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Tag: Leo Burnett

  • He will report to Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications India

    Prashanth Challapalli joins Leo Burnett as Chief Integration Officer for South Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prashanth Challapalli

    Leo Burnett has announcedthe appointment of Prashanth Challapalli as Chief Integration Officer for South Asia. In his new mandate, Challapalli will report to Saurabh Varma, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Communications India, and will work with leaders across Publicis Communications to drive integration. His last stint was with iContract, where he was the Executive Vice President and Digital Head.

     

    At Leo Burnett, his key mandate predominantly includes operationalising and scaling up Leo Burnett’s, Play methodology, which puts context at the heart of creating content.  Challapalliwill also be a key bridge between Publicis Communications and Publicis.Sapient, responsible for bringing the best of Publicis.Sapient to all Publicis Communications clients.

     

    Speaking about the new appointment, Varma said, “Prashanth joins us at a critical stage in our transformational journey as Publicis Communications. He brings with him boundless energy, and the ability to integrate across mediums. He will be key as we put digital at the core of our offering and increasingly create cutting edge ideas and stories which emanate from the product itself.”

     

    Added Challapalli, “When I met Saurabh, the people, ambition and momentum at Leo Burnett were the deciding factors for me. Publicis Communications is poised at the cusp of transformation right now with a diverse range of skill sets across mainline, digital, shopper marketing, PR and content production. My role will be to bring all of these together through PLAY. I have always been a big believer in the one brand, one consumer and one communication approach and most of the leaders at Publicis Communications are either ex-colleagues or friends for a long time. I am really looking forward to partnering all of them.”

     

    With over 19 years of experience, Challapalli has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Lowe, Dentsu, Publicis Ambience and Rediffusion Y&R, and has also successfully built and lead Jack in the Box Worldwide and iContract in the digital space. He has won multiple national and international awards like the Effies, Spikes, and AME, among others, for his work across brands and campaigns like Puma, Pepsi, Slice, Louis Philippe, Durex and Kolaveri Di.

     

  • The actor plays protagonist in the new Thums Up campaign

    After Salman, Thums Up gets Ranveer Singh for a ‘Toofani’ act

    By A Correspondent

     

    Topselling cola Thums Up released its commercial starring actor Ranveer Singh, continuing with the ‘Toofani’ theme which had megastar Salman Khan as brand ambassador. The ‘Main Hum Bhi Hoon, Aur Khaas Bhi’ campaign is the second rendition of the creative expression – ‘Main Hoon Toofani’ which was launched early this year, notes a communiqué, adding: based on the idea of celebrating the ‘Khas’ in ‘Hum’, the campaign seeks to inspire its consumers to unleash their toofani or heroic spirit. It may be recalled in October this year, it was revealed that Salman Khan will no longer be endorsing Thums Up. Both Coca-Cola India, owners of the Thums Up brand, and Salman Khan had then issued a joint statement noting that since Salman Khan was committed to an existing relationship with a daily TV show, which this year happens to be sponsored by a brand that competes with the Coca-Cola India product portfolio In light of this, both parties have mutually decided not to renew their current contract.

     

    Launching the new Thums Up campaign, Debabrata Mukherjee, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, ‘Thums Up advertising is set apart by its energetic, fast-paced and stylishly rendered action. Ranveer Singh, with his palpable energy and inimitable style, will help amplify the aspirational quotient of the brand. Ranveer embodies the Thums Up philosophy in his personal life – an uncompromising attitude towards achieving one’s goals. We are confident that this partnership will work towards fulfilling the brand’s objectives.”

     

    The campaign has been conceptualised by Leo Burnett, led by National Creative Director Sachin Das Burma and has been launched through a film directed by acclaimed Hollywood director Simon West. West is known for his work in blockbusters like Con Air and Expendables 2.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Burma, said: ‘It is a fact that nobody is born a Toofani, it is what you do in the face of adversity that makes you one! Real Toofani exists in everyone, it’s just that we need to recognize it and work towards achieving our goals. Following the brand’s philosophy of believing in oneself and inspiring people to unleash their true potential, the campaign focuses on the hero spirit that resides in every Thums Up drinker. It was a great learning experience working with someone of Simon’s caliber, as all the action sequences in the film are live and look nothing short of an action-packed rollercoaster ride.”

     

  • He will continue to helm Leo Burnett, South Asia, as Nakul Chopra & Praveen Kenneth will continue reporting to Publicis Comms Global CEO Loris Nold

    Saurabh Varma appointed as Publicis Communications’ India CEO

     

    Publicis Communications has announced the appointment of Saurabh Varma as CEO of Publicis Communications India. Varma’s appointment comes on top of his existing responsibilities as CEO of Leo Burnett’s South Asia operations, and he will be based in Mumbai.

     

    Varma, as well other country leaders Nakul Chopra and Praveen Kenneth, will continue reporting to Loris Nold, global COO of Publicis Communications, incharge of the APAC & MEA region. In the Indian subcontinent, Publicis Communications comprises Leo Burnett, Publicis India, Law & Kenneth | Saatchi & Saatchi, Orchard India, MSLGROUP, Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital, Indigo iStrat and Publicis Beehive.

     

    “With Saurabh leading our India efforts,” said Nold, “I am very confident that we will drive significant acceleration across Publicis Communications, ultimately for the direct benefit of our clients”  Said Varma on the announcement: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to help our creative brands fully leverage the strength of our collective expertise around digital, shopper marketing, PR and production platforms. In my mind, Publicis Communications is first and foremost about giving our clients full access to our capabilities, talent and resources across the country, as our aim is to deliver end-to-end solutions to all of our clients.”

     

    It may be recalled that Varma was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Leo Burnett India in 2013, and a year later, was elevated to a South Asia role. He has about 20 years of industry experience, seven of which were spent as Chief Strategy Officer for South Asia, in Singapore.

     

  • The win was announced at the CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards held on December 14

    Leo Burnett India wins ‘Storyboard Commercial of the Year’ for Bajaj V

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leo Burnett India bagged the ‘Storyboard Commercial of the Year’ award at the 17th edition of the CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards. The agency has bagged the award for the Bajaj V launch commercial.

     

    Speaking on the win, RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia, who was present to collect the award on behalf of Leo Burnett said, “This is pretty much the best way to end the awards streak this year! Automotive advertising is one of the most dynamic, high-volume categories, and making it to the top spot for real work is extremely encouraging. It is great to have walked up on the CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards stage to receive this honour on behalf of my team. I hope Leo Burnett and Bajaj V’s great streak continues into 2017 as well.”

     

    The Bajaj V was launched earlier this year on January 26. Bajaj sold a record 11,000 V bikes on the first day of the V’s launch.

     

  • The initiative has been conceptualised and created by Leo Burnett India. A film featuring war veterans went live on November 26

    Fortis Healthcare and war veterans have #MoreToGive for organ donation

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading hospital chain Fortis Healthcare has pledged itself to champion the cause of organ donation with a new campaign ‘#MoreToGive’. The initiative has been conceptualised and created by Leo Burnett India. A film featuring war veterans went live on November 26.

     

    Elaborating on Fortis Healthcare’s pledge to the Organ Donation cause, Gaurav Dudeja, Head of Marketing said: “Fortis was set up with the higher purpose of saving and enriching lives, and upholding that purpose is an ongoing journey for us. It therefore puts a moral responsibility on us to bring about a change in the Organ Donation culture in India…. We believe that change like this can only be made possible by a hard-hitting and powerful dig at people’s conscience.”

     

    Speaking about the idea behind the campaign, RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia said: “An acute organ crisis in a country of over a billion people just doesn’t add up at all. We, and Fortis, saw an opportunity to step in and make Indians aware of how it takes just a few people to inspire millions of people, who in turn will inspire millions. Army men and war veterans are looked at as the pinnacle of sacrifice in our country; we really don’t have an excuse not to pledge our organs, if they can despite having done so much already. I am glad that we could partner Fortis in this vital cause.”

     

  • Leo Burnett India is the only agency in the APAC region to win at these Awards

    Leo Burnett wins big for OLX & Bajaj V at Epica Awards 2016

     

     

    Leo Burnett India has bagged India’s sole Gold at the 2016 edition of the Epica Awards, for its ‘Reuniting Memories from 1947’ (Dastaan) campaign for OLX. Additionally, its work for Bajaj V, ‘Sons of Vikrant’, bagged a Bronze. The Epica Awards celebrate work from advertising, design, media, PR and digital that has been chosen by renowned journalists from the marketing and communications fraternity across the world.

     

    Leo Burnett India is the only agency in the APAC region to win at these Awards. The work for OLX bagged the Gold under the ‘Native Advertising’ category, while Bajaj V’s campaign won for ‘Films & Series’. The wins have even played their part in helping Leo Burnett secure the coveted ‘Network of the Year’ title this year.

     

    The Epica Awards were established in 1987, and is the only award that is judged by marketing and communications specialist journalists from over 60 publications, including magazines and websites, globally. The prize attracts entries from over 70 countries, each year.  The ceremony was held in Amsterdam on November 17, 2016.

     

    Excited about the wins, RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia said, “The work for OLX and Bajaj is extremely close to our hearts. When we realised that OLX is the no. 1 marketplace for used goods in India and Pakistan, we saw an opportunity to help people reunite with their priceless pre-Partition belongings and memories. We received thousands of stories from both sides in no time. OLX India and Pakistan, along with Leo Burnett’s India and Pakistan offices, immediately got to work to tell these stories and make this happen. The result is for all of us to see.”

     

    “The work for Bajaj V was always a winner in our opinion, since the idea is so strong at its core. We documented history in four phases; spoke to war veterans and proud naval heroes of the INS Vikrant, and got them to relive their pride and sacrifices to us. The purposefulness and truth of both campaigns fit seamlessly with our HumanKind philosophy, and I am extremely happy that this work has brought in the accolades it deserves.”

     

  • New campaign captures how McDonald's has been an intrinsic part of consumers' lives in the last two decades

    McDonald’s unveils a thematic brand campaign on eve of completing 20 years

    By A Correspondent

     

    McDonald’s is celebrating its 20th year in India. To commemorate the occasion, the brand is all set to celebrate the milestone in style with the launch of a thematic brand campaign called, ‘A lot has changed. Nothing has changed’. The campaign focuses on the brand by chronicling a lifecycle of a couple with McDonald’s over the years in India through this TVC. The new TVC will take viewers through McDonald’s journey in the emerging QSR industry established in 1996 in India and how it has transitioned to stay relevant with its presence of over 400+ restaurants across India.

     

    Speaking on the campaign, Kedar Teny, Director Marketing and Digital, McDonald’s said: “We are extremely excited and proud as we celebrate the completion of our 20 years landmark in India. McDonald’s through its marketing communication has always strived to create differentiation and strike a chord with its ever evolving consumers and their needs. While creating the ‘A lot has changed. Nothing has changed’ brand campaign, we were inspired by real-life experiences between a beautiful and steady relationship, there are some things that haven’t changed when it comes to McDonald’s and its consumers. The fight over the last fries, the feeling of mayo oozing out of the burger while taking a bite, the ‘softy’ moustache, taking pictures with Ronald McDonald, both, as a child and as an adult – some moments remain the same no matter what. The campaign takes this same paradoxical proposition forward, through the story of a couple, who have seen some of their most important life-changing moments at McDonald’s.”

     

    The campaign is conceptualised by Leo Burnett India and the film is directed by Ram Madhvani of Equinox Films. Speaking about the ad, RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia said, “It has been sheer joy partnering with an iconic brand like McDonald’s for over half its journey in the country. While executing the campaign, we tried recreating the details from the past 20 years for the story to come alive – right from the staff’s uniforms, the events that happened around the time, the whole hog. With Ram’s impeccable direction, I think this is film-making at its best.”

     

  • Amazon's ‘Show Me More', Bajaj V’s 'The Nation's Bike' campaigns bring home the coveted metals for India

    Leo Burnett India wins two awards at WARC Prize for Asian Strategy

    WARC Prize for Asian Strategy saw Leo Burnett India and Orchard Advertising pick up an award each. The WARC awards uphold and celebrate breakthrough strategic thinking that drives businesses, in Asia, and have awarded a total of 17 cases this year.

     

    Orchard Advertising, a part of the Leo Burnett Group, brought home a Silver for its campaign for Amazon ‘Show Me More’ (AurDikhao). Additionally, Leo Burnett brought in a Bronze for its campaign for the Bajaj V’s ‘The Nation’s Bike’ campaign.

     

    Sharing his excitement about the wins, Dheeraj Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia said, “Our work for Amazon has emanated from truly Indian insight of seeking more choices whether it’s the process of selecting a groom through arranged marriage or buying consumer products. The campaign has helped Amazon, a by Advertise” href=”#47793503″> global brand, build local familiarity and connect.

     

    The work on Bajaj V stands out because the marketing idea is embedded in the product. The bike is a symbol of pride for the youth of the country, especially in a context when so much is under question in the country. And it’s not just an ad campaign, it’s a real product. That’s what makes it stand out.”

     

    The WARC Asia Strategy Prize has emerged as a strong platform to celebrate great strategy in Asia. The approach for the awards is going beyond effectiveness and looking at the depth of insight and the quality of problem-solution, making them a true celebration of great strategic thinking.

     

    RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia expressed his elation thus: “Both the award-winning campaigns are stellar examples of work that upholds our HumanKind philosophy. I believe our wins are well-deserved because the strategic thinking is completely purpose-led. That Amazon and Bajaj make for wonderful, supportive clients is a very vital plus and speaks of the great client-agency relationship we share.”

     

  • The film aims to inspire people to cherish India’s rich and glorious history and feel a sense of pride every single day of the year

    Bajaj V calls for Indians to celebrate National pride every day

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bajaj Auto has released a new brand film for V – the bike that contains the metal of legendary warship INS Vikrant. The film raises an important question about why national pride is restricted to select occasions of national significance like Independence Day or Republic Day, and forgotten the very next morning. Also, the new film features the fresh Navy Blue colour of Bajaj V introduced through the new campaign.

     

    The film aims to inspire people to cherish India’s rich and glorious history and feel a sense of pride every single day of the year. The story is narrated from the point of view of a real-life war hero. Rear Admiral S. K. Gupta, a Mahavir Chakra awardee, who served aboard the INS Vikrant in the 1971 war, features in the film and talks about how the Bajaj V now allows us to experience our pride every day.

     

    Said Sumeet Narang, Vice-President, Marketing, Motorcycles, Bajaj Auto: “With the V, we are not just selling motorcycles but celebrating the pride of the nation. Consumers are also playing back this feeling of pride. The new campaign takes the proposition forward and talks about how the V helps you experience pride every day, and not just on select occasions of national significance.”

     

    Added Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett: “We believed, with the metal of INS Vikrant, the V was perfectly suited to express this pride on an everyday basis. And this formed the core to our thinking for this film.” The film has been directed by Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films.

     

  • 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.

     

  • An inspiring documentary with stories by the war veterans, who served aboard the invincible INS Vikrant

    Bajaj V and Leo Burnett launch Sons of Vikrant

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leo Burnett and Bajaj V recently unveiled #SonsofVikrant, an inspiring documentary that brings together untold stories of valour, respect and pride – shared by the war veterans, who served aboard the invincible INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier.

     

    The screening of the documentary took place at a tribute gala in Mumbai in presence of influential personalities from the media, marketing and advertising fraternity.

     

    War veterans who are featured in the #SonsOfVikrant documentary graced the event and recounted anecdotes of bravery and sheer passion in a panel discussion moderated by actor Neha Dhupia, daughter of a naval officer.

     

    Admiral Arun Prakash, Rear Admiral SK Gupta, Rear Admiral Peter Debras, Lt. Cdr. Ashok Sinha, Commodore Medioma Bhada, and Cdr. H.S. Rawat were among the war heroes who were part of the #SonsOfVikrant initiative.

     

    Said Sumeet Narang, VP, Marketing (Motorcycles), Bajaj Motorcycles, “We saw lot of social media conversations and media interest on the Bajaj V which contains the metal of INS Vikrant.  As we delved deeper into Vikrant and started talking to people who worked on it, we also realised that there are many untold stories and memories behind the naval battleship INS Vikrant and its heroes. And since we had brought back the essence of Vikrant in the form of V, we realised that the onus was also on us to bring these stories together and share them with the nation.”

     

    Said Saurabh Varma, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Leo Burnett, “With Sons of Vikrant, our idea was to bring out the untold stories of INS Vikrant and the war veterans and share the feeling of Pride with millions.”

     

    He further added, “To create this documentary, we met many people who were part of the war to learn their stories. The footage ran into hours, which we had to bring down to 16 minutes.”