MxMIndia

Tag: Sonal Dabral

  • Subhashish & Shivil will report to Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North

    DDB Mudra North promotes Subhashish Datta & Shivil Gupta as ECDs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Subhashish Datta
    Shivil Gupta

    DDB Mudra North announced the elevation of Subhashish Datta & Shivil Gupta to Executive Creative Directors, DDB Mudra North. In their new roles, Subhashish & Shivil will report to Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North and will be based out of agency’s Gurgaon office.

     

    Both Subbu and Shivil have been instrumental in adding to the creative strength of the agency. Their knowledge and experience have helped the agency grow and set new standards of creative output. Together they have successfully worked on key brands like Aircel, Adidas, Wrigleys, Dabur, McVitie’s, Dhara, Carrier etc

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sambit Mohanty

    Commenting on the elevation, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said “DDB Mudra North is buzzing with energy and creating work that’s winning the hearts of consumers and award juries alike. It’s a hothouse of talent and it is people like Subbu and Shivil who are making all this possible. Their new role and new responsibility is a well-deserved salute to their talent, their passion and their energy. Here’s wishing the two all the very best.”

     

    Sambit Mohanty, creative head – North, DDB Mudra, said, “DDB Mudra North has grown from strength to strength in the last two years. Subbu & Shivil have been a key part of this unprecedented growth story. Anointing them as ECDs is an affirmation of their capabilities as creative leaders who inspire confidence and respect. I congratulate them and look forward to more magic.”

     

  • The TVC captures this new dynamic and demonstrates how LIC’s Endowment Plans offer both savings and security, so one can fulfil their dreams without any worries

    ‘Plans banate raho, zindagi sajate raho’ says LIC in its latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taking a fresh route towards communicating their Endowment Policies to the consumers, LIC along with DDB Mudra Group has created new campaign with the positioning ‘Plans banateraho, zindagisajateraho.’

     

    With this new campaign, the brand intends to showcase its four different products- LIC’s New Endowment Plan, LIC’s JeevanLakshya, LIC’s Limited Premium Endowment Plan and JeevanLabh in a single compelling story, without resorting to the usual narratives of double benefits (Protection and Savings).

     

    Using a young couple as the center of the story, the brand attempts to communicate the deeper understanding of the consumers which the brand is equipped with. The storyline of the TVC has been built around the fact that in today’s progressive society, the partnerships between husband and wife are increasingly equal in nature; where the woman is encouraged and supported to find her own calling by her husband who is instrumental in this shift. The TVC captures this new dynamic and demonstrates how LIC’s Endowment Plans offer both savings and security, so one can fulfil their dreams without any worries.

     

    The TVC begins with the couple, cleaning up post a dinner party. The husband appreciates his wife’s cooking skills and as they pack the leftovers and the dishes, he encourages her to start her own restaurant. Intrigued but puzzled by the proposal, the wife starts reacting with a stereotypical response, but stops mid-sentence as she turns and doesn’t find her husband around. The husband then walks in with a chef’s cap, places it on her head and reassures her that in his presence or unfortunate absence, she shouldn’t have to give up on her dreams. The spot closes with the line ‘Plans banateraho, zindagisajateraho’ to bring out the benefit of LIC’s endowment policies in the most impactful, yet simplistic manner.

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Quoting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said, “There are many ‘what-if’ moments in the life of a couple. Hopes and dreams and yet a quiet fear of those dreams remaining unfulfilled. This forms the core of the film brought to life in a simple but nuanced story of a husband dreaming up plans for his wife, the wife’s  fears of losing him and yet the husband’s quiet confidence of realizing those dreams no matter what. Thanks to LIC’s endowment plans. I’m sure our audience will be as engaged with this story as we were while creating it.”

     

  • The TVC captures this new dynamic and demonstrates how LIC's Endowment Plans offer both savings and security, so one can fulfil their dreams without any worries

    ‘Plans banate raho, zindagi sajate raho’ says LIC in its latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taking a fresh route towards communicating their Endowment Policies to the consumers, LIC along with DDB Mudra Group has created new campaign with the positioning ‘Plans banate raho, zindagi sajate raho’.

     

    With this new campaign, the brand intends to showcase its four different products- LIC’s New Endowment Plan, LIC’s Jeevan Lakshya, LIC’s Limited Premium Endowment Plan and Jeevan Labh in a single compelling story, without resorting to the usual narratives of double benefits (Protection and Savings).

     

    Using a young couple as the center of the story, the brand attempts to communicate the deeper understanding of the consumers which the brand is equipped with. The storyline of the TVC has been built around the fact that in today’s progressive society, the partnerships between husband and wife are increasingly equal in nature; where the woman is encouraged and supported to find her own calling by her husband who is instrumental in this shift. The TVC captures this new dynamic and demonstrates how LIC’s Endowment Plans offer both savings and security, so one can fulfil their dreams without any worries.

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Quoting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said, “There are many ‘what-if’ moments in the life of a couple. Hopes and dreams and yet a quiet fear of those dreams remaining unfulfilled. This forms the core of the film brought to life in a simple but nuanced story of a husband dreaming up plans for his wife, the wife’s  fears of losing him and yet the husband’s quiet confidence of realizing those dreams no matter what. Thanks to LIC’s endowment plans. I’m sure our audience will be as engaged with this story as we were while creating it.”

     

  • The campaign is being primarily led by a one minute long TVC film, supported by print, radio and digital activations

    Aegon Life launches 360-degree marketing campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Aegon Life Insurance has partnered with DDB Mudra Group to launch a new integrated campaign that focuses on simplicity and ease of buying its products.

     

    Contrary to other life insurance ads, this multimedia campaign is completely bereft of the usual play of safety, security, emotions and a better future for the insured and their dependents. Instead, it focuses on the efficacy of jargon-free communication, simple processes and easy accessibility. Aegon Life will give best in class customer service experience to its customers at every interaction point.

     

    Shamik Banerjee

    Shamik Banerjee, Chief Marketing Officer at Aegon Life Insurance, says, “With this unconventional take on insurance, we are confident to change the communication paradigm. This campaign stands out from the usual speak of life insurance brands and will bring a renewed vitality to the insurance advertising space.”

     

    The campaign is being primarily led by a one minute long TVC film, supported by print, radio and digital activations. The ad film showcases multi-dimensional visual perspective using minimal elements for bringing out ‘Simplicity’ as the core of the Aegon Life’s ideology.

     

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said, “It’s not just the current life insurance processes that are complex, the advertising too in this category is cluttered and fuzzy. For a brand that promises to simplify everything associated with buying life insurance, it was important that Aegon Life’s communication too was simple and yet had a sense of scale to it. I am truly happy that we have been able to achieve just that with this campaign. I am sure the audience will enjoy it and engage with it as much as we did while creating it.”

     

  • The film has been released in seven languages including Hindi all across India

    DDB Mudra North creates campaign to promote Aircel’s latest offering

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra North and Aircel have created a clutter- breaking, catchy ad campaign to promote Aircel’s latest offering- Free Basic Internet.

     

    With the new campaign, Aircel intends to share more internet accessibility with users, enabling them to access their favourite applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook besides other daily use applications.

     

    With an intent to inform the users this offering, DDB Mudra North crafted ‘See You Online Ba!’, a fun-toned ad campaign which portrays a world where people no longer need to meet physically or ‘offline’ since everyone is ‘online’. A complete 360 degree pan-India campaign led by television, digital media and on-ground visibility, ‘See You Online Ba!’ captures a montage of people from all walks of life using internet.

     

    The film has been released in seven languages including Hindi all across India.

     

    Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel, said, “Even though we see a burgeoning population of mobile internet users in India, there’s still a large number of Indians who haven’t yet experienced the world of internet on mobile. With the boom in online avenues today that make lives easier for millions of people, we, at Aircel, saw a clear need for pushing the envelope on making the internet available for all, thereby fueling mobile internet adoption. Aircel’s initiative of offering free basic internet is a natural extension of this intent, and we’re truly delighted to have the creative powerhouse DDB Mudra translate our message into a simplistic and meaningful ad campaign. We’re sure that the sticky ad campaign will appeal to many Indians and help us say louder, ‘See you online Ba!’ ”.

     

    Quoting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said, “Free basic Internet by Aircel is a game changing offer. In its truest sense, it’s the democratization of the internet making the power of the net available to all. An incredible service like this needed an idea that did justice to its scale and importance. I’m really happy and excited that working closely with the marketing team at Aircel we were able to crack just that idea with “See you online Ba!”. The film is highly engaging and the slogan not just catchy and easy on the tongue but is sharply strategic too.”

     

    Quoting on the campaign, Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North said, “Free Basic Internet from Aircel is a first-of-its-kind offering that makes the power of the net available to every citizen and empowers the common man. Our creative idea ‘See you online-ba’ imagines a world where people no longer need to meet physically or ‘offline’ since everyone is ‘online’. With its fun jingle and tongue-in-cheek moments, I’m sure this campaign will be a memorable one.”

     

  • DDB Mudra group Chairman & CCO Sonal Dabral and Partha Sinha, MD, Publicis Worldwide discuss the creative quotient of this year’s Diwali ads

    No Dhamaka Advertising this Diwali?

     

    It’s that time of the year when marketers maximise their sales. Well, they also happen at other festive occasions like Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri and Christmas, but it’s Diwali where large parts of the country that marketers converge to announce sales and special offers. Naturally, these are accompanied with high voltage advertising and attempts to woo customers. But does Diwali bring out the best creative juices in the ad fraternity? Pradyuman Maheshwari engaged Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group and Partha Sinha, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide in a conversation to discuss this and more.

     

    Would it be correct to say that every year, Diwali sees the best of creativity coming out of Indian advertising agencies?

    Sonal Dabral: Diwali, like any other big festival, is the right platform for great creativity to happen. Whether it happens or not, is the case in point. Like this year, the output hasn’t been as creative as it has been in the previous years.

     

    Partha Sinha: I agree with Sonal, but it’s not only this year. Compared to the average creative standard of the industry, the standard around Diwali actually drops. We talk about multiple dimensions and multiple ways of looking at things, but when it comes to Diwali, it becomes very linear. I don’t know whether it’s a problem with agencies or clients, Diwali [results in a] sea of sameness. I’ve recently tweeted that if you take out the two words ‘Iss Diwali’ or ‘This Diwali’, the industry’s revenues will come down by 20 per cent. Diwali advertising is extremely formula.

     

    Dabral: Because of the emotions attached to Diwali, this is the best time to give out stories that engage, entertain move people. Instead, as Partho also said, all we see is noise and noise. Diwali is not just about crackers and sound; the noise actually starts to happen on television itself.

     

    Or in the newspapers, where you have jackets upon jackets upon jackets. But do you think the sea of sameness that you mentioned is also there in the west around Christmas and New Year?

    Sinha: I disagree there. There is lot of boiler-plate advertising during Christmas and New Year in the West, but a lot of brands come up with fantastic work at this time of the year. Even if you go way, way back, the reason Santa Claus wears red clothes started with a Coca-Cola promo. We’ve had great Diwali ads, but they are few and far between compared to the West because every year, during Christmas, there are at least one or two pieces which are out of this world.

     

    Would you say the reason creativity dips is because the emphasis is more on sales and making people consume more?

    Dabral: Yes, definitely. So much of buying happens that marketers see this as a time to maximise their revenue. With e-commerce companies coming in, it’s becoming a game of ‘how big my logo is’, and how loud can I be. My agency, DDB Mudra, did the Big Bazaar commercial where we talked about fire crackers which create smoke and sound and asked, why not create sound with paper crackers this year? That’s the commercial that went out, and was loved by people. You can have creative solutions which connect with people.

     

    We spoke about emotions earlier. Many Diwali commercials are meant to be tearjerkers. Is there a definite intent to produce these kinds of commercials?

    Sinha: There was a time when every Diwali ad had a mother and a son or daughter who lives far away, and then there is Skype and some laddus exchanged. That was the formula for Diwali advertising. Brand after brand is telling this 30-second story which is soaked in saccharine and nostalgia. There seems to be no search for a new narrative, even though emotions are myriad.

     

    Dabral: Diwali brings families together, so emotions are considerable part of this festival. But the thing is that the people start to take it easy. Again, as Partho said, we are not trying to find a variety of insights, a variety of different stories around Diwali. It’s one kind of emotions being played around.

     

    Do you see a shift towards digital because the kind of audiences you are possibly targeting, are also out there on social media and various digital platforms?

    Sinha: What you are seeing on digital is a sad replica of television and print. They still use those marigold garlands and a little bit of starburst, and the 30-second things are becoming seven minutes long. That’s all. There is no attempt to get into a new narrative or even connect with people over social media in a different manner. Tell me one piece of communication or digital activity that has gone viral this Diwali? Perhaps only Gujarat Ambuja’s Khali. Point is, there is no dramatically new narrative even on social media.

     

    Both of you are masters of the craft. Why would you say we’ve only seen mediocre work during the biggest festival in the country? Why is there no outstanding work?

    Sinha: I think one of the key reasons is too much pressure on clients to reach their Diwai sales target numbers. If you take a little bit of risk, you don’t know whether you’ll meet your sales numbers. So you tend to hedge your bets when your stakes are high, and Diwali stakes are increasingly becoming so. The last two Diwalis haven’t been good, so people are hoping for a better one this time. But they won’t take a chance to connect with audiences in a different way. Whether it’s e-com advertisements or four jackets on a newspaper, it’s all just about discounts: Come buy now, that’s it.

     

    Dabral: I keep reiterating that Big Bazaar also had to watch its sales, but took a conscious decision to find different insights, different narratives to talk about the brand rather than just look out for sales.

     

    And do the multiple jackets in the newspaper work?

    Sinha: There is a running TV joke about this. That the only thing that can survive three jackets in Mumbai weather, is a newspaper. So whether it’s three jackets or two, in advertising and communication, everything should be there for a reason. If there is an idea behind using those three jackets, then it’s fine. But if the idea is simply to state that I’ve got more money and therefore I’m a bigger brand and you should buy from me, then it’s absolutely wrong and foolish. But that’s what is happening. Actually the three-jacket thing is really a marketing success — for the newspaper, that is.

     

    But they are obviously here to stay. Media professionals and agencies are still buying [this space] and advertisers still see some return on these investments…

    Sinha: I’m sure they do. But if you measure everything with the [yardstick of] money — the amount of visibility, or the amount of recall — then you’ll only come up with tried-and-tested things. Nobody is measuring returns on ideas. [In the West] everybody does Christmas advertising, but then somebody does something which is dramatically different. Then they get disproportionate impact on their brand and sales. If you go to the West, nine out of 10 ads look exactly the same during Christmas. It’s all about 30 per cent and 20 per cent off, and buying one to get two free. Increasingly, I think it will change; we will have landmark Diwali ads.

     

    Dabral: There is also a question of budgets. How much time and money are you ready to put into a certain piece of advertising? People have to step back and start to find newer, better insights and to see whether by doing these short-term, loud, ‘sale’ kind of ads, is you are building your brand. Or are you getting lost amid so much of noise, as is already happening

     

    Sinha: That’s a good point. The brand has to answer that question. Do you see Diwali as a tactic to get in there and get out quickly because people are in a spending mode? Or do I see Diwali as an opportunity because people are in a different frame of mind – they are happier, and [therefore able] to connect with things — that I use this opportunity to build a stronger affinity for my brand and turn it into successful sales? Many times, the answer to this question will determine what kind of communication will happen. One more thing. To cite a classic example, people believe to push a blunt nail into the wall requires a really large hammer. That’s what they are trying to do, rather than make the nail sharper. If you make the nail sharper, that is, with really good communication, you’ll need a smaller hammer.

     

    Thanks Sonal and Partha, and a Happy Diwali to you!

    Happy Diwali! And may we have really good advertising.

     

    A shorter version of this appeared in dna of brands on November 9, 2015. Catch the chat with Sonal Dabral and Partha Sinha that was aired on BrandStand on November 7 at https://goo.gl/Fpuuqa 

     

  • This year, DDB Mudra Group did its share towards Daan Utsav by 'giving' it’s time and talent pro bono and helping in increasing awareness about it

    DDB Mudra West does a pro bono campaign for Daan Utsav

     

     

    Launched in 2009, Daan Utsav (or The Joy Of Giving Week as it was originally called) is India’s annual ‘festival of giving’. Celebrated every year, in the week including Gandhi Jayanti (October 2-8 this year), it brings together Indians of all stripes, to celebrate ‘giving’. It is an open platform encouraging everyone in India to give back to society in a meaningful way. An act of giving can be anything – a small donation to a charity you know, a gift for someone less fortunate, a donated meal or a couple of hours spent volunteering for a cause.

     

    This year, DDB Mudra Group did its share towards Daan Utsav by ‘giving’ it’s time and talent pro bono and helping in increasing awareness about it. The agency created two lovely little inspiring stories for free in order to drive home the point that Daan Utsav is about the act of giving, irrespective of the amount or nature of the ‘giving’.

     

    The campaign comprising of two TVCs intended to reinforce the ‘joy of giving’, which baselines this event. The objective was to help Daan Utsav grow into a bigger, better and more inclusive initiative by inspiring Indians from all walks of life to give anything – time, money, effort or gestures and to relish the joy of giving.  This thought gave birth to the idea- Kuchh bhi do, dil se do. (Whatever you give, give with all your heart.)

     

    The idea intended to make ‘gestures’ and not money as a focal point of giving, and hence democratize the space of giving. By focusing on small gestures of kindness, the agency flipped the conventional concept of giver and taker and drove home the point that it is the spirit and not the amount that matters. They tried to establish the thought that it’s not about who you are or what you give, it’s about the joy of giving.

     

    The two films were not asking for charity. Nor were they aimed at guilt-tripping the viewer into doing something for a good cause. They were simple, heart-warming stories that inspire one to give without being preachy.

     

    DDB Mudra West along with the Production House- Like-Minded People came together to make these films pro bono. The entire process of creating and producing these films was born out of the very spirit that the films themselves espouse – the spirit of giving. The result is a goodwill project created by following the very philosophy that Daan Utsav works on – the joy of giving.

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Quoting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group said “When one works on any social service message, it’s easy to fall prey to using exaggerated sentimentality and make the viewer feel morally burdened. We wanted to keep away from that. There is a certain simplicity of thought to the Daan Utsav initiative. The attempt was to capture this simplicity by keeping the stories simple and making simple ‘gestures’ convey the joy of giving. I sincerely hope that these two little everyday stories for Daan Utsav will inspire people to give with all their heart and the spirit of giving will continue well beyond the ‘Joy of Giving’ week.”

     

    Rama Arya, Daan Utsav Volunteer said, “This is the celebration of one of the most basic characteristics of human life- giving, and builds on the premise that giving gives equal joy to the giver as it does to the receiver. We approached DDB Mudra West for one simple reason. I don’t think anyone else, but Sonal, could do justice in translating the underlying principle of Daan Utsav into the film medium He is a fantastic storyteller and a natural giver. Giving is blatant in his DNA. To top it, Sonal’s team at DDB Mudra complement him perfectly. The two films they created for the festival gave us goose bumps even at script stage. The end products are marvelous to say the least: simple, inspiring and humane. But then we did not expect anything less from him and his team.”

     

     

  • The campaign showcases the Bollywood icon endorsing the brand’s new positioning

    Cycle Agarbathi rolls out latest ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the recent announcement of Cycle Pure Agarbathies bringing Amitabh Bachchan on board as a brand ambassador, the brand has rolled out its ad campaign ‘Prarthana ki shuddhata’ (Purity of prayer).

     

    Created by DDB Mudra South and East, the campaign showcases the Bollywood icon endorsing the brand’s new positioning ‘Prarthana ki shuddhata’ across a multitude of media vehicles nationally.

     

    Centered on the theme of purity, the campaign beautifully marries the functionality of the product to the core value of the brand. It takes a leap forward and stresses on purity of thought along with hope and optimism that the brand has always stood for. Through the campaign, Cycle Pure Agarbathies is planning to reinforce its position in the market and also to make in-roads into the hearts and minds of new customers.

     

    The theme-line has been translated as two 30 sec ad films which are the key element of the campaign. Produced by Rising Sun Films and directed by Shoojit Sircar, of the “Piku” fame, the television commercials are supported by radio spots and direct outreach programmes across the country. The campaign is also introducing the new packaging of Cycle Pure Agarbathies and incorporating Amitabh Bachchan as the face of the brand on the packets.

     

    Arjun Ranga, Managing Director, Cycle Pure Agarbathies said, “We are extremely proud to be associated with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. He is an embodiment of honesty, transparency, ethics and dedication that Cycle Pure Agarbathies stands for making him the perfect fit to be the brand ambassador. His focus on hard work and persistent career innovations also resonates with optimism that we wish to evoke in the minds of our consumers. He is an icon that the nation reveres, the association with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan will be an ideal platform for us to connect with our audiences across the country.”

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Commenting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said, “Cycle Agarbathies is a 60 year old iconic brand of trust and heritage. It is built on values of sincerity and purity. Really, there is no one who can speak for the brand better than Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign at one level is a straight testimonial. But they are also personal stories of warmth that come from his heart. Of course, a perfectionist that he is, Mr.Bachchan was passionate about the stories and was fully involved in the crafting of the scripts. I’m sure the audience will feel the sincerity and purity of the brand in these simple heartfelt anecdotes.”

     

  • Each country sponsor selects the best team from their respective country through a rigorous judging process that includes the country's most well-known Creative Heads

    DDB Mudra Group adds girl power to the Cannes Lions Festival 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shivani Singh
    Stephanie Fernandes

    The DDB Mudra Group has announced that four of its female employees will be representing India at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity this year.

     

    Shivani Singh and Stephanie Fernandes from DDB Mudra West have been announced as the winners of the Young Lions Print contest. The Young Lions Festival is a country-wise competition hosted every year  by the Times Group, for advertising and marketing’s next generation including all those under the age of 28 and age 30 respectively. Each country sponsor selects the best team from their respective country through a rigorous judging process that includes the country’s most well-known Creative Heads.

     

    Nivedita Agashe

    Out of the top three winning teams chosen by the jury, two teams were from the DDB Mudra Group. The winning team – Shivani Singh, Art Director and Stephanie Fernandes, Creative Supervisor, presented their campaign called ‘Sticky Solutions’ with the idea to expose stupidity, in and around things that have been said to ‘Cause Rape’, for e.g. Chinese Food, Jeans etc. This, hence leading to more social conversations.

     

    Selected as second runner up in this highly competitive contest are Pankaj Nihalani and Prasad Kamtekar, also from DDB Mudra Group.

     

    Nivedita Agashe of DDB Mudra West has been chosen as one of the 12 women from across the world, invited to Cannes Lions’ ‘See It Be It’ initiative.

     

    Initiated in 2014, the ‘See It Be It’ initiative aims to highlight the talented creative women in the industry, accelerate their careers; expose the powers these women bring to the work, and encourage agencies to nurture women’s careers from the inside. As part of See It Be It initiative, across three days (June 21-24, 2015), Nivedita and the rest of the 11 women invitees will be part of an inspirational and educational programme which will take place during Cannes Lions. The agenda will include guided access to the jury rooms, meet and greets with VIP speakers, dedicated sessions by industry leaders and by the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, and a mentorship event supported by SheSays.

     

    Deboleena Chatterjee

    Deboleena Chatterjee, a planner with DDB Mudra West, gave DDB Mudra Group its fourth accolade by being named as one of the winners of the Cannes Confessionals contest, where participants were told to upload a simple 15-second film of themselves to Instagram or Twitter, tagged with #CannesConfessionals, explaining why they were in need of some Cannes Lions inspiration to become better at their job. The winners will be jetted to Cannes for a week of intense exposure to excellence as an official delegate of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

     

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Commenting on this achievement, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & CCO, DDB Mudra Group, said, “We are extremely proud that not one, not two but four of DDB Mudra Group’s young women professionals will be representing the country at this year’s Cannes Lions. This is not only a great achievement, it’s also testimony to the fact that within the new DDB Mudra Group we have some amazing world beating young talent that’s starting to write the future of advertising in India. In a year that Cannes Lions is focusing on gender equality issues by introducing the Glass Lions and commendable initiatives like See it Be it, an all women achievers team from India will be a great example. More power to DDB Mudra. More power to woman power.”

     

     

  • The agency was chosen following a multi-agency pitch involving major Indian advertising players such as Dentsu Marcom and McVitie's India's incumbent agency Publicis Capital

    DDB Mudra North wins the creative mandate for McVitie’s Biscuits

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra North has won the creative mandate for McVitie’s Biscuits, the flagship brand of United Biscuits in India.

     

    McVitie’s is a global brand present in over 100 countries with a strong heritage in the UK. McVitie’s Digestive is the flagship product of the parent brand in India.

     

    The agency was chosen following a multi-agency pitch involving major Indian advertising players such as Dentsu Marcom and McVitie’s India’s incumbent agency Publicis Capital.

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Vandana Das

    Commenting on the account win, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said, “McVities is a much loved brand across the world. Having been a fan for the last 14 years, it’s my favourite brand of biscuits and cookies too. We are looking forward to creating some fresh and exciting work on this brand.”

     

    Vandana Das, President, DDB Mudra North said, “We are delighted to be associated with McVitie’s, an interesting brand in the FMCG Sector. We look forward to take this brand on a growth path with a communication package that would certainly grab a lot of attention.”

     

  • Aircel is one of India's largest and fastest growing GSM mobile service provider with a subscriber base of 65.1 million

    Aircel picks DDB Mudra Group as its creative agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Aircel has handed its creative mandate to DDB Mudra Group. The account will be handled by DDB Mudra North.

     

    The incumbent agency on the account is McCann World group.

     

    Madhukar Kamath

    Aircel is one of India’s largest and fastest growing GSM mobile service provider with a subscriber base of 65.1 million. Aircel is a pan India operator with a presence across 23 circles. The company offers voice & data services ranging from postpaid and prepaid plans, 2G and 3G services, Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), Long Term Evolution (LTE) to Value-Added-Services (VAS).

     

    On winning the account, Group CEO & Managing Director, Madhukar Kamath said: “This is a prestigious win for DDB Mudra Group. The whole team at DDB Mudra North and our pool of resources nationwide can’t wait to start working on the brand and add value. It helps that we have an unmatched experience in the telecom sector, in many international markets.”

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sambit Mohanty

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman & CCO, DDB Mudra Group, “Being chosen by Aircel, one of India’s fastest growing telecom brands, as their communication partner is both an honour and a big responsibility. This win is a testament to the superb talent that we have across the DDB Mudra Group and we look forward to creating a host of breakthrough ideas for this innovative and exciting brand.”

     

    On working on Aircel again, Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North, said, “It feels great to be back on Aircel! This is one of our biggest wins and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure some truly memorable work emerges out of it.”

     

  • Goafest is India's premier advertising show and it needs to behave like one, Sonal Dabral tells Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Goafest is too democratised, says Sonal Dabral

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sonal Dabral

    I met Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra at the Adfest at Pattaya where he was Jury President for the Direct Lotus and at Goafest earlier this month. In a freewheeling chat, he gave him me his sharp and straight-from-the-heart views. Read on…

     

    JURY PROCESS AND ETHICS.

    Adfest Pattaya is regional-focused but the criteria of judging remain same. There must be a big/great idea.  It must be relevant to the audience it is talking.  Each place with its own setup comes with its own character. Cannes has a much larger jury. Which has its own pros and cons. At Adfest, there is a smaller jury. It has its own advantages, and challenges. There are more things common across festivals than there are differences.

     

    Sonal believes that the jury has to be dispassionately ruthless. They do not have to award just because there is a need to promote or awards needs to be given. Awards are after all an encouragement. Juries must not have a hidden agenda and must be able to clearly speak their mind. Jury must not be worried how their comments will be interpreted.

     

    In Adfest Pattaya, the jury was Badly Ruthless.

     

    INDIAN DELEGATION OR THE LACK OF IT

    When I spoke with him about the abysmally low count of delegates from India, which has been propped up by their promotional activity by Dainik Bhaskar group, Sonal was equally shocked. But he recovered fast.

     

    All of us are guilty of it, he said. “I do believe that this being a regional festival and an important one, we all should have been sending delegates. Give the young professionals a chance to be exposed to such a spectrum of work.   Even I should be sending some from Mudra.”

     

    I just did a simple math and told him that a senior abstaining from Cannes can send eight juniors to Pattaya. He did not bite and side-stepped. But he was absolutely clear that the participation must be enhanced. In his view, Adfest needs to be marketed in India. May be some roadshows need to happen.

     

    ON INDIA’S LOW AWARDS AND FINALIST STATUS.

    This was a loose ball for Sonal and he gave it the treatment it deserved. He pounced on the subject and like a saint in an unbiased observation added words of wisdom.  My grouse has been that we don’t push ourselves. As people we are not diligent enough. Our thinking is good. We do world-class work and that is not even from award point of view. But when it comes to execution we do not reach the level it should.

     

    It is not that there is a lack of talent. We are one of the best, if not the best. There is lot happening in India and maybe ‘Lot’ is a problem. We are not diligent enough to take the idea to its logical end, exploit it and amplify it. We somewhere get trapped in doing too many things

     

    On my comment that we adapt easily and have a ‘chalta hai’ attitude, he objected to my trying to put words in his mouth. But he shared the sentiment by saying ‘we lose interest and we shift focus too early. We are not BAD ENOUGH as we do not take it to the next level’.

     

    We in India always work under pressure and deadlines that seem want things yesterday. Remember a good idea needs time, time to think, time to create, time to incubate and time to implement. Till we don’t give it the time it needs, we will never be able to take ideas to next stage. For a certain piece of work be it the print, website, TVC, event or anything else, the tussle between marketers agencies continues as to how much time will it take. And then there is always the budget issue. As a fraternity, we are equally to blame along with clients for not taking ideas to the level we should.

     

    ON DIRECT.

    I used the bait of Direct as a medium not getting its due and Sonal took me on. He said “I do not agree that Direct is decreasing.  Direct used to be a mailer that went to a specific identified audience to evoke a response. Now you can get that audience from targeted TV, Web, installation etc. There are many many more channels to reach the audience directly. It is a function of the technology, time and budget. Its up to you how well you use it.”

     

    Sonal suggested that it might really be a good idea for the agencies and the clients to see what has won across categories. It will help us identify and visualize many opportunities and mediums available for us to reach a targeted audience to evoke the desired response.

     

    Direct is bubbling with possibilities. Gone are constraints of envelope and mail. There is a wide canvas outside to play with. It is about addressing an identified specific audience directly to get a predefined response. It can happen by events, web, outdoors, activation, connect, melas, augmented reality or what you have. This is field that has opened new opportunities and has a new set of challenges. Exciting times are ahead.

     

    GOAFEST

    Sonal believes Goafest is the original festival and award show for Indian advertising industry, so it’s a part of a whole generation of Indian advertising professionals. It has heritage and history is one of its big pluses.

     

    I could not hold myself asking his comments on Goafest and he said the timing of Goafest has always bothered him. In its bid to make it affordable it is held in the summer. If it has become India’s premier advertising show, it has to behave like one., he says. This year at least the quality of speakers was very high, so that’s definitely a step in right direction.

     

    “Any festival still have a sense of gravitas around it. If I am sending people or a company sends someone, it is an incentive. It is a reward for something you did. It should not be so democratized that anyone can go. Then everything gets affected. To democratise, you need to meet certain budget and hence it needs happen in certain months and scale. Thankfully it is now held indoors. Adfest also happens at a beach resort and can be a good learning.”

     

    ON TOO MANY AWARDS AT GOAFEST.

    “Right, there are too many awards and too many categories. But, let’s not complain. No one is forcing anyone to enter all the award shows and all the categories. We all need to decide what is right for us and what we can afford and chill. I would rather have more awards than have none!”

     

    That was Sonal Dabral, speaking straight from heart.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is Founder and Head Catalyst at Intradia. He believes the best way forward for an organisation is to enhance its interanal team’s potential and capabilities instead of depending on external resources. He is a Management, Marketing and Brand consultant and conducts specialised workshops in the area of IDEATION (Harvest and Liberate) and Innovation (InNoWait). To contact email sanjeev@intradia.in  or tweet at s_kotnala visit www.intradia.in  www.sanjeevkotnala.com.