By A Correspondent
Godrej Security Solutions launched its #BaapBaapHotaHai campaign, an offbeat campaign that highlights the relationship between a father and his teenage son. Conceptualised by JWT, the campaign concludes with a message that behind every smart son, there is a smarter father.
By A Correspondent
Mankind Pharma has released a campaign, #SpreadingKindness that conceptualised and executed by ADK Fortune. It has been produced by Jamura films and directed by Tathagata Singa.
Commenting on the campaign, Rajeev Juneja, CEO, Mankind Pharma said: “We wanted to talk about our corporate philosophy through an endearing and simple story rather than talking directly about our achievements. We don’t just stand for quality medicines but also for how we make it accessible to the masses.â€
Added Akashneel Dasgupta, National Creative Director, ADK Fortune: “We wanted the story to look authentic and not staged. The challenge was to make it believable and not lofty or preachy.â€
By A Correspondent
L’Oréal has announced the appointment of Amit Jain as its India Managing Director, effective August 1, 2018. He succeeds Jean-Christophe Letellier who, after five years in the role, will take on another key position within the L’Oréal group.
Jain will be L’Oréal India’s first Indian Managing Director. His career spans over 30 years with companies across countries such as ICI, Coca-Cola, Viacom and Akzo Nobel. In his last role, Amit held the position of Managing Director, North-West Europe for Akzo Nobel, based in Amsterdam.
Said Pierre-Yves Arzel, Vice President – South Asia Pacific Zone, L’Oréal: “We believe that Amit’s rich global experience with a deep understanding of India, transformational leadership skills and inclusive personality will be an important asset in further developing L’Oréal’s business in India. His mission is to build on our rich talent base and global brands, to make L’Oréal India an engine for growth in Asia. We welcome Amit to the L’Oréal family and wish him all the best.”
Jain will also look after Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. He will report to Arzeland additionally to JochenZaumseil, Vice President, APAC.
By Prabhakar Mundkur
A week ago, The Times of India flashed a provocative headline “Has Santoor overtaken Lux as India’s No 2 brand?â€. At first, I couldn’t make sense of it. Because of the sentence construction. I thought to myself while reading it “Has Santoor overtaken Lux as India’s No 1 brand?†would have been a clearer headline making the point definitively that Santoor is the largest soap brand now in the country (for whatever reason). The same article later on went on to say that according to Nielsen data for the quarter Jan-March 2018 Lux has a value market share of 13.4 % while Santoor has a market share of 9%.
That to me sounded like it was inconsistent with the misleading headline which was perhaps put there for some sensational reporting on the soap market.
Admittedly, Lux may have suffered losses in market share because I handled the brand in India in the 90s and its market share was around 19-20%. The market was around 400,000 tonnesaround at that time. Now it is expected to be closer to 600,000 tonnes. Which means that Lux has declined in a market that has grown over the last 25 years or so. However, whether Santoor is bigger than Lux, was a fact not adequately supported in The Times of India article.
In any case, more than the Times of India article it was a celebration on social media from the people who belonged to the ad agency (FCB-Ulka) that had handled it for the longest period of time of about 25 years. The tragic part of the entire mass media and social media sensationalism was that Santoor is not handled by FCB-Ulka anymore. In fact, the account is handled by ADK Fortune. And kudos to ADK Fortune for being the agency when Santoor reached this historic milestone, that is if it did.
As far as Lux is concerned, it is a well-known fact that the brand has historically been milked by Unilever in every part of the world. In a book by John Philip Jones called “Does it pay to Advertise?â€, Professor Jones had lamented on the decline of this great brand called Lux from a global market share of 33% once upon a time to under double-digit share in most markets at the time of his writing the book.
The Star Relationship Programme on Lux
In many ways, India was perhaps the last bastion of Lux. Once upon a time, before we knew words like ‘relationship management’ and ‘direct marketing’ in the 1980s, the team on Lux would handle a regular relationship building program with about 200 film stars in the country. The team handling the brand would be in regular touch with the stars, sending them birthday cards and flowers on their birthdays and arranging for photo sessions with the late photographer of repute, Gautam Rajyadhaksha who once said that every Lux campaign was Unilever acknowledging that you had become a star and the star in turn saying a thank you to Lux.
An outside consultant who had spent his entire career in the film industry and had an excellent relationship with Hollywood stars would make regular visits to meet them. He was the chief of PR with stars. As a result, most stars considered it a privilege to be featured in a Lux print ad or film and would do it for free or perhaps sometimes for just a nominal fee. These were the golden days of Lux. They thought of Lux as furthering their image and publicity in the media and therefore a step up the Bollywood ladder of fame. So, it was truly the soap of the stars, rather than the soap of Kareena Kapoor for just a year which is where the brand is now. In fact, the Lux teams used to shoot at least 12 Lux films a year with a dozen different stars, many of them regional stars. Lux had a deep and enduring relationship with every female star. The recent Deepika commercial was pretty much made with the classical values that Lux has always been known for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3cZ-Rc5-p8
One of the tricks of handling the star portfolio for Lux was to catch them young. The moment an upcoming star made her appearance in Bollywood the Lux team was there to make friends with her and promote her image in the local film magazines of the day.
Lux was glamour personified. Lux was about the private moments of the star. The ‘star on a pedestal’ image. Distant but alluring. Not the film star putting her head out of a car to scream at someone littering the road. That was never Lux. The Lux soap advertisement  showcased the glamour of the female star in Indian cinema. And gave the consumer a peek into her life.
Lux was about the glamourous world of the star and her inner sanctum sanctorum with Lux where she spoilt herself with a luxury bath with Lux. That is what made it the soap of the stars.
But whose soap is it now?
Prabhakar Mundkur is a veteran advertising agency captain who is now a strategy consultant, educator and a prolific writer. The views here are personal
By A Correspondent
In the run up to the International Yoga Day today (June 21), Zee Media extended its support to Castrol India Limited on a health and well-being campaign addressing the health concerns of truck drivers.
Castrol Truck aasanas, developed as a result of a health and well-being survey conducted with over 1000 truckers, were launched a day ahead of the International Yoga Day in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh in an event hosted by Zee Media.
Said Kedar Apte, VP – Marketing, Castrol India: “We have been working with truck drivers for several decades now and have built a strong and enduring relationship with them. Through our long association with them, we have gained valuable insights about their lives and working conditions.  One of the key insights is the fact that most truck drivers in India end up neglecting their own health while struggling to make a decent living.
Added Mehraj Dube, Marketing Head of Zee Media: “This is a phenomenal initiative and we all at ZEE Media are very proud of being a part of it. Truck drivers are the backbone of India’s flourishing economy, so if they are healthy, our economy remains healthy.”
By A Correspondent
GroupM agency Wavemaker has retained the media mandate for Policybazaar.com and Paisabazaar.com. Wavemaker has been media AOR for Policybazaar.com since 2011.
Speaking on the successful retention, Kartik Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Wavemaker – South Asia said: “We are delighted to continue our association with Policybazaar.com and Paisabazaar.com. Working with India’s largest Insuretech and Fintech brands for close to 7 years now, has been an extremely interesting and fulfilling experience for the team. By connecting our pillars of media, content and technology, I am confident we can demonstrate our understanding of consumer journey and help the brand achieve their business objectives efficiently.â€
Added Navin Khemka, Managing Partner, Wavemaker India: “It has been a very exciting journey. Our focus has always been on achieving client’s business objectives of building a new category in India. We have demonstrated unmatched media value and innovative media approaches for business results.â€
By A Correspondent
Taco Bell has just launched a unique potato-centric take on the traditional taco. Its new digital film starring comedian Tanmay Bhat connects with Taco Bell’s mission of making potato great.
Commenting on the launch of Crispy Potaco, Sidharth Shukla, Vice President and Head of Digital, Ogilvy Delhi said: “Getting the opportunity to launch another innovative product such as the Crispy Potaco for Taco Bell India was truly awesome. Everyone was geared up, all set to break previous milestones that we had established on both the creative and the business front. And for a product variety that we eat so much of, but barely give it a second thought.
By A Correspondent
Brand Factory has deployed a 360 degree brand campaign across Mumbai – redefining its positioning in the city.
Said Roch D’Souza, Marketing Head, Brand Factory:“There are many similarities between Mumbai and Brand Factory. Just Like Cutting chai, Brand Factory is cutting Prices 365 days with discounts! We wanted to celebrate many such similarities through our campaign and made sure we imbibe the true spirit of Mumbai and that’s how #MadeForMumbai came to life everything we did on digital, print, outdoor or radioâ€
By A Correspondent
Mahindra Lifespaces has retained Gozoop as its digital partner. As a part of the mandate, the leading integrated marketing agency would be handling MLDL’s social media management, social media – media spends and online reputation management.
Said Sunil Kumar Sharma, Vice President – Marketing & CRM, Mahindra: “In the course of our association, Gozoop has played a significant role in helping build our brand in the online space. The team has consistently demonstrated adequate capabilities and worked towards staying a step ahead in terms of driving our performance and establishing customer relationships with their market understanding. We are happy to have them on board again as our digital partners in the social media space.â€
Added Rohan Bhansali, Director & Co-Founder, Gozoop: “We have been helping Mahindra Lifespaces build their brand since 2015. With a body of solid award winning work for the brand, we are naturally happy to further the relationship into 2019. We will continue to help Mahindra Lifespaces deliver its brand promise of Joyful Homecomings. Together, we have the opportunity to transform, optimize and scale the real estate brand’s digital marketing initiatives.â€
By A Correspondent
Video marketing analytics platform Vidooly is partnering Xaxis to launch a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) brand safety tool for Xaxis customers. The tool analyses all YouTube content to ensure contextual safety for specific brand values, enabling the prevention of ad placement in (or adjacent to) pornography, violence, illegal acts, communal videos and other suggestive content which could adversely affect brand’s reputation.
Said Nishant Radia, CMO and Co-founder, Vidooly: “Brand Safety is a key challenge for marketers advertising online. Recently in the US, around 300 brands were found advertising on YouTube channels promoting Nazis, propaganda and videos about white nationalists. Due to unsafe videos/ channels, at times advertisers have paused their video campaigns to secure the safety of their brands, but now advertisers have a powerful new tool to create a safety program appropriate to their brands. We aim to expand the scope and availability of this tool pan India and also globally in the next 12 months.â€
Added Tushar Kalra, Head of Programmatic Trading, Xaxis: “Long gone are the days when advertisers could simply rely on reaching audiences in carefully curated programming environments. Most brands today have scaled their advertising on digital platforms like YouTube, where most content is user-generated, but their needs for mature and safe ad products and environments persist. Although it is not possible to eliminate all risks in user-generated media, our clients’ hard-won brand reputations must be protected with the best efforts possible. We appreciate our partnership with Vidooly to provide our clients with better brand safety controls, and we believe it’s essential that all digital platforms carrying ad-supported user-generated content do the same.
By A Correspondent
Supari Studios has produced the latest campaign for Clinique for the product, Moisture Surge.
Said Anna Joseph, Director of the film: “The brief we received was that the film had to cover different moments over 72 hours in Sanya Malhotra’s life. As a young actress her days are filled with all sorts of activities – from photo shoots to rigorous dance rehearsals to downtime with friends – we wanted to give the viewer an insight into her personality as well as establish how Moisture Surge is a product she relies on to keep her skin looking great through the day. We tried to intersperse the product shots organically through the film so they felt like a part of her regular routine. We kept the camera movement fluid and made her interact with the camera as much as possible so it would feel like you’re moving with her through different parts of her day. Lastly, we made sure to put her essence into the film so that it felt natural and fun. She’s a great dancer and a very positive, happy person – it was important to bring that out in the film.â€
Added Mitali Sharma, Executive Producer, Supari Studios: “When Clinique came to us with the brief for this project, we knew that the 72 hour factor of the product would be pivotal. There’s so much that happens in 72 hours of any person’s life especially someone like Sanya, so this film is extremely relatable for anyone that watches it. When developing the narrative and script for this we felt that the mood and theme of this film would resonate with the target audience “
By A Correspondent
Baggit has launched its new brand campaign titled #PutItOnTheTable. Led by their brand ambassador Shraddha Kapoor, it will showcase instances where Baggit will encourage women to speak their mind.
Commenting on the campaign launch Nina Lekhi, MD & Chief Design Curator, Baggit, said: “We have come a long way since the birth of Baggit. The campaign #PutItOnTheTable seeks to give a strong voice to our women express themselves. The innovative multimedia campaign launch will help us create a positive recall for the brand and keep up with the fast pace with which the brand is growing. Shraddha has very beautifully captured the message in the campaign. The initial response from our audience has been very encouraging and I look forward to bringing this campaign alive on ground as well.â€