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Tag: Shoojit Sircar

  • Film directed by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar

    Iqoo unveils film targeting Gen Z

    Iqoo, the smartphone brand of the Vivo group, has launched The Film #MyQuestStory, directed by  filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. The three-minute film features a message by content creator and actor, Bhuvan Bam.

    On the creative process, Ritu Sharda, CCO (North), Ogilvy, added: “Iqoo celebrates the spirit of a generation that believes in continuously exploring and questing. Bringing this narrative to life was a thrilling endeavour for us. The vision was to craft a story that not only reflects the boldness and ambitious nature of youngsters today, but also to inspire viewers to push boundaries and chase their dreams with unwavering determination. Collaborating with visionary talents like Shoojit Sircar and Bhuvan Bam gave our concept a huge boost. We believe this film will resonate with audiences and ignite a spark of relentless questing within them.”

  • The film 'Yeh Kaun Sa Fest Hai Bhai' celebrates the power of social media

    DDB Mudra joins Shoojit Sircar for digital film

    By Our Staff

     

    Directed by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar and conceptualised by DDB Mudra Group, the digital film ‘Yeh Kaun Sa Fest Hai Bhai’ highlights how Meta’s (formerly Facebook) apps – Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram help people and communities progress. It is part of Meta’s ongoing ‘Where can’t we go together’ campaign that started earlier this year.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Director Shoojit Sircar said: “Certain moments of one’s youth remain as memories across a lifetime. Organizing a college festival with friends is one such experience and that is what resonated with me when I first read the script. Pallavi Chakravarti and Neeraj Kanitkar; the creatives and I jammed on how we can capture that unfettered spirit of youth – an almost child-like belief in the ability to achieve anything, together – through this film. While filming, my constant brief to the bunch of young and enthusiastic actors was to keep alive a strong, serious desire to make the festival a success despite all the ups and downs, and it is that youthful innocence that we have tried to encapsulate through this film. I am thankful that the team  has decided to play the long version, which I believe captures in entirety the essence of the film.”

     

    Elaborating on the concept, Pallavi Chakravarti, Creative Head – West, DDB Mudra Group said: “For the team working on this project it was above all, a trip down memory lane. We thought back to how organising college festivals and participating in them had been integral to our formative years – how it made us network, connect with people (sometimes for life), made leaders out of the most reticent among us and brought our talents to the fore. Imagine if we had been powered by social media back then…imagine what the same passion, the same ambition and the same curiosity could have led to, had Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp been the wind beneath our wings. The result of this nostalgic journey is a classic underdog story that we hope will make you as happy as it did us.”

     

  • Created and conceptualised 3 short films in Hindi and English

    Ogilvy partners with Swayam to address domestic violence

    By Our Staff

     

    Ogilvy India has partnered with Swayam, a Kolkata-based women’s rights organization, to launch a campaign addressing issues of domestic violence. The agency has created and conceptualised three short films in Hindi and English which has been executed by Shoojit Sircar.

     

    Said Anuradha Kapoor, Director of Swayam: “Most people identify domestic violence with physical abuse, but domestic violence takes many other forms- emotional, economic, and sexual. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes so subtle that women cannot identify what is happening to them as violence. Through this campaign we wish to highlight these subtle and overlooked forms of violence that women face both in their parental and marital homes. These forms of violence impact women’s physical and mental health severely – women often say that wounds and scars heal, but the wounds to the heart and the mind stay forever and are far more debilitating. Our campaign also aims to reach out to women to help them recognise these forms of violence and seek help, whilst at the same time creating awareness among the larger society.”

     

    Added Piyush Pandey, Chairman Global Creative & Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India: “It requires constant effort for a long time to bring about behavioural changes. The films highlight the menace of domestic violence and provoke men to question their own behaviour. These are subtle forms of violence that violate women’s right to life.”

  • Created by Ogilvy and directed by Shoojit Sircar

    Greenply rolls out new TVC

    By Our Staff

    Greenply Industries Limited has launched its new set of TVC campaign ‘Khud bane Ho Toh, Greenply Banta Hain’. The TVCs, which celebrates the resilience of human spirit, have been created by Ogilvy India and is directed by Shoojit Sircar.

    Said Sanidhya Mittal, Joint Managing Director, Greenply Industries Ltd: “We at Greenply understands what it takes to make it on one’s own. As our brands philosophy we always appreciate the length to which individuals go to fulfill their dreams. This campaign is a salute to those self-made people and their indomitable spirit.”

    Added Sujoy Roy, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy India:”The campaign is a tribute to the undefeated resilience of humanity. The characters are people we can easily relate to. We feel their frustrations because we have all been in their shoes. That’s why their hope is our hope. The mood of the campaign gets succinctly translated into the familiar Tagore song we hear at the end. The message is clear: walk the solitary path even if no one comes to walk with you.”

     

  • The campaign features a short film directed by acclaimed Bollywood filmmaker Shoojit Sircar

    All Out questions parenting decisions with #standbytoughmoms campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    All Out has launched its new brand campaign intended to initiate national dialogue about the importance of families supporting mothers when making tough parenting decisions. The campaign features a short film directed by acclaimed Bollywood filmmaker Shoojit Sircar.

     

    The three-minute film features an extended family having dinner and being confronted with a situation which raises questions about parenting. The film is a part of a larger call-to-action by the brand called #standbytoughmoms that intends to raise awareness and encourage support of parents and the tough decisions they often need to make.

     

    “My hope is that this campaign will help initiate conversations within families and encourage support for raising happy, healthy children,” said Ann Mukherjee, Global Chief Marketing Officer for SC Johnson.

     

    The campaign will be complemented with a 360-degree campaign starting with the #standbytoughmoms digital film, followed by on-ground activations and a robust print, digital campaign and television – including a national TV panel discussion. It will be the brand’s biggest campaign for 2018.

     

     

  • Kicks off with a powerful film featuring children talking about the daily instances of academic pressure they face due to comparison by parents

    Mirinda unveils second edition of ‘Release The Pressure’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Last year, Mirinda had a campaign based on the exam pressure kids face because of parents. This year, with the second edition of its ‘Release The Pressure’ campaign, the brand is making this voice louder and bringing to the forefront the issue of constant comparison by parents.

     

    The film, conceptualised by creative agency BBDO and created by acclaimed director Shoojit Sircar, aims to make parents realise how situations of constant comparison can lead to lower self-esteem amongst teenagers.

     

    Speaking about the film, Vipul Prakash, Senior Vice President, Beverage Category, PepsiCo India, said: “Mirinda’s ‘Release The Pressure’ campaign stems from an insight that homes turn into pressure zones as exam season approaches. Parents have good intentions at heart but sometimes their motivation methods end up being stressful for their kids. Continuing the momentum of the first edition of the campaign, our goal this year is to help people understand and acknowledge that constant comparison is detrimental to a student’s performance.”

     

    Added Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India: “As a popular national brand, Mirinda stands committed to its teenage audience and their interests. In the latest campaign, we’ve built on last year’s brand idea ‘Release The Pressure’ by decoding the actions that add pressure in the teenager’s life. One big action or pressure point is the constant comparison that parents use to push their children. The campaign focuses on this unhealthy behavior of constant comparison – that is known to lead to depression in children. The campaign encourages parents to discuss constructive ways to support their children, especially during exam time.”

     

     

  • The 360-degree campaign features Nayanthara for the Southern markets and Amitabh Bachchan across other markets in India

    Tata Sky unveils engaging ‘Dhamaka Rupee’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the critical fourth phase of digitisation underway, DTH major Tata Skyrolled out its latest ‘Dhamaka Rupee’ campaign. The 360-degree campaign features Nayanthara for the southern markets and Amitabh Bachchan across other markets in India. The campaign aims to encourage consumers to make the right switch from analogue cable to Tata Sky, with the Dhamaka Pack (for the rest of the country) and South Special Pack (for the five South states).

     

    The campaign, directed by award-winning director Shoojit Sircar, has superstar Amitabh Bachchan portraying a grumpy yet loveable shop owner – ‘Uncleji’ whose life has turned upside down because of the success of the Dhamaka 199 pack. The pack, selling like hot cakes, forces him to keep stocking one rupee coins as change to give back to the customer. Meanwhile, in a small village in southern India, the affable Meenakshi, essayed by Nayanthara, is grumpy too as she looks for the elusive one rupee coin, thanks to the success of Tata Sky’s South Special Pack.

     

    Said Malay Dikshit, Tata Sky’s Chief Communications Officer: “It’s second nature for us Indians to be exact about the value for what we buy. The simple and humorous communication in this campaign makes use of this peculiar behaviour and lands the price, the pack details and value for money messaging – all in a few seconds. Through this campaign we are looking at targeting 70 mn cable TV households across the country.”

     

    Added Sukesh Nayak, Ogilvy and Mather‘s Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy West: “To sell Tata Sky’s most popular and extremely competitive value pack, priced at just 199, we decided to play on the fun side of the struggle that a shopkeeper has to go through, when he has to return the change for such a popular pack.”

     

  • The new campaign was launched alongside their latest interactive service 'Tata Sky Acting Adda' powered by FTheCouch (FTC)

    Tata Sky teaches everyone to act in latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Sky has announced the launch of a brand-new ad campaign featuring actor Amitabh Bachchan. The new campaign was launched alongside its latest interactive service ‘Tata Sky Acting Adda’ powered by FTheCouch (FTC).

     

    To launch this service, Ogilvy & Mather conceptualised a campaign with the tagline ‘Bade Break ka BadaManch’using Bachchan. Shot by director Shoojit Sircar, the ad – a series of four TVCs – captures Bachchan’s transformation into a confident actor in a very simple yet extremely fun way.

     

    Said Malay Dikshit, Chief Communications Officer, Tata Sky: “This service caters to a much under serviced need of aspiring actors to get the much needed break as well as the need of casting experts to have a ready talent pool. The communication, which delivers a smile has the service woven into a beautifully simple story. Mr Bachchan and O&M have once again created magic for Tata Sky.”

     

    Added Sukesh Nayak – ECD, Ogilvy & Mather: “What better way to launch an acting school platform than have India’s superstar play a role of an ordinary man with a desire to act. We hope with this product, every Indian, no matter living where, now gets an opportunity to embellish his acting skills and show his talent on big stage.”

     

  • The Doublemint Gums TVC is directed by the film-maker Shoojit Sircar

    Doublemint unveils new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the launch of Doublemint Mints and Doublemint Mints TVC last year, Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars Inc,has now added another chapter to its Doublemint Mints TVC by launching Doublemint Gums TVC with a coming-of-age love story.

     

    The TVCis directed by film-maker Shoojit Sircar and shows the growing intimacy between the quintessential romantic young couple at a party on the dance floor. Like the Doublemint Mints TVC, Doublemint Gums TVC has the background cover of “ekajnabeehaseena se”, originally sung by the legendary Kishore Kumar.

     

  • The campaign theme #IndiavsTBsymbolises India's fight against TB and "TB Harega, DeshJeetega" is the tagline of the campaign

    Health Ministry seeks to eradicate TB through #IndiavsTB

    By A Correspondent

     

    JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has launched #IndiavsTB, TB-free India campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan, TB survivor and ambassador. The five-part campaign talks about early identification of symptoms, importance of treatment completion, MDR TB and social impact of TB on families and children. The campaign theme #IndiavsTBsymbolises India’s fight against TB and “TB Harega, DeshJeetega” is the tagline of the campaign.

     

    The campaign is developed by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Challenge TB. The campaign films feature Amitabh Bachchan and are directed by director Shoojit Sircar. The print campaign has been shot by photographer Daboo Ratnani and  DDB Mudra has created the campaign.

     

    Earlier this year, Amitabh Bachchan also featured in a TV commercial and radio spot where he encouraged viewers and listeners to support the ministry’s grassroot, door-to-door initiative to actively find new TB cases.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Kavita Ayyagari, Project Director, Challenge TB, The Union said, “The problems that the campaign address are that people take symptoms of TB lightly; people stop TB treatment mid-way once they feel better; are unaware that TB can recur and become drug-resistant; and that TB is not just an illness but also a social disease that impacts not only the patients but their children and families.”

     

  • Titled 'Aao Khushiyan Manaye' and directed by Shoojit Sircar, these ad films showcase the silver screen icon celebrating the birthday of Tata Sky with a bunch of children

    Big B wishes Tata Sky in a unique way on its 10th birthday

    By A Correspondent

     

    On the occasion of celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Tata Sky has roped in superstar Amitabh Bachchan to wish all its subscribers with a series of ad films.

     

    Titled ‘Aao Khushiyan Manaye’ and directed by Shoojit Sircar, these ad films showcase the silver screen icon celebrating the birthday of Tata Sky with a bunch of children. Young at heart and in the industry, these films, highlight Tata Sky’s special offering to its subscribers on this joyous occasion.

     

    Celebrating the campaign, Malay Dikshit, Chief Communication Officer at Tata Sky said, “We needed to wish our subscribers a big Thank You on Tata Sky’s 10th Anniversary. Our subscribers come from across the country, cultures and age group. Who would be better than the universally recognized icon – Amitabh Bachchan to deliver the message in a simple and playful manner.”

     

    Sukesh Kumar Nayak, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather says, “There can’t be anyone younger at heart then Mr. Bachchan. He was as eager as any other 10 year old at the shoot. It was fun to watch him become a child again to execute this idea and make the 10 year celebration of Tata sky even more enjoyable.”

     

    As a part of the celebrations, all subscribers will get to view over 500 + channels and services that Tata Sky  offers at no additional cost to their on-going subscription between 8th to 21st August 2016. Tata Sky, is also carrying a special ‘Celebrating 10 Years’ logo on its platform.

     

  • It's a win-win for all: six top directors try their hands at films inspired by HUL products on MTV, a project engineered by Mindshare

    Leveraging films by top guns on MTV

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a seemingly volatile broadcast scenario in India, it is a given that only ideas that are fresh and out-of-the-box manage to make a mark while the others face the possibility of being rejected. In a synergy that probably plans to change the way the genre has been approached until now, leading youth channel MTV has joined hands with FMCG major Hindustan Unilever to launch MTV Films.

     

    The idea germinated out of a casual conversation that MTV and HUL’s media buying and planning agency Mindshare had sometime last year. Convincing HUL was easy for Mindshare, and since then it’s getting all parts of the act together.

     

    The initiative would see six young and well-known directors known for their cutting edge film making styles making original movies just for television. Eminent movie directors including Anurag Basu, Abhinay Deo, Shoojit Sircar, Rohan Sippy, Nikhil Advani and Anurag Kashyap have been assigned the task of bringing the idea alive on television.

     

    What would make this initiative unique is that MTV Films would be a mixed bag of six movies based on brand philosophies of different HUL products that will be showcased every month.

     

    An initiative to provide film buffs a unique movie viewing experience in the comfort of their homes, MTV Films offers a mix of all the ingredients that connect with the youth instantly. These 60-minute movies are inspired by HUL’s brands like Sunsilk, Ponds, Tresemme, Close Up, Lakme and depict today’s generation’s perspective on love, friendship, family, responsibilities in a light hearted fashion.

     

    Speaking about this initiative, Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head of MTV said, “It’s been a treat to watch six very special people look at youth through such different lenses. This project has redefined the rules of television and branded content in so many ways. Everyone around the table today has dared to take risks and it’s that spirit that has made this an exciting journey for all of us. With a new film being released every month, MTV Films can become a very strong franchise.”

     

    Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Home & Personal Care, HUL, said, “HUL firmly believes in pioneering and creating newer ways of engaging consumers by leveraging popular culture. With the launch of MTV Movies, we will re-define the way in which brands tell their stories to consumers. This initiative will focus on communicating brand purpose and we are confident that it will resonate with our audience and build brand love.”

     

    The initiative will see Bollywood, television and the corporate world collaborate to give consumers content they can best relate to. While MTV India is seen as the channel that has its check on the pulse of today’s youth, the film-makers roped in for this initiative have already made waves with their art and have an increasingly large fan base in the younger generation. Their unique approach and cutting edge portrayal of different themes has made a lasting impact on many. It is befitting then, that Hindustan Unilever – known for their innovative touch in every initiative – imbibes these themes in their brand philosophy and make MTV Films the perfect platform to reinforce their connect with the youth of today.

     

    ‘For HUL, the films are beyond passive integration… more of active integration’
     

    Aditya Swamy
    Ravi Rao

    Q&A with Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV and Ravi Rao, Leader, Mindshare South Asia

     

    And we thought MTV was a music channel… has the basic positioning changed by this move of getting into movies?

    Aditya Swamy: MTV is about entertainment and if you see there is a strong music element to all of the stuff that we create. So there’s this film that we showcased at the preview where a bunch of girls coming together to run a radio station…similarly there is a strong musical element in all the films.

     

    But the core premise of the channel initially was just around music…

    Aditya Swamy: My sense is that the audience is changing. Twenty years ago when we were asked what music you listened there were a few names that came top of mind. But the times have changed today where the youth have a plethora of options to choose from. Right from the brands they wear or endorse they are getting defined by a lot of other factors. So as the audience is moving forward the only way to stay relevant is to move with them. Like I say, music is synonymous with creativity and creativity will always be the sole of MTV. That’s where we take this from; it’s storytelling.

     

    Would you elaborate on the cost aspect of the deal with HUL?

    Aditya Swamy: I wouldn’t be able to talk about the costs and budgets but I would say the challenge is going to be for partners to have deals that bring in good ROI for everyone concerned. If you see the films, they are not cheap or made on handheld camera they are films made by some big directors and have the latest technology to its credit. Moreover the audiences want a quality product and the directors are creating films which are mega in approach. I think the objective will be that when a viewer sees this he would not feel that these are films made specifically for television; the content rests seamlessly across different platforms and this platform happens to be the TV platform.

     

    Was it tough to get the creative folk to weave in brands in the stories?

    Aditya Swamy: For me the real cool thing has been getting these six directors together but the common thing that ties all of them together is that they are going to jump into a space that they haven’t done before. According to me, what excites creative people is taking up new challenges. Earlier they used to tell stories in two-and-half hours now they have to say it in 60 minutes. So it’s challenges such as these that excite these people. They’ve always been leading the charge that let’s do something beyond advertising. This idea was something that everybody quickly latched onto immediately.

     

    How involved or over-involved were brands with the project?

    Aditya Swamy: If you see the film it’s a new era in branded content. We’ve not needlessly pushed brands; it’s about the brand philosophy coming to life. Once they were onboard the philosophy then they would like to run.

     

    Ravi Rao: I’d like to add here by saying that when you do a product integration exercise, the emphasis is how do I ensure that it is not just passive integration but more of an active integration. In these films what we did was give a positioning line for a brand and told them to interpret the way they want. If you see the banners that we have got it has been completely imagined by the directors themselves.

     

    At Mindshare, you’ve handled spends across various platforms. How different was this exercise for you?

    Ravi Rao: Whether we like it or not, content has been an important storyline for a long time. It’s just that the canvas is the same but we have made it bigger with high production values and great directors onboard. Also, for example when you say a shampoo can clean your hair, there are a whole lot of other attributes that can come aboard because it’s to do with the person and his/her choice of using the shampoo. It was a good opportunity to go beyond the 30- or 50-seconder where you can tell a story in a much more fluent way. To that extent it is going away from mainstream and making it even more interesting.

     

    Would you be engaging in a high decibel cross-platform promotion for this initiative?

    Ravi Rao: I think you should wait and see because some of the promotional ideas that we have got on this is very unique. It won’t be like what you see the other movies doing. It will be different. Also, while television as a medium will be huge, we would be exploiting the digital platform too. If the word-of-mouth happens you will see audiences coming back towards it. The first movie is just the trigger; you will have to wait to see how fine the others shape up as well.

     

    For the last six years, Mindshare has been trying to do the content space differently. The team has done a fantastic job this time too. Here it is about how you generate impact; what is the right story that we need to do and what is the media that will be apt for the initiative. It is also about being flexible and doing things in a unique way.

     

    An FMCG company like HUL is known to be very tough on deliverables…

    Ravi Rao: They still are but they have been fair. It is also about their philosophies; on the one end, they are talking about getting great effectiveness but they also lay great emphasis on innovation. We have pushed our idea limits to see what more can we do. If the idea is strong enough for a brand to capitalise it works brilliantly and HUL gives a canvas to do it our way.