MxMIndia

Tag: Prathap Suthan

  • Creative captains Prathap Suthan, Bobby Pawar and Abhijit Avasthi on whether the dismal performance by India at Cannes Lions is a need for worry

    Are we making too much of our dismal showing at Cannes?

     

    India’s performance at the Cannes Lions this year left much to be desired. Being dubbed the worst ever – with just 13 metals in our kitty – the dismal showing has sparked debates about whether the advertising industry really has quality talent, or should we not make too much of deal of events like the Lions? Three creative gurus weigh in what might have gone wrong and whether we should care at all.

     

    Bobby Pawar

    Director and Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Publicis Worldwide

     

    Frankly Cannes doesn’t matter. Not to our creativity. Certainly not to our business. Why? Our clients don’t care much about it. Our consumers, not at all. So the question is why we should we give a rat’s derriere? Why are we acting like our momma died and beating our chests in loud mourning? Cannes is a pissing contest and we pissed shorter. Today’s India doesn’t like that. And we shouldn’t. Many have argued that our limp performance was because our work isn’t creative enough. Maybe. But I venture we stepped onto the field pads, gloves and carrying a bat, when the world was playing soccer. The game has changed. If you take a look at our entries, I’ll smack my face with a cold pomfret if most of them weren’t in print, outdoor, design and craft. Old world categories, where the old world still plays a stronger game. (Don’t think so? How many Grand Prix’s has India won in them? There.)

     

    Now, should we change because we want to win awards? That’d be stupid. But the reality is we must, before clients and consumers force us to. If that means we win big at Cannes, great. If not, so be it.

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bang In The Middle

     

    There are a couple of reasons why I think we fell short. And I don’t think it an upsetting issue. There are things that we need to consider. The winning countries and the entries operate in spaces that are perhaps very difficult for us to match. The markets require a whole new wedge to drive noticeability, and at least for regular mainstream work, we operate below par. Those are media media-saturated markets, and more importantly creative saturated audiences. It’s a norm for them to do work and expect work that breaks a whole lot of glass ceilings. Our markets and audiences are still tottering around the mofussil of average communication. We don’t need to be creative for the sake of creative. No one has the extra moolah to ply and try to see if completely lateral ideas deliver market efficiency. We are still dealing with entertaining narratives and well crafted advertising pieces. Besides, the tech quotient at play is very far ahead in those competitive markets. There are specialised shops that drive tech ideas and integrate them backwards into communication and creative ideas. It’s a whole new dynamic and our industry infrastructure is not equipped to think or even deliver those solutions or ideas. This gulch is only going to widen. I would rather we focus on what we know best, and work in areas that we can hone to surpass existing levels. And thankfully, there are a lot of categories where we can truly dominate. We need to look our strengths and desist from getting into waters that we can’t cross. It is also important to calibrate the calibre of creative buyers. Truly how of our clients at the senior senior-most levels will push agencies to break every mould. And honestly how many them really know how to evaluate ideas and open up budgets for the greater glory of creative at global festivals?

     

    Abhijit Avasthi

    Founder, Sideways (ex-NCD, Ogilvy)

     

    I believe India’s showing at Cannes this year is a temporary blip in a long good run. It is also a reflection and a consequence of a few issues, which can be debated. In certain categories like print/design/promo/digital etc our work is not as cutting edge as the rest of the world. On the one hand, we can try and push that, but then it cannot be at the expense of compromising on its relevance to our markets. That’s a double-edged sword. When it comes to categories like film and radio, where I believe our best work is done, we do have an unfortunate handicap – a lack of awareness and appreciation of our culture, language, social structures and such. No matter how well somebody translates these, the magic of the nuances is lost on the international jurors. As a parallel example, imagine somebody trying to explain the impact of ‘Kitney aadmi they?’ to a film jury? On paper it sounds like the most pedestrian dialogue ever written. There is no way on earth any jury will consider that dialogue a masterpiece. C’est la vie. Our celebrities are not known, our relationships are different…just too many such gaps.

     

    So the way I look at it…if a piece of work wins at Cannes it is surely world class but if it doesn’t…that does not mean it is not. So we should not get overly dejected by this year’s show.

     

    Let’s all just focus on doing exceptional, original work for the man on the street in India.

     

  • He will along with Manoj Deb, the other ECD, and will look after the creative output of the Gurgaon-based agency

    Anirban Sen joins Bang In The Middle as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anirbhan sen

    Anirban Sen has joined Bang In The Middle as the Executive Creative Director. He will along with Manoj Deb, the other ECD, and will look after the creative output of the Gurgaon-based agency.

     

    Anirban has over 20 years in advertising and has worked in agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey, McCann, and TBWA. His work spans across almost every category for many blue chip clients – Hyundai, Samsung, Nestle, Coca Cola, Maruti, adidas, SBI Credit Cards,  ITC, Pedigree and Perfetti.

     

    In 2010, he was ranked 13th most creative person in India by Creative Brief Asia. He has won a Silver at Cannes Lions and numerous other awards including at Adfest Asia and Goafest.

     

    His critical work includes repositioning Coca Cola’s corporate vision in India. Coca Cola re-introduced themselves as a company that doesn’t sell colas but celebrates little moments of joy – symbolically defined by the effervescent bubbles inside the bottle: ‘Little drops of joy.’ He also spearheaded Pedigree’s transition of image from a dog food company to a dog loving company. This shift in perception helped the brand grow by leaps and bounds.

     

    In his last assignment he was the Creative Chief of Iris India, leading their creative duties in the integrated marketing arena.

     

    Prathap Suthan
    Naresh Gupta

    Prathap Suthan – Managing Partner and CCO, said “I have worked with Anirban a while ago, and I have always maintained that he is a special talent. I haven’t met too many people who think like him. He is an original. I have had the pleasure to work along with him on Hyundai, Samsung, and SBI Cards. He is a fantastic writer – print and film, has a brilliant sense of humour, and is completely fluent in the digital space. I am absolutely thrilled that he is with us now, as a leader, as a partner, as a thinker, and as someone committed to help us run further.”

     

    Naresh Gupta Managing Partner and CSO, Bang in the Middle said “Anirban adds to solidity of our offering. We constantly strive to merge the traditional with new age to drive greater bang for advertising buck. Anirban’ expertise will add immensely to what we have to offer to all our clients.”

     

  • CVL Srinivas, Vivek Sharma, Prathap Suthan & Sanjeev Kotnala on the Cup and the advertiser interest

    Will out-of-form India dampen adspends on W’Cup?

     

    Much interest in the Cup, but only dampener is India’s form

    Some of the brands who are probably fence-sitters today are only wondering what the form of the India team will be

     

    By CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM South Asia

     

    We see a lot of interest in the World Cup this year. One of the reasons for this is that it is a once-in -four-years event. But I think there seems to be a lot of innovation coming in to the World Cup product. Whether it is in terms of the number of languages it is going to be telecast in, or the kind of programming and advertising innovations that are available, and the fact that a lot of viewership is going to be on digital and there is also going to be a lot of interplay between digital and TV even when someone is watching the match on TV makes it very interesting for brands, for advertisers, for agencies to come up interesting campaign ideas and innovations. So there is definitely a lot of interest in the World Cup.

     

    The only dampener at the moment is India’s form. I only hope that picks up. This does have an impact on advertising to an extent. While overall the sentiment is still positive towards the World Cup. I think all the big sponsorship has been lined up. A lot of brands are also excited with the innovation possibilities on the World Cup, therefore they have also come in. I think some of the brands who are probably fence-sitters today are only wondering what the form of the India team will be, and whether they would be able to afford the scale of investment required, so if actually all goes well and India perform well in the first few matches, it could be a complete sell-out.

     

     

    It is the biggest aggregation of consumers possible

    The cricket format allows frequent short breaks making it apt for advertisers to be present creating impact and high brand recall.

     

    By Vivek Sharma, CMO, Pidilite Industries Ltd

     

    Cricket is a not just a sport in India, but is in fact a religion, which no one can refute. Not only is the ICC Cricket World Cup the premier flagship tournament of the ICC that comes only once in four years, this year India are the defending Champions, which means higher level of engagement from audiences in India and Indian diaspora. Given this context, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is the right opportunity for our brands to reach out to a large consumer base.

     

    Furthermore, with large number of TV viewers in the country watching the last edition of the World Cup, it is the biggest aggregation of consumers possible. This year, the ICC Cricket World Cup will be broadcast in six different languages making it even larger. The cricket format allows frequent short breaks making it apt for advertisers to be present creating impact and high brand recall. Viewers will get an opportunity to see two of our new TVCs for Fevikwik and Dr. Fixit during this World Cup. Thus we believe that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be an ideal platform for us to create both awareness and connect for the brands with our end consumer across the key target regions.

     

    The unpredictable format of the ODI game makes it more exciting and keeps audience engaged, overall we believe that the ICC World Cup will prove once again to be a win-win situation for all advertisers. Pidilite has supported the game of cricket for long time and will continue to support our boys and the spirit of sportsmanship.

     

     

    Has the magic diminished?

    One great match, one killer performance, one massive win, one boost of hardcore patriotism and heroics, and Indian blood will get to pump again.

     

    By Prathap Suthan

     

    The fact is that the boys in blue, are now more black and blue. Considering that they been blown to the outback in Australia. They seem to be unfocussed. As though there’s a sort of ennui in the team. A lackadaisical attitude.

     

    Nowhere close to what they were when they won the Cup last time around. Worse, very much contrary to the advertising that’s going around featuring the team, they seem to be determined to do everything to give the Cup back.

     

    As a viewer, currently I just don’t feel being inspired to watch. I am all but looking forward to the World Cup. Somehow I am as listless as the team itself. I have no hope, no faith, no conviction in the team.

     

    The problem is that this listlessness is contagious. It comes from the team and affects all of us. All viewers and advertisers. Unfortunately, the team’s motivation, and the team’s resolve, and the team’s body language etc. have all been in the dumps. They haven’t been able to fire any adrenaline back to us.

     

    More importantly, there’s been an overdose of cricket. As a nation we are up to our gills with this game, and sadly, the plentitude is boring. Don’t forget there’s IPL soon after, and there’s just no end to this. I suppose the specialness of the game has waned and much like everything that’s profuse, even the magic of cricket has diminished.

     

    From an advertising perspective, I think regardless of our team, this is great and rich advertising opportunity for brands. In terms of the numbers, million would watch even if India isn’t playing.

     

    This is a game that doesn’t need to be explained to the masses. All of us know the game. And all of us are experts. Including large numbers of our women.

     

    I certainly would advise clients to be part of this. I am sensing a lot of clients are timid and tepid about spending money on this tournament. It is not a bad place to be in, even if we aren’t playing. At some level, we appreciate good cricket and we are fans of the game.

     

    However, everything might change. One great match, one killer performance, one massive win, one boost of hardcore patriotism and heroics, and Indian blood will get to pump again. All it takes is the return of victory and passion into the team, and the wind will fill our sails again.

     

    And at that time, it would be a scramble for slots and spots. Best to hope for a miracle, and be part of this tournament early.

     

    At the end of the day, none of us are anti-cricket, or anti-blue, or anti-anything. As a nation, this is one of the very limited areas of physical excellence that we have the ability and talent to win and dominate. We are poor losers. And poorer patriots.

     

    We are fickle as a nation, and especially when there’s no heart in the team, we give up on the team as quickly as we rally behind them.

     

    Prathap Suthan is Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bang In The Middle

     

     

    IPL is any day a better bet for brands!

    World Cup 2015 is unpredictable. Not for which team would win but for marketers, brands and the media

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The Indian Premier League or Cricket World Cup is a choice or problem for a few brands. You either have money to splurge on both tournaments or you don’t. Those who have money either have a campaign to run or they don’t. And brands with money and campaign, it is only the rate and ROI issue. ROI can never be guaranteed and remains a gamble. So, if you have the money and a campaign and need to advertise during these times you may want need to look at it differently.

     

    World Cup 2015 is unpredictable. Not for which team would win but for marketers, brands and the media. Success here depends on audience interest, viewership, viewer’s empathy and apathy towards the team. Oh yes, the die-hard will watch anything, but the deciders are the real consumers; the fringe audience that makes the numbers advertiser look at. Match timings are big spoiler for them. We can expect non-India matches to be completely blanketed. Unfortunately, such matches form a large percentage of the tournament. The main sponsor get these ineffective buys as a package helping them show lower ER.  Non-sponsor brands try avoiding them but are served as no-option as channel has to square off the investment.

    IF (a capital, bold IF) India plays well in the 1st final (India Vs. Pak) it could change the whole game. We as a nation are currently feeling low entering WC15 after a series of losses. Cricket is suffering from lack of empathy and viewers apathy.

     

    On these qualitative counts itself IPL outscores WC-15 with a high percentage of your real TG hooked on to every match.

     

    Srini or No-Srini, 12 or 8 teams, ball-tampering or fixed matches nothing changes the ground rule; IPL is a festival, a mela, a tamasha we all enjoy with a spicy tadka of regionalisation. IPL demands less of your time, give you much to discuss and is much more fun. It is realignment of interest, supports and stars. The audience loves this cut-throat high intensity not giving an inch of attitude. They smile, so can the channel and the advertisers. The patriotic feeling is understated or completely dead and that makes team losing a bit more manageable for the viewer.

     

    I firmly believe that even a low WC-15 performance by the Indian team will fail to dampen the IPL spirit. Good or near decent show will help IPL. In gambling terms, with IPL you hold the royal run. IPL is always a new beginning. With auctions, there is always a new team under every banner. It has a clearly differentiated taste and flavour.

     

    On the other hand, the hard focus on TV impact in these tournaments creates blinkers and brands end up underutilising or missing opportunities with other media. Radio and hoarding are good bets. In WC, by the time newspapers share the result of a match, the audience would be watching the next day’s match.  But if you want to add regionalised tadka in IPL making it exciting for your brand, go talk to your print guy and be pleasantly surprised with the ideas they have.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is Head Catalyst at Intradia and believes the best way forward for an organisation is to enhance the potential of  internal teams instead of depending on external resources. He is a management- marketing-media consultant and also conducts specialised workshops in the area of ‘Harvesting and Liberating Ideas’ and Innovation.  To contact email netkot@yahoo.com or tweet at s_kotnala visit www.intradia.in  www.sanjeevkotnala.com. The views expressed here are his own.

     

     

     

  • The TVC which will be aired across channels, has been innovatively shot across many cities in India, capturing the personal styles of youngsters

    Jabong.com directs new campaign ‘Be You’ towards the youth

    By A Correspondent

     

    Jabong.com has unveiled a new campaign themed ‘Be You’ that inspires and encourages the youth of India to be comfortable in their own skin. The campaign features a 360-degree multimedia integration of television, print, outdoor and digital platforms.

     

    The TVC which will be aired across channels, has been innovatively shot across many cities in India, capturing the personal styles of youngsters, and emotions derived from the sense of empowerment and confidence from fashion, the commercial showcases the latest styles and trends across clothes, shoes and accessories.

     

    On the launch of the new brand campaign, Praveen Sinha, Founder and Managing Director, Jabong.com, said, “Jabong.com is constantly innovating to churn out something new for its customers and this time we are not merely promoting clothes but a concept which never goes out of fashion. ‘Be You’, allows the youth to realize where their true identity lies rather than chasing the latest fad, we are encouraging the youth to fall back on what they already had since the very beginning. Our TVC is very simple in terms of the message it plans to send out, be true to yourself not only in terms of attitude but also in terms of fashion you carry around.”

     

    Created by Bang in the Middle, Prathap Suthan and Naresh Gupta’s creative agency, the campaign aims to celebrate the trust Jabong has garnered in the past few years with the fashionistas. The advertisement is embedded upon the same ground rules Jabong established over the years and is religiously following, delivering smiles at doorsteps.

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Prathap Suthan, CCO, Bang in the Middle said, “The thought of being oneself isn’t a radial deviation. It’s something all of us have said, and all of us will keep saying. It’s also something a lot of world personalities have said and sung. Be You is Jabong’s affirmation of its vision to inspire and encourage the youth of India to be themselves as they can be no one else.  It’s a simple, and yet a profound statement. In a world that drives and compels youth to imitate, follow and stand for shallow values, this is a more rooted and the almost counterpoint to typical fashion advertising. We believe there is a universal truth in this thought, and it’s value that will ring truer with youngsters. It’s a call to unlock one’s true potential. Being you will never go out fashion. It cannot. Who else will you be?”

     

    The core idea of the campaign message is of appreciating oneself and going on one’s own individual journey, and be true to themselves. Feel good about oneself and confidently express themselves. The peppy and upbeat 130 second music score of the commercial is a youthful blend of melody, beat and meaningful lyrics. The visualization of the song exudes a sense of freedom, individual journey and optimism that the brand has created through its offerings in the past few years.  The song will be launched on various platforms like Song Apps, Radio and Digital media.

     

  • Global communications major Instinctif Partners has announced a formal partnership with Bang In The Middle. There is no equity investment by either agency, though sources say it is a distinct possibility in the near future

    Bang in the Middle hooks up with Instinctif Partners

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading global business communications consultancy Instinctif Partners has announced a formal partnership with Bang In The Middle. Instinctif has now opened an office in Bang In The Middle’s premises. There is no equity investment by either agency, though sources say it is a distinct possibility in the near future.

     

    Bang InThe Middle, which provides a range of strategic services to its blue-chip clients, additionally has offices in Kolkata, Kochi and Trivandrum as well as in New York and Chicago.

     

    Instinctif Partners’ office in India will be headed by Nabanita Sircar, who has extensive media (including as a journalist) and public affairs experience, with support from Managing Partner, Mark Garraway and Senior Partner, Geoff Potter, both of whom know India well and have acted for a wide range of Indian corporates over the last 15 years.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Richard Nichols, Chief Executive said: “India is a key market for Instinctif.  We have been doing business there for some time and believe it is now appropriate to cement our presence in the country.  We very much look forward to working alongside our new colleagues at Bang In The Middle and to welcoming them into the Instinctif global partnership as we integrate our respective operations over the coming months.”

     

    Added Sircar who is designated Partner and Head India Operations: “Instinctif Partners has a long-term commitment to India and with Bang In The Middle as partners we look forward to offer a wide range of strategic communication options to businesses. Our international offer would further facilitate business in and out of India.”

     

    Prathap Suthan
    Naresh Gupta

    Said Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner of Bang In The Middle: “We are delighted to be working with Instinctif Partners who have identified India as a key part of its international network and is committed to a long-term presence in the country.  The respective strengths and client relationships of both companies will underpin the successful establishment of Instinctif in India and Bang In The Middle’s development internationally.”

     

    Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner of Bang in the Middle, added: “In the last two years we have grown significantly as an organization. We have a remarkable portfolio of brands and services. Instinctif Partners and their expertise allows us to offer a more holistic communication approach to brands and corporates. Together we will be able to offer a far wider and holistic suite of services”.

     

  • The agency has turned two. There is happiness over the way business has been. A candid Q&A with founder captains Prathap Suthan & Naresh Gupta

    The Bang in the Middle theory: Interview with Prathap Suthan & Naresh Gupta

     

    Two years back, Prathap Suthan and Naresh Gupta and a few other professionals announced the formation of an agency with a difference: Bang in the Middle. Like its name, the proposition was meant to be ‘hat ke’, a lot of which came with the way the philosophy of its founders. MxMIndia has been tracking the agency right from the day it was launched, chronicling its every high, and every new client acquisition.

     

    As it completed two years last week, we posed a few questions to Messrs Suthan and Gupta including one on something that many have been talking for a while: that it’s a good target for an acquisition.

     

    The interview:

     

    01. The first two years can be good fun, but the trials and tribulations could also be many. Ask us. We had many, many highs. And many, many lows too. How has been your journey? Banged more or got banged more?

    Banged, we more than survived the first two years, and we survived to the plan we had written. We won many business, did some exciting work, won some industry accolades. To do a design project from Rolex was more than prestige, we learnt how exacting the Swiss can be, the Swiss learnt how detailed Indians can be. We won Dulux in a hard fought pitch with biggies just when we started,  Veen Waters gave us a global mandate, we won Zee News in a competitive pitch and as the second year came to an end we won Jabong in a dead heat against the largest of agencies.  Today we have a robust set of clients and some very exciting conversations with a set of large clients

     

    02. Do you find that the world around you has also changed in these two years and hence people are more inclined towards your kind of creative work?

    The world is changing at a pace faster than at least we can fathom. The largest of marketers are investing more in digital, the traditional agencies are not investing in that skill at all. We have experienced this in our conversations with many of the clients that they are willing to work across spectrum with one agency, it’s the agencies that are not ready to step up and play the role they could. Ideas have always been the currency of communication companies, and ideas have to go beyond TVC That does make brands more tuned to the kind of work we do

     

    03. For those who don’t know too much about BITM, how would you like to be described? Are you more creative-led, planning or strategy-led or just about everything and re-orient as per client needs?

    We are Mutant. We merge the traditional medium with new media. We are pure play digital agency for some of our clients, we are a conventional agency for some other of our clients. For a fees of our clients we are the only agency they use. We have more startup clients today than most agencies, and for each one of the startups: Diva’ni, Oxolloxo, Gyanshree School we are the only agency they have on board. From website to mobile app to mainstream advertising, we do it all for them

     

    04. How much of your work is traditional advertising and how much of it is digital and for BTL etc?

    We have stopped even looking at that divide, specially when the clients today are discussing the key words to target on web in the same vein as creating a campaign on TV. For a client we merged the social media with TV advertising, the brand trended on Twitter, saw a huge jump in traffic post the TV campaign and followed up the TV campaign with a social campaign. I don’t know where to slot a client like this. Most of the briefs we are working on today are mutant briefs

     

    05. Does it help being an Independent? Would you consider being acquired by a global network?

    It is absolutely fun being independent. Coming after many years of working for networks and waiting for decisions to be taken at some place in cyberworld, being independent is a big asset. More than us, its our brands that we work with will vouch for it. We are fast, we take decisions faster and add speed to their business strategy.

     

    On being acquired, we have been spoken with even before we turned one. Those conversations have only gained speed. There are more than one network speaking us, there are some non network brands speaking with us. Being a part of a network is not necessarily a bad thing, provided we can preserve the DNA of ours: of being feisty and of being quick on our feet

     

    06. What according to you has been the best work so far?

    I would like the clients to answer that. For us every piece of work we have put out from Veen to Rolex to Zee to Diva’ni to Vimal to Dulux to Freecultr to FabFurnish every piece of work we have done, we are proud of it. We strive hard to ensure that we put out a communication solution that will help the brand grow, beat competition, increase value or whatever else they may have briefed us. These two years have been the year of learning for us too. Today, we are doing things that we never did before, and there are challenges we faced without the support for a global network.

     

    07. One or two happenings in these two years where you would’ve told yourself the agency has arrived?

    First such moment was when Zee News consolidated more than one channel with us. Winning Jabong was second such moment when we realised we can stand up to the might of the large agencies. We actually feel that every new brand that brings us on board makes us believe that we are on our way. We have a client who has acknowledged that the best work on the brand ever done is from BITM, another said that they never realised that we were a startup, we never came across as one. Each one of such moments are moments that tell us that we are reaching the destination

     

    08. And one or two WTF moments? When you said why the hell did we get into this?

    More than one, almost every month. We lost a large brief only because the global system didn’t want to hire a home grown agency, we lost a brief because a Mumbai client didn’t want a Delhi agency. These are moments that tell us that we haven’t reached there, we are not established, we have to work hard and we have a long road ahead

     

    09. Do you think you could’ve been acquiring bigger clients (and hence bigger business) in the last two years?

    Yes and no. At one level its a good thing that we have a committed set of clients who work with us closely, some of them are large too, at another level we do feel we could have won larger brands. The latter is more a wish and in no way is to undermine the former. I think a few large clients are around the corner

     

    10. Any advertising that you think BITM should’ve been doing? And could’ve done better?

    The team has extensive experience across three categories with proven credentials: tourism, automobiles and cellphone handsets. Those are three categories where we would definitely like to have. In each of these categories we would have done better work than the work that is on air

     

  • Oxolloxo offers a complete range of fashion for women, men and kids including choices for beach wear, maternity wear and plus size wear for women

    Oxolloxo ropes in Bang in the Middle on debut

    By A Correspondent

     

    Fashion brand Oxolloxo has appointed Bang in the Middle to handle its business. Oxolloxo is born in India, but has been exposed to major fashion trends across the globe. With its own set up for manufacturing and designing, Oxolloxo will offer a completely new and differentiated offering to the discerning fashion buyers in India initially and to the global buyers as the brand gains traction.

     

    As a brand, Oxolloxo offers a complete range of fashion for women, men and kids including choices for beach wear, maternity wear and plus size wear for women.

     

    Commenting on the win, Naresh Gupta, Managing partner and CSO, Bang in the Middle said, “We started on a dream, when the client first interacted with us, they did not have a name, but they had a well defined and crafted idea. We are proud to be a part of the evolution of the brand. Today when the brand has officially made it’s debut, we believe it will become the first choice for those who are looking at fashion that is latest globally. The site designed and developed by us offers a great selection of fashion in the most appealing way.”

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and CCO, Bang in the Middle said, “It’s not very often that we get to create a brand right from the name upwards. From arriving at its name that works both alphabetically and numerically, to putting together an idea that works well both in the traditional world of fashion marketing and in the new digital age of fashion retailing. As a brand, Oxolloxo uses the world as its palette. Textures, designs, colours and fabrics sourced across the world, all put together to create a compelling range of clothes for the entire family at efficient prices. We are delighted to work together with the brand owners, and create a brand that will rightfully gain a share of light under the global sun.”

     

  • BITM has already started the work on new Summer Campaign slated to be released soon

    Jabong goes for Bang in the Middle

    By A Correspondent

     

    Online fashion store Jabong has awarded its creative mandate to Bang in the Middle.

     

    With very ambitious growth plans and a desire to redefine the way India buys fashion, Bang in the Middle (BITM) would create a series of campaigns across offline and online medium to accelerate Brand Jabong’s journey to market leadership. BITM has already started the work on new Summer Campaign slated to be released soon.

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Commenting on the win, Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and CCO, Bang in the Middle said “Jabong is truly a leader brand in the online fashion space, and we are delighted that they found merit in what we shared. More than anything else, there’s a warm, honest and wonderful chemistry in our relationship. I know Jabong is driven by people who know the e-com space inside out, and are open to latitude. I do know our experience will work quite efficiently, and I look forward to a stretch of brilliant and good looking days at work.”

     

    Arun Chandra Mohan, Founder & CEO, Jabong.com said, “We had a clear mandate for the creative pitch and BITM presented a differentiated strategy and a modern approach towards communication that stood out and matched our business focus. We will focus heavily on marketing in the coming years for the overall brand and we look forward to their participation in establishing Jabong as a leader in the industry and the most preferred online shopping fashion destination in India.”

     

    Bang in the Middle currently handles Zee News, Zee Business, Dulux Paints, Veen Waters, Alpha One Amritsar, Diva’ni, Vimal, Tupperware, Bhima Jewelers, Meridian Hotel Kochi among other brands, and has offices in Gurgaon, Kochi, Trivandrum, Kolkata, Chicago and New York

     

  • Digital promise followed on-ground action won the day for AAP, say branding specialists based in Delhi NCR

    The making of Brand Aam Aadmi Party

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lloyd Mathias

    Marketing, brand and digital specialists from the national capital region attribute the success of Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party to a well-orchestrated media campaign. “For a party to come in from nowhere and secure around 30 percent voteshare in around one year is phenomenal,” said Lloyd Mathias, senior marketer and Director, GreenBean Ventures. “While the party employed digital media very effectively, a traditional symbol like the ‘Gandhi topi’ which stands for an old world value like social change worked very well for it,” Mr Mathias added.

     

    Mr Kejriwal’s tryst with the social media started with the Anna Hazare movement. But, according to Rajesh Lalwani, Founder and Principal, Blogworks, while the party may have started out with social networks like Twitter and Facebook, the sentiment could be seen on the ground. “Clearly, Arvind Kejriwal would not have been able to achieve it without social media, but he truly energised the vote,” he said.

     

    Rajesh Lalwani

    According to Mr Lalwani, Aam Aadmi Party’s usage of the social media is what it should be – volunteer-driven as against paid-for and commissioned. “There were people visiting a rally, taking a picture and posting it.” Mr Mathias corroborates the view and believes on the digital media front, Mr Kejriwal & Co have been streets ahead.

     

    From the brand and positioning point of view, Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, believes he saw the making of a classic brand in the party’s campaign,. “It gave what the audience demanded. Public angst was the platform on which AAP was conceived, built, fostered and now given a public thumbs up. The single-most characteristic that worked for them was honesty, along with humility and hope. If the people wanted democratic retribution and teach conniving politicians a lesson, this was the answer. Even the symbol of the party worked for it. The broom symbolised the cleansing that people ached for.”

     

    What next for Mr Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party? Mr Mathias doesn’t dismiss this as a “flash in the pan”. “The whole of accepting donations online and sending a receipt instantly showcased their transparency and integrity”.

     

    Says Mr Suthan: “I personally feel that the results are stunning. This has been like a dream debut. Congress, I suspect, knew what was coming. They were pretty lacklustre and the muted public reception was definitely underlining Delhi’s anti-incumbency echo. BJP certainly powered their way up, and I think they would be surprised too at the seats they gained in Delhi and the other states.”

     

    Both Messrs Suthan and Mathias believe that it was the anger from the people that Mr Kejriwal and his team were able to address through the communication. Adds Mr Suthan: “My gut tells me that there is a national plank of angst. And it’s been something that’s been gaining momentum. The Delhi showing of AAP is proof of that, and will galvanise the rest of the country into looking at AAP as a viable alternative. Their current stance is neatly poised for pan-India acceptance.”

     

    As for Mr Mathias, it was foolish for people and political parties to not take the Kejriwal phenomenon seriously.

     

     

    Jaldi 5 with Prathap Suthan: The broom symbolized the cleansing that people ached for:

    Q&A with Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, to comment on the rise and rise of the Aam Aadmi Party and and its brand promise from an advertising person’s point of view

     

    01. From your point of view, what would you think was most noteworthy about the Aam Aadmi Party campaign?

    This has the making of a classic brand. Or it has the necessary ingredients for a brand. Solid differentiation. Many distinct characteristics. But most importantly, it gave what the audience demanded. Perfect wedge, if a need gap study was done. People hated the corruption. They were sick of losing pride. They despised the blatant scams. Plus the Nirbhaya case. Public angst was the platform on which AAP was conceived, built, fostered and now given a public thumbs up. If I get to the core of the part and its campaign, the single most characteristic that worked for them was honesty, along with humility and hope. If the people wanted democratic retribution and teach conniving politicians a lesson, this was the answer. Even the symbol of the party, worked for it. The broom symbolized the cleansing that people ached for.

     

    02. Do you think the brand promise of AAP puts in a lot of responsibility on the party to live up to it?

    Of course. The party is obviously new to the business of politics. But I am sure they knew that, and they would do their best not to fritter the opportunity and the backing they have got from the people. Besides, people would by default give them a wide berth. I also think the people in charge know that, and they are also advised by learned pedigreed people from across strata. I don’t think they would suffer from any shortage of advice or experience. That may not be an obvious weakness.

     

    03. In your view, will this brand promise of AAP be able to make a nationwide impact?

    My gut tells me that there is a national plank of angst. And it’s been something that’s been gaining momentum. The Delhi showing of AAP is proof of that, and will galvanize the rest of the country into looking at AAP as a viable alternative. Their current stance is neatly poised for pan India acceptance. And the fact that volunteers came in from every corner of the country is indicative of the national mood for an alternative school of thought.

     

    04. Or do you think AAP will need fresh positioning?

    Sure enough, there is a lot of handwork for them if they have spin this out of Delhi and take it across. Finding the right people, committed, faultless people etc isn’t easy. But I suppose people would take their Delhi show as something that can be duplicated across the country.

     

    05. In terms of pre-election communication, any comments on how AAP fared vis-à-vis BJP and Congress?

    Sure the pre election hyperbole was about forming the Govt. While the hung scenario might get pushed into a re-election, that might actually work in their favor. I personally feel that the results are stunning. I don’t really think they expected these kind of numbers. This has been like a dream debut. Congress, I suspect, knew what was coming. They were pretty lacklustre and the muted public reception was definitely underlining Delhi’s anti-incumbency echo. BJP certainly powered their way up, and I think they would be surprised too at the seats they gained in Delhi and the other states.

     
  • Tanishq advertisement breaks stereotypes as it shows a dusky bride and remarriage

    Tanishq’s new ad: Brave or Pseudo?

    Diwali is when Indian advertising celebrates its traditions. Deep fried jalebis, firecrackers and diyas, happy joint families with shimmering clothes and set relationships. Tanishq, however, has something else in store beyond an elaborate polki neckpiece – a dusky bride who already has a daughter.

     

    The Lowe Lintas advertisement, directed by Gauri Shinde, breaks two stereotypes in one go – and it’s triggered off a debate, generating critiques as well as tribute. Charmy Harikrishnan rounded up reactions from inside the industry and outside. Gauri Shinde, director says, “For me this is normal, this is what happens. But when you see remarriage in an advertisement, for the people it is a reassurance of what happens in real life.”

     

    Anuja Chauhan, writer and former executive creative director of JWT says, “It’s showing a very real, happening-all-around-us situation. It’s missing some of Tanishq sparkle though – feels a little stilted, almost Raymond-ish. Their ads are usually livelier. But the thought is nice, and definitely overdue in the category.”

     

    Nandita Das, actor and poster girl of ‘Dark is Beautiful campaign’ says, “I am pleasantly surprised. I am glad that Tanishq has made this brave ad and going by the response our campaign has got, I am sure they will see an amazingly encouraging response. And that might motivate others to follow suit.”

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Prathap Suthan, managing partner, Bang in the Middle says, “I like the casting, and the dusky bride, and the overall stepping out of tradition. I am also glad that Lowe for all the battering it gets for Fair & Lovely, sort of blunts that attack with this one commercial. Instead of the tried and tired route of focusing on a regular marriage scenario, this steps into taboo-land, the never-explored and deliberately ignored area of second marriages.”

     

    Urvashi Butalia, publisher and writer says, “The ad is certainly unusual and perhaps there’s hope yet. It also goes to show that it takes so little to do something different, and I wonder why advertisers are so scared of going beyond the given easy options.”

     

    Manish Bhatt

    Manish Bhatt, Founder Director at Scarecrow Communications says, “I saw it trending big time on all the social network sites but the kind of people commenting have nothing to do either with the brand or with the cause. The purpose of every piece of advertising is to close the loop with the product or the brand message. I see that missing in this spot – it appears to be a pseudo support for such a sensitive subject.”

     

     

     

    Piyush Pandey

    Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & National Creative Director Ogilvy & Mather India says, “I think it’s a brave ad and a great concept. Any leader must take such little chances of taking the society forward. I don’t think we should be at all critical about this ad. Then we will stay in the past.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

     

  • If the song fits, commercialize it. That seems to be the trend among agencies who are rejigging classic Hindi film numbers for modern ads. MxMIndia asks the industry whether this is a good trend

    Old tunes, new TVCs: Good, bad, or…?

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    What do Bharti AXA, Hero Pleasure and Slice have in common? In their latest commercials, all have used old songs, remixed or tweaked, to sell their products.

     

    Yes, the old melodious songs are once again back in vogue as advertisement industry jazz them up to attract audiences. Chala jaata hoon (from the film Mere Jeevan Saathi) and Chakke mein chakka (Brahmachari) for the Nissan Micra ads, Aap yahaan aaye kis liye (Kal Aaj Aur Kal) for Bharti AXA, Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakhm) and the earlier Aaj ki raat (Anamika) for Coca Cola, Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche (Brahmachari) for Raymond and Mud mud ke na dekh (Shri 420) for TVS Scooty are some of the new-old tunes on the block. Even Bombay Times got into the act, using Style mara toh darna kya, an edgy takeoff on Pyaar kiya toh darna kya from Mughal-e-Azam, with the words changed to suit the brand.

     

    Why is there such an epidemic of remix fever in TVC land? Are creatives running out of ideas, or have they just hit upon the fact that old is, well, gold?

     

    New, or an old trend?

    Prathap Suthan

    History repeats itself and the advertising industry knows that they cannot do without the old classics. “It’s not for the first time that you’ll see advertising agency using old songs, it’s been going on since a very old time, It was there even when I joined the profession,” recalls Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner/Chief Creative Officer at BangInTheMiddle and Chief Creative Officer at iYogi Inc.

     

    He isn’t alone; many from the industry feel that the old classics are evergreen and anyone can relate to them. But what’s more important is, how does one use them? “If an old song works for one brand, you’ll see many others copying the trend. But that doesn’t mean or guarantee it will work for all of them. If a song fits the situation and helps the brand tell their story in 30 seconds is when an agency has done a good job with it,” feels Manish Bhatt, founder director, Scarecrow.

     

    Manish Bhatt

    The Indian Railways advertisement which used Ashok Kumar’s song Rail gaadi is a perfect example of using an old film song for a current situation. The advertisement not only became an instant rage among youngsters but also got many awards at national and international level. “Encashing on an old tune is what matters here more,” adds Mr Bhatt.

     

     

     

     

    Narendra Kusnur

    Narendra Kusnur, music columnist and critic, feels that since Hindi film songs have always been popular in India and the older ones have a high recall value, so naturally they can act as an effective tool in advertising as longed as they are used intelligently and go along with the brand positioning. “Why only old Hindi songs? Titan watches used the western classical piece Mozart’s 25th Symphony. People remember the tune and the ad, though many don’t know it’s Mozart. However, it’s always more satisfying to create a completely original jingle line. Something like Lifebuoy or Vicco Vajradanti or Vicks. So that should be the first effort,” he adds.

     

     

    Josy Paul

    “Making one nostalgic has worked in the past, does even today and will continue to do so even in the future,” asserts Mr Suthan.

     

    However, Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director, BBDO India, feels that a trend is not an idea but a bunch of guys following each other. And the guy who started it may have already left the room.

     

    Shortcut or creativity?

    There is no dearth of songs because of the Indian film industry and one can find a song to fit any situation – but does using them mean that the advertising industry being lazy? Or is this creativity too?

     

    “Using an old song alone won’t do the trick; one needs to add new value to the song or force people to look at it again because of the unusual nature of the idea. Else, it’s just an old song which one might hear on the radio,” says Mr Paul.

     

    “There is nothing wrong in using an old track, but one should not treat it as a shortcut. Finding an appropriate song which fits the bill is difficult and needs creativity too. It’s an art form as well,” adds Mr Suthan.

     

    Citing the example of Parle’s campaign Roko mat, Mr Bhatt explains, “If an original jingle/song is catchy or works wonder for a brand then originality shouldn’t never be ignored. The main aim is to stand out of the clutter and help a brand reach its TG.”

     

    Hemant Kenkre

    Hemant Kenkre, a former music channel professional and a corporate and brand communications veteran, explains, “The old songs are remixed to suit the younger lot whereas the older generation too recalls the retro numbers. However, the brand managers need to understand that the song should suit their brand rather than overpower it. But it wouldn’t be right to say that there is any negative impact in using old songs for a brand.”

     

    “Using the power of music to one’s benefit is the deal breaker here – old or new doesn’t matter,” Mr Bhatt adds.

     

  • MxM Mondays records the sentiment on the timing of Goafest and participation in the creative Abby

    MxM Mondays: Are delegates ready to face the heat at Goafest 2013?

     

    By Johnson Napier and Ananya Saha

     

    The festival that has been hailed as the Cannes of India beckons upon the advertising industry. April 4-6, 2013 are the days when the who’s who from advertising will be joined by a few from the media and marketing domains in keeping with the tradition of making it to the venue every year. The venue this year remains the same – Zuri White Sands in Goa! Like every year, the Goafest committee will be going all out to ensure that the event remains world-class, be it in the quality of speakers or the introduction of new initiatives or simply by bringing about a twist in the awards tale.

     

    But in doing their bit in raising the bar of the festival, what they have not achieved so far is holding the event in some other month in Goa – by now the biggest peeve facing delegates. The Goafest committee led by Nakul Chopra of Publicis this year, has been making attempts to actively bring it forward by a few weeks if not a month or two. But that doesn’t help solve the issue of the torrid heat that delegates have to put up with in order to enjoy a festival that boasts of being the largest of its kind.

     

    MxMIndia speaks to a few committee members and also some members from the ad and marketing fraternity and explores possibilities of whether the delegates can expect the unexpected…

     

    Nakul Chopra, Chairman, Goafest Committee

    There is a logistical issue with doing it in February from a perspective of the location. As one would know, the tourism season here starts from October right until March. The same is the case with Cannes where it is not a vacation season when the awards are held there. But we’ve tried our best by getting the event ahead in the first week of April. We do understand that the heat gets unbearable but we would make provisions to have more cooling areas in the venue.

     

    As for the non-participation dilemma, I don’t think that with Abbys and Goafest in its current avatar, anybody is staying away in protest. Probably some agencies have a principle of not participating in awards or any other personal reason but not because of some issue from our end. These were issues of the past and as an industry we have managed to fairly overcome them in recent years. Due credit should be given to the fact that Goafest is the only award of this size and stature that is being run by industry bodies. This enables us to reach out to as many agencies and delegates as possible and not be limited in our approach towards the industry.

     

    Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services

    The heat and passion of advertising industry is stronger than the heat of Goa. Whenever you have it is immaterial. On a serious note, there is an economics of the whole thing. We try to do it away from the peak season, which helps us in two ways. One, of course the economics and second, it helps us with avoiding the crowd and congestion all over.

     

    It is a democratic country but it is too early to think or know who might not be a part of Goafest. So far, we have the support of every agency. And it is too early to think anything to the contrary.

     

    Anant Rangaswami, senior editor at Firstpost.com and author of The Elephants in the Room

    On the timing, all I can say is that April first week is better than April second or third week. That they managed to get it to the first week is not a bad thing. Also, it’s not easy to get an event of this scale to be held in February/March; it could be a logistical nightmare. Whether they should hold the festival at some other venue, I don’t know what’ll be the right thing to say as they had envisaged the festival with a certain concept in mind. I think it is a trap that they are finding difficult to get out of. Goa will continue to remain the venue as long as the name remains Goafest. That is not the case with other awards like Spikes that can be held at Bali, Singapore etc. For me, it looks like a big trap that they cannot get out of.

     

    As for non-participation in the awards, the number has come down significantly. As for McCann Erickson preferring to opt out last year, it  did not opt out of the awards because of any issue with the way it was conducted. Prasoon made it quite clear that he did not think that they had a body of award-winning work. I can understand that, because the awards are an expensive business, and it makes sense not to enter unless you stand a decent chance of winning. In this industry, every sector apart from television is about scam and scam requires investment, time, energy…it’s not easy. There’s serious money that goes in the development of scam. But what the committee has done in the past two years is also noteworthy as they have managed to eradicate issues like bias in judging by the jury, favouritism, leaking of results and other such things involving the awards.

     

    Arvind Sharma, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)

    The real challenge is getting rooms for so many delegates. With so much international tourists pouring in and domestic travel also seeing a spike it becomes difficult to arrange for rooms for so many delegates. But can it be held in early March, yes it certainly can. We are working towards it.

     

    Any awards show around the world, a few agencies will chose not to participate for a variety of reasons. We should be looking at the fact that the number of participating agencies is increasing every year at Goafest. It also means that the number of winners are increasing every year because part of the purpose of an awards show is to be a beacon of light for excellence and I am particularly excited that we are recognising excellence in more than 119 organisations.

     

    Shashi Sinha, President – The Advertising Club and Chairman of the Awards Governing Council, Goafest

    The event is a very low-cost affair and not on the scale of what one gets to see at Cannes. There is no-profit motive behind this event and the effort is to try and accommodate the youngsters by offering them subsidised rates. This whole exercise is designed on the basis of sponsorships. The goal is to ensure that we have the right balance of sponsorships and also encourage more youngsters to come and attend the event. The other point is that October-March happens to be peak season for tourism and therefore the rates are pretty expensive. To accommodate more than 3000 delegates therefore becomes a huge task. We have tried our best to bring it forward by hosting it in the first week of April. But we would be providing more cooling options at the venue like the display area that saw heavy movement last year by the youngsters.

     

    On the issue of non-participation by agencies, we have managed to successfully bring down that number significantly in the past two years. In fact last year there was only agency – McCann Erickson that did not participate. What we have managed to do is that if somebody is not participating we have made it clear that it is not because of the process; it is because of some other reason. Previously it was very convenient to blame the committee etc for the drawback but that is not the case today. One of the biggest reasons why agencies now participate openly is because of the transparency that we managed to bring in the process. That has cleared doubts that existed among agencies.

     

    Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Bang In The Middle

    I personally have not been there too many times and I did find that the heat was a torture. It is actually the old in the industry that are affected by the heat, the younger lot are not. It is a bit of summer blast everywhere in India at that time before summer actually begins. For youngsters, it implies lots of time on the beach, lots of time to run around, lots of beer, hang out in the shacks. It is going to be, let us say, 200 seniors and rest are going to be juniors. From that perspective, it does not really matter. Going to Goa, for youngsters, is the big thing no matter what time of the year. Seniors, anyway, are used to be driven around, staying in air-conditioned homes and offices. So to be outdoors, it is terrible. I am in creative, so I go for shoots, I do not complain. If I am in Goa then, I would prefer to stay in the auditorium or watch and learn rather than go out and stand in the sun. If I were young, say 25, I would be enjoying going everywhere. For organisers, to get hold of amenities is possibly a better deal at this time of the year. Since February and March are tourist seasons, availability of rooms could be a problem for organisers.

     

    For the agencies refraining from participating, I would say that everything is fair. It is all about the money at the end of the day. If I have ‘X’ amount of money and I am sure of winning a metal at international festival, I would rather put my money at Cannes rather than Goa. It is also about the fight of action between two or three groups. Personally, I do not ascribe to any awards. I do not want to be part of any awards. I am very happy doing whatever I am doing. I am not here cutting any favours. My whole responsibility is only towards the clients that I handle, and towards my juniors.

     

    I may or may not go. But boys and girls from my office will definitely go.