ITV

Category: MAM

  • BBC Worldwide prepares for Brand Licensing Europe

    BBC Worldwide prepares for Brand Licensing Europe

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide is heading to Brand Licensing Europe next month with a portfolio of brands launching to the licensing community for the first time and returning shows.

    BBC Worldwide will also showcase products hitting the high street this Christmas.

    BBC Worldwide head of UK Licensing Richard Hollis says, “We’ve been a key part of BLE since its inception and this year we’re raring to go with a raft of new properties set for success. Some of the licensing programmes we’re looking to kick-start are well-established brands calling out for licensing treatment, others are fresh on the scene and we think have huge potential. And no BBC Worldwide stand would be complete without the return of the jewels in our portfolio – from Doctor Who through to In the Night Garden and Top Gear.”

    64 Zoo Lane is about a seven year-old girl named Lucy who lives at 64 Zoo Lane, next door to a Zoo. Each night she is told a story by the animals present there. Characters include Georgina the Giraffe, Nelson the Elephant, Tickles and Giggles the Monkeys, Boris the Bear and Molly the Hippopotamus.

    The Adventures of Abney & Teal is an animation show with a literary feel made entirely from hand-drawn and painted elements, with a contemporary yet handcrafted feel.

    Abney and Teal are two friends who live on an island in the middle of a lake, in the middle of a park, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the big city. They share their island home with a group of friendly and hilarious characters. And together they are always ready for adventure.

    The Adventures of Abney & Teal debuts on the children’s channel CBeebies on 26 September. BBC Worldwide will shortly be making announcements about the licensing plans for this new property.

    Baby Jake, meanwhile, is a cuddly and curious baby boy of 11 months who loves nothing more than being the centre of attention with his siblings. That’s when he’s not travelling to incredible lands, playing with amazing creatures and gurgling and goo-ing with his big brother Isaac. Heroic Jake has a life full of adventure and surprise in this pre-school series for two to five-year-olds.

    Baby Jake debuted on CBeebies earlier this year. Vivid is confirmed as the master toy licence for the property, Egmont will publish books and 2|entertain will release DVDs.

    Deadly 60 is a factual programme featuring wildlife presenter Steve Backshall’s quest to track down the world’s deadliest animals. In each series, he discovers 60 of the world’s deadliest species out in the wild.

    Deadly 60 brings the audience into the heart of the action, and brings a real sense of adventure and discovery to each sequence as Steve brings us close encounters with killers including tarantulas, sharks and vipers. Some use their weapons for defence, and some for attack, but whatever their size, these animals are truly deadly.

    BBC Worldwide has a full licensing programme under way for Deadly 60 and will make further announcements at the show.

    Doctor Who returns with the Doctor alongside newlyweds Amy and Rory, in a new season. Over 80 licensees have been appointed with new ranges for this year including construction toys, science toys, a powered ride-in Dalek, collector sculptures and wide ranges of new clothing designs for both adult fans and children. Over 3 million DVDs and 8 million action figures have sold to date and in November 2013 Doctor Who will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

  • Huawei Devices signs Chetan Bhagat as brand associate

    Huawei Devices signs Chetan Bhagat as brand associate

    MUMBAI: Huawei Devices has signed author Chetan Bhagat as brand associate for its smartphones and tablets category.

    The Chinese telecommunications company is all set to introduce its flagship range in India – an Android 3.2 powered tablet – Mediapad and Vision cloudphone – a smartphone based on cloud services.

    Under his association with Huawei, Bhagat an engineer from IIT, will support the launch of Huawei’s products ranging from smartphones to tablets and will also be a part of all digital, above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL) activities. His upcoming book Revolution 2020 will also be used to engage customers.

    Bhagat known for his youth oriented novels Five Point Someone (2004), One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of life (2008) and 2 states-the story of my marriage (2009) has also inspired Hindi films like 3 Idiots and Hello.

    Huawei Devices marketing and solutions director Anand Narang said, “Huawei’s latest range of Smartphones and tablets cater to the youth and we are positive that our association with Chetan Bhagat will help us engage youth in meaningful ways. Chetan is an innovator who has created an entirely new market in Indian publishing. And this aspect of his personality is in sync with Huawei which is an innovator with its focus on leading-edge technology and design.”

    Bhagat added, “As an engineer from IIT, I have always been very interested in technology and its applications. Telecom has been one of the fastest growing sectors in India and Huawei has played a big part in this growth. I have also discovered that it is rated as one of the most innovative companies in the world by many prestigious publications like the Economist. I am really looking forward to be associated with their latest range of Smartphones and Tablets.”

  • Leading broadcasters to gain as advertisers rejig spends: Vaz

    Leading broadcasters to gain as advertisers rejig spends: Vaz

    MUMBAI: Leading broadcasters will continue to post strong ad revenue growth while the long tail will be severely hurt as advertisers tend to consolidate their spends in a cautionary environment, said Star India president ad sales Kevin Vaz in an interview with Indiantelevision.com.


    The television sector will see a 13-15 per cent growth in ad revenue this fiscal while print will be pushed back in a slowing economy.


    “The ad market is not as buoyant as it was in January. We will not see a 20-25 per cent growth as was forecasted earlier. But the leaders in any genre will benefit as advertising monies get rejigged. The long tail will not find support from advertisers,” said Vaz.


    Star India, which has leader channels in most genres, has done more annual and network deals this year. “Our top 10 clients, for instance, have done deals stretching from a minimum of 12 months to 36 months. We will beat the trend and grow much faster than the industry. Being in leadership position has helped stitch long term deals,” averred Vaz.



    In an earlier interview, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd executive director revenue and niche channels Joy Chakraborthy had stated that advertisers were looking at shorter term and quarterly deals.


    The Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) genre, pegged at Rs 37-40 billion, will grow at 12-15 per cent this year. “Cricket is hit in a big way. GECs are on an upswing even as ad monies are moving away from cricket,” stated Vaz.


    The Hindi movie channel genre is set to grow at 15-20 per cent. “Star Gold will capitalise heavily as the channel is performing very well. We have cut the ad inventory time by 33 per cent to give it a Hindi GEC environment and ramped up our investment on movie acquisitions,” said Vaz.


    The news genre will continue to struggle this year. “With the resurgence of GECs, the news genre has stagnated for the last few years,” Vaz said.

  • Saatchi & Saatchi hires Hari Ganesh Desikan as senior planner

    Saatchi & Saatchi hires Hari Ganesh Desikan as senior planner

    MUMBAI:Saatchi & Saatchi India has appointed Hari Ganesh Desikan as senior planner at its Mumbai office. Desikan will be responsible for regional planning for Pampers as well as some other key brands.


    Talking about the appointment, Saatchi & Saatchi, Mumbai GM Nisha Singhania said, “With Hari joining the planning department in Saatchi Mumbai, we now have a truly fantastic team of planners with a diverse set of experiences and talent.”


    Desikan, an electronics and communications engineer, comes with a rich experience of over 10 years in marketing, brand management and advertising. Having started his career as a sales engineer for Siemens India, his passion for marketing & advertising drew him to Trigger Jeans. As a brand manager, he played a key role in scripting a revival of the brand‘s fortune.


    Stepping into the agency six years ago, Desikan has worked on multiple brands across categories. He has worked with some of the well-known names in the industry including Hakuhodo Percept, Ogilvy & Mather and TBWAIndia and serviced brands like CavinKare, Henkel, Panasonic and Odyssey among others. His last assignment was with a Chennai-based brand communications start-up – Gutfeel, as a co-founder and partner – strategy.

  • Sony’s magic run with Big B continues

    Sony’s magic run with Big B continues

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television‘s (SET) magic run with Amitabh Bachchan at the lead continues as it scales new heights, inching closer to the market leader Star Plus.

    Pumped up by the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Sony races to 271 GRPs, a new peak after a long gap. Star Plus stays ahead by just 21 GRPs and the gap between Sony and Colors widens as shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain gain ground.

    Sony had reached 270 GRPs more than a year back, but it was like a flash in the pan with the Aamir Khan movie 3 Idiots providing the spike. Sony had moved to an almost eight-year high as it grabbed 270 GRPs for the week ended 31 July 2010, gaining a mammoth 108 points from the trailing week, as 3 Idiots clocked an average TVR of 10.9.

    “We are now in a position to sustain our momentum. Our growth has come from a bunch of shows such as CID and Crime Patrol. KBC and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain no doubt spearheaded this movement. With Kuch To Log Kahenge launching on 3 October at 8 pm, we are looking at adding more GRPs,” said Sony Entertainment Television senior vice president and marketing head Danish Khan.

    KBC has become the top-rated show with the Thursday episode, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, amassing a staggering 6 TVR. The game show averaged 5.4 TVR and collected 65 GRPs during the week ended 17 September.

    Also aiding Sony‘s climb were shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain (average TVR of 4), CID and Crime Patrol.

    “3 Idiots had helped Sony catapult to 270 GRPs, with a 108 GRP jump from the preceding week. So the fall was equally dramatic. Now the rise is more steady as Sony has seen a 28 GRP gain from the trailing week,” a media analyst said.

    Star Plus has shed 15 GRPs to collect 292 GRPs for the week ended 17 September, according to TAM data for the Hindi speaking markets (HSM).Colors descended to 219 points vis-?-vis 233 points it garnered in the previous week.

    Zee TV added three points to end the week with 184 GRPs. At number five, Sab stood tight with 124 points as against its last week‘s score of 112.

    Imagine TV rose to 75 GRPs, gaining seven points over the preceding week.

  • British Airways is launching brand campaign to back ?5bn investment

    British Airways is launching brand campaign to back ?5bn investment

    MUMBAI: British Airways is launching its biggest brand advertising campaign for a decade to coincide with a five-year programme of investment for the benefit of customers.


    The campaign, on TV, in newspapers and online, showcases the airline‘s heritage and highlights the characteristics that make British Airways special: decades of flying know-how, thoughtful service and British style.


    By placing new emphasis on its historic motto, To Fly. To Serve. , the airline is restating its resolve to put the customer at the heart of everything it does.



    Beyond the brand advertising, the airline has committed to spend more than ?5 billion on customer products and services over the next five years.


    The investment will see British Airways customers benefiting from new aircraft, new World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins, a revamped First class, significant improvements at Gatwick and better lounges around the airline‘s network.


    Funds will also be allocated to improved catering and new technologies to make the travel experience more comfortable and convenient for customers on the ground and in the air.


    British Airways‘ CEO Keith Williams said, “The motto To Fly. To Serve. is part of the DNA of British Airways. It is on our coat of arms, and it is worn in crew uniforms. And it has real meaning and resonance for today. It encapsulates our expertise for flying and our commitment to customer service. It describes our purpose. “


    The 90-second ad has launched today on the airline‘s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/britishairways, following an online ‘teaser‘ campaign over the last few weeks.


    This is the first time the airline has used social media to premiere an advert. Its television debut will take place on UK broadcaster Channel 4 during Grand Designs‘ first commercial break.


    The TV ad will run alongside a print campaign, highlighting the experience, expertise and care for customers shown by teams across the airline every day.

  • Blackpencil India bags creative & strategy account of Viva

    Blackpencil India bags creative & strategy account of Viva

    MUMBAI: Viva-Your Family Chemist, a brand of Surya Healthcare, has given Blackpencil India (the latest agency from the Leo Burnett group worldwide) to handle its creative and strategy account.


    In a multi-contested pitch, the process saw participation of agencies like McCann Healthcare and others.


    Said Surya Healthcare Ltd, AGM – Marketing and Branding, Sameer Poddar, “With Blackpencil we found not just a willingness to go beyond the ordinary but also a good strategic understanding of what we are seeking to do.”


    Since the pharmacy market in India is highly fragmented with over 1,000,000 family-owned, small sized chemists and druggists operating across the country, the company has entered the organised segment and seeks to create a unique brand space for Viva in the consumer mind space.


    Averred Blackpencil India Executive Director Samarjit Choudhry, “”It is great to be associated with Viva Retail and Healthcare. We are looking forward to partnering with them and pioneering great work in this space.”


    Viva – Your Family Chemist, a brand of Surya Healthcare Ltd., is a growing retail pharmacy chain in India, with more than 230 outlets, offering a comprehensive range of genuine medicines, healthcare and preventive products.

  • Everest annexes creative duties of Ranbaxy’s Volini brand

    Everest annexes creative duties of Ranbaxy’s Volini brand

    MUMBAI: Everest has lapped up the creative duties of Ranbaxy Laboratories’ Volini portfolio.


    The other seven agencies that participated in the pitch include DDB Mudra, Law & Kenneth and Saatchi & Saatchi.


    Ranbaxy Laboratories Global Consumer Healthcare vice president Brijesh Kapil said, “Volini is the fastest growing OTC star brand expanding through extensions and is today a role model on how Rx to OTC switch should be done. On account of the expanding work, it was mandated that a fresh look at brand strategy be done to do justice to all the extensions planned for the category.”


    Talking of the reasons that went into selecting Everest, Kapil said, “Amongst the pitching agencies, we chose Everest because it performed the best and could really deliver on leveraging Volini’s legacy and positioning to an appropriate differentiating extension.”


    Commenting on the win, Everest Brand Solutions President Dhunji Wadia said, “We are delighted to be the agency of choice for Volini. Both client and agency share the same passion for the brand. We look forward to taking the brand to greater heights.”

  • Dettol Handwash in new packs

    Dettol Handwash in new packs

    MUMBAI: Reckitt Benckiser has launched Dettol Liquid Handwash in new packs.

    The range that claims to give effective protection against a wide range of unseen germs daily will now be available in an all new and easy to hold shape, new fragrances and new packaging.

    Dettol Liquid Handwash has four variants including Dettol Skincare, Dettol Fresh, Dettol Sensitive and Dettol Original which comes with new formulations.

    All the four variants are available in pump packs of 250ml and / or 135ml. The new handwash bottles come with a wider pump for easier use and a wider mouth for easier refill. The refill packs are also available in 185ml and 900ml.

    Reckitt Benckiser India chairman MD Chander Mohan Sethi said, “Our new Dettol Liquid Handwash bottles with wider pumps are in line with Dettol‘s primary focus of providing germ protection. Dettol, our flagship brand is India‘s most trusted brands and is considered as the gold standard for protection against germs and infections.”

  • TNS launches online reputation solution in India

    MUMBAI: Custom research company, TNS, has launched its TRI*M Digital Reputation Manager, designed to assist companies in understanding the drivers of reputation in a digital environment and also tailor their communications approach to protect and strengthen their corporate brand.


    TRI*M Digital Reputation Manager claims to identify the exact drivers of digital reputation for an organisation and makes precise recommendations of actions that will support long-term growth.


    Stakeholder management global director Peter Pirner said, “We developed TRI*M Digital Reputation Manager to help companies cut through the noise of online conversations to understand the exact topics and engagement strategies that really will support business objectives.”


    TNS India SVP Parijat Chakraborty added, “The challenge of measuring and managing online buzz is equally high for global or local brands. With this new introduction from TNS, the industry now has a solid reliable system to monitor, measure and manage the online buzz around a brand or company.”