Ather Energy, the electric vehicle company, has rolled out a new digital campaign, ‘Kali Ini Electric’, to celebrate its partnership with Kerala Blaster FC for the 7th season of the Indian Super League (ISL). Through this campaign, Ather Energy aims to build recognition for their electric scooters in Kerala and establish a seamless connection between their flagship product – the Ather 450X – and the people of Kerala.
Notes a communique: “The campaign played on the inherent love and passion the people of Kerala have for football and for their favourite sports teams. The campaign used a background voice-over in the style of the famed Malayalam commentator Shaiju Damodaran to showcase the beauty of an electric game – on the football pitch and while riding the Ather 450X electric scooter. The Ather 450X has seen a resounding response from consumers in Kerala, which is an important market for Ather Energy.”
The campaign is conceptualised and executed by Stark Communications.
HDFC Life has launched a campaign #AdhuraNahiPuraInsurance to encourage individuals calculate their ideal life cover with the help of the Human Life Value Calculator (HLV) in collaboration with their financial and life goals. The campaign comprises a series of three films featuring actor Pratik Gandhi.
Speaking on the campaign, Vishal Subharwal, Head – Marketing, Digital Business, and E-commerce, HDFC Life said: “India has a large population that is either uninsured or underinsured, leading to a high protection gap. With an increase in the young working population there is a greater need for life insurance to secure the breadwinner in the family. Further, the pandemic has enhanced the need for a financial safety net. Human Life Value calculation should ideally be the first step while purchasing life insurance. It ensures that the cover is adequate and fulfils the purpose of the policy. Through this campaign, we aim to create greater awareness of the need for adequate life insurance cover. The films are short, simple, and convey the message effectively. We hope to reach out to a larger audience and enable them to secure their future financially.”
Chai Garam Chai. Tea is my favourite hot drink. It rejuvenates and recharges. It helps you stay awake and it comes in all possible formats. So much so that you can often define how you want your tea. It can be strong- in truckers’ language – 100 KM tea- or the silver service tea with a touch of milk. You could have it with sugar, sugar-free, with Jaggery, salt or even butter. There is Tapri-waali chai people swear by and some prefer the cutting khullad tea at the station. Everyone has their own favourites. And while we are at chai- let me suggest you read the Khyaalon Ki Tapri , a collection of poetry by Meraj Hasan ‘Meem’ best enjoyed over a cup of cutting chai.
I love a well-made tea; however, I have toned down my consumption with age. My weakness for tea is well known among friends and relatives. but the whole family knows my weakness for tea. I love strong tea, where the tea leaves have been allowed to boil for some time in the water that has mashed Ginger pieces. In the last three decades, I moved from Taj to Bagh Bakri to Brooke Bond Red Label and settled for Society Masala tea. Each has its own taste.
The tea category in past has done some great advertising that I can watch repeatedly. All about awakening the body-mind and soul, initiation or re-building of relationships and more.
However, I was a bit surprised at the lack of advertising by tea brands during this election. Even though the election states are major tea consuming markets.
Were the brands playing safe? Not that I am aware of some ground-level activation.
I see Anoop Nautiyal and Abhilash Khandekar lamenting on Twitter about the low voting percentage in my native state- Uttarakhand. And, I think that tea brands have missed an opportunity there.
My respect for tea brand advertising started from the Lipton Tiger tea time– the kadakchai– and the tiger in the woods. At that time, I did not know how ads were filmed, and this one was as kadak (macho) as a tea brand could get.
Tata Tea The True Awakening.
Tata Tea took on elections and corruption in a big way. One of the few commercials that one can watch again and again. And the best part, they still make sense and are relevant to the situation.
The one ad was about the voter asking the candidate for his qualification- and the brand suggesting ‘subah Utho Nahi Jago’ left its mark. Then the brand took the subject to a new situation like the Airport, where ‘Yeh mahashay Nahi jaantey yeh Kaun hai’ brought a smile to the faces of the audience, appreciating the thought.
And I do think that some of us could have, if possible, shared this SOOCH BADLO ad by the brand in this election. If not the tea brand, the state of Uttarakhand does need such communication. It could have helped awaken the sleeping voters.
https://youtu.be/vuH3a1QAIek
Abhi Alarm Baja Nahi Hai ad by Tata Tea openly challenged and took the subject head-on. The national situation at that time provided a perfect context for the call for action. However, one must say that nothing has really changed, and the ad still remains relevant for the category, contextually and conceptually.
And, of course, the brand’s simple response to the Chai-paani call was equally relevant. I am not sure how much the situation has changed in this context. However, if I am to believe what I read and hear. In that case, Chai Paani is still in the system, and the communication is relevant.
BROOKE BOND- BONDING TOGETHER
Brooke Bond has been a brand that took on the idea of reconciliation and fair judgement, ethical values and awakening of a different type. The Brooke Bond Prejudice ad was one such example.
Brooke Bond did the Father and Son Khumb ad a few years back. It was a simple storyline with much simpler non-intrusive product brand integration that touched you emotionally.
Brooke Bond took the ‘Swaad Apnepan ka’ to a new level of acceptance of live-in couples. A subject that was still much taboo at that time.
Brooke Bond Red label extended the game of these relationships with their secularism ad- between neighbours from a different community. The resistance, the hesitation and the final tipping were well captured. And then they another ad along similar lines of two friends with varying restrictions of communities- ‘Swaad Apnepan ka- Maa Ko Sorry Bol Dungs’.
Wagh Bakri Relationship
Wagh Bakri tea took on husband-wife relationships to a new level of explanation and adjustments. Both the ads are well made for their time, and well, even at the cost of repeating myself – they are still relevant.
Wagh Bakri also had a series of three films – Doosto Waali Chai, Sister Waali Chai and Papa Waali chai. Each picking on one relationship and linking it to the collective sharing of tea. There was also one National integration film– with tea as the link- but it was too soft for kadak tea lovers.
Not everyone’s cup of tea.
Yes, I miss this contextually purpose-led communication by the brands. Can these not be redesigned and calibrated? Why do brands move out of such excellent associations? Must every proposition be killed after some time? Does it compulsorily become stale? Or do we creatively fail to inject the newly evolved context to deliver equally impactful communication?
The above three brands are examples of finding a nice space- which is relevant and strongly associated with the category- and then they seem to have moved on.
Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII) has recently appointed Mullen Lintas (agency) as its communication partner for its creative and social media mandate. The agency will handle full-service responsibilities of FGII, including its communication strategy, with a special focus on digital. The appointment of Mullen Lintas is an outcome of a multi-agency pitch.
Speaking about the new partnership, Ruchika Varma, Chief Marketing Officer, Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited, said: “As a brand, whose purpose is to be a lifetime partner for the customers and lead with empathy, human-touch, and innovation, we remain heavily invested in not just understanding our customers’ evolving needs from close quarters but also in being at the forefront of launching disruptive and clutter breaking communication, that helps strike a chord with our customers. Our efforts, over the last few years, towards bringing wider acceptance to conversations around mental health in India, is a case in point.”
Commenting on the creative win, Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas added: “Insurance is a highly regulated category and, therefore, new products & innovations are somewhat infrequent. However, Future Generali has been disrupting the category with great product and service level innovations and, hence, to partner such a brand, is an exciting challenge for all of us. We look forward to re-defining category codes and changing the way consumers evaluate general insurance products. What’s even more satisfying is that this is a win for our integrated, hyper-bundled approach, wherein we will collaborate with our social and advocacy agency, Lintas Live, in this journey, to take the Future Generali brand journey forward.”
Meesho, internet commerce platform, has launched a new campaign to encourage MSMEs to digitise their business. ‘India bhar pe chayega’ highlights how sellers can grow their business with Meesho. The TVC features prominent actors such as Deven Bhojani and Nitesh Pandey. The new ad campaign targets audiences in metro as well as Tier 2+ markets.
Said Laksminarayan Swaminathan, CXO, Supply Growth at Meesho: “Meesho’s latest campaign, ‘India bhar pe chayega’ highlights how sellers can grow their businesses with Meesho. Traditionally, businesses are limited by their geographical reach. With the help of digitisation and reach provided by ecommerce, businesses can cater to customers’ needs anywhere and at any time. We want to encourage independent business owners of small to mid-sized stores, shops and other retail establishments to digitise their business.”
To all those who thought that dimple-cheeked Shah Rukh Khan Thums Up can never really be looked as an action hero, Thums Up (and agency Ogilvy) have got the actor perform stunts on the top of a train. And more.
Commenting on the new campaign Sumeli Chatterjee, Head – Integrated Marketing Experiences (IMX), Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia said: “Thums Up is a 45-year young brand that has always inspired millions to stay committed to their dreams. When we launched #PalatDe last year, the upside-down bottle of Thums Up became symbolic of the #PalatDe spirit – turning down every naysayer who cast a doubt on your ability. Building on this platform, we are thrilled to team up with Mr. Shah Rukh Khan to tell the story of the #ThumsUpStrong spirit. The strong unique taste of the brand is naturally weaved into strength as an emotion, that urges the drinkers to stay strong and believe in their dreams.”
Btw, Salman Khan endorses Pepsi. The Khans aren’t foes, but the colas don’t have any love for each other.
Bajaj Almond Drops has launched a new campaign featuring Parineeti Chopra. Created by Mullen Lintas with a tagline ‘Hair Karenge Dare’, the campaign targets young consumers.
Commenting on the campaign, Jaideep Nandi, MD, Bajaj Consumer Care Limited, said: “The challenge given to Mullen Lintas was to give the brand a narrative that is not just problem-solution but occupy a space that young consumers would relate to. The film is rooted in a true insight and the execution brings it alive.”
Talking about the campaign, Azazul Haque, CCO, Mullen Lintas, added: “The brand had got in the problem-solution space in the past few years and we wanted to shift it into something more attitudinal that women of today could relate to. The idea of ‘Hair Karenge Dare’ was loved by all from the very go. Also, the idea was to break the clutter in the category. The creative idea of Challenging the mirror does that. It’s rooted in an insight, is extremely attitudinal and breaks the clutter.”
McDonald’s India (N&E) has launches a new campaign for the newly-introduced butter chicken and butter paneer grilled burgers.
Commenting on the campaign Rajeev Ranjan, Chief Operating Officer, McDonald’s India – North and East said: “Burrraaahh is the way our North Indian guests express the feeling when they experience excitement, joy and delight together. Our new ad film perfectly captures these emotions our guests experience while consuming our Butter Chicken and Butter Paneer grilled burgers.”
Added Iraj Fraz Batla, Creative Head – North, DDB Mudra: “Fans of Punjabi food are instinctively going to fall in love with the new McDonald’s butter chicken & paneer grilled burgers. And like you’d go ‘Ooh-la-la’ on trying a lovely French wine, or ‘Bravo!’ on tasting an original Italian pizza – when we took our first bite of the new burger, we instinctively went, ‘Burrraaahh!’ Through the film, we wanted to show the same happiness that we experienced while enjoying the new burger. You’d definitely go ‘Burrraaahh!’ when you try it.”
Motilal Oswal Mutual Funds has launched a series of digital films to create visibility for its ELSS fund and its dual benefits in a quirky way with relatable real life situations. Conceptualised and executed by Digital Refresh network, campaign films aim to reiterate the unique proposition of Motilal Oswal Long Term Equity Fund (An ELSS Fund).
Speaking on the film Charles Nadar, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited (MOFSL) said, “Since it’s that time of the year when investors are scrambling for ways to save tax, this campaign seeks to highlight Motilal Oswal Long Term Equity Fund offerings, mainly built to help save tax U/S 80C and achieve their planned financial goals. We constantly endeavour to design ad campaigns that evoke humour, are awe-inspiring, and are relatable to everyday situations. On this note, we took cue from those real life situations where choosing from one of two options can result in the fear of missing out on the alternative, making it difficult to take a decision. But with our ELSS fund, one can save tax and build wealth simultaneously. ”
Added Amit Agarwal – Creative Director, Digital Refresh Networks: “A clear brief is half of the job done! Thanks to the team at MOMF, we received a very sharp proposition to communicate. We were happy to build further on our expertise with short format stories, to help the sharp messaging, land effectively with the audience. What becomes critical in this form is the little nuances that make the story come through even within a short window. It is the attention to this detailing that makes all the difference and finally, it’s the response to the communication that adds to the joy of this process, the videos have been well accepted by the audience as we are seeing great organic traction! That is the win we play for.”
Baggit, the fashion brand, has partnered with 0101 to take their digital journey forward. In the last two years, its e-commerce business has reportedly tripled. The 0101 team will spearhead Baggit’s performance and programmatic, social and martech.
Nina Lekhi
Said Nina Lekhi, Managing Director and Chief Design Curator, Baggit: “The ecomm growth has reaffirmed the residual power of the brand – Baggit. The Data has just confirmed our hypothesis of the huge latent demand the country has. We are excited to now take the brand to its next level and have partnered with the 0101 team.”
Ajay Verma
Added Ajay Verma, Managing Partner, 0101: “We have recently launched venture that partners with organisations on data and communication across all internal conversion data streams – Direct, Social, Performance, Call Centre, Martech stacks, Marketplaces etc. with the promise of better customer conversion. “We are extremely excited to partner with the Baggit team to grow the brand in both offline and online channels. Our aim would be to relevantly differentiate the brand vis-à-vis the ‘sea of sameness’ of all other fashion brands.”
Mamaearth, the beauty, cosmetic and personal care brand, has launched a TVC for its Ubtan Face Wash featuring actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The commercial created by Korra brand design agency highlights the Ubtan facewash in a no-toxin proposition giving the perfect #ShaadiWalaGlowEveryday.
Said Ghazal Alagh, Co-Founder and CIO at MamaEarth: “Ubtan has been the secret recipe for glowing and radiant skin that has been passed on from generations, and the Haldi ceremony before the wedding is an extremely important event for every bride and groom. They mask themselves with the Haldi ubtan to look radiant and glowing on their big day. We have taken the traditional ubtan ingredients and created a hassle-free formula using them to give our consumers a product that will give them the Ubtan like glow, every day. Through this TV Commercial, we are trying to build synergies between the traditional Haldi ubtan and Mamaearth Ubtan face wash and we hope this thought resonates with our consumers and they come forward and choose #ShaadiWalaGlowEveryday, naturally with Mamaearth.”
Added Gaurav Nabh, Chief Executive Officer, Korra, said: “The need to look your best is never felt more than on your wedding day and one regime closely linked to this occasion is the use of Ubtan to attain flawless glow. Our latest work leverages this insight where we see Shilpa interacting with her friend talking about her flawless glow thanks to Mamaearth’s new Ubtan face wash. An innovative no-toxin product that packs the goodness of turmeric and saffron allowing you to look your best, while enjoying that same flawless glow. We are proud of this latest work by Korra as we continue to build the Mamaearth brand on the back of real consumer insights and stories, endorsed by Mamaearth’s biggest fan Shilpa.”
Hamdard Laboratories, the health and wellness company, has launched a campaign titled ‘Sehat Hai To Watan Hai’ dedicated to the armed forces and police for their selfless service.
Said Abdul Majeed, Chairman & Managing Trustee, Hamdard Laboratories (Medicine Division): “Commitment to self-care is critical as the nation grapples with the third COVID wave. While we continue to provide quality healthcare products to all, we find it critical to care for our armed forces and the police of the nation for their selfless service. Their holistic well-being and health protection is our responsibility as they continue to protect the nation. We extend our gratitude through dedicating #SehatHaiToWatanHai to our armed force, frontline workers and commit to providing the best of Unani solutions for their brighter and healthier future.”
By Sanjeev Kotnala
