Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA), a joint collaboration between Karan Johar and Bunty Sajdeh, announced the signing of social media personality Orhan Awatramani popularly known as Orry. The partnership will strengthen the influencer marketing portfolio of DCA, notes a comadding to the existing bouquet of services of the brand.
Said Kim Sharma, EVP – New Media, DCA shared her excitement: “Orry represents the epitome of the modern-day influencer dynamic with his creativity and forward-thinking. We are delighted to welcome him to our family at DCA. This association not only strengthens our presence in influencer marketing but also fosters trust in us.”
By Our Staff
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is back with its new campaign ‘Best Taste Ever?’ with continued efforts to increase no-and low-calorie beverage options. The brand has associated with Tiger Shroff to further aid the brand in establishing resonance with the youth and millennials in India.
Commenting on the launch of the new campaign, Kaushik Prasad, Director, Marketing, Coca-Cola India said: “We are excited to offer Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, our best offering yet that is closest to the original taste of Coca-Cola with no calories. We want to offer choice so consumers can enjoy the great taste of Coca-Cola without the sugar. For many people, it’s surprising to hear that a zero sugar variant of Coke actually exists, that tastes like the real thing! Well, you will have to try it yourself to find out.”
Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India added: “When we told people, it’s zero sugar but has the same great original taste, the reaction we got was, “Really?”. So, we built the whole idea for Coke Zero on this great surprise. It was super fun to collaborate with Tiger to bring this fun idea to life. We will see way more things on this idea in the near future, so stay glued to the great taste, literally.”
Campaign link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFsWPTwddo
By Shailesh Kapoor
The long-in-the-making Brahmastra: Part 1 released last Friday. The film opened to packed houses, clocking occupancies of 70%+ in major city multiplexes through the weekend. The big-budget fantasy adventure film may eventually have to rely on non-theatrical revenue sources to recover its costs. But its solid opening weekend performance has infused fresh energy into the Hindi film industry, which has been struggling in recent times to get any major audience attention at all.
I watched the film at a suburban Mumbai multiplex, where the start of the show had to be delayed by about 15 minutes, because some patrons did not take their assigned seats. The theatre staff had to intervene, and people had to be moved through a 100% packed auditorium, to their correct seats. One could sense that even the staff was enjoying this thankless job. When did they last see a packed auditorium for an original Hindi language film, after all?
We would have to go back to Oct 2, 2019, when the Hrithik-Tiger starrer War released to an overwhelming audience response. But that was a holiday, unlike September 9. Search for a non-holiday opening of this stature for an original Hindi language film took me back to June 29, 2018, when Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju, also starring Ranbir Kapoor, released.
There’s something magical about being at a theatre on a weekend such as that of Brahmastra’s release. There’s a communal bond between the hundreds of audiences, in the lobby, and then inside the auditorium. They are connected by their love for going to the movies, if not by their love for cinema itself. The atmosphere brims with excitement and anticipation. No home viewing, on the biggest TV screen and the best sound system, can match that.
Brahmastra has its share of flaws. But lack of imagination is not one of them. The franchise charters into territories erstwhile reserved for Hollywood films, where visual effects and scale front-end a film, leading to a viewing experience that’s immersive and big-screen worthy. Brahmastra wears its ambition on its sleeve. And the audience could feel that vibe over the last three months of the film’s campaign, resulting in a whole-hearted endorsement on the opening weekend, despite boycott calls and mixed reviews.
Less than a month before Brahmastra’s release, another film that one may have been tempted to call a major motion picture (Laal Singh Chadha) failed on open, despite releasing on a holiday. The contrast between the opening-weekend performance of the two films sums up what theatre-going audiences are trying to tell the film industry: Convince us that your film is worthy of my money, by justifying why it needs to be watched on the big screen.
It’s now for the filmmakers to listen up and act.
By Our Staff
Build, a sports nutrition supplements start-up, has collaborated with actor Tiger Shroff, to launch a customised new series of health supplements.
On the association, Soumava Sengupta, CEO Build said: “Tiger is one of the most popular stars and the undisputed fitness icon in India today. His regime and dedication to fitness is of the level of an elite athlete. We at BUILD. share his philosophy on fitness and strongly believe that fitness is for everyone and not restricted only to gyms and weight training.”
By Our Staff
APL Apollo Pipes has launched two new television campaigns featuring its brand ambassador Tiger Shroff. The TVCs, created by Full Moon Productions and directed by Siddharth Anand, emphasise on safety and strength of APL Apollo Pipes and APL Apollo Water Tanks, highlighting its tagline, ‘Never Cracks Under Pressure’.
Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Sameer Gupta, Managing Director, Apollo Pipes Limited said: “Apollo Pipes, over the years, has established itself as a leading quality-driven piping company moving from strength to strength in terms of customer satisfaction. The brand has seen a significant amount of business growth after onboarding Tiger Shroff as the brand ambassador. The actor’s strength and flexibility resonate the best with the brand. Our next step for this association was to create a focused storyline that springs from the brand philosophy of ‘Never Cracks Under Pressure’ to engage with the audience in a quirky and intriguing way. We look forward to accomplishing major milestones in our journey, together.”
By Our Staff
Zee5, has entered a partnership with Garnier and Wavemaker exclusively to stream – Garnier Men BroCast, a celebrity podcast on male grooming, conceptualised in partnership with Schbang. The brand has roped in actors John Abraham and Tiger Shroff.
Commenting on the engagement, Zeenia Shroff, General Manager – Marketing (Garnier), L’Oréal India, said: “As India’s leading men’s skincare brand, Garnier Men is happy to launch ‘The Garnier Men BroCast’ to equip Men with life hacks, ‘Bro Tips’ about skincare, grooming, biking and so much more. It is the first-ever, celebrity hosted, video podcast dedicated to men starring true Bollywood “Bros”, John Abraham and Tiger Shroff. Leveraging tech in beauty in collaboration with Zee5’s reach, we are confident of reaching the right audience, to drive talkability and consumer love for Garnier Men.”
Speaking on the Association, Gaurav Kanwal, Chief Revenue Officer – Digital & SMB, South Asia, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, said: “Gone are the days when conversations around grooming had to be gender specific. Care routines are no longer limited to women, and today’s man is cognizant of it. In fact, now they are more eager to explore grooming choices. We are glad to partner with Wavemaker to exclusively host the show, created by Garnier Men to lead conversations around this subject, along with lifestyle problems with their solutions. John and Tiger being the epitome of charm, will be the best examples to immerse and inspire across this trend of men’s grooming.”
By Our Staff
APL Apollo Tubes Limited, branded steel pipes manufacturer, has roped actor Tiger Shroff as brand ambassador for its exclusive product line ‘Apollo Column’.
Commenting on this announcement, Sanjay Gupta, CMD, APL Apollo said: “Our association with the young sensation and the heartthrob of millions ‘Tiger Shroff’ is like coming together of two promising stars. Just like Tiger Shroff has established himself as an unrivalled icon reflecting strong body and swift moves, Apollo Column has become an essential feature in the Pre-Engineered Buildings due to its high weight bearing capacity and enhanced construction speed.”
By Sanjeev Kotnala
At the end of May 2021, women’s tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open to preserve her mental health. As if taking a cue, many athletes in recent times have been vocal on the subject. Fortunately, now it is receiving the desired focus. We, at least for the celebrity and sports personalities, are now agreeing, ‘It is OK to be not OK.’ And celebrating their courage to be open about it.
In the Indian context, we have read about the mental health issues of Deepika Padukone, Virat Kohli, Abhinav Bindra, Tiger Shroff, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Shah Rukh Khan and many others. Many may say that it is easier for them to be open about mental health than an average person.
Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions – disorders that can affect your mood, thinking and behaviour in personal and professional life. Mental illness includes depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviours.
Reports suggest elite athletes experience mental ill-health at a rate comparable to the general population in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and sleep disorders. We now acknowledge these superhumans – high-performance humans are also vulnerable to mental health issues.
Which makes me look inwards in the Marketing Advertising community. Just like #MeToo opened up flood gates. People shared their experiences.
Are we going to see people from Marketing and advertising now coming out with their experiences and issues? Personally, I doubt.
The industry has all the environment that could lead to mental health issues. It is high performance led. There is subjectivity. There is a swinging of fortunes in approval, appreciation, rejection and dejection. There are creative blocks that make people question their abilities. Then some push confidently even when they are way behind their benchmarks. Loss of business, shifting fortunes, impossibility to predict and control outcomes. The growth. The layoffs. The repeating iterations. The questions about capabilities, abilities and capacity of someone understanding the problem. Long working hours, no control on timelines and expected to be working beyond office hours add to the problem.
Like me, many of you must have seen cases of people that we never rightly labelled as mental health issues. Because no one wanted to accept such a problem. Theek ho jayega. You will overcome it. Let’s drink to it. ‘Come on. Burn out. Recharge. Are some of the stock solutions offered by colleagues.
I am not a doctor but, like every advertising marketing professional, an observer of life. And that makes me sure that sooner or later, we will be able to question behaviour and have a place for the proper counselling. Maybe the HR and the stakeholders in the industry could initiate a debate on it and think of possible policies to address it.
Campaign did a research survey on the subject. Which told us 71% feel that their organisations haven’t taken any concrete steps towards actively reducing workplace stress. Employees claim they haven’t been receiving considerate timelines and are even unable to sign off for the day post 6 or 7 PM. Additionally, they are dealing with the pressures of coming to the office and are expected to be available over weekends. Exchange4media did a story that told us that as an industry, we are opening up to it. Times Network-initiated #ActNow to spread awareness, normalise conversations around the issue and sensitise people to be responsive to the mental health needs of others. The business insider did a story on World Mental Health Day: How to address the challenges of overworking in an ad agency. Not enough. And we know the reality.
I may have spoken about the Marketing and Advertising Industry as I am a part of it. But I will not be surprised that it is an omnipresent problem. Police, sales, Manufacturing, Bureaucracy, and students are included in the list.
We need an ecosystem that does not treat it as a taboo subject. Time we are a lot more open and inclusive in our reaction and acceptance of the possibilities. Remember, It is OK, Not to be OK.
By Our Staff
GreatWhite Electricals has unveiled its new marketing campaign in association with actor Tiger Shroff.
On having Tiger Shroff as a brand ambassador for India, UAE and Africa, Hemang Shah, Managing Director, Greatwhite Global said: “It is great to have Tiger Shroff on board. He is young, dynamic and has a great future, his personality and values strongly resonate with the GreatWhite brand. We are looking forward to the association and are sure that his presence will take our brands to higher levels.”
By Our Staff
Actor Tiger Shroff is all set to don a new hat as brand ambassador for the franchise-based ESports Premier League. ESPL kicked off on June 16.
While talking about the association, ESPL Director Vishwalok Nath said: “One of the major goals for ESPL has been to reach out to every millennial and gamer in the country and our purpose of having Tiger Shroff onboard has been to create a much deeper connect and grow the gaming community. We hope this association will also further our initiative to intensify the mission of taking Esports to the next level in India.”
The matches will be streamed on OTT giant Disney+ Hotstar alongside official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak and its websites. To participate in the league, gaming enthusiasts and gamers can register themselves on www.indiatodaygaming.com/espl
By A Correspondent
Beverage major Pepsi has unveiled a new campaign featuring brand ambassadors Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani that celebrates friendship with swag.. Through this campaign, the brand has launched a new limited-edition friendship pack of 600 ml available at Rs 30.
Said Tarun Bhagat, Director – Marketing, Hydration and Cola, PepsiCo India: “Pepsi understands the pulse of the young generation and believes in creating campaigns that are most relatable to the youth. The new ad featuring Disha and Tiger reflects the confidence and irreverence that friends share between themselves. With the intent to celebrate the emotion of friendship, Pepsi has also launched a special pack that friends can enjoy together.”