Air India unveiled a signature track defining its sonic identity, ‘India Takes Flight’, reflecting, as it calls it, the “sound of a bold, vibrant, and confident India”.
Air India’s new sonic identity is a jugalbandi (musical collaboration) featuring recent Grammy awardee and acclaimed musician Shankar Mahadevan, renowned percussionist and composer Taufiq Qureshi, celebrated lyricist and writer Prasoon Joshi, and London’s revered Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Said Sunil Suresh, Head, Marketing, Air India: “We wanted to create a melody that embodied the Indian spirit. We also wanted to capture a universality that brings people together. This musical odyssey accomplishes it expertly, and as the country’s flag-bearer, we are proud to carry this to the world.”
Added Prasoon Joshi, Chairman McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, CEO & CCO McCann Worldgroup India: “I am incredibly honoured to be a part of this collaboration that embodies Air India’s new global brand identity. Air India always had a sense of rooted cultural ethos. This ethos is not inward looking but connects and welcomes the world. This track signifies Air India the brand on the ascent, one that emanates from the roots but goes on to embrace the skies.”
If you were wondering why we didn’t carry this report earlier, the answer is simple: yesterday, the focus couldn’t have not been on the Zee-Sony merger. Last Friday, The Advertising Club hosted the newest edition of the ‘Effie India Awards 2023’ Mondelez India was judged the EFFIE India Client of the Year, while McCann Worldgroup India was named Effie India Agency of the Year. The coveted Grand Effie was won by Enormous for Jaquar’s campaign ‘Unimaginable Brand Extensions.’
Grand EFFIE 2023
EFFIE India Client of the Year
Setting a new milestone, Effie India, informed the officebearers, garnered a record-breaking 1276 entries this year, the highest in its 23-year history, with participation from 79 agencies.
Said Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO at McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman, Asia Pacific: “I am extremely delighted and proud of McCann winning the Agency of the Year at the Effie India 2023 Awards. Today, In the world’s changing landscape where our industry faces extreme challenges in defining the approach to the future, McCann India is an organisation which holds ideas and thinking at the core of our business and propels our business and clients forward. Effectiveness comes from this culture of belief in creative excellence driven by strong consumer insights. This is McCann India’s hallmark supported by a robust our McCann Global’s culture of strong creative and strategic leadership What is remarkable is the the width and the diverse set of businesses we have won awards for Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, Nestle India, MasterCard, Reckitt, Dabur, Hero and many others.”
Speaking before the presentations started, Rana Barua, President, The Advertising Club, said: “The Effies stand as a testament to the power of impactful storytelling and strategic brilliance in our industry. My heartfelt gratitude to the advertising fraternity for their unwavering support, making these awards a celebration of creativity and effectiveness. Congratulations to all the winners for crafting campaigns that not only captivate but also leave a lasting impact on our audiences. Your creativity continues to shape the future of our industry. Here’s to another year of pushing boundaries and inspiring innovation in the world of advertising.”
Elaborating on the awards, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Chairperson, Effie India, said: “Effie India continues to showcase its unwavering commitment to celebrating excellence in advertising, honouring both exceptional work and the talented individuals behind it. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the esteemed judges who dedicated their time and expertise to assess a remarkable 1276 entries, setting a new record. Their commitment is truly commendable. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to our sponsors, the entire Ad Club managing committee, the Effie committee, Effie New York, and The Ad Club secretariat for their tireless efforts in making it a resounding celebration of creativity and innovation in the advertising industry.”
Added Pradeep Dwivedi, Co-Chairperson, Effie India: “In yet another splendid year of the Effie India Awards, what stands out is how agencies and brands continue to put in their hard work. Their meticulous contributions in ideation, flawless execution, and the art of brand-building are truly commendable. Effie has always added and will continue to add a profound insight into the concept of advertising awards. A big congratulations to all the winners and the participants.”
Celebrity Cricket League was Associate Sponsor of the event while Craving Digital was Imagination Partner, Diageo India being Celebration Partner, and Heineken Silver Beer was Beverage Sponsor.
McCann Worldgroup India has won the coveted advertising and marketing communications mandate for Air India, the Tata group promoted global airline, following an extensive multi-agency pitch, which we learn including longstanding agency Wunderman Thompson, FCB and DDB Mudra.. The agency will develop a new brand platform and develop a comprehensive range of multi-channel marketing communication. And we presume the Maharaja, the mascot that has greeted passengers since 1946, will be retained.
The selection process for this partnership entailed a rigorous evaluation as part of an exhaustive multi-agency pitch.
Nipun Aggarwal
Said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India: “We are building Air India as a ‘Global Airline with an Indian Heart’. This is a brand that is close to the heart of flyers around the world, and the new Air India will be a manifestation of the aspirations of the global Indian. With McCann Worldgroup as a partner, we expect to transform the brand into one of the most admired and trusted brands in India and overseas.”
Prasoon Joshi, CEO and CCO at McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman, Asia Pacific, led the pitch alongside a dedicated team of local and global partners.
Prasoon Joshi
Delighted about the win, Joshi said: “Air India is a brand that inspires us, and we are excited to partner with them as they chart a new course. Our McCann Global CEO, Daryl Lee, has genuinely supported and guided us. Also, support and input came in from Harjot Singh ( Global CSO) and John Wright who were an integral part of the pitch along with the stellar senior management colleagues Jitender Dabas, Alok Lall, Ashish Chakravarty, and their teams,” adding: “We look forward to collaborating with Air India and offering the best-in-class strategic and creative services that build on and take the brand to newer heights.”
GroupM’s Motion Content Group, in partnership with Google and Meta, announces the launch of a new show, “Jai Ho! Bharat Ki Anant Yatra,” in collaboration with Optimum Television. The show, a tribute to the contribution that the Indian Civilization has made to the world, takes viewers on a journey through India’s past, present, and future.
The show which will be available on Zee Network and can also be streamed on Google and Meta’s platforms is narrated by Sharad Kelkar and scripted by Prasoon Joshi.
Ashwin Padmanabhan, President – Investments, Trading, and Partnerships, GroupM – India, said: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of Jai Ho! Bharat Ki Anant Yatra. This show is a celebration of the stupendous journey of Indian Civilization and its contribution to the world. The show also looks into what the future holds for India as an economic and cultural world leader. We are proud to collaborate with Google Cloud and Meta to tell this inspiring story of India on the cusp of our Republic Day on Jan 26th.”
Times Network has announced its foray with its Hindi News Channel, Times Now Navbharat in HD on August 1, 2021. As announced earlier, Navika Kumar will be Editor-in-Chief and air seven primetime shows hosted by anchors including Sushant Sinha, Padmaja Joshi, Ankit Tyagi and Meenakshi Kandwal. These include Rashtravad at 5pm, Log Tantra at 6pm, Dhakad Exclusive at 7pm, Sawal Public Ka at 8pm, News Ki PaathShala at 9pm and Opinion India at 10 pm.
MK Anand
Commenting on the launch, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said: “We have dominated the English news category with our flagship brand, Times Now, ever since we came into the space. We are now thrilled to mark our debut into Indian language News with our maiden Hindi news channel. We believe News has the power to transform and create impact for a better society. With Times Now Navbharat, we are pioneering disruption with a powerful proposition centred on the core promise of bringing news that will drive change, where we follow a Content philosophy that puts Social Impact and not Ratings at the centre. I am confident Times Now Navbharat will contribute to further improve the Hindi News broadcast space which is already served by some of the best Media brands.”
The the network has planned a marketing campaign across Hindi Speaking Markets. Conceptualised by McCann Worldgroup India, the channel will unveil its brand film with the brand manifesto written by awardwinning lyricist and McCann CEO & CCO Prasoon Joshi. The network’s outdoor promotion spans over 400 sites across 19 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, Jaipur, Dehradun, Indore, Punjab, Raipur and Varanasi. The network also plans to splash its print ads across leading Hindi and English dailies of the country.
Meanwhile, the channel has announced the roping in of leading advertisers like Kent RO System, Century Ply, Radico Khaitan, Vedanta, Medibuddy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Darwin Platform Group of Companies, Mylab Discovery Solutions, Meghdoot Herbal, Kirloskar Brothers amongst others.
Lizol, the disinfectant brand, unveiled its new campaign ‘Safe To Touch’ today. The campaign is focused on raising awareness during the ongoing pandemic on the importance of surface disinfection to help fight germs and viruses.
Said Sukhleen Aneja, CMO, Marketing Director, RB Hygiene, South Asia: “Lizol is a Global disinfection champion and has been working towards educating consumers on the need & importance of surface disinfection to protect our loved ones during the ongoing pandemic. We are experiencing a heightened hygiene consciousness around us and in that context it’s important for us to educate consumers on the need for Surface disinfection along with Personal hygiene. Lizol’s range of Disinfectant multi-surface cleaners have been tested and proven effective at killing Covid-19 virus. With the new campaign Lizol aims to educate consumers to not just Clean but Disinfect their homes making every surface Safe to Touch.”
The new campaign is a behavior change campaign conceptualised by McCann and is aimed at educating consumers. Commenting on this Prasoon Joshi, CEO and COO, McCann Worldgroup said: “This film is about educating consumers on protecting themselves and their families from germs and viruses which is very important and relevant in the current scenario. The campaign looking at creating awareness on germs at home not just on the floors but multiple surfaces like doorknobs, kitchen counters etc.”
Coca-Cola India has released a series of stories narrated through the digital medium as short films, static posts on its social assets and long-format stories on Coca-Cola India Journey titled ‘Ummeedo Wali Dhoop’. The campaign features stories of everyday heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help the community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Said Shrenik Dasani, Vice President – Sparkling Category, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia: “At a time when the human spirit is being tested like never before, this was our attempt to share an inspiring, optimistic message with people and collectively reaffirm our unshakeable faith in the resilience and power of the human spirit. In equal measure, the campaign is a small expression of our gratitude to all those individuals, who acted as living proof of that resilience, when they went above and beyond what was expected and rose up in aid of their fellow human beings in a time of great need.”
The anthem has been written by Prasoon Joshi, CEO of McCann World group India and Chairman (Asia Pacific). The now-released stories are an extension of the campaign which features ‘heroes’ from across the country and various walks of life.
McCann has released a new TV and digital campaign for Dabur that, as a communique notes, “reaffirms its 135-year-old legacy of protecting the health and well-neing of every Indian household.
Said Mohit Malhotra, CEO, Dabur India: “As a brand, Dabur evokes feelings of Trust, Health and Well-Being in the minds of our consumers. This campaign reflects our Ayurvedic and Indian heritage, and our strong sense of pride about ‘Made in India, by Indians, for Indians’. As India now moves forward on the mission to rebuild and emerge from the challenges and uncertainties of COVID-19, Dabur also reaffirms its commitment of being ‘dedicated to the Health and Well-being of every household’.”
Added Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, McCann WorldGroup: “With the legacy and the trust that brand Dabur enjoys, it is best poised to deliver the attributes New India needs on its journey to become a leader of this new era. This sentiment has been expressed in “Mitti se judey hum, Barsoon se saath khadey hum” campaign.”
In order to raise awareness on disinfection to help fight germs, RB’s leading disinfectant brand Lizol has launched a nationwide awareness campaign #DisinfectToProtect. The campaign focuses on educating people on the need for keeping surfaces clean and disinfected to help break the chain of infection.
Commenting on the launch of the awareness campaign, Narasimhan Eswar, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, South Asia, RB Hygiene said: “Post our pledge to donate one million litres of Lizol and Harpic to support the frontline workers and healthcare institutions across multiple Indian states, we are now looking to educate our consumers with the right information that will help them break the chain of infection.”
Added Sukhleen Aneja, CMO & Marketing Director, RB Hygiene South Asia: “At this point in time, protection and precaution are key to fighting viruses. It has become extremely critical to maintain good hygiene at home by regular hand washing, disinfecting surfaces, maintaining social distancing etc. These are the only way to help break the chain of this deadly infection. With Lizol’s #DisinfectToProtect campaign we would like to raise awareness on the need for disinfecting not just floors but multiple surfaces like tabletops, kitchen counters, door handles etc. We hope that with this campaign we can do our bit in raising awareness and making the world cleaner and healthier.”
Said Prasoon Joshi, CEO and COO, McCann Worldgroup: “While we are strictly adhering to the stringent guidelines of staying at home, this public service message is our way of educating people on taking utmost care of their home and their loved ones by keeping surfaces clean and germ-free.”
The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) conducted the 10th edition of the Olive Crown Awards celebrating excellence in communicating sustainability.
In the Corporate Crusader of the Year category, Reliance Foundation won the Gold and Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company the Silver. The two NGOs – People For Animals Wildlife Hospital & Rescue Centre and Chirag Rural Development Foundation – shared the Gold for their contribution to environment sustainability. Carbon Craft Design and Air Link was awarded the New Age Green Initiative Gold and Silver respectively. Earth Edition Drives bagged with the Digital Gold and FCB Interface with the Green Campaign of the Year-Gold.
Maharashtra minister Aditya Thackeray was Chief Guest on the occasion, but he arrived late. Also present was Mark Read, CEO, WPP who addressed the audience.
Said Punit Goenka, President, International Advertising Association (IAA) – India Chapter and MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises: “We at IAA are extremely proud of Olive Crown Awards as an initiative. The overwhelming response received from the industry speaks a lot about the need of such initiatives in today’s era. Apart from being the pioneer in recognizing creative excellence in sustainability, Olive Crown Awards as a property has also led to a mindset change in the approach taken by the marketers and advertising agencies while crafting strategic communication campaigns. I am very glad to note that this initiative has touched the 10 year milestone. I am very proud of the entire team at IAA, for their immense amount of energy and time invested in building this initiative and all the key initiatives which bring about a positive change for the industry and the society at large.”
Added Megha Tata, Chairperson IAA Olive Crown Award: “Today we celebrate a decade of communicating sustainability, a decade where we have brought sustainability to the forefront and on the agenda of both Marketers and Agencies alike. We have seen the conversation shift from doing something green to campaigns and brands vested in sustainability. We have seen this shift and are happy to have identified and led the way to acknowledge these initiatives. We have shown that we are not just custodians of our respective Brands but Custodians of Brand Earth.”
Kaushik Roy, Past President IAA, expressed pride of being President IAA during the conceptualization of the Olive Crown Awards, fondly mentioned that if IAA Olive Crown was a tree it would be big today.
Prasoon Joshi, Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and CEO of McCann World group India, reminded us of the fact that while it is a great initiative we must imbibe and live by the values. He recited a poem he had written on Water.
Amidst rumours of a senior-level transition in the industry, McCann India has announced the promotion of Jitender Dabas to Chief Operating officer, McCann Worldgroup India. He will report directly to Chairman and CEO Prasoon Joshi. Dabas is currently Chief Strategy Officer of McCann India operations.
Said Joshi on the development: “Jitender’s elevation would be no surprise to the McCann Worldgroup family and the Industry. We at McCann have always had home grown talent in leadership positions – those who understand our culture and have exceptional talent. I have seen Jitu grow over the years from strength to strength. He has not only honed his expertise in strategy but also demonstrated keen Business leadership. I am sure that in the new role he will benefit our clients even more. Jitender Dabas will also be able to work more closely with our formidable leadership across geography in McCann India”.
Further commenting on McCann India, Joshi added: “On every parameter that defines our industry – Business, Talent, Reputation, Awards – McCann India keeps proving that today it’s the topmost agency in India. It’s teamwork, a shared vision and focus that enables McCann as a collective to deliver on and beyond expected norms. Our belief in creating meaningful work for the brands and the culture of excellence along with the ability to reinvent ourselves is what makes McCann a powerhouse.”
Vedanta has unveiled its first TVC themed #KabhiSochaHaiKya which is designed to create awareness with the audiences on the importance of metals in our day-to-day lives. Saluting miners for their invaluable contribution, the new TVC gets us thinking as to where all the important things that we use in our daily lives have come from.
Said Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources: “Can we enjoy life’s good things without mother earth’s blessings? Metals such as iron, steel, zinc, copper, silver, etc. have become a part of our lives, but humne Kabhi Socha Hai Kya (have we ever thought about) where do these metals come from? Our entire campaign revolves around these questions as we salute the miners who toil hard, day in and day out, to make these metals available to us from our very own mother earth in an environmentally sustainable manner. #SahiSochBadaleZindagi.”
Added Prasoon Joshi, CEO, McCann Worldgroup: “This is a very unique campaign. Our team has brought out the message in the most creative and innovative manner possible. We indeed need to appreciate the good things that we are privileged to have in our life and thank mother earth.”
GroupM’s Motion Content Group, in partnership with Google and Meta, announces the launch of a new show, “Jai Ho! Bharat Ki Anant Yatra,” in collaboration with Optimum Television. The show, a tribute to the contribution that the Indian Civilization has made to the world, takes viewers on a journey through India’s past, present, and future.
