Wavemaker India, the agency from GroupM, today announced the appointment of George Kovoor as the Chief Creative Officer (CCO). Kovoor will report to Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker and will be based out of Bengaluru. He joins Wavemaker after his eight year long stint with Ogilvy where he was Digital Lead – Mumbai and South operations.
Speaking about the appointment, Ajay Gupte said: “We are witnessing an exciting phase of transformation in the media industry where traditional methods are challenged at every step. Data, Content and Technology have always been the three key pillars at Wavemaker and we have all experienced the magic when these three ingredients are used in the right proportion. In his previous roles, George has played an instrumental role in integrating mainline and digital creative teams. He enjoys an incredible reputation in the creative industry for his impressive work which has been recognised at local and global platforms. With George coming in as the Chief Creative Officer, I am quite confident about taking our creative offerings a notch higher.”
Ogilvy South has created a campaign for TI Cycles to commemorate June 3 as World Bicycle Day with the tagline #WeWillRideAgain. The film is designed to inspire people and to remind people of the joys of cycling.
The film is made entirely by using photographs that capture the state of bicycles today. Bicycles that have been parked all around our homes- in bedrooms, living rooms, terraces and basements, waiting for the day that they will be used again.
Said Sushant Jena, Senior Vice President, TI Cycles of India: “Today, all of us are facing really difficult times. We want to move out of homes but keeping everyone’s safety in mind, we aren’t. On World Bicycle Day, TI Cycles wanted to celebrate with everyone. Keeping this safety in mind we are reaching out with a message of hope, longing and something we all are looking forward to – go out and ride again. We are hopeful that the situation gets back to normal soon and while waiting for safer days to ride, we want to celebrate the spirit of good rides and good times.”
Added George Kovoor, Digital Lead, Ogilvy South: “Our spirits are much like a cycle in the garage today, dampened, rusted. But like the sun rises every morning after the darkest nights , these tough times too shall pass. We wanted to draw this parallel to reinforce the message of positivity and hope that our brand is all about. This is a simple film about a simple thought- good things, like cycling, will come to us again!”
Godrej Hit released a new digital film to raise awareness on the Platelet Donor helpline. Speaking on the film conceptualised by Ogilvy India, Sunil Kataria, CEO – India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, said: ‘’Dengue has emerged as a serious threat to public health in India causing loss of life. While people are aware that mosquito bites causes dengue they are unaware of the curative measures, especially awareness about platelets is abysmally low across the country. Hence brand HIT, in-line with its efforts to fight dengue through various means, has taken up this responsibility to ensure that not a single life is lost due to unavailability of platelets. In order to ensure that, the brand built India’s first online platelet donor community to save lives of critical dengue patients. This helpline helps dengue patients find donors from a base of 1.25 lakh registered donor across 6 cities in India. Our aim is to shift consumer attitude and behavior from lack of awareness and apathy to awareness and registration as platelet donors.’’
Added George Kovoor, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy Mumbai, on the film: “The Platelet Donor helpline reinforces Godrej HIT’s commitment to fight dengue. It has already saved many lives. This film is based on a true story of one such family. The film beautifully captures the emotion of a mother whose son was saved thanks to the helpline. And in turn make people aware of the helpline which they can access easily when in need of platelets.”
Pest repellant Hit has launched a video that focuses on pre-Diwali house cleaning rituals in every Indian household..
Said Sunil Katatria, CEO – India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products: “Godrej Consumer Products has always strived to make the lives of consumers brighter and better. Keeping this philosophy at the core, brand HIT has used a very quirky and creative approach to deliver a very serious message about cockroach infestation and its preventive measures. This humorous video is a fun way to coveys the message to the consumers. While consumers use various solutions to drive away these pests, that make them feel the problem is completely solved but in reality, roaches hide in remote and difficult corners of our home posing a serious threat to health and wellbeing and Lal Hit is an exceptionally convenient way of killing even the hidden cockroaches. It reaches the corners of the house through its nozzle to kill even the hidden roaches making the house infestation free.â€
Added George Kovoor, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy: “Godrej Hit has always delivered a very serious message in a light-hearted vein.  Carrying this style forward, we partnered with a maid turned stand-up comedian, Deepika Mhatre to create a content piece that is apt for this season, especially during the days approaching Diwali. Deepika skillfully weaves in the benefits of Lal Hit into her act and seamlessly delivers a product message using her signature brand of humour and style.â€
Over the years, Asian Paints Sharad Shamman has been connecting with the people in Kolkata through the on-ground activity and media support. This year, Ogilvy has conceptualised a campaign titled #DurgaPujoRocks. It comprises a digital campaign that comes alive through the fusion of various art forms to create unique pieces of content.
Said Jaideep Kanse, General Manager – Brands, Asian Paints Limited: “Asian Paints has always believed in celebrating creativity and art. It was with this intent that Asian Paints Sharad Shamman was initiated and now over 34 years of this we feel the love and respect of the people every time we are in Kolkata during Pujo. We are extremely proud to associate with Lakkhichara and bring out a fusion song that mixes traditional art forms like Pattachitra and Baul along with regional rock, truly #DurgaPujoRocks.â€
Added George Kovoor, Group Creative Head, Ogilvy Mumbai: “#DurgaPujoRocks is a unique form of storytelling, combining traditional performing arts with modern rock music to create a piece of content that engages a generation of youth who are getting detached from the traditions and rituals of Durga Pujo. They are going to see Pujo in a way they have never seen before.â€
We are restarting AdStrat, a look at the strategies behind all-new creative campaigns. Interested in featuring, your campaign in AdStrat. Write to editor@mxmindia.com
By A Correspondent
What does an auto major do to sell what it calls its ‘World-Smart Truck’? Take it on the roads across the world? Impossible. Send glossy brochures to prospective customers? Naah. Enter technology, and here’s an easy tool deployed by the folks at the commercial vehicles division of Tata Motors to give potential buyers an experience of the real thing. Well, almost.
Enter Virtual Reality or VR, the ‘Formidable 4’ campaign brings out Tata Prima’s versatility across different applications in an “immersive fashionâ€.
Tata Motors commissioned its digital agency Ogilvy Digital on the job with a clear mandate to let people experience the versatility of the vehicle. The brief given, a global hunt started for the best possible VR film-maker. In came Sandeep (Kamal) Kamalasanan who is regarded as one of India’s best VFX and hybrid media specialist. Kamal interestingly started off as an artist in Udaipur before taking the leap into computer-aided art. And the rest, as they say, is history.
George Kovoor
The leadership team on the project at Ogilvy Digital – George Kovoor – Group Creative Director, Ogilvy Mumbai and Namrata Keswani – Head of Digital Domain, Ogilvy Mumbai facilitated an exclusive look at the hybrid films and here’s what they had to say. Kovoor: “The Tata Prima is the flagship brand of the Tata Motors fleet of commercial vehicles. Tata Motors wanted to showcase its technological prowess in an international market dominated by giants like Mercedes, Volvo and Mitsubishi. We took that as a challenge and created a first of its kind experience that intersects experiential technology and storytelling. “The Formidable 4†is a unique hybrid VR film that seamlessly merges virtual reality with I-max technology, graphic animations and interactivity to literally take you into the future of test drives. I would like to commend the client for partnering with us on a project of this magnitude and scale. I would also like to thank Sandeep Kamal, one of the finest VR film directors in India, who turned our vision into a magical reality.†And Keswani: The hybrid film gives an opportunity to customers and patrons of automobiles in general to virtually experience trucking on varied terrains which include – a racing track, a mountain pass, a mine and a highway. While traversing through these four terrains, one also gets a sense of how challenging it is to tread on them and learn the technological prowess of the Tata Prima at play.â€
Namrata Keswani
Both Keswani and Kovoorard delighted at the results that the film has produced. The film was released in November and has done the rounds, though it was shown to the media only last week. Keswani is quick to say that the film isn’t a replacement for test drives. When asked how much time it took to get the film ready – from brief to delivery, Kovoor said two months. Two years, we asked. No, two months, he said emphatically. “We’ve been working with Tata Motors since late 2016 and we understand the client and its products well. The film was shot entirely in Rajasthan and the outskirts of New Delhi.
And did it mean that their client had to shell out millions to produce the film. Keswani clarified that it’s possible as much as a regular TVC. And what’s more, given the way it has been produced, we can add on modules without having to
Rudrarup Maitra
We missed meeting Rudrarup Maitra - Head – International Business, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, but here’s what he had to say in a communique:“The Tata Prima – Formidable 4 is a unique journey which helps us communicate to our prospective and existing customers. It redefines the way we demonstrate the versatility of the Tata Prima platform and the benefits of the Tata Prima’s technological prowess.Since the roll out of the film in November, we have been taking our fleet customers and key stakeholders through this VR experience. The experience has been able to generate excitement around Tata Prima across relevant audience and increase its
If the Ogilvy Digital films produce the desired results for Tata Motors, it’s surely going to be goodbye to PPTs and flipbook-based sales meetings.
Tata Sky has launched its first digital-only campaign for its upcoming ‘Tata Sky+ Transfer’ set-top box. The campaign features three teaser commercials followed by the main commercial which goes on-air from 1st September 2015.
The campaign introduces Tata Sky’s latest product the Tata Sky+ Transfer, which enable the set top box recording to be available on the subscribers’ tablets and phones.
This campaign uses Tata Sky’s trademark style of using hyperboles and humor to drive home the product messages in an interesting manner. The protagonists “Transferkars†are a TV addicted family- a family of six each madly passionate about his/her show and the campaign is a series of films that bring alive the lengths that they go to carry their favourite TV shows with them.  The commercial portrays ‘Tata Sky+ Transfer’ as an innovative product which solves these problems by enabling subscribers to transfer recorded content on their mobile devices and view it at their convenience. Hence, the campaign concludes with the sign off ‘Record. Transfer. Carry.’
Shedding light on what consumer behaviours drove this innovative campaign, Malay Dikshit Chief Communications Officer – Tata Sky said “Today time comes at a premium, the consumer is increasingly finding it difficult to be constrained by fixed timing and location for viewing even recorded content. Thus the demand for convergence and portability of content. The rapid increase of Wi-Fi enabled homes open up new possibilities and potential for new offerings. The Tata Sky+ Transfer box delivers on this sweet spot allowing subscribers to use their connected homes to enjoy their space and identity. Our focused digital-approach with this new campaign along with the launch of an interactive micro-site would surely intrigue existing and prospective subscribers.†He concluded stating, “It is just the beginning of our endeavours to un-box entertainment for our subscribers.â€
Talking about the creative on the campaign George Kovoor –  Sr. Creative Director at Ogilvy One stated, “Tata Sky has once again set the benchmark through this unique digital first campaign. At the heart of the campaign is a family of obsessive TV show fans who not only engage the consumers but also demonstrate the Transfer product in a simple yet entertaining story. Fans can follow this family and their quirks on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and even an interactive microsite.â€
The task for us was to create a high impact campaign centered around digital devices like smartphones & tablets, demonstrating clearly and in a memorable way how to and in what situations this product is used.
What does an auto major do to sell what it calls its ‘World-Smart Truck’? Take it on the roads across the world? Impossible. Send glossy brochures to prospective customers? Naah. Enter technology, and here’s an easy tool deployed by the folks at the commercial vehicles division of Tata Motors to give potential buyers an experience of the real thing. Well, almost.
