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Tag: Sonal Dabral

  • The TVCs will inspire people to put aside their differences and come together to celebrate their love for the game

    Three more IPL-linked TVCs unveiled

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony MAX and SIX unveiled their TVC’s for the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign ‘India ka Tyohaar’.

     

    In addition to the campaign ‘India ka Tyohaar’ launched in February this year, the channel unveiled three more thought provoking TVC’s which will inspire people to put aside their differences and come together to celebrate their love for the game.

     

    The television commercials showcase diverse situations with an underlying theme that Pepsi IPL has the power to break down barriers and unite people to join in the glory of the game. The first commercial seeks to break traditional social norms by depicting a progressive mother-in-law who invites her daughter-in-law to enjoy watching the game of cricket together with the family rather than serving food to the family. The second commercial depicts a rude and elderly shopkeeper touched by a five-year old’s selfless act of kindness. All the commercials are tied with the single thread of love and bonding, despite differences, which is what the IPL is all about.

     

    The TVC’s are conceptualized by ad man Sonal Dabral of DDB Mudra and directed by Anupam Mishra of Crazy Few Films.

     

  • DDB Mudra West has crafted a three staged campaign called 'India Ka Tyohaar'

    DDB Mudra wins creative mandate for Sony MAX and Pepsi IPL 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra West has recently won the creative account of Pepsi IPL 2015. The agency handles the creative mandate for Sony MAX further to which it got the Pepsi IPL 2015 account.

     

    In order to rejuvenate the cricket viewers’ interest for Pepsi IPL 2015 and prepare them for a different level of excitement, Sony MAX and DDB Mudra West have crafted a three staged campaign called ‘India Ka Tyohaar.’

     

    India is a land of festivals and cricket is a multicultural religion uniting every Indian. Just like every religion, cricket also has its festival – the Indian Premier League. Based on this thought, the idea for this year’s Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign – India Ka Tyohar talks about the tournament as a festival which not only unites India but also brings together cricket players from across the world, uniting as clubs, battling for the winning cup of Pepsi IPL 2015.

     

    The first phase of the campaign that kick-started on Feb 24, 2015 included teasers showcasing people from various walks of life gearing up for ‘India Ka Tyohaar’. Spun around one of the key messages of Pepsi IPL 2015; erasing differences (social classes, occupation etc.) between people, the three teasers have a fun-filled tonality to them.

     

    The recently released second phase of the campaign is the Pepsi IPL 2015 anthem. Penned by Sonal Dabral and his team at DDB Mudra West, the anthem is composed by the music artist brothers Salim-Suleiman. The anthem will further be followed by three more creatives around the theme of the anthem ‘Isme hai dilon ka pyaar, yeh hai India ka tyohar’.

     

    The TVCs will go on air closer to the tournament’s start and will continue through the event marking the third phase of the campaign. The campaign would be spread across electronic, print and digital mediums.

     

    Neeraj Vyas

    Commenting on giving the creative mandate to DDB Mudra West, Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Business Head, MAX, said, “For Pepsi IPL 2015, we wanted to have a campaign that brings people together in celebrating a much loved sport like cricket. DDB Mudra West has the talent, creativity and expertise to deliver a promising campaign such as ‘India ka Tyohaar’ which invites people to partake in this fun and festivity by putting aside their differences. We believe the agency will help make the Pepsi IPL 2015 a national rage and strengthen the emotional affinity towards the tournament.”

     

     

    Rajiv Sabnis

    Quoting on the account win, Rajiv Sabnis, President, DDB Mudra West said, “It’s a great feeling to partner the biggest sporting campaign of India- the Pepsi IPL 2015. The focus is back on celebrating the sport, limited overs cricket, and celebrating the enormous fan-following that it has not just in India but around the world. Cricket unifies, it brings joy, it infuses optimism and it even rejuvenates the economy. Cricket has the power to bring Indians together as one nation and one people.  “India ka Tyohaar” is Sony MAX and Sony Six’s initiative to celebrate Pepsi IPL 2015 as the largest, unifying festival of India.”

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Quoting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, CCO and Chairman, DDB Mudra Group said, “If Cricket is a religion in India, Pepsi IPL 2015 is its only true festival. Unlike any other sporting event in the world, it’s a microcosm of the passion, fervour and madness that envelops our country whenever cricket is played, uniting hearts and minds in its wake. And unlike any other festival in India, this is one festival that every Indian celebrates. It’s got the colours of Holi, the festivity of Diwali, the brotherhood of Eid and the joy of Christmas. What else can you call it but one amazing ‘India Ka Tyohaar’? It’s been a privilege and an honour to create this big idea for Pepsi IPL 2015. Here’s to Sony! Here’s to India Ka Tyohaar!”

     

  • 'Be Bad' is the theme of ADFEST 2015

    Sonal Dabral to lead Direct Lotus Jury at Adfest 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Adfest has announced that acclaimed creative leader Sonal Dabral will be Jury President of the Direct Lotus category at Adfest 2015, which runs from 19th – 21st March in Pattaya, Thailand.

     

    As Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at DDB Mudra Group in Mumbai, Dabral was thrown into a career in advertising after studying Visual Communications at India’s foremost design school, the National Institute of Design.

     

    He has led three agencies to the No.1 creative position in three different markets across Asia. First, he joined Ogilvy Mumbai in 1991 and, in partnership with Piyush Pandey, drove the agency from creative anonymity to India’s top creative agency. He moved to Ogilvy Kuala Lumpur in 1999, which soon became the most awarded agency in Malaysia. At Ogilvy Singapore, Dabral led the team to become the No.1 creative office in Asia, and the third highest awarded office in the world at Cannes 2007.

     

    “I am looking forward to an intense round of judging with my fellow jury members and in keeping with the ‘Be Bad’ theme of Adfest 2015, I promise that we’ll be totally ruthless in sifting the best from the rest,” says Dabral.

     

    “With consumers having the power to respond like never before, across an unprecedented number of platforms, technology has made direct response advertising more exciting and challenging than it ever was. In a prestigious show like Adfest it’s sure to play out in some big path-breaking ideas.”

     

    “Sonal has a phenomenal track record in leading agencies from obscurity to the top of the creative ladder, so it is an honor to welcome him to Adfest again to lead next year’s Direct Lotus jury,” said Jimmy Lam, President of Adfest.

     

    Adfest 2015 takes place at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.

     

  • DDB Mudra Executive Creative Director SonalDabralhas written the lyrics for this musical

    McDowell’s #No.1 Yaari strikes a chord with viewers

    By A Correspondent

     

    McDowell’s No.1 has created another milestone as it announced the launch of the first seven minute musical – #No.1 Yaari. Capturing the essence of close friendships, the brand has released this campaign across several platforms to connect and engage with its consumers. The seven minute movie has gained popularity since its release last week especially with the song - ‘Aisi Waisi Dosti Nahi’ by Mohit Chauhan becoming very popular written by Sonal Dabral-Executive Creative Director and Chairman of DDB Mudra and directed by Anupam Mishra. The overall essence and message of the film – of close buddies, nostalgia and special moments resonates with the brand proposition of McDowell’s No. 1 hence the right fitment.

     

    McDowell’s No.1 has already created a huge burst through digital, cinema, radio as well as television to promote this film.

     

    Unnati Sinha

    “Real friendship is one of life’s strongest and most rewarding relationships. We’re very proud of our new McDowell’s No. 1 film that portrays real friendships that bind people together through the years. This is the first time that McDowell’s No1 had used a long musical narrative to communicate the brand proposition through nostalgia. Consumers and the trade have loved the film particularly as McDowell’s No. 1 is at the heart of their own special memories of celebration with their closest friends,” shared Unnati Sinha, Sr Vice President Marketing, United Spirits Limited.

     

    The campaign has received tremendous response digitally. Within 1 week of release, the campaign has received over 1.33 million views (Facebook + Youtube) and the number is only increasing. 9,500 people shared the campaign video on Facebook+Youtube. Also #No.1 Yaari video has received over 46,000 likes/comments on social media in constrains. This has been the biggest content campaigns for McDowell’s No.1 in India till date.

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Sonal Dabral- Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at DDB Mudra Group & lyricist for song ‘Aisi Waisi Dosti Nahi’ stated, “Beyond the transience of social networks, there is a friendship that is deep and genuine. I wrote the ‘#No1Yaari’ song as a tribute to such cherished, meaningful friendships that enrich our lives. ‘Aisee Waisi dosti nahin’ is exactly how I define these rare special friendships. It’s a track that will transport everyone to the wonderful moments that have made these friendships special and sure to bring a smile to their face, as it will remind them of their own No1 Yaari.”

     

  • The brief was to communicate to the audience to shop at any Future Group store of their choice, to get never-before cashback and benefits

    Adstrat: DDB Mudra West unveils 12 Months Free Shopping Festival campaign

    Future Group is India’s first and largest independent homegrown pure-play retail group. With a pan-India presence and multiple store formats, which meet the everyday needs of millions of customers in India, Future Group helps them live a better quality of life every day. The group has grown and continues to grow on a simple belief to be a part of every consumption opportunity of the Indian consumer.

     

    The Objective

    With the onset of Diwali, the biggest shopping season that India witnesses, at a time when the customers open their wallets and indulge in purchase – be it fashion, electronics, food, home fashion, kitchen goods, or even gifting, Future Group decided to bring all their different store formats from Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, FBB, Central, Ezone, Home Town, Brand Factory and ‘I am In’ into a common platform where customers can benefit from their purchase across the entire portfolio of Future Group stores and promote cross purchase between stores.

     

    The Brief

    To communicate to the audience to shop at any Future Group store of their choice, to get never before cash back and benefits. This could be encashed on a monthly basis or for the entire year at any of the Future Group Store.

     

    The Idea

    The festive season is upon us. A time for weddings, Diwali celebrations, moving into a new house, purchase new vehicles, renovating shops and what have you. In short, a time when most people in India go on a shopping spree. Future Group’s ‘The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival’ debuts at this opportune time. The creative idea then was to showcase this frenzy of shopping, which is further heightened by the exciting shopping schemes tied to this shopping festival.

     

    The Execution:

    Teasers

    The temptations of shopping during the festive season are all around us. Be it for Diwali, a wedding in the family or moving into a new home. So, the creatives depicted people abstaining from shopping or not letting others shop, in three different settings that reflect the aforementioned occasions. Because they’d rather wait till 1st October when The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival kicks-off – in order to plunge headfirst into a shopping binge.

     

    Main Films

    In the reveal films, it shows ‘The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival’ has begun, and a roving camera catching people red-handed with a massive amount of big ticket purchases. They are seen offering unconvincing reasons to the camera (in a sing-song) for doing so. A recurring chorus, however, calls their bluff throughout. Because the real reason is, of course, the exciting shopping schemes offered at this mega event. Towards the end, the shopping scheme itself is depicted with a unique Hammer Game device as seen in amusement parks. All this, set to a peppy tune.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Akshay Mehrotra, Chief Marketing Officer, Big Bazaar, said, “We believe ‘The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival’ is among the most powerful ideas from the Group and will form a unique and valuable year-long relationship with our customers. The festive season is a time for family shopping; our customers can shop from all our categories for every family member and get rewarded by getting free shopping benefits through the next 12 months of the year. ‘The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival’ is the biggest reward program ever launched for our customers and this campaign communicates the uniqueness and value proposition of ‘The 12 Months Free Shopping Festival’ to people.”

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Speaking about the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said, “An exciting, high energy and truly creative festival needs to have an equally creative and high energy creative communication idea. That’s exactly what we delivered with this campaign.”

     

  • The DDB Mudra Group, with its 10 agencies and operating units is in a unique position to meet these demands

    DDB Mudra Group announces Group Executive, Creative and Strategic Planning Council

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group has announced the re-constitution of its Executive Board and the creation of the Group Creative Council and the Strategic Planning Council.

     

    The Group Executive Board, will consist of the following members: Aneil Deepak, Head of Ideas, DDB MudraMax, Anurag Bansal, CFO, DDB Mudra Group, Deepak Nair, COO, 22feet Tribal Worldwide, Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & Managing Director, DDB Mudra Group, Mandeep Malhotra, President, DDB MudraMax – OOH, Retail & Experiential, Rajiv Sabnis, President, DDB Mudra West, Sathyamurthy Namakkal, President, DDB MudraMax – Media, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & CCO, DDB Mudra Group.

     

    Given the new order of business and marketing challenges and increasing conversations and demands from a wide spectrum of clients for more collaborative and integrated solutions, the DDB Mudra Group, with its 10 agencies and operating units (DDB Mudra West, DDB Mudra South & East, DDB Mudra North, DDB MudraMax – OOH, DDB MudraMax – Experiential, DDB MudraMax – Media, TracyLocke, 22feet Tribal Worldwide, RAPP and DDB Remedy) offering a range of specialist solutions,  is perhaps in a unique position to meet these demands.

     

    Madhukar Kamath

    Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & Managing Director, DDB Mudra Group said, “Today we sit at the intersection of humanity, creativity, and technology. It is the age of Influence and it is an exciting time with enormous potential for brands and their future.  With DDB Mudra Group’s legacy, there really isn’t any other company in India that has the capability of delivering influential creative solutions through all marketing touch points. And with the Executive Board we aim to deliver just that.”

     

    The Creative Council will consist of Aneil Deepak, Head of Ideas, DDB MudraMax, Brijesh Jacob, Joint MD, 22feet Tribal Worldwide, Rahul Mathew, Creative Head, DDB Mudra West, Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North, Vipul Thakkar, Creative Head, DDB Mudra South & East.

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, on the creation of the Group Creative Council said, “As we go about living our vision of being the most influential communications company in India, it is of paramount importance that we constantly evaluate and celebrate our creativity, our work. Our Creative Council will help us deliver just that. Creative leaders of the group coming together sharing work and ideas and helping each other become better and stronger every single day. In turn shaping DDB Mudra Group to be the very best.”

     

  • The idea for the new TVC was born out of drawing parallels to the few moments in life that feel good. Thus was born the campaign thought of "Feels that good"

    ‘Feels that good’, asserts Polo in new TVC

    Globally, the Polo has been around and enjoyed for generations. In India too, the much-loved hatchback has been widely accepted in all its variants and editions. Which is why, when it was time to launch the New 2014 Polo, Volkswagen’s campaign had to ensure a similar level of enthusiasm and curiosity. For it was a clear case of ‘the good becoming better’.

     

    The idea for the new TVC was born out of drawing parallels to the few moments in life that feel good. Thus was born the campaign thought of “Feels that good”.Like all Volkswagen TVCs, this one too is endearing and simple, yet entertaining at the same time. Taking forward the thought of “Feels that good”, the film illustrates the story of two brothers. The younger of the two always gets the raw end of the stick, as he ends up with all the ‘hand-me-downs’ from his cooler older sibling. From school books to uniforms to shoes and even bicycles, it’s always second-hand. Ultimately, the story takes a big turn. The younger brother, now all grown up, comes into his own when we see him driving the sparkling New Polo, while his older sibling is still using a nondescript old car.

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Commenting on the campaign Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said, “The new refreshed Polo has unique features that deliver a superior driving experience. We used hand-me-downs as a creative device to make the point that driving the new Polo, with these features, makes you feel so good. It uses the tonality of all Volkswagen advertising where the product is at the centre and there is humour woven around it, leaving the viewer with a ‘feel good’ factor.”

     

  • The sessions take place on the last Friday of every month at the DDB Mudra Group office

    DDB Mudra Group launches Bernbach Fridays

    DDB Mudra Group has announced the launch of Bernbach Fridays, a tribute to a man who is the Father of Modern Advertising, a brilliant advertising mind of the 20th Century and DDB’s founder the great Bill Bernbach. The sessions take place on the last Friday of every month at the DDB Mudra Group office, and so far a total of four successful sessions have already taken place.

     

    The maiden session of Bernbach Fridays saw DDB Mudra Group’s very own Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Sonal Dabral.Having over two decades of experience in the field of advertising, he shared his life journey with the audience. Right from his NID days to his first job to how he helped Ogilvy Singapore become the hottest agency in the region and the No.1 creative office of the WPP global network and also his experience as a TV host and a scriptwriter in Bollywood.  He inspired and engaged the DDB Mudra Groupemployees which was the perfect kick-start to Bernbach Fridays.

     

    Shreedavy Babuji

    The second speaker of Bernbach Fridays was Shreedavy Babuji, of DDB Mudra West, who presented an extremely interesting project she had worked on. The project was a documentary covering the various aspects of an age old folk art form of India – the Truck art. Titled ‘Horn Please’, the documentary focuses on origin of truck art and its evolution since then. The documentary has been accepted at festivals across the world and is getting tremendous reviews everywhere.

     

     

     

    Varun Thakur
    E Suresh

    The third and fourth sessions of Bernbach Fridays saw Varun Thakur – stand-up comedian and E Suresh – Founder of Studio Eeksaurus, respectively. With a good mix of personal stories, observational humour and impersonations, Varun was an act that no one could miss. E Suresh, also the founder of Famous Studios, shared his eventful journey in the world of animation.

     

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at DDB Mudra Group said, “Our instincts and craft as creatives gets honed everyday by just observing and assimilating life happening around us. Which means the more we are aware of our world the better advertising professionals we become. That’s where curiosity comes in. The desire to know as much as possible.Desire to find out the answers.Desire to be acquainted with as many subjects as possible. Curiosity and creativity are never far apart. Without curiosity, we will never be innovative. There will be no growth and nothing will change. To fuel this curiosity we have launched “Bernbach Fridays”.”

     

    The main aim of Bernbach Fridays sessions is to celebrate advertising by creating curiosity. The audiences at DDB Mudra arealways ready for something new, therefore these sessions will see speakers from different fields which would include Fashion Designers, Chefs, Film Makers, Scientists, Directors, Musicians, Artists and so on.

     

  • The initiative invites 12 women, who have been chosen from nominations sent in by agency leaders across the globe, to Cannes Lions for a unique programme and filmmaking project

    Sonal Dabral to mentor Creative Women at Cannes Lions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sonal Dabral has been chosen by The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as one of the 12 mentors of the ‘See It Be It’ initiative. The initiative invites 12 women, who have been chosen from nominations sent in by agency leaders across the globe, to Cannes Lions for a unique programme and filmmaking project. It will run from Sunday 15 June to Tuesday 17 June in Cannes, France, home to Cannes Lions.

     

    The programme aims to further women’s careers in the creative industry, encouraging them to stay in the industry. Across three days, 12 women 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.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Lions Festival’s Director of Brand Strategy Senta Slingerland, said, “We know a more gender-balanced creative industry will result in better work. This programme identifies the next set of female creative heavyweights – they exist, but need an extra push into the spotlight. Mentorship is an important part of this programme. Sonal has always supported what we were trying to achieve which he’s one of only two male mentors this year! The others are very successful and inspirational women from around the world.”

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Commenting on being a mentor for the initiative, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & CCO, DDB Mudra Group, said, “”See It Be It is great initiative by the Cannes Lions Festival, which focuses on one of the fundamental problems our industry is facing the world over. I am honoured and excited to be invited as one of the mentors and I look forward to interacting and sharing my experiences with the future stars of our industry. I wish this truly commendable programme long life and great success.”

     

  • The company has unveiled a new campaign with the underlying theme 'Idea: Khushiyon Ka Rangmanch'

    CenturyPly leans on ‘Khushiyon Ka Rangmanch’ credo to deliver new proposition

    By A Correspondent

     

    CenturyPly has undergone a brand restructuring exercise and also unveiled a new brand philosophy. The company has unveiled a new campaign with the underlying theme ‘Idea: Khushiyon Ka Rangmanch’.

     

    CenturyPly is not just into creating commodities, but is in the business of creating spaces and home solutions through its products – plywood, laminates and veneers – surfaces which are witness to everyday moments of joy and happiness. The theme revolves around the premise that it’s these surfaces that bring people together; a stage where life’s happy moments play out.

     

    Mr Amit Gope – Head, Marketing, CenturyPly said, “We found this concept to be extremely strong, unique and with a potential to remain relevant for a long time. More than that, it was something that was meeting our objectives in the best possible manner.”

     

    Sonal Dabral
    Sonal Dabral

    Sonal Dabral – Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group affirmed, “Devoid of any sharp ideas, the plywood advertising landscape has been fuzzy to say the least. We decided it was time for a respected brand like CenturyPly to speak like a leader and elevate the category to the next level. Nana Patekar’s brilliance needs no mention. We were fortunate that he agreed to be a part of this project. I’m certain the audience will love him as the voice of our conscience provoking us to take a fresh look at our furniture we take for granted every day.”

     

     

    Rajiv Sabnis

    Rajiv Sabnis – President, DDB Mudra West said, “Khusiyon ka Rangmanch is an idea that is a take on life, from the point-of-view of the furniture. If all inanimate objects had a life of their own, and could see the world around them, then they would see themselves at the centre of a family life. Then furniture could see the joys, the bonding, the celebration, the success, the romance, the love, the gossip and many other emotions that a family goes through in the course of their life together. Furniture is a mute spectator today, but if it had emotions, it would believe that the family comes together around the various pieces of furniture which make a home. Nana Patekar embodies the conscience of the furniture that provides a platform for emotions to play out. This campaign is a tribute to furniture, hence Century Ply, and the centre stage role it plays in bringing and keeping families together.”

     

    The campaign is a multimedia campaign across the mediums of TV, print, outdoor, digital and on ground. It goes on air this week.

     

  • Prasoon Joshi, Agnello Dias, Alok Nanda, Sonal Dabral and Ashish Chakravarty to head juries for Creative Abby

    Jury chairs for Creative Abby announced, more than 3000 entries received overall

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Awards Governing Council (AGC) of the Abbys at Goafest 2014 has announced the names of jury chairpersons for the Creative Abbys. The jury chairpersons for various categories are as follows:

     

    o Integrated Advertising: Prasoon Joshi, President, South Asia, McCann World Group

    o Films: Agnello Dias Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot

    o Design: Alok Nanda- Director Alok Nanda Communications

    o Outdoor Advertising & Ambient: Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, India

    o Radio Advertising:  Ashish Chakravarty, National Creative Director, Contract Advertising

     

    Pratap Bose

    Commenting on the jury, Pratap Bose, Chairman of the Awards Governing Council and President of the Advertising Club, said “We are delighted to have such a remarkable line-up of jury chairpersons this year. All of them are creative stalwarts and I am pleased that they will be judging the Creative Abbys this year.  The judging process will be transparent and fair. KPMG will be monitoring the judging procedure.”

     

    Shortlists for Goafest 2014 are being displayed at www.abbyshortlist.com. Issues related shortlisted entries should be brought to the attention of jury chairperson in writing. The matter with proof submitted will be tabled in the second round for the jury to make a final call on. The metals awarded by the Jury after the second round of judging will be final.

     

    Meanwhile, according to a communiqué, over 3,000 entries have been received overall by the Awards Governing Council.

     

  • Move over, Bollwood. Big Bazaar is going to spend Rs 120 crore around 52 TVCs over 52 weeks

    And now the Sau Crore ad campaign

    The Big Bazaar and DDB Mudra teams while announcing the campaign to the media. Sonal Dabral was travelling

     

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    If their offices aren’t buzzing with business cards from television adsales folk, they will do so now. Future Group’s Big Bazaar and its Media AOR Allied Media (of the Percept group) will see budgets for television adspends zooming from 10 to 40 percent. Printwallahs needn’t despair: while the allocation will go down from the current 70 taka to 40, in value terms the moolah isn’t going to go down.

     

    The purse of Rs 200 crore on adspends is going to expand by another Rs 75 crore. Rs 100 crore is going to be spent on the TVCs alone, with another Rs 20 crore on allied activities around the expanded purse of Rs 275 crore now earmarked for TVCs.

     

    Inspired by Swedish homestore Ikea’s 365 ads in 365 days campaign, the Big Bazaar bosses commissioned its creative agency DDB Mudra to craft a strategy which the agency’s Group CEO and Managing Director Madhukar Kamath says is the biggest ever marketing campaign he has seen in his near four-decade-long career. “We were commissioned five weeks back, and produced the commercial within days,” said Kamath.

     

    For Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani, the attempt is to adapt to changing times. He isn’t fazed by the extra marketing spends with Rs 120 crore on this year-long blitz. “The increase in sales will take care of the enhanced spends,” he told MxMIndia. Added Sandeep Tarkas, President, Customer Strategy (Future Group) and CEO (Future Media): “We hope to see sales grow by 20 per cent on the back of this campaign.” Until now, the hypermart thinktank’s strategy has been on tactical advertising, but this 52-TVC campaign which goes on air on March 24 takes one product every week from Big Bazaar and through them demonstrate how these products are making the lives of Indians more beautiful. The campaign will be backed by outdoor, radio and in-store visual merchandising. Print will not be a part of the campaign, though.

     

    Each TVC is a light-hearted commentary on the changes that are happening in Indian society, and make for interesting stories of the role that products play in making people’s life more beautiful and enriching. Added SonalDabral, Chairman & CCO, DDB Mudra Group: “In terms of tonality, we have kept it real because that’s the voice of Big Bazaar. These are not ad films they are closely observed 52 sparkling stories of the small changes Big Bazaar and its products are bringing to everyday India.”

     

    Added Mr Kamath: “It is a unique, never done before and a brave campaign which can only come from a leader like Big Bazaar. The brand has been at the forefront of innovation and leading change. This campaign redefines the step-change that Big Bazaar is making in its relationship with its current and prospective shoppers. It will further establish Big Bazaar as a company that sells products which enable and inspire every Indian to make their world look beautiful on the outside, as well as on the inside.”