always happening and it’s nice to see them getting adapted to the medium of radio”.

     

    Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “It’s fun to be a part of the Mirchi KAAN Awards. New writers are coming in, innovative projects are being showcased. As a jury member it is a pleasant experience to watch this fantastic trend”.

     

    Amit Akali, National Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, said: “The Tony Hertz workshop for these aspirants as a run-up to the main KAAN Awards is a commendable initiative by Radio Mirchi. The workshop will help the listeners to learn the nuances of radio advertising and improve the quality”.

     

    This year the theme of the Mirchi KAAN Awards’ ‘Listen, Learn, Shine’ focuses solely on the quality of work in the developing industry of radio advertising. Celebrated and renowned ad guru, Tony Hertz, will conduct a seminar on the art and craft of radio advertising for the aspirants from various ad agencies on April 17 as a build up to the Awards night. ET Now is the television partner and Afaqs.com is the digital partner of the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards.

     

  • Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. People will either recall Salman and his antics, and forget all about the brand, or the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall

    Debrief: Yatra.com: Dangerous strategy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Totally filmi commercial from Yatra.com, the travel portal. They have hired the services of Salman Khan and have packed in all the masala Sallu bhai’s flicks contain. And of course, the macho hero does what he does best in his movies: Act himself.

     

    Salman plays some sort of a travel agent who spends all the ad time making fun of a partner/customer over the wig the man is wearing. Basically all the nonsense Khan indulges in on the big screen. Of course, we have no idea how Salman fits into Yatra.com and how exactly we get better deals. What happens in the ad is what happens in Salman’s movies: He totally hijacks the show.

     

    Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. This is like a loaded dice that can swing any which way. People will either recall Salman and his antics and forget all about the brand (what Yatra.com does for you gets lost in all the filmi drama). Or, the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall when one is planning to travel. He could improve the brand saliency. Only time will tell Yatra.com if they’ve benefited from the actor or if they’ve pissed away a whole lot of money.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75PU4RwdXJU[/youtube]

    Just one small side observation: A little birdie tells me the middle aged hero has got hair weaving done inDubai. In which case, should the joke not be on him? 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5 Marks only for the entertainment Salman provides.

  • Signs up exclusively with Alliance Media & Entertainment

    Kamal Haasan finally says ‘yes’ to endorsing brands

    By A Correspondent

     

    One of India’s most loved and popular superstars from South Indian and Hindi cinema, Padma Shri actor-writer-director Kamal Haasan will soon take up something he has never done in his 50-plus-years’ career. The superstar will take up brand endorsements, and has signed up exclusively with India’s leading celebrity and talent sourcing and management firm, Alliance Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

     

    Sunil Doshi, Founder & MD, Alliance Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd, said: “We are delighted that Kamal Haasan has signed up with us exclusively for our talent sourcing and Management services. He is a truly global Indian icon – a great actor, writer and film maker who is immensely respected, not only for his strong contribution to cinema, but also for his significant initiatives to help the underprivileged. We are honoured that a man of his stature has chosen us to represent his interests, and we look forward to working closely with him.”

     

    It is well known that that Kamal Haasan has converted his legions of fans and fan clubs into a social service organization. This has set a precedent that has percolated through the audiences and has resulted in a social service and awareness movement. All the activities are also self-funded by the fans themselves as a personal initiative, which is strongly supported by Mr. Kamal Haasan.

     

    Revealing why Kamal Haasan has decided to go in for brand endorsement, Mr Doshi said: “Mr Kamal Haasan has certain plans for his work in social service, but is also unwilling to rely on external sources of funding those plans. Therefore, he feels that endorsements with leading companies and brands that have a strong commitment to society and causes would be an appropriate and independent means of fulfilling his vision.”

     

    On why he has signed up exclusively with Alliance Media to represent him, Kamal Haasan said: “I have signed up with Sunil Doshi’s Alliance Media because I believe it is India’s most respected talent management firm and is known to provide excellent strategic counsel to several top celebrities and personalities. I look forward to yet another first – that of brand endorsement – in my creative life, and to keep being able to do my bit for society.”

     

    Mr Doshi said: “We shall soon announce which brand Mr Kamal Haasan will be endorsing. Mr Kamal Haasan is known for his ideals and principles, and needless to say, we shall advise him to pick a brand that fits with his values and stature, and will have a campaign to match.”

     

    Alliance Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd has exclusively managed and been associated with some of the biggest celebrities and personalities of India, along with some of the most respected corporates. Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan are other superstars who have signed up exclusively with Alliance Media.

     

    Sunil Doshi, who has been advising superstar Amitabh Bachchan for close to two decades now, has also been associated with superstars like Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherji, Govinda, Fardeen Khan and Sonali Bendre, among others.

     

    Mr Doshi was instrumental in Amitabh Bachchan signing the historical Kaun Banega Crorepati deal, which completely changed fortunes in the Indian Cable & Satellite Television Industry. He has also been associated with ace writer-director-producer Karan Johar and was instrumental in suggesting his name for the popular multiple-series chat show Koffee with Karan.

     

    Alliance Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is a Mumbai based media & entertainment company which, through the past 12 years has earned premium expertise and market stature in celebrity & talent sourcing & management, film production, acquisition and distribution; ad film and TV program production and home video distribution.

     

    It has also been associated with several top corporates, including Idea Cellular, Pepsi Co, ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance,  Omega and Max New York Life Insurance, among others. The company has also been instrumental in the formation of the world cinema channel Lumiere Movies, which is part of Turner International (earlier known as NDTV Lumiere).

     

  • Based in Mumbai, Ms Sarin will work closely with the client servicing and creative teams to manage key clients inIndia,Singapore, Africa and the Middle East

    DY Works appoints Ashita Sarin as Senior GM-Marketing

    By A Correspondent

     

    DY Works (erstwhile dma branding and yellow design), a brand strategy and brand design firm has further strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Ashita Sarin as senior General Manager – Marketing. Based in Mumbai, Ms Sarin will work closely with the client servicing and creative teams to manage key clients in India, Singapore, Africa and the Middle East.

     

    A graduate of Parson’s School of Design, New York, Ms Sarin has over seven years of client management experience, including a stint at Landor Associates, New York and India. A dynamic professional with extensive experience in brand building & client relationship, Ms Sarin has worked on brands like Procter & Gamble, American Express, Tata Group, Mahindra & Mahindra, Taj, Cafe Coffee Day, Tata Realty and Infrastructure Limited, and Hindustan Construction Company among others.

     

    Alpana Parida, President, DY Works, said: “DY Works has always endeavoured to tread new paths in the world of brand building. Ashita brings to the table vast  experience across industries in Indian and international markets. We are confident that with her leadership DY Works will actively grow new client base and expand our existing relationships inIndiaand abroad.”

     

    On her move to DY Works, Ms Sarin said: “At DY Works, I was struck by the passion to make a difference to customers’ brands. The people and the team that I will work with are extremely enthusiastic. To work with HUL as a customer and to be able to deliver value to them consistently is a challenge as well as a huge opportunity. I look forward to partnering with the clients in understanding Indian consumer behaviour and bring my experience to make the brand building exercise more successful.”

     

  • They used to be among the most coveted honours for creative talent but at 63rd Cag awards last Saturday, only young talent & a veteran were recognised

    Why Cag has stopped awarding seniors

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    (with generous inputs from a speech by Gangadharan Menon)

     

    Those who’ve been part of the ad and media fraternity for less than a decade may be wondering why the Big Story today is on the Cag Awards. In fact the only CAG in their lives is perhaps the Comptroller and Auditor General, better known for unearthing scams and irregularities so very frequently.

     

    The reason why most of our youth is unaware of what Cag is has perhaps got to do with the decay that has set into the way ad awards were being conducted. Communication Arts Guild, or Cag (written in upper-lower as against all caps) as is popularly known as in advertising circles, was founded in 1950. The sole purpose then, and now, is to spot, nurture and reward talent in the field of creative communications. Initially it started off specifically for commercial artists, but over the years it expanded to include all forms of creative communications. And in fact, the name too changed from Commercial Artists Guild to Communication Arts Guild to reflect this change.

     

    The highlight every year was the Annual Cag Awards in various communication categories, culminating in the Art Director of the Year and the Cag Hall of Fame. The following year would see the release of the Cag Annual that would feature the previous year’s awardwinning work.

     

    Somewhere in the mid-90s, the much-coveted Cag Awards were discontinued. Reason: the unchecked and uncontrolled proliferation of what came to be known as scam advertising. Meaning, advertising that was never released in mass media, but was created only for the purpose of winning awards. The client was fictitious (or perhaps that cobbler or panwallah down the road who never needed any advertising), the brief was non-existent and the media was unaware of their existence. When 90 per cent of the entries started belonging to this obnoxious category, Cag called it quits. And with it stopped the highly sought-after Cag Awards, and thereby dried up Cag’s only source of funding. But the very next year, Cag started the Young Cag Awards, to spot, nurture and reward the young creative talents in the various art colleges across the city. And for a dozen years, it has been feeding the advertising and allied applied arts industries with a steady stream of young talent.

     

    Over the academic year, Cag holds various workshops by practising professionals, and at the end of the year conducts a meticulous talent hunt across all art colleges. Starting this year, the hunt has been extended to art colleges across the country. This culminates in various awards given across categories: Cub Illustrator, Cub Photographer, Cub Copywriter, Cub Typographer, Cub Designer, Cub Ideator and Cub Art Director of the Year. An exhibition of this awardwinning work is held every year after the awards function to inspire younger students to excel in the creative communications field.

     

    These awards are purely funded by the interest earned from the earlier kitty generated by the Cag Awards for Professionals. There is no fresh source of funding as Cag doesn’t believe in charging award entry fees to students. The people who work for Cag do it pro bono, merely giving back to an industry that gave them fame and fortune.

     

    In the year 2010, Cag took a decision to go digital. And it digitised around 36 Cag Annuals and put them on its website. This is a treasure-trove of advertisements that appeared between 1950 and 1995; and is the only source for students, academicians and professionals who want to understand the creative evolution of Indian Advertising.

     

    One of the recognitions that continued uninterrupted is the prestigious Cag Hall of Fame. A citation and award that recognises and acknowledges an individual’s seminal contribution in the field of creative communications, spanning a few decades. This illustrious Hall has already inducted various luminaries into its hallowed precincts: Kersy Katrak, Panna Jain, Ravi Gupta, Frank Simoes, Gerson da Cunha, Avinash Godbole, Arun Kale and Arun Kolhatkar.

     

    This year, Kiran Nagarkar was inducted into the Cag Hall of Fame. For his outstanding contribution in pioneering some of the finest campaigns in Indian advertising and for his versatile talent in other fields of creative writing: as a playwright, screenplay writer and an award-winning novelist.

     

    Nagarkar made a plea to the audience to not let Cag to die and made a clarion call to young creative professionals to shun scam advertising.

    # #

     

    What would you expect creative boys and girls to be doing on a Saturday morning? Majorly hung over, getting off their beds a little before noon? Guess we’ve got it all wrong. On Saturday, April 7, right in the middle of the looong Good Friday weekend, Cag held its 63rd annual awards function. At the Ravindra Natya Mandir at Prabhadevi. Since most of the award-winners were students, it was a packed house. Except for the front rows since the ad fraternity and some of the other leading lights among ‘communication artists’ don’t appear to quite care about being present. “It’s perhaps because Cag is now essentially a students’ show with just one veteran being awarded,” said one senior art director.

     

    The Cag committee comprises veteran professionals like Samir Khanzode, Gangadharan Menon, Sunil Mahadik, Gopi Kukde, Brendan Pereira, Ranjan Joshi and Sachin Puthran. Cag, according to vice president Gangadhar Menon is clear it doesn’t want to revive the awards for seniors. Unfortunate, because surely there ought to be a way in which one should be able to eliminate scam ads. Or at least minimise them. Cag comprises and celebrates creativity. It must now find a creative (and effective) solution to the problem.

     

     

     

     

  • As part of her new portfolio, Ms Karna will be responsible for creation and marketing of shows designed for regional and Hindi GECs

    Simmi Karna appointed as Business Head for BIG Productions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. (RBNL) has announced a key appointment with Simmi Karna coming on board as the Business Head for BIG Productions, its television content production arm.

     

    As part of her new portfolio, Ms Karna will be responsible for creation and marketing of shows designed for regional and Hindi GECs. She will also be responsible for the P&L of BIG Productions and will report to the CEO of Reliance Broadcast Network, Mr. Tarun Katial.

     

    A molecular biologist by education, Ms Karna was drawn to the television industry as she began researching and writing for television in 1997. Over the last 15 years, she has worked across leading brands in the television industry ranging from Zee, Channel V and IMG, as a writer and creative director across genres of fiction, non-fiction, sports, fashion, among others. Her last assignment, prior to joining BIG Productions, was with Balaji Tele Films as the Chief Revenue Officer.

     

    Commenting on her appointment, Mr Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, said: “Simmi’s vast experience across a variety of genres with her erudite stamp on programming makes her an asset to the organization. Her ability to ideate and conceptualize on the basis of audience preferences, while ensuring in line with clients’ briefs is her strength which will work excellently when coupled with her people management skills to lead the business into its next level of growth.”

     

    On her appointment at BIG Productions, Ms Karna said: “I look forward to working with the young and dynamic team at BIG Productions. The television industry is geared for exploratory programs and these are really exciting times for TV inIndia. RBNL has some great properties for television and I look forward to a challenging and exciting career in television production.”

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands.

  • This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story

    Anil Thakraney: What lessons have we learnt from Aarushi?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Aarushi is back in the news. And it’s quite obvious that the media heat on the 2008

     

    Aarushi Talwar killing in Noida has kept the investigation going. Just as it happened in the Jessica Lal murder case. If the media hadn’t given so much attention to this crime, Aarushi’s X-file would most likely have been closed a long time ago. So far so good.

     

    However, the manner in which the electronic media has covered the story in the last four years has been nothing short of unfair and unethical. It’s one thing to put pressure on crime investigation; it’s another thing to break every single tenet of journalism with impunity. I recall the two extremes that were played out on the TV channels in the aftermath of the murder. On the one hand, there were the Star News reporters busy re-enacting the murder and virtually declaring that the parents were the killers. On the other hand there was Sonia Varma of NDTV in a chat show with Aarushi’s mom, not just bonding with her but making every visible effort to make the lady appear victimized. And in between these two extremes there has been a whole lot of speculation raging on, and every single news channel is guilty of it. What took the cake was the narco-analysis tests of the suspects being freely broadcast for public consumption!

     

    No, I am not saying for a second that the intentions of the anchors/reporters were motivated. But it is equally true that without realizing it, they have been sending all good journalism practices for a toss. This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story. This sort of a public tamasha doesn’t happen anywhere in the world media, apart from a few yellow tabloids.

     

    Click on the image for larger view

    No, after four long years, we still don’t know who killed Aarushi. Maybe we’ll never know. But thanks to an over-excitable media, many reputations have been tarnished forever. Question is: Have we learnt our lessons? I suspect not. I have a strong feeling that in the mad chase for TRPs we will make the same mistakes all over again.

     

    Sad.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Fantastic press ad. Reminds me of the golden days of Trikaya andEnterprise, when the agency writers would churn out stunning prose. This advert kills all the myths that float around about press ads. That people don’t read long copy. That you have to say things straight and quick. That press ads are at best a reminder medium. All nonsense.

     

  • CNBC-TV18 presents Boardroom, the premier show which provides comprehensive earnings analysis of the India Inc

    India Inc prepares for earnings season, expectations muted: CNBC-TV18

    By A Correspondent

     

    It has been a tough 12 months for India Inc. and expectations are subdued from the Q4 results. Political uncertainties continue to plague the markets, revenue and margin are under pressure and the rupee is on tenterhooks. Investors and analysts are not expecting any positive surprises this time around. A disappointing Q4 may lead to a loss in confidence and money moving out of the markets. Questions are already being asked if Indian growth story is losing its sheen and investors are hoping that there is no further negative news.

     

    As the earnings season looks set to provide the barometer for the market sentiment of the nation’s economy, CNBC-TV18 presents ‘Boardroom’, the premier show which provides comprehensive earnings analysis of the India Inc. at the end of this financial year.

     

    The earnings season will start with earnings estimates, analyst views and brokers polls. The day of the results will feature management interviews and stock update of some ofIndia’s largest companies. This will be followed by analysis on Boardroom with the company board, top management, CEOs, noted analysts and fund managers.

     

    CNBC-TV18’s editorial team will go behind the numbers and aim to bring the definitive insights that help to make the best investing decisions. Join the team led by Udayan Mukherjee & Mitali Mukherjee as they discuss the annual number and how this may set the tone for the next move in the markets.

     

    The show kicks off with the Infosys earnings numbers on April 13, and will continue to track the market defining companies through the earnings season.

     

    CNBC-TV 18, an English business news channel, has been an integral part of the Indian economic story, spearheading and mirroring these enterprising times. The channel’s coverage extends from corporate news, financial markets coverage, expert perspective on investing and management to industry verticals and beyond.

     

    The Network18 Group is a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses.

     

  • New DelhiandBangalorelead the viewership with 14 per cent each, with Mumbai coming in a close second at 13 percent

    IPL 2012 first week online viewership registers a 56% increase

    By A Correspondent

     

    Solidifying last year’s stupendous growth during Indian Premier League (IPL), Times Internet Limited (TIL), in partnership with YouTube, is on an upward curve, yet again. In the first week of the tournament, including the opening ceremony, the IPL website has already recorded 13.7 million views, as against 8.8 million views last year. This represents a 56 per cent growth over last year.

     

    New DelhiandBangalorelead the viewership with 14 per cent each, with Mumbai coming in a close second at 13 percent. This leap reflects the growing trend of watching IPL matches online. This year, the IPL website offers a virtual battleground for fans to fight it out, which got 1.5 million engagements in the first week itself.

     

    The matches registered the maximum online views on 10th April for the matches between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, and between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. The day saw a total of 2.15 million views on the site, which included 0.7 million unique visitors.

     

    Almost 0.6 million viewers have enjoyed the match action on their mobiles over the last seven days on Apalya mobile TV platform across Airtel, Idea and Vodafone. This is double the traffic registered last year.

     

    Rishi Khiani, CEO, Times Internet Ltd said: “Last year, we delivered a superior viewing experience and garnered significant audiences. This year, our emphasis is on higher interactivity and our strong social focus has paid off right at the start, becoming a sign of things to come over the season.”

     

    Praveen Sharma, Head of Media Sales GoogleIndiasaid: “We’re really excited to see the continuous growth in online viewer ship of IPL. This is the third year of our association with live streaming of IPL and the viewership numbers clearly indicate the distributed media consumption pattern of the Indian consumers.”

     

  • Co-writer of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’- Bobby Whitlock – to headline Purvankara Indigo n Blues alongsideTexaslegendary blues rock heavyweight Van Wilks Band

    3rd edition of Indigo n Blues Festival promises treat for music-lovers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Indigo Live on Thursday announced the launch of its third edition of Indigo n Blues Festival, one of the most anticipated international jazz and blues festival in the country. The festival will be held on the May 18 and 19 at theEdenGarden, Palace Grounds Bangalore.

     

    Spokesperson of Indigo Live announced that the festival will be headlined by Bobby Whitlock, who is perhaps better known for being a member of the band Derek & the Dominos, recording and co-producing one of Rock and Rolls, most important records in history “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”.

     

    He remains the only true writing partner of Eric Clapton, writing memorable songs such as ‘Tell the Truth’, ‘Keep on Growing’, ‘I Looked Away’, ‘Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad’, ‘Any day’ and ‘Roll It Over’.

     

    Bobby Whitlock will present this show with his band Bobby Whitlock & CoCo Carmel.

     

    The other headlining artist at the festival will be theTexasblues rock guitar legend Van Wilks who has had the honour of playing duets with greats like Willie Nelson, Eric Johnson and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

     

    Trigam Mukherjee, A&R Associate of Indigo Live said: “ Both Bobby Whitlock and Van Wilks are legends that Bangalore will experience for the first time ever and will sure create ripples in the growth of the genre in India. Both Bobby and Van are excited at the opportunity to perform in a country which is experiencing a surge, especially in the international live music industry. They will present a genre of blues rock, not many in the country would have experienced live.”

     

    The festival will also see many Indian blues and jazz superstars performing alongside them. Blackstratblues, The Saturday Night Blues Band, Overdrive Trio, Adil and Vasundhara, Groove#3 from Chennai andBangalore’s very own Chronic Blues Circus.

     

    The festival promises to be a carnival set at the sereneEdenGardens. The celebration of the finest Jazz n Blues India can experience will be complimented by some sumptuous soul food which will be presented at the venue.

     

    In the past Indigo Blues have features artists like Café Du Sport, Adrian D’souza and Carl Peters, Konarak Reddy, Bob Bonastre, Kaya Quartet, Junckt, Agog from Amsterdam, Alain Brunet trio, Marilena Paradisi from Italy, Wanayran Angerer from Bahamas, Cyril Barbessol from France, Margie Perez from New Orleans, Barbara Jungfer and Holger Jetter from Germany, Matt Littlewood band from UK, Masala Dosa from France.

     

    This year, however, the focus shifts completely towardsAustin,Texas, the mecca of southern blues. The past two years have seen tremendous response from audience from not onlyBangalore, but also adjoining states in the southern region.

     

  • Fever 104 FM proudly supports Delhi Daredevils for the fifth consecutive year and Mumbai Indians for the third year in a row

    Fever is Official Radio Partner of Delhi & Mumbai IPL teams

    By A Correspondent

     

    The teams have changed, the stakes have changed, but Delhi Daredevils’ and Mumbai Indians’ official radio partner in this IPL season has not changed, it is Fever 104 FM yet again. Through changing times and constant churn in the world of IPL, the partnership between GMR Sports and Fever 104 FM has stayed unmoved and ‘not out’!

     

    Fever 104 FM, country’s most sports friendly radio station proudly supports Delhi Daredevils for the fifth consecutive year and Mumbai Indians for the third year in a row.

    For this special association, Fever 104 FM has planned an on-air festival of cricket with some innovative programming to help bring the heroes closer to their fans in both the cities. From giving away match tickets every 104th minute, meet and greet with the players to original IPL merchandise, Fever 104 FM promises to give its listeners experiences that money can’t buy.

     

    While Mumbai campaign talks about ‘RJ Sidhu aur Mumbaikars Honge Ek’ where the evening show RJ will bring together the city to cheer for their home team; the Delhi station is running a campaign of ‘Daredevils Ke Damaad’, where the on-air contest winner gets an exceptional treatment during the match. Another unique campaign by the Delhi station is the ‘Junior Daredevils’ which involves an on-air battles of parents and the winner’s child gets selected to walk with the players till the field.

     

    Fever 104 FM believes the game to be a perfect fit with its brand positioning and beliefs inDelhiand Mumbai. Cricket is a religion across the country and there can be no better opportunity than IPL to leverage this advantage. The radio station has always presented the game in a very distinct manner and intends to take the cricket madness further and amplifying the same on radio with a strong local connect.

     

    Mr. Harshad Jain, Business Head- Radio and Entertainment, Fever 104 FM, said: “It is an honour for us to partner with two of the best IPL teams – Delhi Daredevil and Mumbai Indians. The format of the game is very entertaining and highly active. Our programming initiatives, too, are equally fun and exciting. We aim to provide a platform for our listeners that will help them engage with the IPL team members in an enjoyable manner”.

     

  • Milestone Brandcom creates mesmerizing presence forSwitzerlandtourism across Mumbai

    Switzerland Tourism builds extended recall in Mumbai yet again

    By A Correspondent

     

    Milestone Brandcom, a leading, and fastest growing, integrated OOH brand communications agency inIndia, has executed a surreal campaign for Switzerland Tourism.

     

    This campaign was an extension of their last campaign – “We do whatever it takes to make your holidays perfect”. The core communication objective of the campaign was to fascinate and intrigue people with vibrant images of some the geographical diversity that can be found withinSwitzerland. The campaign tag line was “ExploreSwitzerland”.

     

    The main focus of the campaign was to showcase the different destinations inSwitzerlandalong with very special offers from tour operator partners in India Switzerland, the playground of Europe, has been the dream destination for tourists for decades. Extending across the north and south side of theAlps, it encompasses a great diversity of landscapes – shimmering glaciers, snowcapped mountains, lush meadows and beautiful villages. The climate inSwitzerlandis moderate, with no excessive heat, cold or humidity.

     

    A media plan encompassing 170 media touch points spread well across a selection of formats covering high traffic & footfalls along arterial roads. There was an assorted mix of media touch points such as Billboards, Backlit Bus Shelters, Backlit Pole Kiosks, Large format Mall Facades.

     

    As part of the campaign, to further deliver the desired impact, an exceptional innovation – of a cable car going skywards to & fro from the famousMt.Titlisthat stands tall at 10,000 Feet – was executed on a 30×20 billboard at a prime location at Worli Naka. The innovation was striking and strategically placed at one of the high traffic count traffic signals in Mumbai. It was visible to almost all vehicular & pedestrian traffic moving fromSouth Mumbaito Central and suburban areas of Mumbai.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Imtiyaz Vilatra, Founder Member & Managing Partner, Milestone Brandcom said: “The objective was to bring to light the mesmerizing diversity of landscapesSwitzerlandhas to offer. The campaign aims at targeting the upper middle class who more often than not, invest in a good vacation, the company has come up with various attractive welcoming offers to explore the immaculate beauty thatSwitzerlandhas to offer. The mesmerizing dream-like locations & attractive rates offered by the company, combined with the right media mix along key arterial routes helped in targeting the right audiences.”

     

    “Top of the mind recall & clutter breaking innovations are what separate an ordinary advertising & marketing campaign from a successful one. The objective was to utilize the OOH space effectively and build presence and reach along key arterial junctions & traffic points in order to reach the right TG. The campaign, executed by team Milestone, left no arterial route or media without our brand presence. I believe the work done on OOH in Mumbai was a critical success factor. Milestone Brandcom has delivered an excellent campaign right from planning to execution,” said Ritu Sharma, Interim Director, Switzerland Tourism.

     

    Milestone Brandcom is the fastest growing Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising & media company with operations in 42 cities acrossIndiaproviding services in over 1000 towns. The company offers through the line advertising solutions for brands nationally across multiple OOH media touch points. With a turnover of 220 crore in 2 years of operations, Milestone Brandcom is already amongst the top 3 OOH brand communication service providers inIndia.