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Tag: Kapil Sharma

  • Conceptualised by Wondrlab

    Kapil Sharma and team promote Navratna Oil in new campaign

    Navratna Oil has joined hands with Kapil Sharma for its new campaign this summer.

    Conceptualised by Wondrlab, the series involves Kapil offering a solution in his signature style as Sumona Chakravarti, Kiku Sharda and Gaurav Gera deal with problems caused by everyday chaos.

    Talking about the films, Kaushik Vedula, AVP – Marketing, of Emami Ltd. said: “This year we wanted to break the mould. As a market leader in this segment, we have always had brave campaigns that redefine benchmarks. With the growing market, and brands finding new ways to be relevant, we decided to take the plunge into the wild. For a mass brand like Navratna, taking a step towards branded content opens up new avenues to reach and connect with our target audience. I am truly excited for this campaign and confident that it will significantly enhance our market presence.”

    Added Amit Akali, CCO and co-founder of Wondrlab: “The idea for the campaign came from Navratna’s history of entertaining the viewers with their ads. So, we decided to go all out. And who better than India’s Comedy Superstar to headline the campaign? We even got Kapil’s writers on board and worked with them to make sure the essence of Kapil Sharma shines through. And the result was better than we imagined. Of course, the credit goes to Kapil, Kiku, Sumona and Gaurav too for bringing alive the characters with their charm and improvisations on set.”

  • Partners with top comedians like Kapil Sharma and digital stars

    Sprite returns with ‘Joke in a Bottle’ campaign

    Sprite, the refreshing, lime-flavoured soft drink from the Coca-Cola Company, is back with ‘Joke in a Bottle’, following the success of its inaugural season. Strengthening its renowned ‘Scan Karo, Joke Suno, Thand Rakho! campaign from last year, the brand is set to become the ultimate heat hack for this season, delivering a fresh wave of comedic content. With a simple scan of a bottle, youngsters can unravel jokes across 9+ regional languages across their most relatable topics such as exams, college, relationships, food and much more.

    To spearhead the campaign, they’ve collaborated with three pairs tied by their love for comedy. For the nationwide commercial we will see Kapil Sharma, together with Suryakumar Yadav who is known for his quick-wit in the Indian cricket Team. Following this, the Bengali commercial will feature superstar Dev Adhikari and Comedian Niranjan Mondal, and the Oriya commercial will feature actor Sabyasachi Mishra and comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath.

    Commenting on the new campaign, Tish Condeno, Senior category director, sparkling flavours, Coca Cola India and South-West Asia, said: “We are thrilled to bring back Sprite’s Joke in a Bottle campaign, following the outstanding response from last year. Our goal remains unchanged: to infuse our consumers’ lives with happiness, delivering genuine and relatable content that resonates with our brand ethos. Sprite is dedicated to offering an unmatched, delightful experience, and we are eagerly looking forward to spreading joy and laughter with everyone!”

    Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Office, Ogilvy India (North): “Sprite Joke in A Bottle, now running in its second year, not only has regional jokes, but the campaign is regional too. Real comedians have joined forces with popular personalities to keep the heat down and laughter up. The campaign features stars like Kapil Sharma and SKY for the north market, Dev and Niranjan for the Bengali market and Sabyasachi and Biswa for Oriya. The campaign will surely tickle you in the language you love and strengthen the brand’s promise of ‘Thand Rakh’.

  • Gets a new address

    Kapil Sharma forges long-term deal with Netflix

    By Our Staff

     

    Standup comic-turned-television biggie Kapil Sharma has teamed up with Netflix to bring a new comedy show

     

    Said Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India: “Kapil Sharma is a huge entertainer whose legacy and comedy has made him a household name across India for many years. We’re incredibly proud to further our partnership with him and bring the King of Indian Comedy, alongside his beloved and well-known castmates, to Netflix for an all-new comedy show. Kapil will continue to make India laugh and also entertain millions of his viewers globally now, from his new address-Netflix.”

     

  • Campaign conceptualised by Leo Burnett

    Kapil Sharma collaborates with Zupee gaming platform

    By Our Staff

     

    Zupee, the online gaming platform, has roped in Kapil Sharma, as its new brand ambassador. By joining forces with Sharma, Zupee seeks to expand its presence and cement its leadership position in Ludo, while also offering a wide array of engaging casual and board games.

     

    This association is structured by ‘PAB – People As Brand’, conceptualized by Leo Burnett and produced by Prodigious.

     

    Said Dilsher Singh Malhi, the CEO and Founder of Zupee: “Kapil Sharma, one of India’s most beloved entertainers, joins Zupee as our brand ambassador. With his comedic genius, relatable charm, and ability to connect with the masses, Kapill truly personifies our quest to deliver joyful and meaningful entertainment. With the ‘India Ka Apna Game’ campaign, we aim to celebrate the widespread popularity and sentimental bond people have with the game of Ludo, honoring the affection it holds in the hearts of the nation.”

     

    Added Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett South Asia: “Ludo is ingrained in our cultural fabric and appeals to large audiences across ages. Our campaign takes a lighthearted approach to celebrate the country’s love for Zupee’s Ludo as ‘India Ka Apna Game’ in a fun and quirky way.”

     

  • As Shailesh Kapoor now chases the 500 mark, he recalls some of his favourite columns

    400 Not Out: Feels like Brian Lara

     

     

    From the Editor: When we invited Shailesh Kapoor to write for MxMIndia in 2012, a year after we started, we didn’t know how important a position his column would have in Indian broadcast. Our reason for inviting Shailesh to write was simple: the super-large broadcast sector depends on content as its primary fuel, and there is need to track trends and comment on what’s working. And what’s not. And Shailesh, thanks to the splendid work Ormax Media was doing (then and now) was in the best position to write for us.

     

    Even as we say it ourselves, what makes MxM stand out from amongst the rest is our commentary on content. That we know is fraught with a lot of dangers, especially when it comes to revenues. But our allegiance is not to our advertiser or shareholders, but to you, dear reader. Meanwhile, join me in congratulating Shailesh Kapoor.

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorFrom August 9, 2012, when I first wrote the first column for this website, it’s been more than 11 years. This is my 400th column here, no less. Don’t blame me for feeling like Brian Lara today!

     

    It offers me just the perfect excuse to share some of my favourite columns from the past. I rarely read my columns after mailing them out. But there are some that one remembers for many years, for either the satisfaction of writing, or for the feedback that came one’s way. Be warned: some of the older ones may have wobbly special characters.

     

    I have written more than a few times about TV ratings, but the absurdity of 5am ratings at that time prompted me to write this piece back in 2013.

     

    A column from May 2013, titled Five Tips for Young TV Executives, is a personal favorite, because it got shared widely in many media companies at that time, and continues to somehow stay relevant, with occasional messages from people who read it almost a decade after it was published!

     

    News has been my go-to topic in weeks when I have struggled to decide what to write on. The column titled Are we a Noise-loving Nation? looks at news (as also television) in a larger socio-cultural context. Just the headline itself seems ever-so-relevant in 2023.

     

    There have been a few columns on Kapil Sharma, as the 11 years of this column was also the period of him going through the beats of fame and success. Sharma keeps going at it now, like an old warhorse. His film Zwigato releases next week. Of all the Kapil Sharma columns, I enjoyed writing these two the most: Kapil Sharma and the Loss of Innocence in 2016, and Kapil Sharma: Definitely Not Done Yet in 2022.

     

    The 2017 column titled Panic Times for Hindi GECs? has a special place in my list. It’s one of the several (50+, I’d say) columns on the state of general entertainment television in India. But this one, in particular, got great traction, and led to extended conversations with several channels. I have rarely looked at writing here as a way of furthering Ormax Media’s business interests, but if I had to pick one column that managed that, it is this one.

     

    Sports, particularly cricket, has been a regular feature on this column. I have been a keen supporter of women’s cricket, and have written a few times on it, including this column titled Stars in the Making. To watch Women’s IPL become a real thing in 2023 is immensely satisfying.

     

    TRAI’s meddling with private television’s affairs, via the New Tariff Order (among other things), and the damage it has done, will be a dark chapter in Indian television’s history. The saga continues even as I write this 400th edition. This column from last year, titled Genre by Genre… Tumbling of the Telly, paints a grim picture of what the future of television may look like, in the current circumstances.

     

    The column started covering theatrical and streaming content a lot more frequently in the last 3-4 years. These recent columns on Pathaan and Farzi were fun to write.

     

    400 done, it’s time to chase the 500-mark now!

     

  • His brand of humour was inclusive and accessible, words whose importance has been diminishing in a streaming-driven content ecosystem, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Raju Srivastav: One of the Last Men Standing

     

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorSeason 1 of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, aired on the then-newly-launched Star One in 2005, will rank high in the list of landmark Indian television shows in the satellite TV era. The season was a rip-roaring success, touching ratings unheard of outside Star Plus at that time. More importantly, it ushered in an era of stand-up comedy on mass Indian television, in turn giving birth to shows like Comedy Circus, and eventually to the biggest comedian India has seen till date, Kapil Sharma.

     

    Raju Srivastav, who passed away earlier this week, was the most popular face of that season. He eventually went on to finish third, behind Sunil Pal and Ahsaan Qureshi. But for almost 15 years since then, Srivastav has had a remarkable television and events career, and was the face of his genre till Sharma burst on the scene.

     

    Over the last few years, stand-up comedy in India has seen a marked shift, with the rise of streaming platforms. Targeting younger and more cosmopolitan audiences than mass TV, platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have relied on more urban humor, often using liberal sprinkling of the English language in their shows and specials. Oddly enough, some of the TV attempts at stand-up comedy in the last few years have been misdirected, trying to get the attention of the streaming audience. What else explains the choice of judges or mentors in some of them, such as Zakir Khan, Mallika Dua and Hussain Dalal in the 2017 season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge? Not surprisingly, there hasn’t been another season since.

     

    Netflix, on the other hand, seems to have realized that even for their urban, sophisticated audience, a mass comedian like Kapil Sharma is a bigger draw. Their I’m Not Done Yet special with Sharma earlier this year found good traction, with an estimated viewership of 8.8 million audience in India as per Ormax Media estimates.

     

    But nevertheless, mass comedy faces some sort of an identity crisis in India. The rooted, local humor needs a certain breed of comedians, like Srivastav, which the stand-up comedy scene and the open mics, and now even GEC executives, tend to look down upon. We haven’t had a name of any significance breaking out in the last decade, since Sharma’s meteoric rise to fame.

     

    To that extent, Srivastav would be remembered as one of the last men standing, pun intended. His brand of humor was inclusive and accessible, words whose importance has been diminishing in a streaming-driven content ecosystem.

     

  • India’s biggest television celeb has found a new voice on Netflix, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Kapil Sharma: Definitely Not Done Yet

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorKapil Sharma is arguably (or perhaps inarguably) the biggest television celebrity in India over the last decade. His astonishing rise to fame in 2013, with Comedy Nights With Kapil, was followed by a spate of controversies, where the star comedian lost his mojo, in a manner of speaking. I wrote about it in 2016 (The Loss of Innocence) and 2018 (The Fault in our Star) in this column.

     

    Since then, Sharma’s show has made a comeback on Sony. But the going has been tough, especially because of the pandemic. With an irregular pattern of film releases, the celebrity line-up on the show has been less than ideal, with more ‘filler episodes’ than desirable. The show took a long-ish break in 2020. Since its return in early 2021, the ratings have settled around the 1.5-2.0 mark, which, by no yardstick, is a runaway success for weekend non-fiction property.

     

    I watched Sharma’s Netflix special, interestingly titled I’m Not Done Yet, in this context. What can a 50-minute special achieve for a comedian (besides a wider global reach, perhaps?) than a long-running mass TV show hasn’t already managed to, I wondered.

     

    The first few minutes had me sighing. The jokes didn’t seem to be landing, with only an occasional one worth a chuckle. Maybe he’s trying too hard for this one, and it’s going to be a colossal disappointment… That was my mind racing ahead of the content.

     

    But soon, it dawned upon me that this is not a usual stand-up special. This is a biopic-ish confessional of sorts, almost like a no-holds-barred interview, except that there is no interviewer. Chapter by chapter, Sharma bared his life, finding humour in his own imperfections. It was difficult to say which incidents are real and which are exaggerated, or even entirely made up. But the candor shone though, bright and clear.

     

    I also realised why he needed a streaming platform for this. Drinking has been a huge ‘factor’ in Sharma’s life, and that’s a topic off limits on mass television. In this special, he went on a rampage, dishing out jokes around his drinking habit, not always funny but generally insightful, as if they had been bottled up inside him for the last few years, waiting to find the right destination.

     

    The political jokes, including some very subtle jibes at the current Prime Minister, and an emphatic endorsement of his predecessor, were a delight, if only because they were attempted in the first place. In times when channels and streamers want to stay away from all things political, Sharma must be lauded for having the courage to go down that route, and then be smart enough to make it so subtle it won’t ignite any controversy at all. Well played!

     

    He also spoke about his family, especially his relationship with his father, even dedicating a sappy but surprisingly effective song to him, as the closing act of the special.

     

    It may not be the best content through its length, but the Kapil Sharma special on Netflix stands out. It a rare comedy special where the comedian’s stardom is the central subject, and it is (rightly) assumed that he is famous and admired enough for content that focuses on him, as a celebrity and a common person, to be engaging. I say “a common person” because that continues to be Sharma’s public connect with the GEC masses, despite him having amassed wealth and fame that is anything but commonplace.

     

    I wish he spent a couple of minutes on the Sunil Grover chapter of his life too. Their pairing remains the crowning jewel of Sharma’s long and successful TV stint. And we don’t know if they will come together ever again. Maybe Sharma is keeping that material aside for his second special.

     

    We can’t call this a ‘comeback’, because his TV show continues to be on air. But Kapil Sharma has found a new voice on Netflix. A voice that we want to hear more from.

     

  • India has lost its best comedian to the trappings of fame, power and greed, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Kapil Sharma: The Fault In Our Star

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Two years ago, Kapil Sharma started his second television stint, shifting from Colors to Sony after a nasty break-up of sorts with the former. At that time, I wrote a column here titled ‘Kapil Sharma And The Loss Of Innocence’. In it, I expressed my scepticismabout Sharma’s ability to put himself together and recreate the magic of Comedy Nights With Kapil all over again. It was never his talent that was in question. It was his innocence and his will to excel further in a one-man competition that was in doubt.

    To his credit, he did well to hold himself through that show for more than a year. The show did very well, and was highly watchable, till the the infamous flight-back-from-Australia incident in early 2017 split his core team. The show, thereafter, was a tame version of its previous episodes, even though Sharma himself was still as good as ever.

    News of him drinking, being in depression, making stars wait and canceling shoots have been doing the rounds for about three years now. They had become a part of the package over time. If you want to work with Sharma, you have to deal with all of this, and perhaps some more.

    The Sunil Grover incident may have taken the wind out of Sharma’s sails. But I believe it is the extreme box-office failure of his second film Firangi that truly deflated him. Sharma had been promoting the film on his show for a year before its release. The film found absolutely no takers, either in the audience or the critics community. It did only 20% of the business of his first film KisKiskoPyaarKaroon, and was out of the theatres within a week.

    A more seasoned star would have taken these setbacks with a chin-up attitude. But it was evident that too much had happened in Sharma’s life too soon, and he seemed simply unprepared to handle the ups and downs that vagaries of stardom bring with them.

    It’s not a happy feeling to see talent of this magnitude fade away. The fan base Sharma has built pan-India is underestimated by many in the entertainment business. He had become one of India’s own, a rare talent who achieves the audience’s love but not in a way that makes him larger-than-life or inaccessible (like most Bollywood stars, for example). Audiences felt, and continue to feel even today, that he is a member of their family, one of their own. That they own a part of Kapil Sharma.

    But incidents over the last few weeks leave little doubt in one’s mind that another comeback is ruled out. His new show has virtually gone off-air in three episodes, a dubious record of sorts. Sony would have known that they are not going to have it easy dealing with Sharma. But the extremity of this fiasco is not something they would have ever prepared for.

    A part of me still hopes he finds the strength to bounce back one more time. But I wouldn’t bet on it. Sharma’s time to say goodbye to his stardom has come. India has lost its best comedian to the trappings of fame, power and greed. And Indian entertainment will be poorer for that.

  • Combining humour subtly with key attributes of durability, the tvc further strengthens the new brand identity of TVS Tyres

    Now, Kapil Sharma asserts ride quality of TVS Tyres as its brand ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    TVS Tyres announced the launch of its latest TVC starring standup comedian Kapil Sharma. Combining humour subtly with key attributes of durability, the TVC further strengthens the new brand identity of TVS Tyres.

     

    The TV campaign is a series of four commercials wherein Kapil Sharma is seen giving timely help to people who are stranded before they reach their destination. On arriving at the destination, Kapil Sharma highlights how important it is to have things or relationships that are long lasting, just like the durable “TVS Tyres with the Eagle Logo” which ensures safe and smooth ride during good or bad times. The message of durability comes out clearly in the new TVC campaign. The brand with this new TVC intends to connect and reach out to the youth by highlighting the message of durability while buying tyres for their two wheelers.

     

    The TV campaign goes live with a set of four commercials which have been developed and is spanned across six weeks on major television channels. The first two TVCs have been launched on Jan 16th which will be followed by other two TVCs in next few days. Other than TV, the brand is also investing in print, outdoor and digital media.

     

    Commenting on the new TVC launch P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd, said “With this TVC, we are ushering into a new era. Customer connect has always been our primary motto and we are glad we have Mr. Kapil Sharma to take forward this message with his charm and humour. Durability is the key attribute that we wish to bring out very strongly through the tvc.”

     

  • Ropes in Kapil Sharma, the famous standup comedian and South sensation Rana Daggubati

    Micromax initiative to accelerate smartphone adoption

    By A Correspondent

     

    To accelerate the smartphone adoption in the country, Micromax Informatics launched a 360 degree marketing campaign to encourage the 70 million new age consumers using feature phones to switch to smartphones. With a strong portfolio, the company is committed to deliver value to the consumers by focusing on three key levers: faster internet connectivity, large display, speedy processors at extremely affordable price points. To take its message to the nook and corner of the country and reach out to the first time smartphone users, the company has roped in popular stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma for North and the Bahubali sensation, Rana Daggubati for South. The two stars will be seen in a series of films that give very tangible, easy to comprehend benefits of switching to a Micromax smartphone.

     

    Currently, the Indian mobile market is dominated by feature phones with smartphone penetration at just about 15 per cent. Micromax has identified three core barriers hindering the faster smartphone adoption which include the total cost owning the smartphone and data packages, hesitancy around using touchscreen and an evolved Android experience and English language UI making it difficult for consumers to make the shift. Based on these insights, Micromax, has developed a full business initiative comprising key components such as affordable devices with big screen size, regional language support, customized data package and a fully developed customer education program– including printed material, digital content available over phone in local languages to empower first time users of smartphone to set up and use basic functions like email, social networking and other basic utilities.

     

    In line with this, Micromax’s new Bolt series phones offer big screen experience and cuts across various price points to suit the pockets of diverse consumer sets with models like Bolt S302: ₹ 3199/-, Bolt D303: ₹ 3199/-, Bolt Q331: ₹ 4999/- and Bolt Q338: ₹ 6499/-. All the Bolt series smartphones will now come pre-loaded with Firstouch, a patented translator functionality app that will help people translate from English to their local languages and vice versa and access apps in App Bazaar in their preferred language. Additionally, Micromax Bolt customers can also opt for either free WhatsApp or avail talk time worth Rs. 40 per month on Airtel for the first five months. Micromax has also initiated a tech buddy program which includes trained retail representatives and customer care executives across 850 Micromax service centres to help consumers in seamless transition. To take the message across the length and breadth of the country, a 360 degree marketing campaign has been launched to promote the entire initiative and explain the benefits of making the switch to smartphones with Micromax Bolt range.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new campaign, Shubhajit Sen, CMO, Micromax Informatics, said, “Around 70-80 million Indians convert from their feature phones to smartphones every year and more and more consumers will use a smartphone for their initial computing and Internet needs leapfrogging the PC and laptop generation. We believe that smartphones will play a significant role in meeting PM’s ‘Digital India’ vision to connect the next billion. Micromax, being a front runner in the sub 7.5k mass segment handsets, has taken a step ahead in its philosophy of democratizing technology to the masses and has come up with a special program to enable the consumers to take the next technological leap towards the smartphones from feature phones.”

     

    “WhatsApp is excited to partner with Micromax as it continues to offer affordable innovations that enable connectivity. With over 900 million active users around the world and India being an important part of that, we remain focused on helping people communicate in a way that has become a part of everyday life. We are pleased to be working together with Micromax in this unique offering so that people in India can stay connected with their friends and family both in India and abroad,” said, Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp.

     

    The entire campaign is designed to make the consumers more comfortable to approach Micromax to hand-hold them through all the apprehensions and inhibitions of using a smartphone for the first time. The campaign will act as a trigger for the consumers to be connected to their friends and family in a better way. The TVC campaign is conceptualized by Lowe Lintas Delhi, and includes a series of three films, each shot with Kapil Sharma and Rana Daggubati. The communication, in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, talks about Micromax differentiators that come with switching to the Micromax Bolt Smartphone range, which are – free data for use on WhatsApp, regional languages, affordability and big screen. The TVCs will showcase both the brand ambassadors in a double role which is a first for both of them.

     

  • To place emphasis on "Ab India Nahi Banega Ullu" in its new marketing campaign

    Policybazaar ropes in Kapil Sharma to promote brand message

    By A Correspondent

     

    PolicyBazaar.com has roped in actor comedian Kapil Sharma to launch its biggest brand campaign. The new campaign would see mass icon, Kapil Sharma urging consumers to compare before buying insurance, so that they don’t become an “Ullu”(a fool) and in turn get “Babaji ka Thullu” (a raw deal).

     

    The new campaign backs PolicyBazaar’s aggressive plans to spend nearly Rs.80-100 crore on its marketing initiatives this year across offline and digital mediums, highlighting the core offering that makes PolicyBazaar special, “Compare. Buy. Save”

     

    The campaign, conceptualized by the creative team of Lowe Lintas, takes the “ullu” idea forward from the brand’s previous advertising and marries it with India’s favorite actor comedian, Kapil Sharma and his all famous colloquial term “Babaji ka Thullu.”

     

    The campaign will kick off with teasers on TV followed by the release of 35-second TVC. The adverts would feature Kapil Sharma in different avatars, placing emphasis on “Ab India Nahi Banega Ullu”. The company will be launching three TVCs focusing on motor insurance, term insurance and PaisaBazaar.

     

    The PolicyBazaar launch campaign would be followed by PaisaBazaar.com, the non-insurance online platform of PolicyBazaar, unveiling its own brand initiative with Kapil Sharma as the lead later this month.

     

    Naveen Kukreja

    Speaking on the new campaign, Naveen Kukreja, Group CMO, PolicyBazaar & MD, PaisaBazaar.com, said, “Our key objective this year has been to increase ‘reach’ while keeping our core communication same – instilling the habit of comparing insurance before buying in the mind of consumer. When Lowe Lintas came with this idea of marrying ‘ullu’ and ‘thullu’, the only name we could think of was of Kapil Sharma. Being a mass icon, he has a deep emotional connect with the consumer which we wanted to make best use of through a witty yet thought provoking advert.”

     

    Shriram Iyer, Executive Director of Lowe Lintas said, “Policy bazaar had already created a fair bit of conversation with their advertising idea ‘Ullu mat bano’. With the introduction of Kapil Sharma in the ‎communication, we were looking to take ‘Ullu mat bano’ forward in a manner that would allow us to seamlessly integrate Kapil’s brand of humour.”

     

  • Four different ads featuring celebrities Kapil Sharma, and actors Dhanush, Allu Arjun, and Sudeep released across India

    Olx rolls out nationwide campaign featuring celebrities

    By A Correspondent

     

    Olx.in has launched four ads in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, each featuring a celebrity superstar. All TVCs are weaved around a common theme – ‘Let the Old Make Way for the New’ or ‘Purana Jayega Toh Naya Ayega’. The ads that hit the TV screens on May 30, 2015, comprise of four different films featuring leading stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma, Tamil movie sensation Dhanush, Kannada hit-maker Sudeep, and Telugu star Allu Arjun. Another TVC featuring Bengali celebrity Mir Afsar Ali will be launched shortly.

     

    Said Amarjit Singh Batra, CEO, Olx.in, “The central thought behind ‘let the old make way for the new’ is that change leads to progress. Only when you let go of the old, you create opportunity for new things to happen in life. People have been selling everything from household items to cars on Olx in just a few hours! Olx is the easiest, and the fastest way in which people are upgrading these days, and bringing about a change in their lives. We hope that ‘Purana Jayega Toh Naya Ayega’ becomes both an incentive for people to let go and upgrade through Olx, as well as a mantra to live by.”

     

    “We are not just a local brand, we are a hyper-local brand, built by Indians and for Indians. This reflects in our marketing. We were the first internet company to make regional campaigns in local languages with regional celebrities using colloquial sensibilities and references. We have always been the first-movers in online classifieds, and that’s the reason that our brand today stands for the category itself commanding 85% market share of the C2C trade in the country” added Batra.

     

    Conceived by Lowe Lintas, the TVC featuring Kapil Sharma depicts a man literally stuck to his used car. Kapil, portraying the role of a security-guard, explains that he has been long stuck to it, refusing to let go. The man explains that it was his first car, and he doesn’t know what to do with it. Urging him to move on, Kapil takes the man’s phone out, clicks a photo of the car, and uploads it on Olx. Buyers start calling right away, and the car gets sold. The man is seen getting unstuck to his car, and upgrading to a bigger one. In his quintessential tongue-in-cheek style Kapil Sharma concludes – “No chipkoing, kyunki Purana Jayega Toh Naya Ayega”.

     

    Shayondeep Pal, Executive Creative Director, Lowe Lintas said. “Purana Jayega Toh Naya Ayega is based on our habit of stacking stuff at home which we might not be using. It is only by letting go of the old that you make way for the new. Kapil is the face of the masses. His sensibilities and style are something people relate to. We have used his style in this campaign to put across this message with satire. OLX is a great platform to help us meet people who might be waiting for the exact stuff we are selling.”