MxMIndia

Tag: Publicis Worldwide

  • Meanwhile, Publicis Worldwide has issued a statement that it has finalised Pawar’s replacement and will be announcing the key appointment soon

    Bobby Pawar exits Publicis. To join Havas as Chairman & CCO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Had it been another day, it would have made way for the Big Story. But, then, Bobby Pawar would agree, the merger of J Walter Thompson with Wunderman calls for the top slot in our newsdeck.

     

    But the move is a clear indicator that the Havas group intends to boost its play in India. In early October, Havas appointed Rana Barua as Group CEO. Now Pawar has been appointed Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. Notes a communique: “The appointment is in sync with an aggressive growth strategy that will further integrate the management structure of Havas Group’s India operations to create a simple, unified and client-centric organization in line with the Group’s “Together” strategy.” Also, in October, Havas announced the elevation of Anita Nayyar as CEO of Havas Media Southeast in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media India.

     

    Pawar will report to Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO of Havas Group, India & Southeast Asia, and work closely with existing leadership teams, including recently-appointed Havas Group India CEO – Rana Barua. The appointment is effective in January 2019. Nayyar, as per the October 23 communique, will also report to Mohan.

     

    Pawar joins Havas Group from Publicis Worldwide where he is Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer for South Asia. Publicis has confirmed the development and informed the media that Pawar, will be moving on from the agency after a five-year stint, and will leaved after serving his notice period which ends in January 2019.

     

    Said Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, India & South Asia: “Over the last five years, Bobby has played a key role in transforming the creative output of Publicis Worldwide India. Under Bobby’s leadership we’ve created some truly fabulous work for our clients. We’ve enjoyed working with Bobby and will miss his sense of humour and the raw energy he brings with him. We wish him the best of luck for his future.”

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Mohan said: “Collectively, as a network, we are focused on providing clients with great work by investing in the best talent. We hire for the future, not the past and we believe that Bobby is a timely and critical hire for Havas Group. Bobby’s work has made him one of the most awarded Indian creatives in the industry and he is known for transforming agency culture and reputation on the strength and quality of the creative product.  Additionally, his experience across traditional, digital, experiential, and media agencies will bolster our overall integrated product. Bobby’s appointment will fuel our ambition for India and herald a new chapter of success and I am delighted to welcome him to the team.”

     

    “It’s a great time to be in the advertising industry as data and technology has added depth and breadth to the creative product. Havas Group provides the perfect platform to reinvent our industry by blending the best of both worlds: relentless creativity and smart media accountability. Additionally, by being a part of Vivendi, Havas Group has a huge opportunity to make tangible in-roads into the entertainment industry. The prospect of leveraging the assets of Universal Music, Dailymotion, Gameloft (Vivendi companies) to solve a business problem is extremely exciting and I am delighted at the opportunity and looking forward to my new role,” added Pawar.  On his exit from Publicis Worldwide, Pawar added: ““I’ve had a blast working with Saurabh, Srija and the incredible creative talent as Publicis Worldwide India. But as they say, all good things do come to an end. I’m the kind of person who has always been excited about trying new things and broadening my horizons, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing. I am fully confident that Publicis will continue to rise and make stellar work for its clients. I would like to thank the Groupe for the great memories and work we’ve created over the years.”

     

     

  • ‘Dil Se Desi’ announces the arrival of Zee5 in APAC, Africa and MENA

    Zee5 kicks off global launch with new brand campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee5 has launched its global campaign ‘Dil Se Desi’, officially marking the digital platforms’ entry into the International market. An ode to Indians and South Asians around the world, ‘Dil Se Desi’ announces the arrival of Zee5 in APAC, Africa and MENA and very soon, in Europe, Canada and Caribbean.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Amit Goenka, CEO, Zee International and Z5 Global said: “In the first leg of our international foray, we intend to capture the hearts of South Asians across the globe and I think our campaign, ‘Dil Se Desi’ does this beautifully.“

     

    “Interestingly, both this campaign ‘Dil Se Desi’ and the ZEE5 India launch campaign we rolled out in February 2018, ‘Apni Bhasha Mein Feel Hai’ have their genesis in the same insight; that Indians and indeed South Asians today, irrespective of where they live or how globally connected they are, are fundamentally rooted in their culture and feel a strong sense of pride and belonging. Being ‘Desi’ today has moved from being just cool to being an intrinsic part of one’s identity; and that’s what Zee5 taps into. The emotion that whoever or whatever I am on the outside, on the inside I am ‘Dil Se Desi’ and I not only embrace, but celebrate who I am,” said Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, Zee5 Global.

     

    It is this celebration that is brought alive in the campaign that’s been jointly crafted by the teams at Zee5 and Publicis Capital, notes a communique.

     

    Added Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer & Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide (India): “There is something that happens when people from South Asia move abroad. We become one vibrant community that is united by what we all have in common, and this community is known as ‘Desi’. The ‘Dil Se Desi’ idea celebrates what we love about being ‘desi’, the quirks, the attitude, the culture, the coolness, the togetherness and the content we can’t do without.”

     

     

  • The brand will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office

    Zee5 partners Publicis Capital for global communications mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee5, the OTT platform of the Zee group, has partnered with Publicis Capital to help drive its global strategy. The brand will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office.

     

    Archana Anand

    Commenting on the plans for Zee5, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, Zee5 Global said: “The launch of Zee5 globally has catapulted us into our next phase of growth and we needed a partner to help us quickly establish ourselves as the largest global platform for Indian language entertainment. Publicis specialises in transformative, effective and data-driven communication solutions, which is integral to our growth plans for Zee5. Their data-led strategic approach, strong creative framework and robust network will enable us to efficiently develop an integrated, universally resonant, and holistic brand identity globally and we are thrilled to partner with them.”

     

    Srija Chatterjee

    Sharing her views on the partnership with Zee5, Srija Chatterjee, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide (India), said: “Clearly, OTT has become the entertainment buzzword across the world these past few years. Little wonder then that we’re so proud to be partnering with Zee5 as a  leader brand and even more privileged to be entrusted with the challenging yet exciting responsibility of taking the brand global and making it the go-to destination for the South Asian diaspora and beyond. We are currently working on putting together an effective brand campaign, which through its distinct appeal will surely succeed in achieving the stated communication objective. Watch this space for more!”

  • The erstwhile agency on the brand was Karma, part of the DDB Mudra Group

    Brand Factory appoints Publicis Ambience to handle creative mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Brand Factory, a Future Group concept chain, has announced the appointment of Publicis Ambience as its creative Agency on Record (AoR). The mandate was won following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The erstwhile agency on the brand was Karma, part of the DDB Mudra Group.As its creative partner, Publicis Ambience would offer complete integrated communications solutions including branding, advertising and marketing solutions. These would stretch across the traditional mediums comprising television, print, outdoor, ATL/BTL, etc.

     

    Roch D’Souza

    Expressing his views on appointing a new agency, Roch D’Souza, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand Factory said: “In Publicis, we saw lot of enthusiasm and hunger for the category we are operating in. Our intent was very clear; we weren’t just looking for a creative agency but a business partner who understands the category, business aspects, markets we are operating in and the customer of Brand Factory. To which, Publicis did a good job. Also, having Bobby Pawar on board makes a lot of difference. He brings in lot of experience on table and has understood the potential of the Brand. We are hoping to see path-breaking ideas in this partnership.”

     

    Bobby Pawar

    On winning the new mandate, Bobby Pawar, CCO & MD – South Asia, Publicis Worldwide commented: “We are honoured that Brand Factory has placed their faith in us. I look forward to partnering Suresh Sadhwani, Roch D’Souza and their teams in exceeding their lofty ambitions for the brand and the business. Brand Factory disrupts the category and our efforts will be to engage with consumers in disruptive and effective ways. This win comes on the heels of many wins over the last few months. You will hear of some more wins very soon.”

     

     

  • PubCom CEO Saurabh Varma unveils new top deck: Nakul Chopra turns Advisor. Srija Chatterjee & Sudeep Gohil to join Bobby Pawar. Launches Marcel in India

    Rejig time at Publicis Worldwide

     

    It was the day of the Effies. A few days before the announcement, we had received indications that it could happen. But then it was an announcement that was long overdue.

    At the Effies itself, the new boss ensured that he’s not seen just as head of one of the arms that he led thus far.

    We’re talking about Publicis Communications and Saurabh Varma. On December 16, it was announced that Varma, the Leo Burnett Group CEO South Asia, would be incharge of Publicis Communications for India.

    The announcement assumed significance as Varma would also be incharge of three other major agencies: Publicis Worldwide, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and MSLGroup and their respective subsidiaries.

    While MSL wasn’t going to be much of a problem with Amit Misra being at the helm after the exit of joint head Chetan Mahajan and he would report to Varma, there could be a problem at the other two. The communique sent to us then said that Nakul Chopra, the head of Publicis Worldwide for some years and Praveen Kenneth, head of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi will not report to Varma, even as Varma was to be incharge of the agency. Hmmm.

    But later it became clear. While Chopra continued to be in his position, he was no longer head of business (or overseeing the P&L).

    In the case of Kenneth, his commitments with Publicisare reported to end soon. The picture will get clearer on that front in the next two quarters.

    For Varma, the job on hand was tough.

    Having done a clean-up at Leo Burnett, getting an all-new team (okay, okay, we are euphemising the exiting of the old guard), integrating Indigo and Orchard into the system in a bigger way, it was time to look at Publicis Worldwide.

    A press release sent to us confirms the intent. Though the mainstay of the story has been tucked in at the end: Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia, will now be the Senior Advisor at Publicis Communications India. Chopra has spent over 20 years helming Publicis in India. He is currently President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (coincidentally when Varma took charge at Leo Burnett, CEO Arvind Sharma was also President of the AAAI).

    But along with the overhaul, there is also the announcement of the entry of Marcel from the group’s international shores to Mumbai. Marcel is a combo of a digital agency and creative boutique. Its clients include Uber, Instagram and Ray-Ban, but these aren’t coming to India with it for now.

    Said Charles Georges-Picot, Global CEO, Marcel: “We are thrilled to open a new office in Mumbai. Marcel is a precious brand that we only share with like-minded people. I know that together we will create amazing work. It is what drives us at Marcel.”Marcel has offices in Paris, Sydney, New York and Sao Paolo. In India, it will be headquartered in Mumbai.

    But while Marcel is good news on any day, here’s what make the March 30 announcement significant, other than the official announcement of Chopra’s advisory role: Currently, Publicis Worldwide has three agency brands – Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital and Publicis Beehive. This will change with immediate effect.  Now, Publicis Ambience and Publicis Capital will become Publicis India. It will continue to build on the momentum of creating shareworthy ideas that impact share of wallet.

    And Publicis Worldwide will have a new leadership at the helm. Srija Chatterjee (Managing Director) and SudeepGohil, (Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner) will join forces with Bobby Pawar, (Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director). They will run all the Publicis Worldwide operations in India, including Marcel, and report to Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, India.

    We aren’t yet sure of who will have have the P&L responsibilities, because there’s got to be one clear leader for PublicisWW.

    Speaking about the new developments, Varma said: “I believe it is the right time for Marcel to come to India. ‘Lead the change’ can only happen through a disruptive model and a world-class International-Indian team. The leadership team has been carefully put together to deliver on our ambition for Publicis Worldwide, in India.”

    Chatterjee joins from MullenLowe Singapore, where she was the Global Business Director. On her new role, Chatterjee said: “When I met Saurabh and discussed the plans for Publicis, the potential and ambition for the agency left me both, excited and nervous. With its mantra of ‘Lead the Change’, and the focus on true integration across all our different platforms, I believe that Publicis is now at a crucial juncture, poised for exponential growth and recognition. I look forward to being part of this journey with Bobby, Sudeep and the team here.”

    Gohil moves from 72andSunny LA, where he consulted on the agency’s Asia-Pacific plans, and led the Adidas business globally. On his appointment, Gohil said, “The Publicis team really impressed me with their bold ambitions, tenacious attitude and passion for great work – they have great clients and an enviable team. The opportunity to work with Bobby, Srija and Saurabh was a big part of my belief and excitement for the plan ahead for Publicis. All of this combined with the bold mandate for the business both locally and in the region made it an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

    Echoing Varma’s sentiments on the evolution of Publicis Worldwide, Pawar added, “I am really excited for our people and our clients. We’ve been doing some cool work. With the addition of the world-class talent and global experience of Sudeep and Srija, I’m sure we will take it up a few notches. It’s game on.”

    Meanwhile, Publicis Beehive will stay focussed on offering holistic marketing solutions to Indian entrepreneurial clients. SanjitShastri continues as the CEO of Publicis Beehive and will report directly to Saurabh Varma. Paritosh Srivastava, the COO at Publicis Ambience, is now COO at Marcel.

    Next stop: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

     

  • Ad Club sets up new managing committee, Raj Nayak re-elected President, Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd is vice-president

    Ad Club sets up new managing committee, Raj Nayak re-elected President

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club has elected Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS, as its President for the second consecutive term.

     

    The new managing committee is as follows:

    • President: Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

    • Vice President: Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.

    • Secretary: Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

    • Jt. Secretary: Bhaskar Das, Group CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

    • Treasurer: Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands

    • Officebearer: Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia Ltd.

    • Member: Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher, Chitralekha Group

    • Member: Partha Sinha, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, McCann

    Worldgroup

    • Member:Pradeep Dwivedi, Chief Corporate Sales & Marketing Officer, DainikBhaskar Group, DB Corp Ltd.

    • Member, Ramesh Narayan, Managing Director, Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.

    • Member, Vikas Khanchandani, Chief Business Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited

    • Member, Viral Jani, Head TV Partnerships, Twitter India

    • Co-opted Member: Partho Dasgupta, CEO, Broadcast Audience Research Council

    • Co-opted Member: Punitha Arumugam, Director, Agency Business, India and South East Asia, Google India Pvt. Ltd.

    • Co-opted Member: Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept Limited

    Immediate Past President: Pratap Bose, Founder, Social Street

     

    Special Invitees:

    :: Preeti Vyas, Founder & Chairwoman, Vyas Giannetti Creative.
    :: Namrata Tata, Head of Sales, Colors Infinity, VH1 & Comedy Central.
    :: Sapangeet Rajwant, Head of Marketing, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18
    :: Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications Ltd

     

    Expressing his pleasure at his re-election, Nayak said: “I am extremely honored and humbled at the love bestowed upon me by the industry. I hope to continue working even more vigorously to realise The Ad Club’s agenda of acting as a catalyst in developing our vibrant and dynamic industry.”

     

    Said Nakul Chopra, CEO South Asia, Publicis Worldwide and President, AAAI welcoming the announcement: “I am delighted that Raj has been elected President Ad Club for another term. A dear friend, a respected colleague – Raj has always worked for the good of the industry via various forums. I look forward to working closely with him to further the already strong relationship between The Ad Club and AAAI.”

     

    Commented Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee and President, IBF: “I am most certain that with his rich experience, acumen and industry knowledge, Raj will continue to take ‘The Advertising Club’ to greater heights. The very fact that he is re-elected, speaks abundantly about his contribution made to the club and to the industry. Over the last year, the club has certainly been a catalyst in developing the industry and with its interactive platforms and properties, it has served as a brilliant platform for industry professionals to interact and exchange thoughts. I wish Raj all the success in this role.”

     

    Expressing his excitement about the announcement, Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman and MD, R K Swamy BBDO and President IAA India Chapter and Senior Vice President IAA Global, said, “I was delighted to hear that Raj was reelected to lead The Advertising Club. His passion and energy levels are infective. He has brought in many senior names‎ to join the committee and I eagerly look forward to next phase of accelerated growth for the Club under his stewardship.”

     

    Industry stalwart Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World, also expressed his pleasure by saying, “I am delighted that Raj has agreed to continue as The Ad Club President. This augurs well for the members of the advertising, media and marketing community in general and members of The Ad Club in particular. Raj is everybody’s favorite person and is uniquely positioned to discharge this onerous responsibility which he has kindly agreed to, despite his hectic and I am sure taxing work schedule”.

     

    Industry veteran CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM, South Asia, commented, “Its great news for the industry that Raj Nayak has been re-elected President of The Advertising Club. Raj brings a lot of style and substance to whatever he does. His boundless energy, passion and commitment is so amazing. I wish him the very best and look forward to another great year with him at the helm”.

     

  • Bobby Pawar, Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Worldwide on the Khali Ad for Ambuja Cement winning the Black Elephant

    We couldn’t have done the ad without Khali: Bobby Pawar

    Bobby Pawar

    Excerpts from an interview with Bobby Pawar, Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Worldwide on the Khali Ad for Ambuja Cement winning the Black Elephant

     

    The best of the show at Goafest, and a Black Elephant here. It seems to be Khali all the way…

    Certainly looks like it. Although my face does not show it, I am very happy.

     

    Would you say that the last year, Khali was the best creative work done in the country?

    I do not really care to make such statements. [The ad] got voted on its views and shares and so was among the most talked-about pieces of work. I am proud of it, and there are quite a few people out there saying it is the best piece of work.

     

    What, according to you, really made the work outstanding?

    It is a combination of things. At its most basic level, it is a very human story about a man who’s born too big and strong for this world. His struggle with everything around him — along with the humour of him crashing into and breaking things — touched a chord. We have not just showcased a celebrity, but used one in a manner that drives the benefit of the brand.

     

    It won two Blue Elephants, one for casting and one for direction. Getting Khali seemed to do the trick for you.

    The idea was born with Khali in mind. It was Khali’s story. We would not have done it if we could not get Khali. It was a story about his life, and nobody else could have played it.

     

    Are you looking at a sequel?

    Yes, down the line. It is not even a year old right now. I guess we will evolve it and, like every story, it needs to go to different places to remain interesting to people.

     

    First appeared in dna of brands dated June 6, 2016

     

  • New campaign features new brand ambassadors Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt; Refreshes logo to further strengthen brand imagery

    MakeMyTrip unveils campaign to drive growth in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    MakeMyTrip hasunveiled its new campaign with brand ambassadors Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.In line with thecompany’s efforts to tap into the hotel bookings segment and further build on its leadership position, the new brand campaign aims to drive consumers to shift from offline to online for hotel bookings. As part of this campaign and in a move to further strengthen its brand imagery, the company has also refreshed its logo.

     

    The campaign highlights compelling and relevant benefits of booking hotels on MakeMyTrip such aswidestrange of hotels to choose from, great deals, trust andreliability – all of which are key drivers of online hotel bookings.The high decibel national multi media 360 degree campaign will heavily be promoted on TV, radio, outdoor, social media and digital platforms from 20th March.

     

    Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO-India said, “The year 2015 saw the online hotel bookings market opening up due to smartphone penetration and better bandwidth. At MakeMyTrip, we have witnessed phenomenal growth in our India standalone hotels business. In fact, in Q3 2015-16 alone, the transactions for standalone hotels booked on mobile increased by 756.4% year-on-year. We believe that this is just the beginning. The Indian hotels market is still highly underpenetrated and fragmented and we have made aggressive efforts to tap into this segment. Our current campaign is also reflective of our larger business strategy of rapidly growing our hotels business. With this campaign, we seek to bring new customers into the online hotel category .Our value proposition is that whatever be the customer need, they can find a hotel of their choice on MakeMyTrip – quicker and cheaperand our new campaign completely resonates with this philosophy.”

     

    Commenting on the new campaign, Saujanya Shrivastava, CMO, MakeMyTrip said “As market leaders, we have taken on the task of online hotel category expansion. The campaign seeks to catalyze the shift of offline to online by providing tangible reasons to non-users and fence sitters to come to MakeMyTrip for their hotel booking requirements.

     

    The campaign marks the debut of our new brand ambassadors Ranveer and Alia. They truly represent the new age Indians – confident, bold and dynamic. They are a great fit with the brand and we are sure that through this campaign, we will also inspire more of India to travel! “

     

    The campaign will have high visibility and impactful 360 degree approach, activating every possible touch point with the consumer. It will be supported by an all rounded TVC campaign including GECs, News channels and high impact print exposures and a prominent presence across the IPL. There will be an aggressive and sharply targeted outdoor plan; along with activations in the digital platforms as well.

     

    Talking about the creative concept, Bobby Panwar, Managing Director, South Asia, Publicis Worldwide said, “We focused on a singular fact that the brief pointed to – a large part of travellers prefer to walk into a hotel and book. They believe that they can get a better deal ‘directly’. The idea was create dissonance in these over confident travellers and dramatically highlight the inadequacy of this ‘direct’ approach while reinforcing the MMT advantage. The presence of Ranveer and Aliya allowed us to create the histrionics required for this dramatization.”

     

  • He is set to join McCann as Vice Chairman and will report in to CEO and Chairman (Asia Pacific) Prasoon Joshi

    Partha Sinha quits Publicis to join McCann. Like Maggi 🙂

    By A Correspondent

     

    Partha Sinha

    Publicis Worldwide Managing Director Partha Sinha is moving on. To join McCann Worldgroup, reportedly as Vice Chairman and reporting in to Prasoon Joshi, CEO of McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman (Asia Pacific).

     

    Although Sinha said there was no such development when MxMIndia spoke to him last Friday, according to a senior McCann official, the news is confirmed.

     

    Interestingly, Sinha had just been made Managing Director of the Publicis Groupe agency in July this year two years after he and Bobby Pawar joined theagency. Earlier this year, there were murmurs that Pawar too was quitting, a move that was rubbished by all.

     

    As reported on Tuesday, McCann COO Govind Pandey has moved to TBWA India as CEO.

     

    According to the information received, the news of Sinha’s joining McCann will be made official later today or this week after some key clients of Publicis have been informed of the development.

     

    Interestingly, Maggi, the brand whose strategy Sinha would oversee at Publicis, has moved to McCann until further notice.

     

  • In their new roles Bobby and Partha will continue to report to Nakul Chopra CEO of Publicis Worldwide South Asia as they will take on larger responsibilities to partner him in managing all business units in the region

    Bobby Pawar & Partha Sinha appointed Managing Directors, Publicis South Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Worldwide South Asia has announced the promotion of Bobby Pawar and Partha Sinha to Managing Directors. This moves comes as the India agency consolidates following a period of sustained growth that has seen it double its size in the past two years.

     

    In their new roles, Pawar and Sinha will continue to report to Nakul Chopra CEO of Publicis Worldwide South Asia as they will take on larger responsibilities to partner him in managing all business units in the region. A key focus will be to elevate the agency’s effectiveness in communication that helps lead the change for clients.

     

    As Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer, Sinha will lead all strategic development. He will take additional responsibility for the P&L of the Consulting, Design and Digital services in South Asia. Meanwhile, Pawar will be Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer. He will lead creative development and ensure the increasing infusion of digital channels for all Publicis Worldwide entities in the region.

     

    According to Chopra, the promotions were clear recognition of the positive impact and leadership both executives had demonstrated in leading their agency teams and client relationships, adding: “Both Bobby and Partha have played pivotal roles in delivering the expectations of our clients and in vastly improving our product. They have worked very closely with me and taken the lead in helping Publicis grow at a very rapid rate. These promotions not only recognise their past achievements but also focus on the future where we have high expectations for the continual transformation of our business.”

     

    In a statement, the new MDs said, “Publicis is on a fast growth track and is increasingly becoming a significant power in partnering clients in the new age environment. Our objective is to become the most significant partner available in this market for brands to navigate and lead the change in society, culture and the marketplace. We are on our way there.”

     

    Added Loris Nold, CEO for Publicis Worldwide, APAC and Emerging Markets: “Publicis South Asia without doubt has a world-class management team and have achieved great results in the past few years. With Partha and Bobby taking a bigger role, I am very confident that we are best positioned to help our clients in their marketing transformation.”

     

  • 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.

     

  • When did the advertising awards lose their innocence? The gamification has perverted the very reason why advertising awards were birthed, writes BobbyPawar

    Bobby Pawar: Awards – 2. Awards Business – 4

    By Bobby Pawar

     

    The gamification of awards has perverted the very reason why advertising awards were birthed.

     

    The first award shows came about when some of the finest practitioners of the craft came together to cherry-pick the best work. It was put on stage so we could all celebrate it, learn from it, and hopefully, be inspired to beat it. That was a noble purpose.

     

    Yes, it was still a contest. But it was a field where one idea jousted with another. The biggest ones won the day, and their creators bathed in the applause of their peers. Careers were made in those moments, not just of the people who held aloft the shining statuettes of their creativity, but also of those in the audience who were fired up to do work that was great enough to get them there, one day. Almost all of today’s creative legends, even those who now bemoan the awards, became what they are because their shelves glitter with gold.

     

    It was all good, till it wasn’t. What happened? When did awards lose their innocence?

     

    My theory is that the wheels came off when statistics slipped a roofie in our creative cocktail. Agencies stopped merely celebrating great ideas and started counting the awards that they won. The thing is when you start keeping score, what you are doing becomes a game. Everyone knows the objective of a game is to win. When that became a corporate imperative, and let’s not fool ourselves it has, the objective became to win at all cost.

     

    Awards were supposed to put a spotlight on what’s best about our business, now they have become a for-profit business. Every award show has become a festival and the people who attend have gone from being fans of great work to delegates. Duck me with a fork and call me Daisy.

     

    Now you may call me a regressivist, a naïve fool or simply a fool, but the question still remains are we better off now than we were all those years ago?

     

    Bobby Pawar is Director and Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Publicis Worldwide. The views here are his own. A slightly shorter version of this appeared in ‘dna of brands’ dated April 13, 2015