MxMIndia

Tag: Cannes2016

  • What does the future of Hollywood look like with new players in the digital space coming in and how can Hollywood and Madison Avenue work together

    @Cannes2016: Looking at the future of Hollywood

    By A Correspondent

     

    There is no doubt that Hollywood tales have mastered the art of storytelling. But does that need transformation? What with players like Amazon and Netflix paving a new way of watching series and films, as well as the way they are produced, consumed and shared. Social media has and is creating stars overnight and films are being watched on screens of all sizes. The connection between Hollywood and Madison Avenue, Moguls and Mad Men, has been in existence for decades, as some of the greatest ads of all time were made by Hollywood biggies. But what does the future look like for this bridge between entertainment and advertising?

     

    And to try and predict the future of Hollywood and inspiring audiences beyond the big screen, Maurice Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe was joined by Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood film for the discussion ‘Beyond the Big Screen – The Future of Storytelling in Hollywood’. Publicis and Weinstein have been associated with one another for a long time and that is why the Academy Award-winning producer joked by asking why he had to sign an exclusive contract with the organisation to book this slot. Weinstein’s journey as a producer was shown through a short video.

     

    The conversation started with how can Hollywood and advertising work in coordination. “It has to be subtle and nuanced, it should not be in your face,” said Weinstein about how brands and movies can work together. He also added, giving example of Project Runway, which has been associated with L’Oreal for a long time and the brand gives very interesting challenges to the contestants, so this is how a brand works in a TV show.

     

    And, when discussing about transformations and change take place, how can the topic of ‘Digital’ be far. Digital transformation has definitely, in the last few years, changed the way content is viewed. From television sets to computer screens and now to mobile phones, the viewing pattern has also evolved. Weinstein said, “People watching movies on mobile are a turn off for me. But I know I am not going to win because that is the future. I think movies are going to take a stage where the Netflxes and Hulu and Amazon are. Even Google and Apple would not be far behind and they will enter the content business soon.”

     

    Weinstein shared his experiences of working in Hollywood and many other personal encounters. He spoke about the movies that are lined up for them. Weinstein acquired the rights of ‘The boys in the boat’ and since it is set in the 1930s, a lot of detailing in terms of clothes has to be done. So, Tommy Hilfiger has agreed to work on the costumes, citing this as an example, Weinstein said “There is a way of working together.”

     

  • An interview with Prasanth Kumar, CEO-South Asia at Mindshare, on the big Grand Prix win at Cannes2016

    Borders between media & creative are getting blurred

     

    Mindshare India is on a roll. The GroupM agency network notched up over 176 awards last year, and this year, the agency’s Unilever team in Mumbai bagged a Grand Prix Glass Lion at Cannes for creating India’s first transgender pop group, the Six Pack Band, in partnership with tea brand Brooke Bond Red Label. Started last year, the Glass Lion honours creative work that highlights some significant cultural or gender issue. Hindustan Unilever’s Brooke Bond Red Label partnered with Mindshare Mumbai and Y Films on a campaign that would draw attention to — and generate debate around — transgenders, by creating a band unlike any other. In an exclusive interview, Prasanth Kumar, CEO of South Asia at Mindshare took questions from Pradyuman Maheshwari and Anuka Roy, about the Grand Prix win and the agency’s relationship with long-time partner HUL.

     

    This must be the first-ever Grand Prix where a home team, which worked on a winning campaign, wasn’t these to collect a Lion. How come all of you were in Mumbai,not enjoying the salubrious climes of Cannes?

    First of all, we are very excited and delighted that we could win a Grand Prix for the work we have done. We were planning to be there, but some things came up, and we decided to celebrate the award from India. Ours is a large network, and some of our colleagues are there. If everything goes well, next year a couple of us will surely go to Cannes.

     

     

    HUL believes in our ideas and solutions

    Winning the Grand Prix at Cannes is not just special for Mindshare Fulcrum, a unit of Mindshare India, but also for partner Hindustan Unilever (HUL). Amin Lakhani, Head, Team Fulcrum, Mindshare talks to Anuka Roy about the 20-year relationship Mindshare has with HUL, and what this win means to both of them

     

    Talk to us about the bond that Mindshare Fulcrum shares with Hindustan Lever (HUL)…

    It’s a journey both Unilever and Mindshare have co-created. We celebrated our 20-year anniversary last year. And after the celebrations, there could not have been a better gift from Mindshare for Unilever than a Grand Prix for the work we have done together. I am sure this will go a long way in increasing the amount of work we do, and belief in the work that Mindshare does.

     

    How did the Glass Lion-winning campaign come about?

    We initiated this entire brand-centric content solutions conversation. It is a matter of great happiness that one of the great ideas went on to win a Grand Prix at Cannes. It has reached the pinnacle of all work we have done through the years. What makes it more special is that we are the first media agency to win a Grand Prix in the Glass Lions.

     

    The success here is indicative of the creative powerhouse that is Mindshare. But how much of that does a client like Hindustan Lever value over better media rates or cheaper GRPs?

    When clients put down money, they deserve to get the best value. Given Unilever’s scale and size, and our relationship with them, it is critical that they get the best value out of it, and there can be no compromise on that. I do not think that because we seek great value, we do not see creativity. They don’t either, because Unilever also believes in the ideas and solutions that we bring to the table.

     

    Talk to us about the sentiments of the team that worked on this.

    They are ecstatic. I think many of my team members have not slept since they got to know [about the win]. Ad this is not only the Fulcrum teams in Mumbai, but our Unilever media team is also celebrating. The brand teams and our content partners at Y Films, are also celebrating with us. Not only these teams, but the entire Mindshare fraternity across the country, whether it is in Delhi or in the Bangalore office, everybody is joining us in the celebrations because it is a matter of great pride. As we call it in our system, the ‘purple pride’….

     

    Though there is no bar on anyone from sending in an entry for the Lions, typically entering the Glass Lions is the preserve of a creative agency, right?

    From what I’ve been told, the Glass Lions are about the creative work that gets picked up. We believe that every work and stakeholder in the ecosystem can be creative and do the right things needed for the brand. A lot of understanding of the brand, the market and consumer, [provides the] right perspective. Then, it is about being creative, by putting the right treatment of what communication to use, what platform to adopt, which is what every team gets into. That is how we look at this category as well. Today, it is also important that brands get integrated treatment and they are able to get the right insights, creativity and technology to use. Therefore, all this enablement should provide the right solutions for the brand.

     

    While one might say it’s the clients’ business that is the best thing for any agency, what does the Grand Prix for the Glass Lion mean for you as CEO of Mindshare South Asia?

    It means a lot to me. We were told that this is the first time ever that a media agency is winning a Grand Prix for a Glass Lion. We need to be lot more creative and innovative to break the clutter. This means so much to us that it encourages and motivates us [to opt for] the new things and the new innovations and product frameworks that we are putting out; our content is a separate focus where our content team is working on getting some newer products, partnerships and a better ecosystem in place, so that we are able to bring more and more precise solutions, and also bring in some clutter-breaking creativity. It also reassures us that some of the actions we have taken have started resulting in recognition for the work that we do.

     

    Please talk us through your relationship, as an agency, with Hindustan Unilever…

    We just completed 20 years of our relationship last year. It almost feels like an anniversary gift, and God has been kind to both of us. A lot of things have gone into the relationship: Shaping brands for two decades, launching new brands, inventing new practices that are born off more challenges. In this space, we do not feel tired even when we challenge each other, because we feel and believe that when we debate and are able to be radical, which encourages us to get precise solutions for the brands. We are happy that Unilever has also grown from strength to strength in terms of recognising our work, and also being a part of us as we feel a part of them. [Over the years] the leadership has changed, and new people have come in, but we have only grown from strength to strength. We celebrate this relationship as one of the best that we have.

     

    Specifically on this campaign, what was the brief and how did it come about?

    This is primarily a content initiative, and many of the ideas got discussed, co-created and stumbled upon. That is how winning ideas get formed; they develop from A to B to C, and then the teams debate on it. It then gets co-created with clients, such as us and the Y Films team. It is not a single campaign; it is an ongoing one, and we have a sixth video coming out. It is more about creating a particular cause and a platform for it, so that the associated brand is able to leverage that platform.

     

    Media awards are being won by creative agencies and creative awards like yours are being won by a media agency. Your comments.

    The borders are getting blurred. New technology, a way of looking at solutions, insights-driven and creativity-driven solutions are all getting into a more exciting space. What’s more, people are trying to break our records for what we did earlier, which is very encouraging because we have just won at Cannes and we cannot be complacent. We need to look at how to keep innovating.

     

    Media agencies are typically retained for media planning and buying. How much is creativity a focus area at Mindshare India?

    I don’t think a media agency does only planning and buying today. Our focus on data, content and digital has been so intense that our products have also evolved over the years. And being the leaders in the market by far, we also take the responsibility of shaping the practice and the market to a certain ‘right way’ of looking at solutions for brands. We have a very large content team, headed by Deven, while Ajay Mehta is content head of Fulcrum and works with Deven and Navin. Ideas can come from the media, message, and content, or from anywhere. We deal with it in every form. Some use media to understand consumers, their tastes and what they like and dislike. All of these allow the creator to understand things better and get a little closer to magical idea of creativity, which can help the brand more.

     

    Hindustan Unilever has some of the best creative shops working for it. So why did it get this campaign created by Mindshare and not a creative agency?

    It’s not about why they didn’t go with someone else. We had the content, and the content team’s purpose was to come up with different ideas. This magical idea happened and that’s how we got the job. We believed in the capability of doing it and had our own partners, Y Films, and came together to create a story. We are happy we won a Grand Prix for that. We’re also happy that the client supported and encouraged us so much that we able to come up with some great work.

     

    Last year has been good for Mindshare – the Emvies, Media Abby, the Grand Prix and various others. And we have the Emvies coming up soon.

    We have got to win the Emvies and make sure we fight for that. Last year, we won some 176 awards as well as ‘Agency of the Year’ across platforms, besides ‘Digital Agency of the Year’ and ‘Global Agency of the Year’ too. We began this year with a bang, with ‘Festival Agency of the Year’. We topped the Abbys by far and won the IDMA digital awards. And, now we have a Grand Prix. We are not going to get tired, but we are hungry: Every day and every award makes us hungrier. Every good work makes us hungrier to do better.

     

    Indian media agencies, including Mindshare, typically don’t do well at the Media Lions at Cannes. Why?

    Better understanding and better creativity and ability to get the brand reciprocate on better ideas, is required. It is a global platform. We see lots of work from different part of the world, and the best of the best ideas win over there. But making the shortlist is equal to a great award. However, if you have not done well as a country, it is because we need to focus on how others look at you. Many a times, learnings from others gives us more clarity on what we should do. We are happy that we have been able to make the country proud. We take it as an opportunity to learn and be better the next time.

     

    Many critics say that ’cause’ campaigns are done more to generate buzz and free publicity. And of course awards. Your views?

    This happened 13 months ago and was not created for Cannes. It was done for the brand. We will continue to do it, with the sixth song coming out soon. It is also true that for some of the band members, it has changed their lives. This band has made them more acceptable. It is not easy to start with an idea like this. We do not want to do it for the sake of it. Our philosophy and that of our clients is that we believe in it, and we would treat [transgenders] with the same dignity as any other celeb. That is what Y Films also did, and hats off to them for managing that. That is what we believe in, and would continue to do.

     

    This interview first appeared in dna of brands on June 27.

     

  • We peek into two sessions held yesterday at Cannes Lions 2016

    @Cannes2016: Sessions on VR & Gender Equality

     

     

    On a Virtual Reality adventure!

    Google took the audience on a Virtual Reality adventure at Cannes Lions 2016

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Virtual Reality (VR) has arrived. For the first time, you can step inside experiences and feel like you are actually there. VR lets you travel to faraway destinations, stand on stage with your favorite artists, and play in new worlds. From Cardboard beginnings to fully immersive experiences, Google is bringing virtual reality to everyone.

     

    On Tuesday, Google hosted the session ‘Adventures in Virtual Reality’ at Cannes Lions 2016. The session was started by Clay Bavor, Vice President of VR, Google. “The thing that is so compelling about virtual reality is something that you really got to see first-hand to get it fully,” he said. Bavor did a quick poll, through a show of hands, about people who have used a VR instrument. The results were impressive as most members of the audience had experienced VR.  He explained what really appealed to him about the concept of VR. Bavor’s ‘obsession’ with VR began from his childhood when he saw pictures made with acrylic and oil paints, which felt very really. He said, “I have always been intrigued by this idea of creating something that looks and feels real out of stuff that is not.” VR, according to him, is not just going to be restricted to gaming but it will change the way we communicate, create, travel and how we think and remember more. He gave the audience a glimpse of that future.

     

    Not only was the future of VR was explained, Bavor took the audience through the journey of VR at Google. The VR projects that the organisation is working on or has introduced in the space of VR were also showcased. Through VR brands can bring in people to experience their products virtually. He spoke about ‘Daydream’ one of the projects to enhance VR expiences on mobile phones.

     

    Bavor went on to explain how ‘Story, art and memory’ will be influenced by VR. Basically, when a story is unfolding in VR, you will be in that story. And, to explain further JessicaBrillhart, VR filmmaker, Google took the stage. Brillhart has been with Google for seven years and made films about search, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. “And, just when I thought my career cannot get any more nerdy, a year and a half ago Google engineers gave me this,” said Brillhart. She showed a clip shot with the help of VR. In the process, she realised VR is not about filmmaking. She said, “It is an existential crisis for a filmmaker, whose job is to make VR content.”

     

    But filmmaking in this context can be used as framework to create something new. From the filmmaking point of view, the frame is the most important thing. In traditional filmmaking you cannot move the frame but in VR if you are not moving it, then you are doing it wrong. “VR is the potential for frames and the frames can be everywhere and anywhere,” Brillhart explained. She explained the use of VR with the help of some more videos.

     

    Bavor came back to explain VR’s influence on art. Artists can create things that look and feel real with the help of VR. “There are artists who are using it to create and express their art,” Bavor continued. But he handed it over to Glen Keane, Animator / Artist, Glen Keane Productions who has worked on many Disney projects to explain the concept about the new type of VR paint that can be used. “I can be anything I imagine,” began Keane. After spending 40 years in Disney, his desire to find something new out there made him leave the job.  He introduced and demonstrated the ‘tilt brush’ to the audience. With that tool he made a painting in front of the surprised audience.

     

    “We place enormous values to our memories,” said Bevor by explaining the effects on memory. Photographs are something which everyone is attached to as they help people recreate those memories and experience that are captured in it. Bevor spoke about a prototype camera that he used to capture some moments of his life. “A few years from now, I will be able to relive those moments virtually,” he said. With VR people will be able to connect with people who live afar whenever they like.

     

    “VR would be profoundly additive to the human experience,” Bavor said in conclusion.

     

    		  

    @Cannes2016: Gender equality: No laughing matter

    Gender Equality Is No Laughing Matter was by The Girls’ Lounge at the Cannes Lions 2016

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gender equality has been a burning issue these days. Right from advertisements to movies everyone seems to be trying to advocate this issue. And, discussing this issue in the context of humour on Day 3 of  Cannes Lions 2016, Shelley Zalis, Founder & CEO, The Girls’ Lounge hosted a panel discussion with three cast members of Saturday Night Live (SNL)- Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Vanessa Bayer and Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships , NBCUniversal. The topic was ‘Gender Equality Is No Laughing Matter’, Gender parity or gender parody? Sensationalise gender equality to make you laugh, so you don’t cry. Let’s get real.

     

    “The best conversations are unplugged, nonlinear and conversational. And, that is how we are going to do it,” said Zalis. She referred to it as ‘girls’ style of conversation’ rather than a panel discussion. “Sometimes we have to sensationalise the issue to know where we are going,” Zalis began. She gave an example of how a candy bar is sold at a lesser price to women than men to kick start the conversation about ‘gender parity’.

     

    The discussion began with Yaccarino answering about NBC’s initiative towards bringing more women to comedy and behind the camera as well, in the light of equality. “Commitment to women and diversity is one of the top priorities of the entire company. Our news division, the on air talent, has over 40% women. And, when you look behind the camera it is equally important for the company. We are leading in this front and would hopefully continue to do so,” was the NBC Chairman’s reply.

     

    But we have been seeing that in the case of comedy shows, it is the men who get their independent shows more than women comedians or actors. Also, the fact that many believe, ‘Men are funnier than women’. So, does it affect any of the actors who have been doing sketch comedy in SNL for quite some time? “No!” came a quick reply from Bryant. “I do not get that statement but I am sure there are people who think that way, you just need to ignore them, because it is boring to even answer them,” she said.

     

    The star cast also discussed how in most of the scripts that they are offered they are supposed to just push the plotline. “It is like you are never given the joke, you are the hot girl,” said Strong. But these women have used these stereotypes to create funny sketches on the show, which has been extremely popular. They spoke how earlier women were afraid to speak up due to the fear of getting fired but now with more women joining comedy and other parts of the industry, it has changed but there is still a long way to cover.

     

    Well, with so much talk in the media about gender equality, it sure is headed in the right direction. But to reach the finish line, the path is quite long.

     

     

  • Indian entries in the Promo & Activation, Radio, Direct, Print & Publishing and Glass Lions were shortlisted for the Awards scheduled for tonight

    Day2@Cannes2016: 29 shortlists for India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leo Burnett bagged two shortlists for Promo & Activation Lions on Day 2 of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Both are expectedly for the Bajaj V. O&M Mumbai’s ‘The Popcorn Story’ for Breaththrough was also shortlisted in the Promo & Activation Lions.

     

    In Direct, BBDO India’s ‘Dad #ShareTheLoad’ is in the shortlist. As is Leo Burnett’s ‘Memories for Life’ for HDFC Bank. O&M’s ‘Beauty tips by Reshma’ has been shortlisted twice.

     

    In Print & Publishing, McCann Worldgroup’s ‘Birthday’ for Vaultek Biometric Safes has been shortlisted. JWT entries for Godrej Security Products’ ‘Store Prison’ and for Sleep Apnoea India have been shortlisted. For Sleep Apnoea, three entries have been shortlisted. Three  Dentsu Creative Impact entires have been shortlisted for the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) awareness were shortlisted.  Taproot bagged a shortlist for Times Classifieds and two shortlists for the the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association.

     

    In Radio, Contract and Bates have each had two entries shortlisted and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has had three shortlists.

     

    In Glass Lions where BBDO India won a Grand Prix last year, four Indian entries have been shortlisted: one each from O&M India, BBDO India, Mindshare and Weber Shandwick.

     

  • India won well on Day 1 of Cannes Lions, and Saurabh Varma and a cross-section of industry folk are quite bullish of India@Cannes2016

    Bullish on India @ Cannes Lions

     

    The 29th annual Cannes Predictions were published by Leo Burnett Worldwide recently, projecting some of the major contenders for wins just ahead of the 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which will be held in the French city from June 18 to June 25. And, for the first time in the history of the predictions report, an Indian agency has been shortlisted: Leo Burnett’s own ad for the Bajaj V, ‘The Nation’s Bike’. Pradyuman Maheshwari had a quick chat with Saurabh Varma, CEO, South Asia – Leo Burnett, before he left for the biggest advertising event of 2016.

     

    All set for Cannes? It seems like Bajaj V is going to win.

    Honestly, it is a big deal for us. We are back on the awards scene after a long time, and we are going straight to Cannes. We are very excited about what we have on the table, but Cannes is Cannes. We are going to be competing against the best pieces of work in the world. While we have given our best, we have to see whether it is good enough at the moment. And in a few days, we will have the answers.

     

     

    The bar is set pretty high for India at Cannes this year

     

    The festivities at Cannes Lions 2016 have begun and although India put up a fairly forgettable showing in terms of number of metals one last year there is confidence that our agencies will fare better in 2016. Here’s what a cross-section of industrypersons told Anuka Roy:

     

    Agnello Dias, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu: We always hope that India does well. It was only some eight or nine years ago, India started showing significant hope at Cannes; before that it was not so. That’s why the expectations go up every year. I hope we really do well, particularly in the non-traditional medium categories like digital and activation. Ariel’s ‘Share the load’ campaign has a strong chance of winning.

     

    Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India: I think India is going to do better than last year. I have seen some fabulous work from other agencies and there are a lot of probables this year. So I think we are on a good wicket. There is also a lot of contributive work. I think everyone will do well. Every agency will have something, and a lot more is happening in the country, so there is new energy and things that are fresh, for the jury.

     

    Shubhajit Sen, Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax Informatics: We have set pretty high standards over the last few years, and we have got to beat that. I think the industry is moving to a place where we are creating communication that obviously works in India, but we are articulating why that is a global property, that is one of the reasons we have been winning in the past. So I am looking forward to some interesting stuff. As for the winner – we’ll have to wait. Never make a prediction or speculate. That is the golden rule.

     

    Dhunji S Wadia, President, Rediffusion Dentsu Young and Rubicam: I think there has been terrific work. And I think India is really poised to have a great run at Cannes this year. Regarding the winners, it is for the juries to decide. I just feel that there is so much work, that collectively India would be among the strong contenders this year.

     

    Nandini Dias, CEO, Lodestar UM: Hopefully, we will do well. I think since we have done well in the last couple of years, the expectations have grown. Hopefully we will fulfill them this year. I have no clue about the winners, but I think there are campaigns across the creative end which I thought were worth looking at and I hope they win.

     

    Even at the Ad Club ad review there was talking of how the Bajaj V commercial is something dramatically different from what we’ve seen so far, and sort of raises the bar for nationalistic advertising. From your experience, how do you rate the Bajaj V work versus the various things that Leo Burnett has done over the years?

    I am truly grateful that the whole industry has praised an idea like the Bajaj V. Grateful to Josy (Paul), (R) Balki and many other industry leaders for speaking positively about an idea like this. We think this may be the best piece of work we have ever done in India. I think we love it because it is really about business. An idea which leads to the production of bikes — which essentially translates into a sale of half a billion dollars. So we are very positive about the idea. I think the challenge lies is whether the judges at Cannes will understand what INS Vikrant meant for the country. Will they get the narrative and the story? That is going to be the challenge, we feel.

     

    You have been to Cannes over the years. What do you think works very well with the jury there?

    I think what works at Cannes is one of the toughest questions faced by all of us. First, I believe it is really about work which is purposeful. There has to be purpose in whatever we do. Second, it has to be surprising. It has to be an idea which makes you go ‘Ahh!’. And third, it has to be scalable. So in our minds, it has to be purposeful, surprising and delightful. It has to be something which uses technology, media and creativity to have an impact on business. Those are the things which we would like to look at, at Cannes.

     

    You have been taking a large team to Cannes every year. Apart from the awards, the Cannes Lions are also about consuming a lot of knowledge, interacting with a lot of people internationally and such. What, according to you, do the Cannes Lions mean for the advertising fraternity in India?

    Every year we have people going to Cannes. It is a big investment for us and it is not just spent on the senior leadership team. We take young planners and account management people, and they all experience Cannes. For us, it is actually the best learning ground. This is an opportunity where 25 people are exposed to the Cannes experience and to the best from around the world. It is about understanding differences, [generating the] best ideas and it is also about understanding where the industry is moving, and then working together with this team to share what we want to build here as Leo Burnett India. I think that is the opportunity and possibility that Cannes offers. And for us, it is one of the most critical things we do in the year, in terms of exposing our young teams to the best works. So their benchmarks and world view changes, and ultimately they start giving shape to the work that we believe is needed for us to evolve as an industry.

     

    Would you like to make any predictions about the Lions?

    My prediction is that we have some great work coming out of India. We have the Khali ad, which is from Publicis, and we have ‘Share the load’, and these are real, honest and big pieces of work for brands. I think we, as a country, will do really well this year. That is my prediction.