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Category: NEWS

  • Leo Burnett, FCB, Zee shine on Day 2

    Leo Burnett, FCB, Zee shine on Day 2

    Photograph: Bossman Dheeraj Sinha with Team FCB bagging the Grand Prix in the Technology category

     

    On the second day of the Abby Awards held at Goafest 2024, Leo Burnett India was awarded the Specialist Agency of the Year title in four categories namely Technology, Direct, Mobile and Digital. FCB was declared the Public Relations and Design Specialist Agency of the Year and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) bagged the Broadcaster of the Year.

     

    FCB Group India won the two Grand Prix. One for the #Lulumelon campaign for HDFC Bank in the Technology category for use of AI, and the other in Direct for for social awareness or charity causes for Stir Design Magazine’s Untangling The Politics Of Hair campaign.

     

    In the Technology category, Leo Burnett India topped with won two silver and five bronze metals. While LBI got 36 points, FCB was second with 26 which included a Grand Prix. Hardcastle was third with 10 points.

     

    In Direct , Leo Burnett bagged 26 points with two silver and three bronze metals. Although FCB was awarded the Grand Prix in Direct, it was second with 20 points. Star India was in the third place with 8 points.

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    In Mobile category, Leo Burnett topped with 18 points – a gold, silver and a bronze, followed by Redbus. This was followed by Flipkart and Hardcastle – both at third place with 8 points each.

     

    In Digital category, Leo Burnett India topped the tally with 54 points – two golds, four silvers and two bronze metals. FCB Group India was second in this category at 32 points, and Redbus was third with 21 points.

     

    FCB topped in Design with two bronzes that earned them 10 points. Brave was second with 9 points and Creative Land Asia and Ebbxflo were a joint third with 6 points each.

     

    In Public Relations , as it happens internationally, more than PR agencies, it was creative agencies topping the tally. FCB Group India topped the category with one gold and three silvers at 27 points. Leo Burnett was second with 21, followed by Tribes Communication at third with 10 points.

     

    Zee Entertainment was Broadcaster of the Year with two golds, 10 silvers and six bronze metals at 100 points. Interestingly, Zee Kannada had entered separately and it grabbed the second place with 66 points. Would’ve been a tad tricky if it was on top, and ZEEL was second. TV18 secured the third place with 8.

  • This has happened after partnering with BCCI to secure them as the official umpire partner for the IPL

    EssenceMediacom secures mandate for Wonder Cement

    EssenceMediacom, GroupM’s media agency has announced winning the media mandate for Wonder Cement, after partnering with BCCI to secure them as the official umpire partner for the IPL.

    Said Navin Khemka, CEO, EssenceMediacom – South Asia: “We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how brands engage with their audiences. Through this partnership we look forward to being a part of Wonder Cement’s ambition in becoming India’s foremost cement company. By leveraging innovation and technology, we aim to deliver outstanding results for both the fans and the company. This victory reaffirms our commitment to building stronger teams and creating innovative, tailored solutions for our clients.”

    Added Vinit Karnik, Head, Sports E-Sports and Live Entertainment, GroupM – South Asia: “Securing the media mandate for Wonder Cement underscores our agency’s expertise in positioning brands at the forefront of their industries. By harnessing advanced technology and innovative strategies, we are poised to elevate Wonder Cement’s profile as a leading cement producer in India. This partnership with the IPL exemplifies our commitment to leveraging sports marketing to drive brand growth and visibility, and we are thrilled to contribute to Wonder Cement’s ambitious journey.”

    Said Vivek Patni, Director, Wonder Cement: Wonder Cement is a gold standard when it comes to quality. BCCI represents the highest standard in the world of cricket. Partnering with BCCI for IPL is in line with our philosophy of maintaining the highest quality standards be it in our products or our associations and partnership.

    IPL is the most watched sports across continents. And it is a matter of pride and happiness to be seen on the National stage and what better way than IPL? This partnership is a significant step towards building a brand that spells quality, commitment and excellence.”

  • Former Actor and now Instagram star Zeenat Aman was the highlight of the day

    Day 2 @ Goafest: Second Half Wrap-Up

    The highlight of second half of Day 2 saw a session titled A Story Of Adaptability: From the Silver Screen to the Mobile Screen with Zeenat Aman, actor and now an Instagram star speaking with RJ Anmol. There was Knowledge Seminar titled Marketing Adaptability: Blending Traditional And New-Age Marketing For Brand Success, featuring Chandan Mukherjee, Director & Executive Vice President at Nestle; Shubhranshu Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, Sukhleen Aneja, Chief Executive Officer of The Good Glamm Group, Sandeep Karwa, Vice President, Monetization at Flipkart and Zairus Master, Chief Business Officer at Honasa Consumer Ltd. Conducting the discussion was Delshad Irani, Editor of Storyboard 18.

    A masterclass by Flipkart Ads on the topic Flipkart IRIS: Winning the e-commerce game with deep analytics was conducted, followed by another by Spotify’s Shraddha Shetty. Another masterclass was conducgted by D&AD with Paul Drake, introduced ‘Win One, Teach One’ at the Trend Immersion Workshop, which emphasised on nurturing new talent in the creative industry through initiatives like D&AD New Blood and D&AD Shift. Notably, 270 Shifters have completed the program, with 72% now employed in creative roles across sectors. Drake explored trends like ‘Pay It Forward’, ‘Open Source Casting’, and ‘Ownable Iconicity’, highlighting the ‘Awe Economy’ and extreme responses as key drivers. He quoted Arthur Schopenhauer on stress innovative thinking and discussed distinguishing between trends and fads, showcasing examples like Pokemon Go and Fortnite. Participants engaged in interactive activities and viewed videos like Pharrell Williams’ ‘Cash In Cash Out’ to learn about trend applications. The workshop emphasised humour, awe, and authenticity while prioritising the product. Overall, it emphasised innovative thinking and strategic foresight in navigating trends within the creative industry.

    Another highlight of the evening was Advertising Rocks!; a musical contest that offers a platform for the advertising, media and marketing fraternity to showcase their musical talents. Stealing the show in first place in the Solo – Indian and Solo – International category were Nishant Patil from Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd., and Bodhisattwa Banerjee from VML India, respectively.

  • Knowledge sessions and masterclasses dominate proceedings

    Day 2 @ Goafest: First Half Wrap-Up

    Day 2 of Goafest 2024 began began with a session hosted by the India chapter of IAA in collaboration with UNICEF. The theme was titled Gender-Sensitive Marketing: Navigating The New Consumer Landscape. Among the panellists were Chandni Shah, Chief Operating Officer of FCB Kinnect, Darshana Shah, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience at Aditya Birla Capital, Kailashnath Adhikari, Business Head of Sri Adhikari Brothers & Managing Director of GovernanceNow, Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe South Asia & Chairman of Leo Burnett South Asia; and Ram Madhvani, Filmmaker, Producer, and Founder of Equinox Films and Ram Madhvani Films. Moderating the discussion was Kranti Gada, Founder of NeOwn.in.

    Post that, in a keynote address, Pulkit Trivedi, Managing Director of Snap Inc. India, revealed how Snapchat emerged as the preferred platform for young India. This was following by a session titled titled Media Agencies Panel – The Changing Expectations from a Media Client Leader, and the Challenges in Getting There, comprising prominent industry leaders. The panellists included Ajay Gupte, CEO, Wavemaker South Asia, Anita Kotwani, CEO – Media (South Asia) at Dentsu, Tanmay Mohanty, CEO of Publicis Media Services India and Vaishali Verma, CEO of Initiative India. Steering the discussion was Vikram Sakuja, Partner & Group CEO of Media & Out-of-Home at Madison Communications.

    The third knowledge seminar was titled, Trust or Bust: Thriving in the Digital World, with ASCI as partner. The panel of experts included were Amit Doshi, Chief Marketing Officer at Britannia, Falguni Vasavada, Professor at MICA and Digital Creator, Paras Sharma, Director of Global Partnerships at Meta and Sharan Hegde, Finance Content Creator and Co-founder and CEO of 1% Club. Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, moderated the session. We thought the session could be a tad longer.

    What followed was a fireside chat featuring Ankit Kapoor, Head of Marketing & International Business at Parle Agro, Mahesh Shetty, National Sales Head at Viacom18 and Navin Khemka, CEO – South Asia of Essence Mediacom. Conducting the conversation was anchor and marathoner Shibani Gharat.

    Day 2 also saw a series øf masterclasses. By WhatsApp on Agency Exclusive: Drive growth across the customer journey with WhatsApp, presented by Riddhika Sand. Then Ujaya Shakya, Founder and CEO of Outreach Nepal on Unlocking Market Potential: Open your eyes to Nepal. There was also the the D&AD masterclass presented by Lisa Evans and Paul Drake titled Unlocking Award Winning Ideas. Amazon miniTV also held a masterclass on Brand Integration with Vijay Iyer, Director, Amazon Ads India and Amogh Dusad, Head of Content, Amazon miniTV conducting the session. There was also a masterclass on Hall of Flame – The Olympics Masterclass presented by Chandan Roy.

  • Wavemaker is Media Agency oof the Year, ABP Publisher of the Year

    Wavemaker is Media Agency oof the Year, ABP Publisher of the Year

    It’s now become a winning habit for GroupM agency Wavemaker. On the first day of the Goafest 2024, Wavemaker India was crowned Media Agency of the Year at Abby Awards Powered by One Show. They bagged 16 metals. Earlier, ABP Ltd bagged the Publisher of the Year titled with five metals.

    The EssenceMediacom team winning the sole Grand Prix Media Abby for Airtel 5G Plus Ultimate Fans: Look Maa! I am on TV

    The Wavemaker tally include four golds, nine silvers and three bronzes. The sole Grand Prix presented was won by GroupM agency EssenceMediacom for Airtel 5G Plus campaign #LookMaImOnTV for innovative use of branded content – integration.

    While Wavemaker scored 98 points, the next best was less than half that at 48. That was Initiative Media. EssenceMedia secured 42 points.

    The ABP Pvt Ltd team winning the Publisher of the Year Abby

    Like last year’s edition, the Abby Awards are powered by One Show and have received a total of 3506 entries as against 3301 last year. As many as 73 entrants for the Media Abby as against 63 last year. In Creative, there are 198 entrants as against 181 last year. The total number of entries for Media Abby were 1258 this year (up from 1019 last year) and in the various categories under Creative, it’s been 2248 this year, as against 2282 last year. Digital, Mobile, and Technology, have collectively garnered 626 entries from 75 companies.

    The gates for receiving entries had to be shut as per deadline, we were told, else, the entries for Creative Abby would’ve crossed last year’s tally.

    There were 23 jury chairs and 204 jurors across 23 categories. Of these there were 53 new, young, award-winning judges. There were 68 women amongst the judges (nine jury chairs are women).

    Publisher Abby

    Media Abby

  • Leo Burnett is Creative Agency of the Year at Abby 2024

    Leo Burnett is Creative Agency of the Year at Abby 2024

    Leo Burnett India was crowned the Creative Agency of the Year on the final day of the Abby Awards 2024 which were powered by One Show. The Publicis Group agency also won the Specialist Agency of the Year titled for Brand Activation and Promotion, and Branded Content and Entertainment Specialist categories. Good Morning Films won the same in Video Craft of the Year category and Havas Worldwide India was named the Health Specialist of the year.

     

    In Creative, Leo Burnett won a Grand Prix for Spotify India’s Feel the Music campaign featuring Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the category audio visual TV, cinema, digital, OTT below one minute. It also took home four golds, eleven silvers and eight bronze metals to aggregate 157 points. VML India came second in the Creative Agency category with two golds, three silvers, 15 bronzes netting 105 points in all. FCB Group India stood third with two golds, three silvers, eight bronzes to earn 72 points on the last day.

     

    A Grand Prix each awas won by Famous Innovations and Maitri Advertising Works. Famous won it for the OOH campaign for Mumbai Police titled Blockbuster Excuses. Maitri got it for Netflix’s promotion of the show Sex Education titled ‘Shakila’s Driving School’ in the category audio visual TV, cinema, digital, OTT above one minute.

  • … and some entertainment and cricket as well

    Knowledge sessions, masterclasses & entertainers rule Day 3 of Goafest 2024…

    Ahead of a day of knowledge seminars and masterclasses, singer Harshdeep Kaur started the proceedings. This was followed by a session titled.

     

    Indian Women Harnessing the Power Of Identity. This panel discussion saw playback singer Shilpa Rao, film-maker Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Tamannaah Bhatia, content creator and Prajakta Koli. Ambika Muttoo, Editor-In-Chief of Femina, was moderator of the session.

     

    An interesting session titled Secrets of Longevity: Adapting our lifestyles to increase our ‘Healthspan’ saw Dr Marcus RannJey – Founder and CEO, Human Edge speaking with moderator – Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia.

     

    This was followed by a keynote by titled Do More With Conversations, delivered by Gaurav Jeet Singh, Head of Agency Business, India, at Meta.

     

    The first half also saw a WARC masterclass by Sujeet Kulkarni titled The Anatomy of Effectiveness. Another masterclass titled Meta Creative Shop x WhatsApp: Getting Creative with Conversations was presented by Varun Goswami. And then there was Jo Jackson, CEO of D&AD, delivering a masterclass on Unpacking Brand Iconicity.

     

    The second half of Day 3 started with a seminar titled Customer-Centric Adaptability; Meeting Shifting Expectations; Maintaining Customer Loyalty in a Dynamic Environment, focusing on meeting shifting expectations and maintaining customer loyalty in a dynamic environment. Leading the discussion was Tarun Puri, Senior Operating Partner at Lighthouse Funds, Asha Kharga, Chief Customer & Brand Officer at Mahindra Group, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Founder & MD at Roy Kapur Films, with senior journalist Anuradha SenGupta as moderator.

     

    The next session, titled The Art of Storytelling, was conducted by journalist and radio presenter Neelesh Misra. This was followed by a session titled Adaptability And Innovation: The Cornerstones Of A Future-Ready Agency featuring Anusha Shetty, Chairperson & Group CEO of Grey Group, India; Jitendra Dabas, Chief Operating Officer & CSO, India, Head of Effectiveness, APAC, McCann WorldGroup and Babita Baruah, Chief Executive Officer of VML India. Moderating the discussion was Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO for India and South Asia at FCB Group India.

     

    Another panel titled Evolving Market Landscape: Navigating The New Normal saw Shashank Srivastava, Member of the Executive Committee at Maruti Suzuki, and Sunil Kataria, Chief Executive Officer of Raymond Lifestyle (India & International) as speakers with journalist Anuradha SenGupta moderating the session.

     

    OOH took centrestage with a session titled Adapting to be accountable featuring Darshana Shah, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience at Aditya Birla Capital, Pawan Bansal, COO of Jagran Engage & Chairman of IOAA (Indian Outdoor Advertising Association); Noomi Mehta, Chairman of the Board at Selvel One Group; and Jahan Mehta, Chief Growth Officer at Oap Mediatech. Sam Balsara, Founder, Chairman & MD of Madison World & Madison Communications, moderated the session.

     

    The next two sessions featured cricket and cinema. The session titled Embracing Change: Lessons from The Field to Life featured Sourav Ganguly alongside journalist Boria Majumdar who was moderator. And then a session titled The Art Of Adaptability: From Real Life to Reel Life featuring actor Manoj Bajpayee alongside Prasoon Joshi, CEO and CCO of McCann World Group India who was moderator.

     

    There were many masterclasses held as well. These being:

    by Yagnesh Ravi and Srivatsan Jayasankar on GenZ Marketing 101: The Snap Camera.

    by Ranjan Mishra and Rahul Singh on Elevating Your Digital Marketing Strategy with AI

    by Jayesh Moorjani on Youtube Shorts

    and lastly by Lisa Evans and Paul Drake on Unlocking Award Winning Ideas.

  • Delivers tangible ROI for brands

    Animeta forges strategic collaborations

    Creator tech company Animeta celebrates significant success through strategic collaborations with marquee brands, Amazon Fresh Delivery, Godrej Geeves, Bajaj Finserv Barbeque Nation, NMIMS and WetterOnline.

    Said Anish Mehta, Founder, Animeta: “We are glad to showcase our esteemed partnerships and the faith the brands have put in us. We are looking to change the game  by using smart tech to match brands with the perfect influencers and increase our reach across categories. We are focussed on delivering the story by creating meaningful relationships with the intended audience. In turn it is all about delivering real results, both in immediate and lasting value.”

  • Set to redefine excellence in Electrical Solutions Landscape

    L&T Switchgear unveils new identity

    L&T Switchgear (L&T Electrical and Automation), the electrical and automation brands major, has unveiled a new brand identity, ‘Lauritz Knudsen Electrical and Automation’.

    Speaking at the launch, Peter Herweck, Chief Executive Officer at Schneider Electric, underscored Lauritz Knudsen’s pivotal role in driving innovation while enhancing global competitiveness. “Lauritz Knudsen’s vision prioritizes innovation and excellence, aligning closely with India’s growth story. Lauritz Knudsen aims to strategically invest approximately INR 850 crores over the next three years, further establishing its role as a significant player in India’s rapid growth trajectory in the electrical sector.”

    Added Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India, MD & CEO of Schneider Electric India: “As we embrace the ‘Two Brands Two Sales’ strategy in India with Schneider Electric & Lauritz Knudsen brands, our aim will be to make an even stronger contribution in the transformative journey of India by offering unparalleled choices for our customers. We will continue to Listen, Partner, and Innovate for a Viksit Bharat.”

  • Conceptualised and produced by DDB Mudra

    Dream11’s T20 World Cup launches campaign

    Dream11, the fantasy sports platform, has launched a new campaign for the T20 World Cup, titled ‘Yeh Sabka Dream Hai’. The campaign film has been conceptualised and produced by DDB Mudra.

    Commenting on the campaign, Vikrant Mudaliar, Chief Marketing Officer, Dream Sports said: “After an intense IPL season marked by team rivalries, the country now unites behind Team India for the World Cup. Our campaigns have consistently endeavoured to adopt a lighthearted approach, rooted in the love for sports which resonates with our users. ‘‘Yeh Sabka Dream Hai’ follows a similar treatment but has a flavour of its own. The campaign highlights the unwavering dedication and support of Indian mothers and the value of “ma ka aashirwad”. The talented Ayesha Raza beautifully captures the sentiments and hopes of our team lifting the cup. Above all, the campaign stays true to our ethos of pure passion for cricket, regardless of age or gender.”

  • To empower children with special needs

    Disney Star contributes to Different Art Centre, Kerala

    Disney Star is poised to collaborates with the Different Art Centre (DAC),  a project under the Kerala Social Security Mission to empower children with special needs through art. K Madhavan, Country Manager and President of Disney Star, visited the centre to explore opportunities to support this inspiring cause and announced a contribution of INR 1.8 crores from the Disney Star CSR Fund.

    During his visit, K Madhavan toured the facility, interacted with over a hundred children and engaged in meaningful discussions with Gopinath Muthukad, Founder and Executive Director of the Different Art Centre, and directors, including Mahesh Gupta, Shail Thomas, and Jaya Dali. They discussed potential collaborations to further enhance the impact of centre’s programmes.

    Notes a communique: “His visit underscores Disney Star’s commitment to social responsibility and its support for initiatives that make a positive impact on society. This contribution will aid in various welfare activities conducted by the Different Art Centre, furthering its mission in identifying, training, and refining the basic talents of differently abled children in various art forms.”

  • Partnered with Burman Sports & Kid Sport Media  & Squeezy Sports Inc

    Mumbai Indians launch new animation series

    Mumbai Indians announced the launch of ‘The Mighty Indians’, an animated mini-series, that combines the world of cricket, storytelling, and fan fiction for the next generation of global fans. The series has been created with strategic partners Burman Sports and Animation Media Partner Kid Sports Media Inc. and Squeezy Sports Inc.

    A spokesperson for Mumbai Indians said: “The Mumbai Indians have always embodied the values of teamwork, perseverance and hard work, and the ‘The Mighty Indians’ brings these values to life through a series of animated episodes and a captivating storyline. As a global brand, Mumbai Indians is always on the lookout to engage with their fans across geographies through innovative activations and content.”

    Said Shiv Burman, Founder, Burman Sports: “We identified a strategic opportunity to create an IP with immense potential to cultivate fandom amongst Mi’s next generation fans, via relevant and engaging content that both resonates with and entertains them. The Mighty Indians IP has the potential to grow into segments such as merchandise, experiences, community engagement and more, creating a comprehensive ecosystem that celebrates the spirit of cricket and heroism. We brought on board our partners Kid Sports Media to deliver world class content. Mumbai Indians has been the perfect partner for an IP like this given their large focus on kids and youth development. We are proud to partner with one of the biggest cricket franchises in the world to help develop their next generation of fans.”

    Added Massimo Marchese CMO of Kid Sport Media  & Squeezy Sports Inc.: “We’re thrilled to team up with the Mumbai Indians to bring cricket’s superstars to life as animated superheroes, blending the thrill of the game with epic adventures. Get ready for a boundary-breaking series that will captivate fans and inspire a new generation of cricket lovers!”