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Tag: Ashish Chakravarty

  • The rankings in the Gunn Report is a testament to the fabulous work done by J. Walter Thompson & Contract offices

    JWT tops Gunn Report India ranking; Contract at #3

    By A Correspondent

     

    J. Walter Thompson has featured at the No. 1 spot of the Gunn Report India agency ranking 2015. Contract Advertising, part of the J. Walter Thompson South Asia group ranked No. 3. This puts J. Walter Thompson South Asia group in an enviable position in this year’s Gunn Report India agency rankings.

     

    “To have two of our group companies right at the top of the creative charts is really satisfying. This is an unprecedented achievement.  I am really proud of the fantastic teams led by Senthil and Ashish,” says Tarun Rai, CEO, J. Walter Thompson South Asia.

     

    J. Walter Thompson topped the ranking with maximum number of points in film (7) and for ‘All Guns Blazing’ for the work done by its offices in Mumbai & Bangalore.

     

    Senthil Kumar

    Newly appointed Chief Creative Officer of J. Walter Thompson India, Senthil Kumar said, “It’s a great start to the year with J. Walter Thompson India topping the Global Gunn Report India agency ranking. We have always gone in with all guns blazing for our clients with sharp ideas that strike the bullseye more often than not. And this honour only proves that my team has not just delivered the goods in the market place but also come out shining and with all guns blazing at the 2015 Gunn Report.”

     

    “We have won India’s only global recognition in Digital, Mobile and Social categories along with an All Guns Blazing performance in Film on the world stage. And we will work harder to stay on top of our game and build the reputation of J. Walter Thompson as the most creative agency in the country and beyond. Huge Congratulations to everyone at JWT India and also to Ashish and his fabulous team from Contract for making it to the Top 03 in the 2015 Gunn Report. Here’s to the work that will result in many more creative cheers and make our Country proud, our Clients succeed and take the business of big ideas to even greater heights,” he added.

     

    Contract’s ranking of No. 3, comes with its overall tally of 6, with again the maximum score for Films.

     

    Ashish Chakravarty

    Expressing his happiness, Ashish Chakravarty, NCD, Contract Advertising says, “While I am quite happy about the Gunn report rankings, I believe that awards (and therefore such rankings) are the by-product of the passion, and rigor that we put into our work. And the chemistry we create, with our colleagues and clients. The teams at Contract have been doing just that, since we came together, in 2013. So the many creative awards, new business wins, and rankings, only go to show that we are doing it right. Maybe.”

     

  • Onboards actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the 360 degree campaign

    Take the right call – Trucaller’s high pitch to consumers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Truecaller has launched its first-major brand campaign – “Take the right call” -  marking the company’s foray into the world of advertising & marketing. Truecaller’s “Take the right call” campaign has been designed in line with the company’s efforts of providing users their right to know who is calling them. It also allows them to make the most of the opportunities that may otherwise pass by unknown. The digital film features popular actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui communicating the brand’s philosophy through his own life experience and goes live today followed by the television commercial.

     

    Truecaller has grown phenomenally in India. Currently, at 80 million users in the country, the Indian user base comprises more than half the total global users. With a persistent focus on product innovation, Truecaller is making the ecosystem more robust, enabling the users to communicate in a smarter way and correctly establish actions to take calls.

     

    “India is a very important market for Truecaller, as a majority of our users are based here. Over the years, millions of users have seen the value of having Truecaller on their smartphones, we now wanted to expand our horizons and reach more and more consumers. Our first-ever 360 degree brand campaign tells a compelling story of opportunities and we found Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the perfect fit; someone who can best translate his own story for the brand. Nawaz’s life changed completely after the one right call that he took making him the apt choice to highlight the importance of taking the right call and making the most of opportunities. The campaign stays true to our brand vision towards helping users ‘Take the right call’ through various touch points including television, radio and digital media. We are excited about taking Truecaller closer to its users with this campaign”, said Kari Krishnamurthy, Vice President, Growth and Partnerships, Asia & Country Manager, India.

     

    The TVC has Nawazuddin Siddiqui reminiscing about his struggling days when he had to work as a security guard and how this one call changed his life completely. It was his luck that the caller persistently kept calling him for days, despite having missed it numerous times and he ended up with a role in a movie. But not everyone is lucky enough.

     

    “More than 80 million of us in India, already use Truecaller. So our task isn’t to address people who already have it downloaded on their phones. It is to inform the rest of India which is unaware about the opportunity Truecaller offers. That’s where Nawazuddin came in. Nawaz is the voice of the emerging India, his screen presence is magnetic and persuasive. And the true story of where he has emerged from, the story of a guy who made the most of what life and luck threw up, is compelling. We saw an effortless link between the task and Nawaz’s story. Thereafter the only thing to do was to have him tell us his story in his words and observe the same. The product just slips in effortlessly and we’re confident that this will help Truecaller surge further into the country”, said Ashish Chakravarty, National Creative Director, Contract India.

     

    The digital film by Truecaller has gone live on social media and will be followed closely by the television commercial. This will be complemented by Radio and digital media campaigns.

     

  • Contract partnered Asian Paints to launch this campaign across India

    Say ‘No to Nice’, affirms Royale in new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Royale from Asian Paints, the luxury emulsion paint brand was looking for a unique viewpoint which would pierce the hearts and minds of their consumers and shake them out of the slow descent into choosing things which will just about do.

     

    As the leader in the luxury paints segment, it decided to take up a crusade against people accepting the acceptable in their lives and encouraging them to embrace only the extraordinary.

     

    Contract viewed this as a problem that is not only rampant in the luxury paints category but in the overall lives of people in India at large where the “Chalta Hai” attitude has seeped into even the most refined tastes, and so the idea of saying ‘No to Nice’ came to life.

     

    “Royale which stands for impeccable performance and ahead of the curve décor sensibilities, represents the large quest, a quest for the extraordinary. Saif Ali Khan truly personifies this philosophy. It is a continuous journey of exploring and re-inventing the choices you make in life. It’s all about exceeding one’s own expectations and not settling for the status quo. We believe that this new conversation will create excitement and add a new dimension to life,” said Amit Syngle, President Marketing & Technology, Asian Paints.

     

    Talking of the film, Ashish Chakravarty, NCD – Contract Advertising says, “For Royale, we wanted to change the conversation from just fine décor to a quest for the extraordinary. So what’s the enemy of extraordinary? That feeling of being satisfied with the ok, the just good, the expected. The ‘nice’.  Now the thought of Saif Ali Khan as the ‘purveyor of all things extraordinary’ was perfect for the persona he comes with. So in the film we turn the tables on him when it comes to interior décor…now that made for a very compelling story for Royale to tell.”

     

    Contract decided to use Saif Ali Khan, the brand ambassador for Royale, in a situation that would elegantly reflect how sometimes even the most refined palates slip up when it comes to their home decor.

     

    Contract partnered Asian Paints to launch this campaign across India.

     

  • This year the brand has taken it upon itself to take a closer look at festivals, and what they mean to us today

    Contract rolls out new campaign for Cadbury Celebrations

    By A Correspondent

     

    Contract Advertising’s latest campaign for Cadbury Celebrations urges people to bring the festivities with them this Diwali season. This year the brand has taken it upon itself to take a closer look at festivals, and what they mean to us today.

     

    “Gifting is an intrinsic part of Diwali celebrations. But these days, the act of gifting has become more of a chore and its role in adding to the celebratory nature of the festival has been diminished. We wanted to rekindle this true joy of Diwali gifting. There is a tradition of people going back to their parents during Diwali. Our story is one, where parents decide to surprise their son at his workplace on Diwali,” says Ashish Chakravarty, National Creative Director, Contract Advertising.

     

    Cadbury Celebrations recognized that festivals that were meant to be fun and filled with festivity had become mundane and ritualistic. Therefore the need of the hour was to bring back some enthusiasm and set the tone of change. The campaign thought came about, when one realised it is important to change a festival into a celebration where joy and energy flow unlimited, where we are truly in the moment, connected and fuelling the festivity. And what better way to do this than to make all the good things we know come together to spring the festival back to life.

     

    Contract has partnered Mondelez to bring this powerful thought to life through a launch TVC, as well as help create 360 impact.

     

    Cadbury Celebrations, the chocolate gifting brand in the Mondelez portfolio, operates across the premium and mass premium segments with the Rich Dry Fruit Collection (RDFC), being the growth driver catering to the premium end.

     

  • Prasoon Joshi, Agnello Dias, Alok Nanda, Sonal Dabral and Ashish Chakravarty to head juries for Creative Abby

    Jury chairs for Creative Abby announced, more than 3000 entries received overall

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Awards Governing Council (AGC) of the Abbys at Goafest 2014 has announced the names of jury chairpersons for the Creative Abbys. The jury chairpersons for various categories are as follows:

     

    o Integrated Advertising: Prasoon Joshi, President, South Asia, McCann World Group

    o Films: Agnello Dias Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot

    o Design: Alok Nanda- Director Alok Nanda Communications

    o Outdoor Advertising & Ambient: Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, India

    o Radio Advertising:  Ashish Chakravarty, National Creative Director, Contract Advertising

     

    Pratap Bose

    Commenting on the jury, Pratap Bose, Chairman of the Awards Governing Council and President of the Advertising Club, said “We are delighted to have such a remarkable line-up of jury chairpersons this year. All of them are creative stalwarts and I am pleased that they will be judging the Creative Abbys this year.  The judging process will be transparent and fair. KPMG will be monitoring the judging procedure.”

     

    Shortlists for Goafest 2014 are being displayed at www.abbyshortlist.com. Issues related shortlisted entries should be brought to the attention of jury chairperson in writing. The matter with proof submitted will be tabled in the second round for the jury to make a final call on. The metals awarded by the Jury after the second round of judging will be final.

     

    Meanwhile, according to a communiqué, over 3,000 entries have been received overall by the Awards Governing Council.