MxMIndia

Tag: Viral Pandya

  • Has the advertising industry become so blase that scams no longer have the power to shock? MxMIndia cuts to the chase

    Scam and scandal in the family

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    Goafest is over but the controversies that surrounded it will take a while to die down. The last month or two saw a lot happening in the advertising industry in the country – first, Ogilvy not participating in Creative Abby because it didnt ‘energise’ them enough, then the whole JWT-Ford fiasco with high-profile exits, and the latest being Leo Burnett withdrawing two of their award-winning entries.

     

    Scams have been around and are almost a given every year, or so it seems. Hardly anyone seems shocked, though the end result is a bad name for the advertising industry. Is it a fact that scandal is part and parcel of the ad game? Should we shrug and get on with things, or can something be done, asks MxMIndia.

     

    Priti Nair, Director, Curry Nation

    It’s not just here but scams and controversies are part and parcel of award shows all across the globe. According to me, unless certain rules are changed nothing can be done to avoid them. Also, shows should treat the creative awards just like fashion shows wherein we recognize and applaud creativity. The whole thing of it being published before has to gotten rid of. It is indeed sad when such things happen, but the worst part is that it sometimes leads to bad blood among the industry and finger-pointing starts. The awards are meant to showcase creativity and the focus should be only that!

     

     

    Viral Pandya, CCO, Out of the Box

    There are pros and cons to scam ads, or rather two ways of looking at the issue.

     

    First the cons. A lot of clients are not evolved, and let us accept it, reluctant to buy edgy work. Therefore quite a few agency creatives, particularly the junior lot, are frustrated. So sitting in one quiet corner of the office, they get their jollies by churning out scam. The process gives them release, but in the bargain they don’t get to learn how to understand a brief, how to sell one’s work to the client, or even how to do effective advertising.

     

    As the adage goes, bad currency drives out good currency. Likewise, scam ads are chasing away good, real ads. If only agencies put as much time, money and resources behind genuine work! What is unfortunate is that today there are clients, particularly those possessed with the entrepreneurial spirit, who demand great work. This is not to forget that agencies like Taproot and Ogilvy do sterling work on regular clients, but they are an exception rather than the rule.

     

    Now for the pros. Proactive work created for awards pushes the envelope and celebrates ideas. Often you come across work so brilliant that you don’t give a damn whether it’s scam. And the ads specially created for award shows do win us metals globally and bring us glory. Personally I can understand and relate to the urge to prove to the world that we in India are second to none in the creative race. Only, I wish that instead of pulling each other down, we could support and promote each other and present a united front to the world.

     

    So where does that leave us?

    Here’s my solution. At GoaFest, let us award real work, and by real work I don’t mean work that meets the legal definition of released work, but ads that agencies can put their hand on their heart and say are genuine. Let us also have a category for proactive work which celebrates creativity and ideas, but does not split hairs about how genuine it is. And let us ensure that there is a clear distinction between the two. That way we eliminate the unfair competition between genuine ads and proactive ads. And everybody wins.

     

    Nisha Singhania, Co-founder and Director, Infectious

    Scams have been part and parcel of the industry for quite some time now, but the series of events which have happened in past couple of weeks will surely make everyone more careful. Also, I think as a whole the industry needs to take a call about how they can pit and end to this. After all, the feeling of winning an award of something genuine is far more than on a scam ad.

     

     

     

    Dhunji Wadia, President, Everest Brand Solutions

    It is difficult to justify something that is wrong. The Ford controversy was covered in world media including some of the biggest news channels. We got our 30 seconds of fame globally but for all the wrong reasons. The controversy has made us a laughing stock throughout the world. I guess today there is pressure on agencies to win at award shows. Questions that come to mind are -‘How far would you want to go?’ and ‘Would you want to sell your soul for this?’ If you want to make a Faustian bargain, then learn to deal with the consequences too.

     

    Today, there is a lot of talk of having a separate category for this kind of work. But I think that is just side-stepping the issue. The persons wanting to win will want the real McCoy. They are not going to settle for anything less. Instead the auditing companies can have a larger role here. All major award forums have auditors for this very purpose. Henceforth, it should not be enough for clients to merely endorse the work that is sent for award forums. They should also have paid for it and the work should be part of their marketing plan. I am sure the auditing companies would have dealt with much more complex issues. This verification should be a piece of cake for them.

     

  • In our 'Getting Personal' series, senior mediapersons tell us how they unwind. This month it's Viral Pandya, Chief Creative Officer at Out of the Box

    Personally Speaking | How I Unwind: Viral Pandya

    Viral Pandya

    By Viral Pandya

     

    How do I unwind? Well, I have a little different take on that. I’d say I am always unwinding. With my work, without it, before it, after it – relishing every moment.

     

    Still, here are a few things that I do to wind down.

     

    Work/play: As I said earlier, work for me is the best form of rejuvenation. Every new brief or challenge allows me to play with myself. It titillates me, arouses different emotions, and brings out a million hues onto my mind’s canvas.

     

    Kidding around with my kid: I surrender myself completely to the little brat of mine. It is almost impossible to catch up to him. Instead, I sit on the pillion and let him take me on a whirlwind ride. I love to see the world through his eyes, where nothing is ordinary, and everything is surreal.

     

    Time with my team:  I love to work with my team. And even more so, when we don’t.  To have nice little interactions, to joke around with each other, and to fight when needed – all these things transform work pressure into pleasure. Truly, we all are family, and the workplace is an everyday picnic spot.

     

    Observe and absorb: Well, I can sit idle for hours just to observe things around me. For me, it works as a fuel. The madness in the streets, the stillness in the garden, the little birdie at the windowpane… Seriously, what can be more relaxing and energizing than absorbing from nature?

     

    Mingle with Single Malt: It’s one love affair that always keeps my spirits high. For me, a perfect end to a day begins with golden water poured onto ice rocks. Smooth rapture, indeed!

     

    Become Unwindofix: I am crazy about Asterix comics, too. Not only are they fun, and a delight to read, they also remind me that we are the free-spirited Gauls up against the mighty Roman Empire. Only, in our case the magic potion is passion.

     

    As part of MxM  Weekend’s ‘Getting Personal’ series, we bring you first person accounts by senior industrypersons on how they unwind. ‘How I Unwind’ appears on the fourth Friday of every month

     

    Coordinated by Meghna Sharma

     

  • When bigger agencies win, their folks celebrate. And when we win, the world celebrates. Enjoy being small yet lethal, and let your work score BIG, says Viral Pandya

    The Anchor: Viral Pandya on 5 ways how a small ad agency can beat the biggies

    By Viral Pandya

     

    1. Shut up and work!

    Believe me, it really helps. While in bigger agencies, people spend more time in excruciatingly painful meetings, churning out bigger strategies and smallest of ideas, you can sneak your way through by working on insights and simplicity.

     

    2. More is less!

    Remember it is never about how many pieces of work you bring to the table. And how many bucks you spend. Rather it is about coming up with a single piece of work that can do wonders for a brand, and of course for you too.

     

    3. All it takes is an idea!

    People will only remember you for your last work. So it does not matter whether you are small or big. Come up with ideas that excite the hell out of people. A great work will never get unnoticed. The same way, a bad piece of work will never get unnoticed, especially when coming from the bigger agencies. Isn’t it a win-win situation for tiny little us!

     

    4. Love your clients!

    As if they are the most important people in your life. Never forget that they have taken a great risk in you. They have given you an opportunity to prove your mettle. Don’t break their trust. Thrill them with great work. Take our instance; we share a great camaraderie with our client. We have enough and more freedom to work ingeniously. And together we believe in creating work that works. It is absolutely no surprise seeing our clients grow multifold. And that’s the reason we are winning international awards on our regular brand work, year after year. We always take our clients to each and every award show, and let them receive the awards. For us, looking at their faces glowing with pride is actually far bigger than the award itself.

     

    5. Let’s win!

    For us, it is nothing but Guerrilla warfare. When you are small you work as a tribe. A strong combative unit. You are not afraid to lose. You are like Spartans taking on the might of big. Lead from the front. Take your team forward, and the glory shall be yours. People love to support the underdogs. Nobody expects anything from you. When bigger agencies win, their folks celebrate. And when we win, the world celebrates. Enjoy being small yet lethal, and let your work score BIG.

     

    Viral Pandya is Chief Creative Officer at Out of the Box.

     

  • Prathap Suthan announced on Monday that he is branching out from iYogi to float 'Bang in the Middle' as an independent agency

    Out with a Bang! Prathap Suthan, Naresh Gupta etc launch new agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prathap Suthan
    Naresh Gupta
    Viral Pandya
    Manoj Deb
    Sabu Paul

    It was one of the biggest news to have hit adland in March 2011 when Cheil Worldwide’s NCD Prathap Suthan quit his agency to join lesser-known direct-to-consumer remote tech support company iYogi as its Chief Creative Officer. It was seen as an unexpected move by the creative maverick who was responsible for creating some startling work for Cheil Worldwide in India. But after lying low-profile with its activities and having stayed away from the advertising glitz and glam for most part, Suthan (or Pat, as he is affectionately called) made an interesting announcement on Monday when he announced branching out from iYogi to float ‘Bang in the Middle’ as an independent agency.

     

    Started in early 2011, the division headed by Prathap Suthan was set up as the in-house branding, advertising and communication team at iYogi. The unit managed campaigns for the company, primarily leveraging digital media across North America, the United Kingdom, Middle East and Australia. After 12 months, and over 20 campaigns later, iYogi’s in-house agency is ready to step out and offer its services to a wider set of brands. The agency will now offer expertise in brand advisory, communication design and advertising to Indian and global corporations.

     

    To be based out of Gurgaon, the team line-up includes some of the best names in the business including Prathap Suthan, Naresh Gupta, Viral Pandya, Manoj Deb, and Sabu Paul. Speaking about the team, Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, said: “All the existing employees who worked in the branding department of iYogi are the founding members of BITM. Prathap is a creative leader of outstanding pedigree. I, myself, have worked for a spectrum of clients. Viral Pandya is a celebrated designer who has won every possible international accolade and Manoj Deb is a celebrated art director. Between the four of us we have over 100 years of experience across geographies. The team we have right now is the best that is in the business.”

     

    When asked on the funding pattern being adopted by the company, Gupta said: “There is an external investor who is helping us make the unit operate independently. Our approach is to marry the strengths of new media with the traditional roles of mass media. We have an industry tested model of working and we have real life experience of making it work for the brands.”

     

    In a statement to MxM India, Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, said: “Despite an overcrowded communication services market, India needs a new kind of communication agency. India is booming with opportunity. Increasingly Indian brands are spreading their wings to global opportunities and new age businesses are coming up all over the country bustling with enterprise, ambition and opportunity. There is an increasingly younger nation out there with global ambitions and enterprises are demanding better communication solutions.”

     

    On his decision to branch out from iYogi, he said: “Organized advertising is getting weaker and getting scattered across many areas, giving rise to independent agencies. We believe that Bang in the Middle comes with the right experience to exploit that opportunity.”

     

    The agency’s services span across brand advisory and campaign design and advertising across platforms and customer touch-points. Bang in the Middle will assist brands in establishing a deeper engagement with customers by creating an ecosystem from visual language to design guidelines and interaction across mediums. It will also assist brands create holistic communications approaches that will reduce dependency on traditional media and leverage digital to gain market share.

     

    As of now, the company just has a single client to boast of but are said to be in advanced talks with a few clients already. But that really may not be an issue for BITM, who have some experienced team that have bagged big clients in the past. What will now matter for the agency is to be seen as a new and small creative force to be reckoned with. Asserts Gupta: “We believe the age of independents is here. The biggest thing going for them is flat structure, focused delivery and hands-on experience of senior people.”

     

    That seems to be an assurance high on confidence and competency too. Given the run that small independents are having at the awards, a new addition will only make life for other agencies, especially the biggies, a tad more challenging. Only time will tell if BITM has it in them to challenge leadership norm and emerge a superior agency in the future.