By Our Staff
Dentsu Creative India has won the digital mandate for Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, Sony MAX, and Sony MAX 2, and will be responsible for managing the online presence and marketing campaigns of these brands across social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The account was awarded to Dentsu Creative India following a multi-agency pitch. The agency will service the channels from its Mumbai office and will work closely with the brand teams to create and execute innovative digital strategies.
Speaking about this partnership, Vaishali Sharma, Head of Marketing and Communications, Sony Sab, Sony Entertainment Television and Sony Max Movies Cluster said: “As iconic content creators at the forefront of bringing diverse themes to vast audiences, we’re delighted to join hands with Dentsu Creative India to propel our brands towards unprecedented growth and creativity, establishing new benchmarks in the digital entertainment ecosystem.”
Added Nikhil Kumar, Managing Partner (West), Dentsu Creative India: “We are delighted to partner with Sony Entertainment Network, one of the most respected and admired brands in the entertainment industry. This collaboration is a testament to our digital-first mindset and our ability to deliver integrated and seamless solutions backed by tech and data. It’s a further testament to the quality of teams who mounted this pitch & their ability to come together to address the brand challenges at play. Truly a proud feeling for all of us & we are looking forward to scaling this partnership to even greater heights.”
By A Correspondent
Sneha Rajani, Head of Sony Pictures Networks (SPN’s) film production division, has quit the organisation. She has been instrumental in launching Sony Max, the leading Hindi movie channel. In addition, Rajani played a key role in shaping the diversity agenda of SPN, enabling an inclusive work environment.
Said NP Singh, Managing Director & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN): “At an organisational level, Sneha’s contributions have been game changing. She has successfully chaperoned the organization’s growth from launching Sony Max, India’s leading Hindi movies channel to leading our flagship channel, SET, and establishing SPN’s theatrical division – SPNP and many more. She has been an active crusader for dignity and has led the diversity team at SPN, shaping the organization into a truly inclusive workplace. Her dedication and commitment to the organisation’s cause has been unflinching and symbolic of her loyalty. Sneha’s exit later next month will leave a large void in SPN’s management team. My best wishes are with her.”
By A Correspondent
Sony Sab is out to redefine itself through a new philosophy and has launched a brand campaign with a tagline ‘Khushiyon Wali Feeling’. The TVCs are conceptualized by Contract and shot by Boot Polissh Films.
Said Neeraj Vyas, Business Head, Sony Sab, Pal and Sony Max movie cluster: “We are absolutely delighted to present an exciting new brand campaign which will usher in our new brand philosophy. We believe this campaign will further help us strengthen our positioning as a brand that goes beyond just providing comedy content and will help us connect with our audiences on a much deeper level with a focus on wholesome happiness. These brand films truly reflect the very core of our brand which is built on showcasing light-hearted values driven content which makes people happy”.
Added Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising: “The brief to us was simple – happiness is something that goes beyond comedy. It’s about how people feel. People remember how they feel and that’s what drives their own happiness and makes them into better people. And, when people are happy they are more likely to spread their happiness through simple acts of kindness. Taking this core thought forward, we have built these exciting brand videos with relatable situations and characters – something Sony SAB is known for. Weaving these two things together, I believe we have created something the viewers will completely resonate with.”
By A Correspondent
Sony Max, Sony Six and SONY ESPN, the official television broadcasters of the Indian Premiere League (VIVO IPL) have unveiled a new campaign titled “10 saal aapke naam†to coincide with the tenth edition of the tournament and the network’s association with it.
The series of six ad films with the key message “10 saal aapke naam†encapsulate the fervor and madness of the fans across gender, generations and geographies.
The creative agency continues to be DDB Mudra and the films have been directed by Hemant Bhandari of Chrome Pictures Media. For the anthem the broadcaster has roped in music composer duo, Salim-Sulaiman and singer Benny Dayal.
Said Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Business Head, Sony Max cluster at SPN: “Over the last nine years we have seen the tournament grow in terms of stature, viewership and the buzz that it creates and hence it was only logical to make the tenth year a grand celebration. The marketing campaign borrows from real life insights on how viewers engage and involve themselves with the game. We believe that the fans are instrumental in making this tournament the mega blockbuster that it is and that is why this year’s campaign is an ode to the Vivo IPL Fanâ€.
By A Correspondent
Sony Max, the Hindi movie channel from the Sony Pictures Network has rolled out a new campaign recently. The campaign is based on the thought ‘Naaz Hai Humein Apni Deewangi Pe’ which encapsulates the country’s obsession with Hindi Cinema and its influence on the everyday moments of life. The channel will be unveiling multiple short films showcasing how fans inspired by movies have imbibed the deewanapan.
The three 45-seconder TVCs string together people from different walks of life and depicts how extremely passionate movie buffs look at every situation from a 70mm lens. The campaign also attempts to capture the rich pallet of emotions behind various facets of Hindi cinema. The TVCs consist of seven distinct situations including the likes of a young couple eloping with the entire community running behind them and then with a sudden sharp turn they screech and look into the camera and say “Ishq karo toh aise karo ki zamana peeche lag jayeâ€. Another one is a college graduation ceremony sequence where an Anil Kapoor inspired student dances her way to the stage to receive her degree, leaving the audience and the professors spellbound – “Entry maro toh aise ki sab dekhte reh jayeâ€. A rickshaw driver inspired by Hindi movies pulls his collar wide when two pretty looking girls arrive for a ride. With a lot of cheek, he turns them down and says “Aur thukrao toh aise thukrao ki choor-choor ho jayeâ€. One more situation on friendship sees a young man taking a beating for his friend by some goons much larger than him. As he takes one to the chin he says, “Dosti nibhao toh aisi ki misaal bann jaye.â€Â All TVCs end with a voiceover in the end “Deewana banate aaye hai, banate rahengeâ€.
Said Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP – Marketing, Sony Max movie cluster:
“The strategic reason to have a fresh campaign is to celebrate the uninterrupted leadership and success of the Sony MAX channel over the last 26 weeks. The campaign is a reflection of the influence and impact that Sony MAX has had on people’s lives with its movie offerings. The core thought ‘Naaz hai humein apni Deewangi pe’ not only showcases the madness that movies instills in every Indian but also takes the deewanapan a notch higherâ€. The TVCs are conceptualised by DDB Mudra and shot by Tubelight Films.
By A Correspondent
Sony MAX2 from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) unveiled its latest campaign to refresh the channel’s brand ethos ‘Kuch Filmo Ka Jadu Kabhi Kam Nahi Hota’ with its new tagline ‘Yaad Rahega’. This campaign is a rejuvenation of the brand’s promise of enriching the lives of today’s viewers with the inspiring values and refreshing pure content of iconic films.
The two short TVCs highlight the magic of these unforgettable movies and the impact that these films have on people’s lives even today. It showcases how people savor ageless cinema by celebrating simple yet beautiful moments in their life. The first TVC shows a family get-together where a young couple celebrates their marriage anniversary and the speech-impaired wife beautifully enacts the all-time romantic number,’Pehla Nasha’ for her anxious husband and surprises him. The second TVC celebrates the strength of a long-enduring relationship, wherein an old couple shares a light moment with their grandchildren when they are asked about their love affair in their younger days. These TVCs engrave MAX2’s refreshed positioning in the minds of its viewers and help the audience develop an instant connect.
The channel has also strengthened its content library with classic ground-breaking movies like Julie, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Khatta Meetha, Gharonda, Kasme Vaade, Aap Ki Kasam and many more such to live up to its promise of enriching the lives of today’s viewers.
Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP Marketing and Communications, Sony MAX and MAX2 said: “Being the leader in its space, MAX2 as a brand has grown and built a strong viewership base for itself. With the new campaign tagline, ‘Yaad Rahega’ we aim at strengthening our brand promise by appreciating the magic of iconic cinema. The two TVCs indisputably bring forth the nostalgia of good timeless movies and how they still have the power to impact our present life. With a more robust library in place, it’s a perfect time for us to refresh our brand imagery.â€
Conceptualized by DDB Mudra the campaign launched on 10th August. The channel is engaging in a massive television plan across all genres for over four weeks. The marketing plan also includes print and a digital campaign spread over the next one month.
By A Correspondent
Multi-Screen Media (MSM) which has bagged the broadcast rights of the ‘Pro Wrestling League’ for the next five years, is all set to roll out its marketing campaign ‘Khel Fauladi’ for the inaugural edition of the Indian wrestling tournament across its three channels – Sony MAX, SIX and PAL. Touted as the first home grown league in the realm of wrestling in India, ‘Pro Wrestling League’ (PWL) is a partnership between the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and Pro Sportify Private Limited (PPL). The league will air on the above specified channels of the MSM network from December 10th to December 27th.
Sony MAX’s PWL campaign builds the league as the one true, tough sport that has fascinated audiences for years on-ground and now will be see on television featuring the best wrestlers not only from the Indian soil but from across the world. The campaign comprises of two 15 seconder and two 40 seconder TVCs featuring both male and female wrestlers and taps into the insight that male audiences are fascinated and drawn to true strength, toughness and endurance. The multi-media campaign comprising of television, print, radio and outdoor promotions will be taken across all Hindi speaking markets and will have key players such as Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Babita Kumari, Geeta Phogat, Vinesh Phogat, Amit Dahiya, Narsingh Yadav, Bajrang Punia, Mausam Khatri and Rahul Aware amongst others fronting the campaign.
Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP, Sony MAX & Sony MAX2 said: “This is the first time a league like this has been organized to promote one of the oldest sport rooted in the ethos of Indian culture and a sport that has helped India bag the gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics. By gaining the broadcast rights to ‘Pro Wrestling League, we consider it an honor to help popularize this sport and in turn give its due recognition and glory.â€
Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP, Marketing & Communications, Sony MAX & MAX2 added: “With the campaign Khel Fauladi, our intent is to laud the toughness and endurance that the sport of wrestling demands of its players. The campaign positions wrestling as the most brutal strength of mind and body and promises a never before viewing experience. Wrestling as a sport has its roots well set in India and with this league; there is an opportunity to make it aspirational and larger than lifeâ€.
PWL will see six teams fight it out to win the champion’s title. Witnessing a total of 18 ties including 2 semi-finals and the grand finale based on best-of-nine bouts, the tournament which will be contested in accordance with Olympic wrestling rules will travel to six venues, namely, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Each team will comprise of nine wrestlers – five men and four women – with a maximum cap of four foreign wrestlers on the team roster.
By A Correspondent
As part of its endeavor to provide TV viewers globally with their favorite Indian TV soaps and serials, YuppTV announced the leading Indian television channels Sony Entertainment TV, SET Max and SAB, for Singapore. These leading GECs will be available in Hindi in Singapore, known to have one of the largest overseas Indian populations.
With this move, YuppTV’s offering has become stronger in the Singapore region. As one of the largest internet TV providers of South Asian Content, YuppTV delivers 200+ Indian TV channels worldwide in 13 Indian languages, as Live TV, and 10 days of revolutionary Catch-up TV, along with Movies from various production houses. Languages in Singapore region include Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Sinhala and Kannada.
“Meeting the high demand for Indian television offerings, we are pleased to take three of India’s most popular channels to the TV viewers in Singapore. We are confident that the Indian Diaspora will be delighted to watch their favourite shows on Sony Entertainment Television, SET Max and SAB. The Premium content that YuppTV is offering to the viewers across the world continues to grow and expand its scope as we add leading channels to our catalogue. This launch we trust will be the source of much pleasure to viewers across Singapore,†said Uday Reddy, CEO of YuppTV.
Neeraj Arora, EVP and International Business Head, said, “With an aim to offer the finest entertainment to viewers in markets across the world, we are excited to extend our partnership with YuppTV to offer SET Asia, Sony MAX and Sony SAB to subscribers in Singapore. We trust that viewers of South Asian content will enjoy the channels’ wide variety of offerings, innovative programs and light-hearted content dedicated to promoting an enjoyable ‘family-viewing’ experience.â€
This is indeed big news. Sony Max has earned 306 GRPs in Week 16 of 2015 as per TAM ratings even as Star Plus has got only 254 GRPs, losing 26 from last week. Interestingly Colors and Zee haven’t lost much, though Sab has lost 11 GRPs. This is of course early days of the IPL still.
These are highlights of the IPL numbers:
Do take a look at the ratings.
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.
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.
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.â€
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.”
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!â€