The Muthoot Pappachan Group (MPG) has announced Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador.
Muthoot Pappachan Group is the promoter of India’s leading NBFCs including Muthoot FinCorp Limited (flagship Company of the Group), Muthoot Microfin Limited, Muthoot Capital Services Limited and Muthoot Housing Finance Company Limited.
Said Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman of the Muthoot Pappachan Group: “It’s a significant milestone for us. Shah Rukh doesn’t just bring his star power—he also embodies the humility and self-made success that align with our core values.” He continued, “Shah Rukh Khan’s journey mirrors our commitment to making services accessible at various touchpoints across our companies, reinforcing our mission to empower the common man across the nation. His life story perfectly illustrates the power of dreaming big and realizing those dreams.”
Added Shaji Varghese, CEO of Muthoot FinCorp Limited: “Shah Rukh Khan represents more than just fame; he embodies humility and self-made triumph. He connects with our target audience as an ordinary individual who dreamed big and turned his dreams into reality.”
In his role as the group’s brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan will be seen in MPG’s campaigns across multiple channels, promoting their services. These campaigns aim to showcase a range of financial products and services, echoing the group’s commitment towards revolutionising access and streamlining convenience for all.
Sunfeast Dark Fantasy from ITC Store has launched a new campaign “Har Tiffin Ki Sweet Ending” starring Shah Rukh Khan.
The internet was abuzz with the question “What’s in Shah Rukh’s tiffin?” over the past few days. It is widely known to his fans that the King of Bollywood carries his own tiffin to the sets. However, no one really knows what he brings in the tiffin!
While the internet kept wildly guessing from salads to biryani, SRK finally revealed that like many Indians, he too loves to end his tiffin on a sweet note and carries his favourite Sunfeast Dark Fantasy cookie in his tiffin. Filled with decadent molten choco crème, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy is the ideal post-meal dessert.
In this campaign, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy presents a convenient and indulgent solution that fits perfectly into any tiffin.
Ali Harris Shere, Chief Operating Officer, Biscuits & Cakes Cluster, Foods Division, ITC, said: “We are thrilled to unveil our latest campaign, ‘Har Tiffin Ki Sweet Ending’ with Shah Rukh Khan. With this campaign, we aim to redefine the way people look at their tiffin. We hope to enhance their consumption habit by offering a dessert experience in a convenient format which elevates their tiffin moments.
Damodaran. M, President & Head of Office, FCB Ulka, Bengaluru added: “As Indians, our behaviour has always been to satisfy our craving for something sweet after every meal. However, when it came to our tiffins, this behaviour was missing. And, that was an opportunity for us to position Dark.
Castrol, BP Group’s lubricant brand, has got Shah Rukh Khan, as its brand ambassador. Over the next two years, Shah Rukh Khan will feature in digital, print, and TV campaigns for bp and Castrol, showcasing their wide range of products.
Said Sashi Mukundan, President of BP India and Senior Vice President of the BP group: “The association with Shah Rukh Khan reflects our dedication to innovation and excellence in the automotive industry. This move embodies our shared values of performance, reliability, and sustainability. We are proud to be a part of this endeavour, as we shape the future of mobility together.”
Rungta Steel, an integrated steel company, is revving up its branding with the launch of a TVC starring Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor.
Said Arvind Kumar, AVP- Sales & Marketing (TMT & Wire Rod), Rungta Steel: “It is always a pleasure sharing our latest endeavours with you, this time with the second TVC starring the esteemed Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. This campaign reflects our drive and ambition to being India’s most sought-after TMT Bar brand. With steadfast focus, it is our continuous pursuit to position ourselves in the best possible light, ensuring smooth business and expand our reach to connect with both our valued and potential customers.”
Tide, the detergent brand from P&G, has chosen to partner with Shah Rukh Khan as a brand ambassador.
Said Mukta Maheshwari, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India & Category Head, Fabric Care, P&G India spoke on this new partnership: “We’re delighted with the partnership with Shah Rukh Khan and his endorsement of the New and Improved Tide as the Stain Removal King. Tide, the world’s number one detergent brand, is focused on offering laundry solutions that delight consumers every day where it matters most. In this continued endeavor, we’re thrilled that Tide has upgraded to remove deep-seated stains and offer an outstanding clean on the toughest stains. We are delighted to have SRK recommend Tide as the ‘asli/real SRK – Stain Removal King’ to consumers and fans across the country.”
The year 2023 had its fair share of success stories, across cinema and OTT at least. Here’s my pick of the five most significant landmarks of the year (in chronological order), which could, in turn, shape how Indian entertainment pans out in the next half decade at least.
The return of SRK, and the old guard in general
January saw Shah Rukh Khan mark a box-office comeback with Pathaan. It had been a decade since he had a bona fide hit (Chennai Express). But with Pathaan, he announced his return, in an innings that’s already seeming a lot of fun. Pathaan was followed in September by Jawan, which went on to become an even bigger success. SRK’s December release Dunki has received mixed response, and significantly lower collections. But with SRK, and with Sunny Deol in Gadar 2, it seems like we are back in the ’90s. Superstars from that era are showing the young guys how it’s done!
Farzi: The Real Thing
In what was not the best year for OTT (curtailed subscriber growth, very few breakout properties), one show stood out as an outright blockbuster: Raj-DK’s Farzi, on Prime Video, starring Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi, became the most-watched Indian SVOD show of all time, with an estimated 37 Million (Ormax Media estimates) Indians having watched at least one episode. Coming after the immensely successful and appreciated The Family Man, Farzi established Raj-DK as one of the most powerful names in the Indian streaming space. Their next venture Guns & Gulaabs (Netflix) fell short of achieving the same heights. But Farzi’s success confirmed that mass entertainers, rather than urban-centric understated content, is likely to be the way ahead for web-series in India.
JioCinema: A ‘free’ ride
The arrival of JioCinema, with an IPL edition that was free to stream, brought in a sea change in the Indian OTT landscape in March 2023. The platform made some of the global giants relook at their India strategy. Disney+ Hotstar offered the Cricket World Cup free later in the year. JioCinema backed the IPL season with a plethora of launches, most notably Asur 2 and Taali. But over the last four-five months, they have gone easy on things, and relied more on non-fiction properties, especially Bigg Boss. Perhaps IPL 2024 is when we will see more activity around the platform.
Barbenheimer
Who would have thought that a Hollywood film clash will make headlines in India? The Barbie vs. Oppenheimer weekend in August 2023 brought in about Rs. 100 Cr (gross) worth of box office in India, which was also one of the few countries where Oppenheimer was ahead of Barbie at the box office. Hollywood has not had its best year in India, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hollywood’s mainstay in the Indian market, being on some sort of a downtrend. But with Oppenheimer, we saw audiences flocking theatres in the service of a director urban India has come to love: Christopher Nolan.
Animal instincts
December 2023 saw the release of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, a film that polarised critics, but was largely embraced by the audiences, going on to become one of the most significant success stories of the year, especially because it’s headlined by a younger star (not from the ‘old guard’). After Atlee’s Jawan, Vanga’s Animal established the firm hold directors from South India are beginning to have on Hindi audience’s imagination, through their distinctive style of storytelling. Everything about Animal, right from its trailer to the choreography and background music of its action set-pieces, broke conventional rules of mass Indian cinema. And it was very heartening that another film (12th Fail) that came just a month before Animal, and broke a few rules of cinema too, also got immense audience love, especially for its scale, cast and budget. That Animal and 12th Fail can co-exist augurs well for Hindi cinema, which had its best-ever year by some margin.
Thums Up and Ogilvy have got actor Shah Rukh Khan to play a double role for its Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign, showcasing the constant tussle of opinions in our own mind about Team India lifting the cup.
Said Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Office, Ogilvy India (North): “Cricket is a wave that rides on pure emotion. When the team is playing well, we all rally behind the team, and suddenly with one bad performance, we lose all hope. It’s intense. It’s almost like there are two sides within all of us, constantly pushing against one another. The doubter and the believer. This is exactly the emotion we’ve played out in our latest campaign with SRK bringing to life this struggle of the mind and heart.”
Added Tish Condeno, Senior Category Director (Sparkling Flavours), India & South-East Asia, The Coca-Cola Company: “We believe that the ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest sporting event for the country. Partnership with the ICC provides us with a unique opportunity to unite our customers, consumers, brands, and cricket through diverse engagement formats. Our collaboration with SRK as the ‘Voice of Belief’ for Thums Up’s association with ICC World Cup campaign embodies our commitment to turning every doubt into an unwavering belief.”
Prabhuji Sweets and Namkeens, has announced an exclusive partnership with Shah Rukh Khan and Rashmika Mandanna.
Commenting on the partnership, Manish Agarwal – MD, said: “Prabhuji Sweets and Namkeens have long been treasured as a cornerstone of India’s snacking tapestry. While our delectable creations have remained India’s delight, our association with Shah Rukh and Rashmika is a testament to our aspiration to showcase the essence of our flavors to the Indian Palette. Our commitment to delivering unparalleled taste experiences remains unwavering.”
D’Decor, soft furnishing fabrics unveiled its furnishing brand ‘FabriCare – High Performance Fabrics by D’Decor’ with an ad starring actors Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.
Speaking about the campaign, Nikita Desai – VP – Strategy, Brand and Business Excellence said: “Consumers’ experience with curtain and upholstery in their homes is filled with anxiety arising from the fear of tarnishing their furnishings. The key insight that the FabriCare campaign rests on is ‘Beautiful things do not need to be fragile and achieving strength and beauty if made possible will liberate the consumer from restrictions.’ This insight led to a creative thought ‘Don’t Handle with Care’ – a call to our consumers to live carefree within their homes with FabriCare!”
Added Ajay Arora – Managing Director, D’Decor Home Fabrics Pvt Ltd: “D’Decor has been a disruptor in the category since inception. With the launch of a new brand from the house of D’Decor: FabriCare – High Performance Fabrics by D’Decor, we are raising the bar by launching fabrics which are high on aesthetics and assure a superior functional performance. Having invested heavily on research and quality checks we are confident that the performance of our fabrics will exceed expectations and hence we are offering a three year limited warranty, the only brand to offer a warranty in home furnishing fabrics.”
The Indian box-office is minting money. After an extended lull that stretched 3.5 years, punctuated by an odd film here and there, like RRR, K.G.F: Chapter and Pathaan, there is an unmistakable buzz at the ticket windows. The weekend of August 11-13 grossed nearly Rs 400 crore at the domestic box-office. To put this number in perspective, films releasing across the entire month of February 2023 grossed a similar amount (Rs 396 cr). August 2023 is in the reckoning to become the first-ever month ever to achieve the Rs 2,000 crore gross mark. It’s a long shot, but not out of bounds as of today.
The boom has been ably supported by Rajinikanth’s Jailer, and the franchise social comedy OMG 2. But it’s Gadar 2, a sequel to the blockbuster 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, that is headlining the windfall. The film is on its way to challenging Pathaan, released just earlier this year, to become the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time at the domestic box office.
In September, Shah Rukh Khan will have a shot at breaking his own record, and Gadar 2’s, with Jawan. Later that month, Prabhas’ pan-India film Salaar – Part 1: The Ceasefire releases, and is expected to gross 100+ cr all India on its first day itself. 2023 is now well on course to become the highest-grossing year of all time, at the Indian box-office.
It’s a narrative Indian cinema needed desperately. Knives have been out, targeting the cinema medium and its relevance in today’s streaming-centric entertainment ecosystem, since the pandemic set in, in the first half of 2020. Lack of solid films from the Hindi film industry, barring the odd one every 4-5 months, have not helped matters. But all that is a thing of the past, with Gadar 2, OMG 2, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani delivering within two weeks of each other, after the Hollywood-led boost in the Barbenheimer week.
Outdoor entertainment options are scant in India, and movie-going remains the only inclusive one. It takes a film like Gadar 2 for the inclusivity to realise its true potential. The contrast between the urban, multiplex-centric audience profile of Oppenheimer and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and the wide, all-in audience profile of Gadar 2 is a healthy sign for the medium, and its robust growth in the coming years.
The success of Gadar 2 is also a validation that the star system has been re-imagined. In Pathaan or Jailer, we see conventional stardom at work, in its full glory. In Oppenheimer, it’s a director’s fan base at work. In Gadar 2, it’s the enormous equity of the original film and its characters, rather than that of its lead star, who hasn’t exactly been active or successful in recent years. This multiplicity of factors that can take audiences to the theatre allow for different types of content models to co-exist, and for the cinema medium to prosper.
For all the naysayers of the cinema medium, who were eager to record its obituary in 2020/21, it’s time to wake up and smell the popcorn.
The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2022 are set to take place on June 28 (that’s tomorrow). As per a release, the awards received 1.7 million votes.
The film Pathaan emerged as the Favourite Movie, and Shah Rukh Khan earns the title of Favourite Movie Actor for his role. Kiara Advani bags the title of Favourite Movie Actor (Female), while Hrithik Roshan and Madhuri Dixit are declared as Favourite Dancing Star (Male) and (Female), respectively. The Favorite Sportsperson title is won by PV Sindhu, along with a host of special awards being presented to Ayushmann Khurrana, Kartik Aryan, and Bhumi Pednekar.
Popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasmah maintains its winning streak by securing the title of Favourite TV Show for the eighth consecutive time, with actor Dilip Joshi once again taking home the award for Favourite TV Actor (Male).
Momos take the crown as the ultimate favourite food among the generation, while Candy Crush Saga claims the title of the Favuorite Mobile Game. Nickelodeon’s Motu Patlu is the Favourite Show on Kids Channel, with Motu himself being the Favourite Indian Cartoon Character.
Speaking on the massive response received for Kids’ Choice Awards 2022, Sonali Bhattacharya, Head – Marketing, Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said: “With year-on-year successful editions of the Kids’ Choice Awards, Nickelodeon continues to be the ultimate platform that puts kids at the centre of all that it does. This year’s edition garnered a record-breaking 1.7 million votes, proving that kids have been empowered to voice their choice. Our focus with Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2022 was to engage with kids on all platforms where they consume content. By tapping into these touchpoints, we were able to drive inclusivity and participation to this one-of-its-kind award. We are delighted with the response and thrilled that we could meaningfully entertain our young audiences.”
The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2022 will be hosted by Varun Buddhadev and have a digital simulcast on June 28, 2023 on various network platforms, including Nickindia.com and Sonicgang.com, as well as the social media platforms of Nickelodeon India, Sonic Gang, MTV India and Colors. JioTV will also air it.
Ogilvy India Chief Creative Officers Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, and Sukesh Nayak with Piyush Pandey and some representatives of Mondelez
By Our Staff
The year: 2023.
The date: June 23.
The tally of metals so far: 23.
Just a coincidence on twenty-three, no significance.
But the big breaking news is that Ogilvy has bagged a Grand Prix.
Now we now that a Grand Prix is one of the biggest accolades an entrant can get at Cannes Lions.
But it’s also in the category that is valued most. Creative Effectiveness. Which means an a creative (as in an ad) which has bee found to be effective for an advertiser.
So it’s not for a creativity that’s just a cool ad, but also a creative that has helped the business of the client.
It’s the Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad campaign made for Mondelez’s Cadbury Celebrations. Notes a communique on the Ogilvy website: “It was created in the wake of the pandemic, as local businesses in India struggled to fight back from economic hardship compared to big brands with deep pockets. Together, Ogilvy Mumbai and Cadbury Celebrations helped make Shah Rukh Khan – the world’s biggest movie star – a brand ambassador for thousands of small businesses, using machine learning to recreate the real-world Bollywood celebrity’s face and voice to use in ads for local shops, bringing more power to the people.”
This is what Ogilvy India Chief Creative Officers Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, and Sukesh Nayak have said: “We are overjoyed and humbled to be given the Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness for “Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad.” This is a result of the dedication and effort of our fabulous teams at Ogilvy and Mondelez. We also thank Rephrase and Wavemaker for their valuable role in making our idea a reality. This Lion is the biggest acknowledgment of how this campaign has helped over 200,000 small stores across India through a tough time. This is personalisation at scale and more importantly, generosity at scale.”
Btw, we didn’t miss the line: for their valuable role in making our idea a reality. So clearly, the folks at Ogilvy have said that it’s their idea. Of course sibling Wavemaker (both O and W are owned by WPP).
Meanwhile, we asked the Ogilvy to send us a list of the various awards it has won for the SRK add, and here’s a list. And, mind you, this is not exhaustive. There are a few YouTube awards that aren’t a part of the list. Note Ogilvy doesn’t participate in the Abby awards. It does of course participate in the Effie.
YEAR 2021
SMARTIES APAC AWARD 2021
Gold- Cadbury Celebrations ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ in the ‘Location Targeting’ category
Bronze – Cadbury Celebrations ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ in the ‘Video Advertising’ category
LONDON INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 2021
Silver – Creative Use of Data – Data-Led Targeting for Cadbury Celebrations titled ‘#NotJustACadburyAd’
Bronze – Creative Use of Data – Real-Time Data for Cadbury Celebrations titled ‘#NotJustACadburyAd’
Bronze – Evolution – Best Use of Real Time Advertising for Cadbury Celebrations titled ‘#NotJustACadburyAd’
EFFIE AWARDS INDIA 2021 – WINS 4 AWARDS
Gold – Cadbury Celebrations – Not Just A Cadbury Ad in Interactive Marketing Category
Gold – Cadbury Celebrations – Not Just A Cadbury Ad in Experiential Marketing/ Brand Experience: Product Category
Gold – Cadbury Celebrations – Not Just A Cadbury Ad in The Disruptive Differentiators Award: Product Category
Silver: Cadbury Celebrations – Not Just A Cadbury Ad in Food Category
I-COM DATA CREATIVITY AWARDS 2021
Ogilvy’s ‘Not Just a Cadbury Ad’ was a winner in the ‘Overall’ and ‘Location Based Category’
WARC AWARDS FOR ASIAN STRATEGY 2021
Ogilvy India wins Grand Prix + The E-Commerce Excellence Award + The Early Adopter Award for Cadbury Celebrations ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’
APAC EFFIE AWARDS 2021
Bronze – Mondelez’s ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ wins a in Crisis Response / Critical Pivot – Products category
AD STARS 2021
Bronze – Mondelez – Not Just A Cadbury – Data Insights category
Bronze – Mondelez – Not Just A Cadbury – Mobile category
Crystal – Bronze – Mondelez – Not Just A Cadbury – Direct category
YOUTUBE WORKS AWARDS 2021
Mondelez along with Wavemaker & DeltaX and Ogilvy India, bag the Grand Prix for its ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’
Mondelez along with Wavemaker & DeltaX and Ogilvy India, bag the Ruby for its ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’
CANNES LIONS 2021
Bronze in Creative Data Lions category – #NotJustACadburyAd for Mondelez under Data-driven Targeting sub-category
KYOORIUS AWARDS 2021
Black Elephant: Best Of Show – #NotJustACadburyAd – Cadbury Celebrations
Blue Elephants: Kyoorius Advertising Awards – Direct – Digital & Online – #NotJustACadburyAd – Cadbury Celebrations
Blue Elephants: Direct – Targeted Video – #NotJustACadburyAd – Cadbury Celebrations
Blue Elephants: Topical Advertising – Digital Media – #NotJustACadburyAd – Cadbury Celebrations
The year 2023 had its fair share of success stories, across cinema and OTT at least. Here’s my pick of the five most significant landmarks of the year (in chronological order), which could, in turn, shape how Indian entertainment pans out in the next half decade at least.
