MxMIndia

Tag: Piyush Pandey

  • The TVC, conceptualised by Ogilvy and Mather, communicates its new ethos in an appropriate manner

    Spaces weaves a new brand message in latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Welspun India is set to weave a new story to highlight its brand Spaces with a new TVC, conceptualised by Ogilvy and Mather.

     

    Said Dipali Goenka, CEO and Joint Managing Director of Welspun: “Spaces is all about comfortable living! After a long day of work and the hustle bustle of the life, we find solace in our bedroom. We want to help our customers in creating an lifestyle experience that they desire. Our new campaign integrates comfort messaging of Spaces with the feeling that one experience with their loved ones around.”

     

    Commenting on the ad, Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia Ogilvy & Mather said: “Spaces as a brand is known for its designs. We felt what the brand needed was a heartbeat. For the bed linen campaign, ‘Neend ka ek aur saathi’ we show how the best sleep happens when you sleep with all that you love.”

     

     

  • Brand ambassador Salman Khan dons the character of a savvy salesman

    Dixcy Scott promotes advantages of Spandex in latest film

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dixcy Scott has launched its latest film that promotes elastic fibre Spandex. Brand ambassador Salman Khan dons the character of a salesman, ready to take on any challenge.

     

    Said Premji Sikka, Chairman of Dixcy Scott: “Our objective was to highlight our products with Spandex elastic, which makes our product more durable and long-lasting.”

     

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and National Creative Director, Ogilvy India: ”Instead of just doing a product window, we wanted to integrate the story of the product into the story of the ad. We took the Sumo route to demonstrate the product truth of better elasticity and fit, and its a very interesting demonstration. Dixcy Scott has a lot of faith in us and we look forward to a long partnership with the brand.

     

     

  • Ajay Gahlaut has been named CCO, Ogilvy North & Deputy CCO, Ogilvy India

    Ogilvy India restructures for new Integrated Creative Leadership

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy India has announce anew, Integrated Creative Leadership structure.  This will be effective August 1 as follows:

    :: Ajay Gahlaut has been named Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy North and Deputy CCO, Ogilvy India

    :: Sukesh Nayak, Kainaz Karmakar and Harshad Rajadhyaksha have been named Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy West

    :: Mahesh Gharat and Azazul Haque are named Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy South

     

    Ajay Gahlaut
    Kainaz Karmarkar
    Harshad Rajadhyaksha

    All CCOs will report directly to Sonal Dabral, Group CCO and Vice Chairman Ogilvy India.They will lead the newly integrated creative departments across Ogilvy’s offices in India, bringing advertising and digital creatives together into cohesive, integrated units to serve our clients better.

     

     

     

    Sukesh Nayak
    Azazul Haque
    Mahesh Gharat

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia on the elevations:  Every Ogilvy office in India has fantastic young creative leaders at the helm. Their work speaks for them. Ajay, Sukesh, Kainaz, Harshad, Azaz and Mahesh will lead the new integrated creative culture in each of our offices with positivity and freshness. They have the maturity and sensitivity to partner the senior talent we have in each office, and lead them as a team. New energy is essential to keep creative cultures vibrant and the new integrated mandate will lead to deeper integrated, better work across our clients.

     

    Added Kunal Jeswani, CEO, Ogilvy India:  “Ajay, Sukesh, Harshad, Kainaz, Azaz and Mahesh represent the best of Ogilvy creative leadership. The work each of them has championed over the last few years is already new age, integrated work for our biggest clients, and is clearly head and shoulders above the best in our industry. Ogilvy is the epitome of divine discontent, constantly striving to produce better, more creative and more effective work for our clients. Putting these creative leaders in integrated creative leadership roles is both a recognition of their talent and a reflection of our commitment to driving creative excellence across every consumer touch point.”

     

  • The Ogilvy bossman on Roda Mehta who will be recognised with the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award today

    Piyush Pandey on Roda Mehta

     

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India is felicitating Roda Mehta this (July 14) evening with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, regarded as the Indian advertising industry’s highest honour. Here we bring you a very personal account on Mehta by Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia.

     

    By Piyush Pandey

    Roda Mehta is one of the foundation pillars of Ogilvy and Mather India. When I joined Ogilvy as an Assistant Account Executive, Roda was a Director of the company. Along with the late Mr Ayer, the late Suresh Mullick and Ranjan Kapur, Roda was one of the four pillars of Ogilvy through the 1980s and 90s. She gave stature to the media business overall. She made media aspirational at Ogilvy, at an equal standing with client servicing and creative.

    A no-nonsense person, Roda has a very sensitive mind. Apart from regular work, I had the privilege of working with Roda on the National Literacy Mission project. She was the brand leader of the task force- the media leader- and I, her creative partner. We travelled the country together and I saw the soft and sensitive side of her- beyond her tough and disciplined approach to work. Roda continues to contribute to media and society in various capacities.

    There are people who make a difference to Ogilvy, there are people who make a difference to the industry. Roda did both!

    Roda inspired many women to play significant roles in their companies and business.

    Today, we salute Roda Mehta. We salute her for being honoured with the AAAI Lifetime achievement award for her contribution to the Advertising Industry. Let’s take this occasion to thank her for what she has done for all of us at Ogilvy. And wish her the best for the future.

  • Piyush Pandey announces Ogilvy NCD Rajiv Rao's decision to move on… must-read statement

    Rajiv Rao, the man behind the Vodafone ZooZoo & Pug, quits Ogilvy

     

    Rajiv Rao, one of India’s most acclaimed advertising creative directors and National Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather, has announced his decision to move on. The man responsible for the awardwinning Vodafone pug and zoozoo campaigns has been with the leading creative agency since 1999. A recipient of several awards at almost evey leading global and Indian awards event, Rao is a product of the Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts in Mumbai. On Monday (July 10), Ogilvy India had announced the return of Sonal Dabral as Group Chief Creative Officer and Vice Chairman. It is learnt that the appointment and announcement had been made given Rao’s decision to move on.

    In a signed statement issued by Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia, writes:

    It is not at all easy for me, as I inform you that Rajiv Rao moves on from Ogilvy India to become a film-maker. It has been Rajiv’s dream to make films for the last four years. I have nothing but a deep sense of gratitude to Rajiv, that he respected my request to stay on to help make a better and stronger Ogilvy.  There are not too many in this business who make a sacrifice of this magnitude.

    Rajiv joined Ogilvy in 1999 with his partner V. Mahesh. And shortly thereafter, they started blazing new trails.

    In 2002, I had the joy of partnering him as a copywriter to create the legendary ‘Second hand smoke kills’ campaign for Cancer Patients Aid Association. This campaign won India’s first double Gold at Cannes.

    Whenever the Orange/Hutch/Vodafone history is written, Rajiv Rao’s name will feature in golden letters. Every piece of work on these brands has Rajiv’s personal stamp on it.

    The ‘silent killer’, Rajiv has always displayed phenomenal leadership skills without saying very much. Along with Mahesh, he led Ogilvy Bangalore from 2003 to 2006 and gave the office a renewed energy. In 2009 Rajiv and Abhijit Avasthi took on the role of National Creative Directors and raised the bar up many notches of creativity at Ogilvy India.  And since 2015, Rajiv has played the role alone and compensated for his partner.

    Loved and admired by one and all in the industry, nationally and internationally, Rajiv is one of the finest creative people and the gentlest giant I have met in my life.

    I am sure Rajiv will be no less a film-maker than the creative leader he has been. We will stay connected in more ways than one.

    Meanwhile, Rajiv will continue as Ogilvy India’s National Creative Leader till Sonal takes over and a smooth transition is complete.

    I will refrain from being personal and just say, “Thank you Rajiv. You are a true son of Ogilvy India. Keep the flag flying.”

     

     

  • Appointed Group Chief Creative Officer and Vice Chairman, Ogilvy India

    Sonal Dabral back @ Ogilvy

     

    It’s a day for big creative agency announcements. Ogilvy India has informed the media of the appointment of Sonal Dabral as Group Chief Creative Officer and Vice Chairman, Ogilvy India.

     

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia:   I am delighted to welcome back Sonal Dabral to Ogilvy India as Group Chief Creative Officer and Vice Chairman. This is a first-time designation at Ogilvy & Mather in keeping with Sonal’s stature. Sonal was my first partner in building the creative reputation of Ogilvy India as it stands today. I am sure we will have a great partnership again to take Ogilvy to even greater heights.”

     

    Dabral worked at Ogilvy India from 1991 to 1999 and then took over as the Creative Head of Ogilvy Malaysia and within three years is said to made it the No. 1 Creative Agency in that country.  Thereafter he took on the reins of creativity in Ogilvy Singapore as its leader after which Ogilvy India wooed him back to India as the Chairman India and Regional Creative Director for Bates Asia-Pacific.  He then took on the responsibility at DDB Mudra as Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.

     

    Adds Pandey: “As my partner in the 90s, he hired more creative talent than I have done in my life.  He not only hired them, but inspired them and gave them wings to fly on their own. Sonal is a popular speaker around the world and a favourite jury member on every international award show.  There is so much to Sonal’s achievements, that if I write them all, his joining us will get delayed.”

     

    Although his date of joining Ogilvy is not known, Dabral’s commitment at DDB Mudra completes in September end.

     

    This appointment is welcomed and celebrated by John Seifert, Chairman & CEO of Ogilvy Worldwide, Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman of Ogilvy Worldwide, Kent Wertime, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy Asia-Pacific and Eugene Cheong, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Asia-Pacific.  The Ogilvy leadership looks forward to Sonal injecting additional energy to the creative powerhouse for which Ogilvy India is well known around the world.

     

    Piyush concludes: We welcome Sonal to Ogilvy, as we start a new chapter of great Indian creativity. This is what will make our clients’ businesses stronger and Ogilvy India stronger.

     

  • And this is what Ogilvy CEO Kunal Jeswani said: We don't create work to win awards. We just bring our best game to every client and every brief. That's how we win

    Young people at Ogilvy India have done us proud: Piyush Pandey

    By A Correspondent

     

    Outside of the rich pickings by McCann Health, for more conventional advertising work, Ogilvy India bagged nine metals – Two Golds, two Silvers and five Bronzes.

     

    Here’s what Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia said: “I am very happy for the young people who work at Ogilvy India and have done us proud.  My congratulations to all other agencies in India.” Added Kunal Jeswani, CEO, Ogilvy India:  “People often ask me what differentiates Ogilvy. As consumers move seamlessly from one platform to the next and agencies and marketers struggle to keep up, what should clients look to Ogilvy for?  What is the one thing that we rally our people and services around, that defines us and sets us apart?  It is the ability to tell great brand stories and build brand love.  The nine Lions we picked up at the 2017 Cannes Festival is recognition from one of the toughest competitions in our industry, that we do this incredible well.  Great clients and great teams partner to create great work at Ogilvy every day.  How do we do this consistently? We don’t create work to win awards.  We just bring our best game to every client and every brief. That’s how we win.”

     

    Said Kainaz Karmakar and HarshadRajadhyaksha, the creative leaders on Savlon Chalk Sticks which is possibly the second most awarded campaign at 2017 Cannes (after McCann’s Afghanistan ministry of health):  “Savlon’s Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks is simple, surprising and effective,  That is the reason why juries from around the world have thought it to be worthy of such heavy metals, in such large numbers. Beauty Tips by Reshma also got us the highly regarded Lion for Creative Effectiveness. The honesty of this campaign cuts through the clutter and goes straight to the heart,  We are beyond happy and we share this glory with our rockstar teams and our brave clients. “

     

  • The agencies will also work on the online jewellery brand Candere, which was acquired by Kalyan Jewellers recently

    Kalyan Jewellers empanels Ogilvy and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi for creative duties

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Ogilvy and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi won the global creative mandate for Kalyan Jewellers across India and West Asia markets.

     

    Commenting on the development, T S Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers said: “Kalyan has emerged as India’s largest jewellery brand and has ambitious plans to expand globally. I am delighted to welcome Ogilvy as well as L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and look forward to their support to reinforce the brand’s core value of Trust, as we embark on the next phase of growth.’’

     

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director South Asia Ogilvy: “I am delighted that Ogilvy is going to partner Kalyan Jewellers in their journey to make not just a national but perhaps an internationally-by-Indian brand. We will bring together our best creative resources to make this journey meaningful and successful.”

     

    Added Anil Nair, CEO & Managing Partner, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi: “We are both excited &honored to be the brand & communication partner for India’s largest jewellery brand. Kalyan has brought transparency into a highly unorganised sector and has worked hard to educate customers and earn their trust. We look forward to creating compelling creative campaigns and building preference for the brand in a highly competitive category.”

     

  • Close to 600 entries received from more than 70 agencies were judged from print, film, radio, OOH, direct mailers, digital and cyber categories

    11th edition of Pepper Creative Award to be hosted on 5th May

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Pepper Award 2017, organised by Pepper Creative Award Trust, will be held in Kochi on May 5 at 6.30 pm. The opening ceremony will be graced by Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather India and South Asia, accompanied by Rajiv Rao, National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather India and Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Bang In The Middle.

     

    Close to 600 entries received from more than 70 agencies were judged from print, film, radio, OOH, direct mailers, digital and cyber categories. From both open category and Kerala category, more than 130 metals and 15 finalists would be awarded.

     

    K S ‘Chax’ Chakravarthy, Suthanand  Santosh Padhi were the members of the jury for. The judging was held in Mumbai late last month.

    The awards are given in categories such as Agency of the Year Award, Advertiser of the Year, Special Jury Award, Press Campaign, TV Commercial, Outdoor, Radio, Interactive – Web-based, Digital, Cyber, Direct Mailer, Packaging, Logo Design, Unpublished works and Promos. The eleventh Edition of Pepper also has an exclusive section for participants from Kerala: Jewellery, Real Estate, Textile, Hospitality, Ayurveda and General.

     

  • It's a war out there between Times Now and Republic TV, and the real battle hasn't even begun yet

    Arnab Goswami ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?

     

    By A Correspondent

    There’s tension in the air in news media vice-capital Lower Parel (assuming Delhi and Delhi NCR constitute the Capital). As you read this, the battleground is being charted at Times Now headquarters in Central Mumbai. Ever since editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami quit Times Now in November and announced his intent to start his own news channel, it’s been a war.

    At first, Goswami wasn’t allowed to say a formal goodbye to viewers, though his farewells at work has been well-youtubed. Which is fair as unless its pre-recorded and vetted, a channel wouldn’t want to be embarrassed on air by an outgoing captain, and so what if he was its face all these years.

    And then as it emerged Goswami was serious about his venture, there was a fear of the unknown. The channel may still be #1 in overall data, but the numbers started falling and advertisers were beginning to question the premium on ‘super primetime’.

    An all-out damage-control exercise started. Staff was motivated to stay back. A new chief editor was identified and hired, there was a clear second-in-command appointed and the content direction was further sharpened. The shrill quotient was upped.

    Except that it lacked the gravitas and finesse of an Arnab Goswami.

    There were rumours of another well-known editor being pulled in to join, but that didn’t happen.

    Meanwhile, along with attempts to fortify the house, a counter-offensive started. The Newshour was trademarked, and Times Now even went to file for trademarking Nation Wants to Know – the slogan and the logo. The following month Republic TV also filed for trademarking these. All the applications have been objected to.

    Meanwhile, both sides have been posturing to take on each other.

    At FICCI-Frames in March, Goswami spoke of it being a David v/s Goliath battle. And he did that without naming Times Now, but it was all very clear.

    Goswami has been on overdrive with his PR. He has hired Piyush Pandey’s Ogilvy & Mather for his advertising and Genesis Burson-Marsteller. His interviews are all over the media, to mainline newspapers, specialised magazines and even some YouTube shows. Some publications which carried offensive outbursts by Goswami have even been served legal notice.

    Perhaps rattled with the following that appears to have increased ever since he left Times Now, the channel was quick to send a legal notice on the ‘Nation Wants to Know Usage’. This may be standard practice, but not being the first notice he received from Times Network, Goswami viralled an audio response to the notice.

    At first Times Network sent us a statement even ahead of us asking for a comment. Here it was:

    “ARG Outliers had filed for trademark for these and similar phrases which were already filed for and extensively used for years by TIMES NOW. We have responded with a standard caution notice. He is just trying to gain soundbytes from it”

    We then asked Times Network on why it filed for a trademark when ‘Nation wants to know’ is, in a sense, a generic statement.

    And this is the response:

    “‘Nation Wants to Know’ is not a generic statement. It’s a phrase coined by the creative team of Times Now and made popular by repeated usage on our channel and is in essence a descriptor of the uncompromising tone of questioning that Times Now has been known for. The phrase like other similar unique phrases and words such as NewsHour, Action Begins Here etc., together create the News environment and experience that is embodied in the Brand Times Now. Protecting IPs and Brands is essential for the existence and survival of Businesses. Times Network is an upright and diligent corporate citizen and takes copyright issues very seriously. We are cautious not to wilfully violate and we are also alert in defending our IP. We filed for Trademark as we were expecting attempts to steal our IP.]

    And then we asked why was Arnab Goswami threatened with imprisonment as part of a “standard caution notice”?

    The response we received was this:

    “Standard Caution notices quote from the law of the land and remind addressees about penal provisions on infringement – in this case The Trademarks Act 1999 and IPC 1860, which could attract Fines and/ or imprisonment.”

    According to an Outlier insider, the filing of trademark for ‘Nation wants to know’ was for the name of a show. Perhaps. But not everyone believes that Arnab Goswami should go to town with his angst against Times Network.

    These are standard tactics deployed by all marketers, especially those leaders whose status could be checked thanks to the launch of a new brand. In fact, a senior mediaperson said if Goswami were to overdo it, he could earn negative goodwill. “The Arnab Goswami brand of television journalism has its takers, and no one has been able to match him months after his exit, so there is no need of paranoia.”

    And what about Times Now and the Times Network? Media observers believe that there is an urgent need to reinvent and rehaul. While the channel continues to top the ratings roster, its equity has reportedly dipped and consequently the revenues may be hit too.

    While media might and distribution muscle can help it continue to be top-of-mind, it won’t be too long before competition catches up if the content is not n place.

     

  • The three-day annual congregation of advertising, media and marketing professionals starts in Goa today

    Goafest, again!

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s Goafest time. To the world outside, the advertising industry is a bundle of contradictions. Small in size, but loud in voice. Fiercely competitive, but always united. Well, almost.

     

    One arm of the world’s largest conglomerates WPP finds the Abby awards a no-no. That’s Ogilvy. In fact its supremo – Piyush Pandey – once said that the his team members saw no value in them, in fact they are strewn all over their cabins. Another arm of the same WPP is a fierce believer in the awards. In fact J Walter Thompson has been #1 over the last few years in the final tally of the creative awards. And before we go on and on here, we must add that GroupM, the media investments arm of WPP is not only an active participant in the Media Abby, but its CEO for South Asia – CVL Srinivas – is also an active member of the organising committee.

     

    Then there’s the MullenLowe Lintas Group. The diktat of its former chairman R Balki of not participating in the Abby is still followed, but in the past we’ve had integral parts of the same group participating actively. In fact two years back, Pickle Lintas even won the Grand Prix for its campaign for Dabur.

     

    There are some other agencies which don’t participate in the Abby. Some because their bosses don’t like creative awards in India, some because they don’t have enough good work to send which will hence put them twenty first in the pecking order. Even some hole-in-the-wall digital or out-of-home agency in the boondocks.

     

    Be that as it may, the 12th edition of Goafest, which starts today, is said to be the biggest ever held thus far. And as Organising Committee chair Ashish Bhasin told us, it’s a full house. Though we don’t have the final numbers of registered delegates as there are always some spot registrations and opt-outs at the last min.

     

    We asked MxMIndia columnist Sanjeev Kotnala for his list of favourite speakers, and this is, as he also wrote in this column on Wednesday, his list: Hemant Malik (ITC), Acharya Balkrishna ( Patanjali), Ishita Katyal (Youngest Ted speaker), Gaur Gopal Das (Spiritual Guru), Miss Malini Agarwal (the blogger), Geeta and Babita Pogat (Going to be crowd favourites), Eric Cruz (ECD AKQA), Claus Stangl (IG Creative Shop), Vivian Richards (Cricket), Juhi Kalia (Facebook), Laura Ries and Sanjay Dutt.

     

    We agree with most of the names. But Sanju baba? Well, Kotnala clarified to us, Baba comes last in the list of names which are in order of priority.

     

    The awards start in right earnest from Day 1 with the Media Awards, though the big night is the last with the key creative awards.

     

    Keep tracking the MxMIndia coverage of Goafest starting today. Enjoy

     

     

     

  • In India, open defecation is a well-established traditional practice deeply ingrained from early childhood

    Ogilvy Delhi promotes Swachh Bharat Mission to tackle open defecation

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy Delhi has launched a campaign to curb open defecation. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, one of the key ills to curb is open defecation. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, wanted to develop communication that would help bring about this change.

     

    Amitabh Bachchan has shown his commitment to the Swachh Bharat Mission and was a natural choice for a campaign on behaviour change. It was also clear that it needed to stay away from messaging and protagonists that came across as preachy. Therefore ‘Bachchanji’ was used in this campaign to make it memorable and interesting.

     

    Said Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia: “Open defecation is not a new or modern problem. It is so deeply entrenched that it is considered normal. To raise a doubt in people’s mind about it was a challenge in itself. The communication would have to break habits and would need to be endearing and assertive without being preachy.   We have worked with Mr Bachchan on many communication campaigns and he himself is associated with the government of India across various issues. Thus the task for us on this campaign to curb open defecation was to use our celebrity’s strengths and yet create communication that is differentiated.”

     

    Added Ajay Gahlaut, ECD, Ogilvy Group Companies, North: “Any campaign that is designed to change behaviour at a mass level needs to be easily understood by all sections of society. We had Mr Bachchan for our TV ads, so that ensured that the campaign would not be missed and would appeal to everybody. The challenge was to make the campaign a little different and refreshing. Which is where the idea of ‘BachchaJi’ and ‘BachchanJi” came about. After that it was just a matter of making sure that their light -hearted banter addressed all relevant barriers.”