ITV

Category: Brands

  • Aamir Khan becomes Vivo Pakistan’s official brand ambassador

    Aamir Khan becomes Vivo Pakistan’s official brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Chinese handset manufacturer Vivo Mobiles recently ended its contract with Bollywoood actor Ranveer Singh and appointed Aamir Khan as its new India brand ambassador. 

    Interestingly Khan has also been named as Vivo Pakistan’s brand ambassador, becoming the company’s first to hold the title in India’s neighbouring country. Although the company did leverage Singh for promotions and TVCs in Pakistan, he was never the official brand ambassador there. 

    The association is in line with Vivo’s recent launch of its new handset model, V9. The product has already launched in Thailand, Malaysia and India and is scheduled to go live in Pakistan sometime in April.

    The company is likely to use the same campaigns in Pakistan as in India but will have a stronger digital and television push for marketing the new product. 

    Khan’s popularity in the Pakistani market could help the brand in creating a deeper personal connect with consumers in the country as he is widely acclaimed and followed. His recent movies like Daangal, 3 Idiots and Secret Superstar worked magic which even Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Ranveer Singh could not manage. Surprisingly he is also a name to reckon with in Vivo’s home country of China where Dangal was a hit and helped the movie hit a collection of Rs 300 crore worldwide.

    Vivo has always maintained that after China and Thailand, India is where it sees green.

    In 2017, Vivo officially entered the Pakistani mobile phone market with its model Vivo V7 Plus and currently it is one of the fastest growing smartphone brands in the country. The company invested a start-up capital of $30 million in 2017 to boost the distribution and marketing and today competes directly with other Chinese mobile brands including Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei in the Pakistani market.

  • Bajaj V’s new film paid homage to soldiers this Martyrs’ Day

    Bajaj V’s new film paid homage to soldiers this Martyrs’ Day

    MUMBAI: Bajaj V, the bike forged with the invincible metal of INS Vikrant launched the ‘Postcards of Pride’ film under its famous ‘Invincible Indians’ series.

    Through the film, Bajaj V asked all Indians to spare a moment to remember our martyrs who laid down their lives in military combat since 1947. It urged them to respect our martyrs’ memories, by lighting a candle outside their own homes at 8 pm on 23 March – Martyrs’ Day.

    22,000 of our soldiers have sacrificed their lives to protect our lands and borders, till date. Over the course of time, we as a nation, tend to move on with our grief of losing our brave men. One man, however, decided to honour our martyrs and their families’ great sacrifices. The campaign captures the story of Jitendra Singh Gurjar, a Surat-based security guard who has been writing postcards to martyrs’ families for the last 19 years. Till date, he has written letters to 4000 families. Through the film, Bajaj V conveyed a message of all Indians to come together on Martyrs’ Day at the same time to pay a tribute to our soldiers.

    Bajaj Auto vice president of marketing (Motorcycles) Sumeet Narang says, “Bajaj V has created invincible Indians, a platform to showcase the stories of solid Indians who, by their resolve and determination, performed extraordinary acts for our society. We feel that like Medicine Baba, Ambulance Dada and others, Jitendra Singh Gurjar is also a true invincible Indian and hope that his story will inspire millions of Indians to do their bit to pay tribute to our martyrs.”

    Leo Burnett South Asia chief creative officer Rajdeepak Das adds, “As humans, we are prone to grieve about something momentarily if it is far removed from our own lives. We fail to internalise that even a single martyr’s death is our collective misfortune; it is an eventuality that happened only to keep us safe. Bajaj V and Leo Burnett India wanted people to honour our soldiers’ memories and say a silent thanks to them on Martyrs’ Day. We may never become Jitendra Gurjar ourselves, but we can definitely try. The brand has done a brilliant job of paying homage to our forgotten heroes, and I’m sure this humankind idea will urge Indians to light a candle outside their homes on 23 March.”

  • Vivo launches V9 with Aamir Khan

    Vivo launches V9 with Aamir Khan

    MUMBAI: Handset maker Vivo, has launched Vivo V9, its first flagship smartphone in India with the brand’s new India ambassador Aamir Khan. The phone is designed for the millennials who seek the best smartphone experience.

    Priced in the mid-level segment of Rs 22,990, the smartphone will be available across all offline stores from 2nd April, 2018and can be pre-booked in all retail stores, on Vivo E-store, Flipkart, Amazon and Paytm Mall.

    The company has launched 3 campaigns to promote the product with Aamir Khan. Conceptualised by media agency Ogilvy, the tv campaigns will air across all leading channels. The company will also roll out bumper ads on digital about the product. V9 will be promoted through an extensive 360-degree marketing campaign which will include television, digital, OOH and on-ground activations.

    The device will be available for pre-booking from 23rd March with attractive offers across all offline stores in India and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall and Vivo’s official e-store (http://shop.vivo.com/in/).

    Customers who book the phone online through Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall and Vivo’s official E-store from 23rd  March to 2nd April 2018are eligible for one-time screen replacement for V9, in case of any accidental damage to the display. Additionally, consumers can avail a discount of Rs 2000 if the smartphone is bought under an exchange policy. For customers buying the phone on EMI, the partner e-commerce platform will offer no-cost EMI for up to 12 months.

    The smartphone sports dual rear camera of 16MP + 5MP, features such as 19:9 FullView display 2.0 and the industry’s highest screen-to-body ratio of 90 per cent, beating iPhone X which has a screen-to-body ratio of 81.49 per cent.

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    Vivo India CEO Kent Cheng says, “With the class-leading design and camera capabilities of Vivo V9, we have once again delivered a product that is high on innovation and quality. We are confident that our latest flagship will set new benchmarks in the smartphone industry and further solidify our leadership position in the market.”

    Chinese mobile brand Vivo entered India in late 2014. With a strong focus on camera and music, Vivo has established itself as one of the top smartphone brands in India.

    With a manufacturing unit in Greater Noida, the company has a robust distribution network across the country both online and offline, catering to over 400 cities, in 22 states backed by 400 service centres in India.

    A youth brand, Vivo became the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League for 2016 and 2017 and recently bagged the title sponsorship for the next five years. It is also the title sponsor of Pro Kabaddi for five years since 2017 and is the official sponsor of 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

  • Mahindra First Choice Services gets you to service your own car

    Mahindra First Choice Services gets you to service your own car

    MUMBAI: Mahindra First Choice Services (MFC Services), a chain of multi-brand car service workshops, and part of the $19 billion Mahindra Group, has launched a unique initiative, A Date with your Car.

    This one-of-a-kind experience will give car owners an opportunity to service their cars themselves. The idea behind the initiative is to give customers a hands-on experience of their cars under the guidance of MFCS technicians and to empower them with the information they need when making car-servicing decisions in the future.

    Mahindra First Choice Services CEO YVS Vijay Kumar says, “Being a car enthusiast is all about feeling a connection with your car. The aim behind this initiative is to encourage car owners to come and service their cars themselves under MFCS’s guidance. With our skilled technicians, genuine MFC spare parts and state-of-the-art equipment, we are committed to delivering the best car service. This initiative is also an endeavour to educate and empower our customers and is yet another step in our mission to build trust and transparency in the highly fragmented and unorganised car service industry.”

    The car owners can come to the workshop on an appointed day and service the car themselves. Throughout the session, trained MFCS crew will be available for consultation and help customers fix their car. Customers will also get access to all the tools and equipment needed for undertaking the service job under MFCS guidance and no labour cost will be charged. This program will only undertake regular and basic work. 

    To participate in this exclusive appointment-based activity customers can log on to www.mahindrafirstchoiceservices.com for registration.

    With over 340 workshops across 24 states, MFC Services is steadily marching towards its vision to be amongst the top three service providers for out of warranty cars by 2018. The company is constantly enhancing the customer experience through digitisation and has launched Carworkz, a car servicing workshop aggregator. 

    It is also exploring partnerships with insurance companies and fleet operators to increase the inflow of customers into franchisee workshops. It aims to grow its network to 1000 workshops across the country.

    The company also provides cashless insurance facility with leading insurance companies and a convenient booking service for customers.

  • Xiaomi partners TVF to promote latest TV range

    Xiaomi partners TVF to promote latest TV range

    MUMBAI: Xiaomi and The Viral Fever (TVF) have announced a strategic partnership for the recently launched Mi LED TV 4, Mi LED TV 4A 3 inches and Mi LED TV 4A 32 inches from the brand Xiaomi.

    Under that, TVF’s library of videos and web-series will be available across all Mi TVs, bringing TVF’s unique proposition of short, medium and long-form original content to the brand new smart TV.

    As part of the offering, to promote the Mi LED TV 4, TVF has released the latest episode of its widely-loved and longest running title, Tech Conversations with Dad – a show about exasperated youngsters explaining the nuances of technology to their clueless and curious fathers. Internet favourites, Amol Parashar and veteran thespian, Kumud Mishra, who were last seen as father and son in TVF’s superhit web series – Tripling in 2016, will be seen in the first video of 2018, with more in the pipeline. Amol’s character – Chitvan – was brought in, on popular demand, in the series that usually features Jitendra Kumar and Gajraj Rao.

    TVF COO Karan Chaudhry believes that digital content is making new inroads into the audiences’ lives, and Xiaomi’s new offering is truly disruptive for the Indian market. “We are excited to be among the first partners for MiTV4 and look forward to our audience enjoying TVF shows on MiTV4. To deepen our partnership, we have created a special episode of our popular series Tech Conversations with Dad in association with Xiaomi. We are sure our audience will love it. We wish Xiaomi great success in this new endeavour,” he says.

    Xiaomi India product manager of MiTV Sudeep Sahu adds, “TVF has been synonymous with groundbreaking content for the digital medium and we are extremely proud to have brought them on-board with their high quality immersive content offerings for all our Mi Fans. We hope to build great properties together. Mi LED TV offers over 500,000 hours of content and TVF is a very important partner, sharing brand philosophies similar to Xiaomi in terms of disrupting industries.”

    In a game-changing move recently, Xiaomi launched the new Mi LED TV 4, armed with native apps powering the world’s thinnest LED TV. The Viral Fever’s TVFPlay is among the select few that will feature on the TV, making Xiaomi the largest content aggregator library in India. The content offerings now pan out to all three Mi TV’s.

  • Gulf Oil signs Hardik Pandya as ambassador

    Gulf Oil signs Hardik Pandya as ambassador

    MUMBAI: Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited (GOLIL), a Hinduja Group Company, has signed Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya as its brand ambassador for the company’s new business initiatives and lubricants. Pandya joins cricketing legend MS Dhoni, who has been associated with the company since 2011 as its brand ambassador.

    Gulf Oil managing director Ravi Chawla says, “On behalf of Gulf, we welcome Hardik Pandya. A youth icon who personifies Gulf’s strong sporting heritage, his commitment to outperform is akin to our brand ideals of quality, endurance and passion. Our association with Hardik would further enhance our engagement with the sport of cricket as well as the millions of fans and consumers across the country.”

    Pandya adds, “I am excited to be associated with Gulf Oil. It is a global brand recognised for its high-performance products. I look forward to our journey together.”

    Gulf Oil Lubricants is the fastest growing lubricant player in India, consistently outperforming the industry growth rate. The company is a pioneer in the long-drain interval technology and has significant OEM partnerships with top Indian and global manufacturers. In India, Gulf is associated with cricket and motorsports. Internationally, the brand is associated with motorsports and is the global partner of Manchester United football club.

  • Aamir Khan becomes Vivo India’s new face

    Aamir Khan becomes Vivo India’s new face

    MUMBAI: After ending a two-year contract with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo has found its new brand ambassador in Aamir Khan. The eminent actor has been signed for Vivo’s future brand and product communication initiatives of Vivo India.

    Capturing the essence of brand Vivo, Aamir Khan will soon be seen in a full-fledged marketing campaign around the upcoming products and will feature in a new television commercial.

    The company is said to launch its new mobile handset V9 on 23 March which will feature the actor in its campaign.

    Vivo India CMO Kenny Zeng says, “We are thrilled about the possibilities that our partnership with one of the world’s biggest superstars, Aamir Khan, will open up for Vivo in India. He mirrors the values of versatility, perfection and innovation that we steadfastly follow at Vivo. This new association will enable us to explore newer avenues to reach our customers as we script our future growth strategy in India.”

    Commenting on his association, Aamir Khan adds, “Vivo as a brand embodies the spirit of innovation and meaningful disruption. Over the years, the brand has been constantly pushing the boundaries of smartphone technology as we know it today to provide consumers with an enhanced mobility experience. I am enthused to be a part of Vivo’s transformative journey in India.”

    Over the last few years, Vivo has established an extensive retail presence to provide varied choices to consumers across the length and breadth of the country. Additionally, it has also launched an e-store and experience centre to provide phenomenal experience to its valued customers. With sports as a key focus for brand building, Vivo has invested heavily to associate with popular platforms such as IPL and Pro Kabaddi League.

  • PointNine Lintas forays into mar-tech via Probitec

    PointNine Lintas forays into mar-tech via Probitec

    MUMBAI: Omnichannel agency PointNine Lintas has announced its foray into marketing techbologe (mar-tech) and launched the beta version of its first product, Probitec Deemed as the world’s first technology platform for activation management, Probitec is an end-to-end solution for executing and monitoring on-ground programs for consumer engagement.

    Announcing the go-live, PointNine Lintas CEO Vikas Mehta says,  “A few years ago, we saw the wave of ad-tech sweeping the advertising business. The action is now shifting towards (mar-tech), and we’re really excited about the possibilities it presents for innovations and inventions. Until now, agencies have primarily viewed their business model as ‘service providers’. At PointNine Lintas, we are committed to an equally strong focus on developing products that can add value to the marketing ecosystem. Probitec is a fine example of that, because it offers a platformic solution to a decades-old problem of transparency in the activation business.”

    LinEngage, the consumer engagement division of PointNine Lintas, has led the product development of Probitec in collaboration with technology partner, TalentBridge Technologies – a Bangalore based technology firm.

    Served as a mobile app, Probitec is a unified platform where field staff, activation agencies and clients can access relevant modules to collaborate, train, manage and monitor assignments simultaneously across multiple geographies around the country.

    The app helps in talent assessment and hiring for field staff including promoters, training through interactive sessions and multimedia materials for execution, geo-location tracking of on ground initiatives including live audio-video streaming, real-time monitoring and a live dashboard reporting for clients and data capture and database integration for the entire activity. 

    PointNine Lintas national director of consumer engagement Sriharsh Grandhe adds, “Clients have echoed how there is very little control on an activation program once it goes live. Technology can aid in improving monitoring and measurability of activation programs that gives better control and greatly improve its performance and effectiveness. Probitec has been designed to achieve this by mimicking a typical activation program workflow with the aim to improve management of activation projects. This can be more effective for the larger and complex projects.”

    Probitec derives its name from ‘probity’ (Latin origin ‘probus’), which means adherence to the highest principles and ideals. It aims to set a new standard in transparency for the activation business, while making the entire process more collaborative and efficient. The development cycle for Probitec lasted about 15 months including rigorous testing. User testing in live environments has been carried out in over 125 towns and villages spanning five states. The beta version continues to be tested for further enhancements, and is currently live in 200 villages in the state of Tamil Nadu.

    Early assignments include brands for an auto-lubricant major, a leading foods company, an entertainment network amongst others. PointNine Lintas is in talks with several large activation clients to create custom-builds of Probitec for enterprise level integrations.

  • Girnar tea partners with Ajay Devgan for ‘Raid’

    Girnar tea partners with Ajay Devgan for ‘Raid’

    MUMBAI: Girnar Food and Beverages has joined hands with Ajay Devgn starrer upcoming Bollywood film Raid. Leading film marketing and brand alliance agency, Blue Bang Media & Entertainment clinched the plum deal bridging brand Girnar Tea and mass entertainer Raid.

    Girnar Tea, a brand which started its journey four decades ago, now holds the reputation of being one of India’s finest tea brands, with a respectable name among tea connoisseurs across the globe. Its prime ethos rests on a yearning to promote and offer world class teas to its customers fuelled by a passion for excellence.

    The deal entails a co-branded TV commercial that has been created to seamlessly merge the brand with the film, featuring the lead star of the film Ajay Devgn. The salient features of the brand inherently align itself to the central character of ‘Raid’ played by Ajay Devgn hence the association fructified. The TV spot spans over 20 seconds and will play out across leading media platforms.

    Girnar Tea director Viduit Shah says, “An excellent fit between our brand and the character played by the star of the film Ajay Devgn in Raid attracted us towards the tie-up. Our TG of kadak-chai lovers look up to Ajay Devgn as a symbol of toughness and principles as portrayed in the film. Also, it was a great opportunity to reach our core target audience by aligning our brand with an entertainment platform.”

    Blue Bang Media & Entertainment MD and CEO Vinay Punjabi adds, “The key objective for the brand Girnar was to engage with their core TG which is tea lovers through an entertainment platform that reaches out to a large audience base of similar demographics and psychological profiling. By associating with the Hindi feature film, Raid, Girnar Tea accomplishes its objective of connecting with its core TG through an entertainment platform that echoes the salient features of the brand.”

    Raid is a thriller film produced by T-Series and Panorama Pictures, starring Ajay Devgn, Ileana DCruz and Saurabh Shukla in lead roles.

  • Indian ridesharing app Ola begins operations in Sydney

    Indian ridesharing app Ola begins operations in Sydney

    MUMBAI: Following a successful launch in Perth, Indian ridesharing platform Ola has announced the official launch of its operations in Sydney, and has hired a local team to build partnerships and support driver-partners.

    Sydney riders can experience the new service at an introductory offer for free rides from today where customers can download the Ola app from the Android or Apple App store, register for an Ola account and begin booking rides. Rides can also be booked to and from Sydney Airport, for drop off and pick up in the designated ridesharing area.

    Ola’s focus is on investing in driver-partners and supporting them with new technology, training, and ways to increase earnings. Since its launch in Perth, the service has received a strong response from driver-partners with over 7000 registrations. By enabling driver-partners to provide the best experience possible, customers, in turn, will have a high-quality ride at an affordable price.

    Excited to officially start operating on the east coast with the launch in Sydney, Ola vice president, head of international Chandra Nath says the company is pleased with how the service has been received by customers, driver-partners and the community in Perth, and can’t wait to continue building on these experiences and learnings for their second city launch.

    In the coming weeks, Ola will continue to roll out a number of new initiatives for both customers and driver-partners. For customers, the company will provide new promotions, clear ways to share feedback, and a higher-quality ride, while for driver-partners; Ola will introduce new earnings programs, community town-halls, fuel offers and other vehicle services.