MxMIndia

Category: PRODUCTS

  • Conceptualised by What’s Your Problem digital agency

    Rebel Foods unveils campaign for flagship brand Oven Story Pizza

    By Our Staff

     

    Rebel Foods, the online restaurant company, has unveiled a new campaign for its half-n-half pizza offering by its flagship brand Oven Story Pizza. Conceptualised by Amit Akali’s What’s Your Problem, now a Wondrlab company, the new campaign addresses “common pizza problems”.

     

    Said Akali, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Wondrlab: “There is a dictatorship in the pizza category with every big player giving out the same offerings. For an ardent foodie like myself, it was high time that someone came along and put an end to this dictatorship. Oven Story does just that with its unique half and half pizzas. The film is fun, quirky and drives home the message well. More importantly, they are unexpected. And today, if you catch attention, that’s half the battle won for a brand. You can look forward to a few more episodes with our dictator.”

     

    Added Pragati Dalal, VP, Brands at Rebel Foods: “Oven Story truly believes in exciting innovations with stand out offerings while making every pizza different. This unique identity goes beyond the product and also gets captured in the way we market the brand. Customers usually end up compromising while ordering their pizza when ordering in a group. Through this new campaign, we have addressed these customer problems with Oven Story’s half-n-half pizza where customers can order their choice of pizza/toppings individually. Being a disruptor in the pizza category, we don’t want our customers to compromise which makes us stand out against our competition.”

     

  • Launched a 3-part video series

    Nescafé RTD celebrates Gen Z heroes in new campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Nescafé Ready-To-Drink (RTD) cold coffee has launched a new campaign “Thoda Aur Machaa”. Through a three-part video series the campaign brings forth stories of real Gen Z heroes who believe that their actions and attitude can make a meaningful impact.

     

    On being part of the campaign with Nescafé RTD cold-coffee, Malhar Kalambe, the 23-year-old founder of NGO ‘Beach Please’ said: “The most prominent type of waste we come across during our clean-up drives is plastic packaging. I’m glad that brands like Nescafé RTD are plastic neutral and are taking greater strides towards sustainability.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNOxag5KHTk

  • New campaign conceptualised by Contract Advertising

    Disha Patani is brand ambassador for Bata shoes

    By Our Staff

     

    Footwear major Bata India has announced the launch of a 360-degree campaign titled ‘It’s Got To Be Bata’, starring new brand ambassador Disha Patani. It is conceptualised by Contract Advertising.

     

    Commenting on the new TVC, Gunjan Shah, M.D. and CEO, Bata India Limited said: “Casualisation has become a big trend over the last couple of years. Consumers now seek styles that are versatile enough to take them through multiple occasions in a day. Multifunctional footwear, therefore, has become more relevant for women today and Bata is introducing footwear that merges active and leisurewear attributes. The 24×7 Casual Collection is curated keeping in mind the various roles that women play throughout the day for which they need versatile casual shoes to effortlessly move from one occasion to another. It features Bata, Bata Red Label, Bata Comfit and Naturalizer brands, with artisanal styled heels, wedges & trendy sneakers with hues of colors that can be matched with any occasion, anytime, anywhere. The new campaign features our new brand ambassador Disha Patani, and we hope to attract younger audiences who seek outdoors-inspired benefits, while still wanting a fashion-driven aesthetic that works well for the city life”

     

    Added Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Chief Creative Officer – Contract India: “Over the last few years, we have seen Bata transition to a fashion-forward brand with product lines that are in sync with the latest of trends – be it casuals or sneakers or formals. With this campaign, we had an interesting opportunity of taking the brand journey forward. From the journey that started with Surprisingly Bata campaign in 2018, it was time to take a more confident and bolder stance. Association with Disha has helped bringing about this transition, she personifies the attributes that we want Bata to represent today –  stylish, glam, young, more confident and bold. The campaign is beautifully supported by lyrics crafted by Amitabh Bhattacharya, one of India’s ace lyricist.”

     

  • Creates product videos, animations, Virtual Launch Presentations, AR/VR filters

    Trip Creative designs campaigns for new launches of Škoda Auto

    By Our Staff

     

    Trip Creative, visual communication design company, has been mandated to design campaigns for Škoda Auto India’s new car launches, the Škoda Kushaq and the Škoda Slavia with event partners 70 EMG.

     

    Said Saurabh Dedhia, Digital PR and Communications, Škoda Auto India: “Skoda India is experiencing an optimistic growth with numerous products launching and hitting the market. With such an incredible pace, partnering with 70EMG for the launches and Trip Creative for the design creatives helped us to make our brand mission and vision stronger with their creative graphical and virtual representation. We are glad to have them on board and aim for more successful collaborations for our launches.”

     

    Added Prateek Sethi, Founder of Trip Creative Services: “We have already established a benchmark in the animation industry working with 70EMG for the launch events is fantastic! Škoda PR and Comms team are great clients. Our motive now is to expand our footprint. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the creative team of ŠKODA Auto India PR & Brand Comms for almost 4 years now and going strong. We are always trying to push the envelope across creatives and technologies for them.”

     

  • Highlights the importance of strength in daily life

    Protinex launches new TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Protinex, the flagship brand of Danone India, has launched a new commercial on television and digital platforms. The TVC is conceptualised by DDB Mudra.

     

    Said Sriram Padmanabhan, Marketing Director, Danone India: “Protinex is committed to create awareness about Protein. Indians often neglect Protein in their diets and the core reason behind this is lack of understanding around adequate protein intake and the pivotal role it plays in helping one lead an active and healthy life. Through this TVC, our intent is to build awareness around the fact that muscle loss can lead to lack of strength, if not addressed appropriately with adequate protein intake and physical activity.

     

    Added Pallavi Chakravarti, Creative Head-West, DDB Mudra: “As someone who was 30 a long time ago, it really shook me up to know about the muscle loss and weakness that starts to creep up on us post thirty years of age. Because it is not outwardly visible, we end up telling ourselves that we don’t feel the tiredness either. Time to acknowledge the need for protein and therefore, for Protinex in our daily lives. Through this TVC we want to bring alive the dilemma grappling Indian adults as they deal with decline in health of their muscles.”

     

  • The agency will be responsible for traditional media and digital media mandate for the client including TV, Print, and Digital.

    Madison Media Ultra bags Jyothy Labs mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Madison Media Ultra, a unit of Madison World, has just won the Media AOR for Jyothy Labs. The agency will be responsible for traditional media and digital media mandate for the client including TV, Print, and Digital.

     

    Said Jyothy MR, Managing Director, Jyothy Labs: “Madison is a respected name in the industry with its proven expertise in traditional and contemporary media platforms. We believe our brands will be ably assisted with Madison’s well rounded integrated media solutions in meeting our marketing objectives.”

     

    Added Jolene Fernandes Solanki, COO, Madison Media Ultra: “Extremely delighted to partner with one of the pioneering brands in our country. We are pleased to have Jyothy Labs on board and partner with them in their growth journey. We believe that our framework at Madison – ‘keeping consumers and technology at the center’ – will complement Jyothy Labs’ growth journey.”

     

  • Over 500+ hoardings put in key locations in Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP and MP

    Zero Gravity Comms crafts campaign for Vadilal

    By Our Staff

     

    Zero Gravity Communications has come up with an exclusive OOH campaign for the new and existing range of Vadilal ice creams. As part of this campaign, 500+ hoardings were put in key locations attracting maximum footfall in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which are the major markets for the brand.

     

    Describing the thought behind the campaign, Khushboo Solanki Sharma, Co-Founder, Zero Gravity Communications, said, “We wanted to bring out the delectable flavours that Vadilal has to offer to its consumers in an instantly tempting way. Our thought behind the campaign was to generate maximum ROI through design and positioning to drive home top-of-the-mind recall for the brand.”

     

  • Celebrates the Gen Z smart way of life

    Boat sails with new campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Delhi-based consumer electronics lifestyle brand Boat, known for products such as earphones, headphones and smart watches,  has rolled out a new campaign promoting its Alexa built-in smartwatch, Boat Xtend, that shines the spotlight on GenZ. Titled #MoreInEveryday, the campaign brings out the various intelligent features of the watch-from setting reminders to counting calories.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Siya Wadhawan, Brand Manager, Boat, said: “We get this generation. We know what makes them tick. The Xtend watch with Alexa Built-in has been designed to fit perfectly into their lifestyle, and we’re pretty sure that the campaign will resonate with them and make voice-enabled smart wearables mainstream.”

     

    Added Sonia Khurana, Chief Operating Officer from Digitas: #MoreInEveryday was a reminder for every GenZ, every hustler, and every doer, of all the things they can achieve with an Alexa on their wrists. It was a treat to partner with Boat to create yet another exciting campaign.

     

    Said Teena Sidana, Head of Alexa skills and voice services, Amazon India: “Customers in India interact with Alexa millions of times every day to ask for information, start their workout and manage their day with reminders, to-do lists, alarms and more. With the Boat Xtend smartwatch customers can interact with Alexa on the go, wherever they are, and continue to make the most of their day. We are sure this campaign will resonate with Gen Z and they will be able to see a little bit of themselves in the videos.”

     

    Note: The Boat brandname is written as boAt

     

  • To make menstrual hygiene a priority for women

    Paree partners with Dr Kiran Bedi

    By Our Staff

     

    To mark this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, Paree Sanitary Pads, of Soothe Healthcare, has joined hands with India Vision Foundation, an NGO founded by Dr Kiran Bedi in an effort to make a positive impact by raising menstrual hygiene awareness.

     

    Said Sahil Dharia, Founder & CEO, Soothe Healthcare: “As a proud, young Indian brand we want to positively impact the lives of women be it through our products or our initiatives. We are thankful to India Vision Foundation, who works diligently for women reforms at grass root levels, for helping us take the message of Menstrual Health to female prison inmates.”

     

     

  • The film is conceptualised with Ogilvy

    Titan Raga onboards Alia Bhatt for campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Titan Raga premium watches onboards Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador  for its new TVC campaign. The film is conceptualised with Ogilvy.

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Sirish Chandrashekar, Marketing Head, Titan said: “We are delighted to have Alia Bhatt on board as Titan Raga’s brand ambassador. Titan Raga symbolises expressiveness. Be it through product design or through advertising, the brand always expresses a definitive point of view that resonates with the contemporary young woman. Alia, being bold and expressive herself, is an ideal choice to amplify the brand’s narrative.”

     

    Added  Puneet Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South: “It is true that you don’t just match brands to your body, but to your personality and to your soul. There’s always something about a great brand that goes beyond the beautiful design and functionality and connects deeper within. Titan Raga’s tone and manner has been one such stellar voice that’s always been beautifully bold, unabashed and authentic in expression. This story is an attempt to capture that spirit with our ever-changing, ever-evolving social scenario.”

     

  • Either ASCI gets a mandate to take tough measures, or remove the loopholes or let an outside body with enough powers step in, writes Vikas Mehta

    The curious case of self-regulation

     

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe Budweiser ad aired on the IPL last week is symptomatic of the hypocrisy that is so evident in the industry. On the face of it, there is a blanket ban on alcohol and gutkha products. Yet, both the categories find enough loopholes to beat the ban. Both get away with surrogate advertising. ‘We are not about guthka but about silver coated elaichi.’ ‘ We are not about alcohol but about playing cards or water.’ And to add insult to the injury, stars like Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, who at the drop of a hat shout about nationalism and patriotism, find nothing morally wrong in promoting such products. When they are criticised and trolled, they profess ignorance about such surrogate advertising, apologise, make some grand gestures about cancelling contract or donating the earnings to a social cause and life continues as before. The ads continue unashamedly.

     

    But the Budweiser ad tops it all. It does not even pretend to be a surrogate. It shows what definitely looks like a beer bottle. It talks about being brewed over nights. And then to make sure there is no confusion that the product is a beer, it talks about brewed over 21 nights for a smoother taste. How brazen can one get? It’s almost like teasing the regulatory bodies. And what will they do?

     

    ASCI will wait for someone to complain. Then issue a showcause notice. If the advertiser does not respond within a few weeks, it will write to the advertiser that the ad violates its code of conduct and they should desist from airing the ad. In the meanwhile, IPL would have not only finished but the advertiser would have anyways stopped airing the ads. Come to think of it, Budweiser has already stopped the ads. It was a neat ambush. All are happy. The advertiser has got exposure in IPL. ASCI will have done everything by the book and can claim that they stopped the ad.

     

    But soon enough this will become inspiration for another advertiser and the whole story will be repeated. This self-regulation is a joke. We need fines, bans. Some tough measures. But what can one expect from a body whose rules do not allow it to rule on government or political ads. Mind you, these are the largest source of revenue for press media. But ASCI constitution does not allow it to question political ads or government ads. So, how can we expect anything tough from ASCI? The self-regulation is a hypocrisy so that no law-enforcing body need interfere. The industry continues to make merry. This charade, hypocrisy has to be stopped. Either ASCI gets a mandate to take tough measures, or remove the loopholes or let an outside body with enough powers step in.

     

    The silver lining this week was the first decent Jio ad I have seen. And it was for Jiomart. A very homely and not over-the-top, Ranveer showcases the simple features of Jiomart along with Deepika. Everyday sasta, no minimum order. The two ads make two simple points. One, is the power of storytelling. Single-minded benefit in each ad makes it episodic and entertaining. Two, how star power can be harnessed in an effective way. Ranveer, has a screen persona which is outlandish and over the top. But as a husband one can expect him to be a normal, doting husband. And that’s exactly how he comes across.

    For me, the ad of the week was Cred. There have been lot of stories and tales about Ravi Shastri and his extracurricular habits. Cred used these brilliantly to build a narrative about Shastri. What I particularly like was that they could convince Shastri to portray his oft-debated, but never openly discussed persona in the ad. It was hugely entertaining and did the job for the brand also very well.

    https://youtu.be/vLHpfulLcUE

    So, as we have the four surprise play-off teams in competition, we have had some surprising ads this week. Which were your Top 4 ads of IPL 2022? Compare your notes with me. Next week.

     

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. This is the second IPL season where he has been reviewing for MxMIndia. His views here are personal.

  • Vikas Mehta reviews on the multiple ads of the medicine aggregators and the multiple benefits promised and over-promised

    Medicines: Quick delivery? Naah!

     

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaI have been constantly writing about this year’s IPL being unusual. In many ways. And now when we are reaching the business end of the league, it’s getting obvious that the three most unfancied teams are set to qualify for the playoffs. Paying an ode to the unusual season, this column is also going to be unusual. This time I am taking up one category campaign and talking about it extensively.

     

    In the midst of edutech, fintech, transport aggregators, there is also the medicine aggregators. And some brands like Pharmeasy and Pharmeasy have advertised heavily on IPL. Both have used celebrities. Both have done multiple ads. Both promise multiple benefits. And both, over-promise.

     

    When anyone needs a medicine, usually it’s because there is an urgent need. The delivery needs to be in minutes. But my experience with both the apps show that the usual delivery time is anything between one to four days. Maybe because I am in a small town therefore the medicine logistics is still to be sorted out. But isn’t that an irony. A small town should be able to deliver much faster. Netmeds, I have walked into Reliance Smart stores with prescription, which have a small Netmeds dedicated pharmacy area, and the standard answer is that they will check and call me back. And call back is after a few hours which confirms that the medicine will take another 12-24 hours. Both times that I tried Netmeds, by the time the call came, I had already bought the medicines from an offline pharmacy. And of course the app showed at least two to three days to deliver.

     

    Therefore, when I see the Kareena Kapoor ads which talk about quick delivery, the brand loses all credibility. Ditto with Pharmeasy as they clearly say same day delivery. Maybe they deliver cosmetics and other non-medicine products fast. But then are they just a Swiggy Instamart or Dunzo? They need to be Swiggy Instamart and Dunzo in medicines or else stop making these claims.

     

    The Kareena Kapoor train ads go on to show other benefits like quality or range. Again, I am not sure if one needs to highlight these benefits for medicines. The app claims to sell medicines against prescriptions. So, do we assume that quality of the prescribed medicines is a suspect? Range is more confusing. Yes, generic drugs can be available but how many of us actually know about it or are willing to even order a generic and ignore the doctor’s prescribed brand? I suspect they are pushing more of the cosmetics or supplements or tonics rather than the prescribed medicines.

     

    Pharmeasy with Aamir Khan on the other hand has chosen some relevant benefits. Ordering medical equipment like sugar meter or even organising for home medical tests. These definitely are relevant and benefits that matter to the category. And I quite liked the exaggeration execution of three Khans belabouring each point.

     

    Ultimately, both these brands cannot overcome the lure of discounts. Medicines, by Indian standards are definitely expensive. So double digit discounts work. And the lure of a minimum discount always is music to ears. Specially, when one is on long-term medication for ailments like diabetes, cholesterol, arthritis etc. These medicines are expensive, they are required on a regular basis and most importantly can be ordered in advance, keeping two-three days delivery time in mind. So discounts do play an important role in both the brand communication.

     

    As a marketer, I have always wondered at multi0benefit communication. Does it really help? Do the consumer remember all benefits? The classical theory says that let one benefit be emphasised so that it sticks. And can be owned. My thinking is that well executed multi benefits work if they are relevant. The target consumer picks out the benefit that he needs or that matters to him and that sticks. So, if we take Pharmeasy, someone who needs to buy a medical equipment or needs to do tests will remember the brand. But the irrelevancy of quality or range for medicines, makes me doubtful about Netmeds communication. And discount is almost like a must. It is a category given without which no brand will survive. In fact, discount is like a blind spot. Its presence is almost like a reassurance but its absence will be most glaring. As for speed of delivery, the brands need to either improve their delivery or not talk about it.

     

    Episodical ads, which seem to be like a continuing story narrative, always create interest. And using a celebrity to anchor it is a good idea if the celebrity becomes an integral part of the narrative. The Netmeds ads with Kareena Kapoor reprise her role in Jab We Met. So all the episodes have good empathy. Pharmeasy, on the other hand is not episodical but Aamir lends it a nice ethereal quality which again piques our interest.

     

    As I sign off this week’s column, I am aghast at seeing the new Budweiser ad. But in the spirit of being unusual, let me leave it at that. More about it, next week.