Category: MAM

MUMBAI: 63336 (formerly known as AQA 63336), a UK-based text question and answer service, is set to launch a Christmas marketing campaign on 30 November with its first television advert as it seeks to acquire new customers and increase question volume.

The advert, “I am one of the 63336” has been developed and produced using an innovative creative process started in September 2009. Eschewing the traditional advertising pitch approach, 63336 ran a competition that saw 17 teams of creative directors presenting ideas based on the brief – to get customers to text questions to 63336. 
 
Said 63336 CEO Colly Myers, “Our challenge has always been how to effectively market a number, 63336, to an audience which compels them to text a question. For the last two years, we‘ve followed the traditional method of developing ideas by going through pitch processes, and putting on retainer a number of the most ‘creative‘ agencies in the UK. Not only has this been very expensive and time consuming, but we‘ve never achieved a satisfactory result.”
 
Rather than focusing on user generated content, the 63336 creative competition only focused on experienced UK creative talent. Similar to processes used by venture capital companies, the concept was to get as many teams as possible to submit ideas, from a very tight brief, from which a winning concept could be selected.

The competition was developed with Goodstuff communications, who are also responsible for managing the media buying. The Gallery Network was employed to run the competition, and then manage, develop, and produce the final television advert. The 63336 advert competition took three weeks, the eventual winners being ‘Tim & Michael‘ with their advert idea ‘I am one of the 63336‘.
 
“The Gallery Network were pivotal in the creation of our TV advert. They were able to bring teams of senior advertising executives to work on creative ideas for us, and once we‘d picked a winner, the Gallery managed the whole process of getting directors and producers to deliver a TV advert on a tight budget and timescale,” commented Colly Myers. “The team has created an exceptional advert and we‘re confident that this will attract large numbers of new customers.”

BANGALORE: McDowell’s Celebration is launching the ‘Freestyle Friendzy’ contest to find India’s best freestyle footballer.

Betting big on the event, McDowell’s has planned to spend almost half of its annual brand-building budget on the property, reveal company sources.
 
As part of the initiative, a media campaign under the tagline ‘Jiyo Freestyle Dil Se’ (live with a freestyle heart) across print, television, radio, internet including social and community websites, outdoor, digital signage has been designed with creatives by Mudra. The media buying agency is Mindshare.
 
A TVC for promoting the contest will be aired across major national and regional channels, say sources.

The brand has brought in six of the top global 30 professional footballers to India and aims to take them across 21 cities in the country to engage and interact with local freestylers in India. 
 
The finale will be held on December 18, 2009 at Kolkata. 10-15 of the freestylers who garner the maximum online votes will take part in a two-day coaching camp conducted by the six international footballers for honing their skills. The final winner of the finale will receive a free ticket to one of the most sought after league matches in London along with other prizes.

“Freestyle Friendzy is a nationwide hunt that is encouraging amateur Indian freestylers to post their videos on www.freestylefriendzy.com to seek votes for their skills and help popularize the sport,” said United Spirits deputy president Ashok Capoor.

NDTV 24×7, indiatimes.com and Radio Mirchi are the television, online and radio partners for the event. DNA is the event manager.

MUMBAI: Vodafone Essar is back with the second innings of the Zoozoo TVC, starting 27 November.

Returning with a renewed focus on a fresh set of services on offer by Vodafone, the Zoozoo ad campaign will feature three new Zoozoo ads every week on television.
 
Said Vodafone Essar South chief executive officer K Sankara Narayanan, “The Zoozoos campaign resonated strongly with viewers in creating an emotional connect and communicating our various offerings. The Zoozoos are back again to tell viewers about our various innovative and customer-centric offerings in a simple and endearing manner.” 
 
Vodafone has kept the Zoozoo experience ongoing with campaigns running through diverse mediums catering to a wide audience. Social networking sites witnessed the success and popularity of the Zoozoos with Facebook garnering more than 300,000 Zoozoo fans. 
 
Post the initial campaign this summer, there were two viral Zoozoo campaigns unveiled around Independence Day and Diwali. Vodafone also recently launched Zoozoo merchandise with Shoppers Stop.

MUMBAI: Keen to engage with its current and potential customers through a fresh approach, Thomas Cook India (TCIL) has signed ZenithOptimedia and JWT as its media and creative partner respectively. 
 
While the media account is pegged to be in the region of Rs 200-250 million, the size of the creative account remains unknown. 
 
Both the agencies won the account following a multi-agency pitch. 
 
Said TCIL executive director travel businesses Rakshit Desai, “We decided to join hands with the two agencies as their credentials and proposals were aligned with our strategy. Both the agencies are now on-board and we are looking at several product launches and pioneering initiatives.”

MUMBAI: Star India has elevated Kevin Vaz to president, ad sales.Prior to this, Vaz was Star India advertising and sales executive vice president. 
 
Said Star India CEO Uday Shankar, “Yes, Vaz has been promoted to head the ad sales team as president.”
 
On being quizzed on who would be fitting into the boots of Vaz, Shankar said, “No one. The promotion will play as an enabler to handle his extended role within the company.”
 
In March 2004 Vaz had taken over as head of sales for the Star network.

MUMBAI: With a change in consumer perceptions and an increase in market competition, Hamdard has decided to re-invent the brand communication of its product, ‘Joshina‘. 
 
Earlier, targeted at youth professionals, the new communication will encapsulate a television commercial that will target the entire family with a special thrust on children. 
 
Conceptualized by JWT Kolkata and directed by Sharan Masand, the TVC will go on air from 27 November. CREO Films is the production house. 
 
The TVC is seen through the eyes of a young child whose imagination gets the better of him when he is haunted by loud cough, sneeze, or hears the clearing of the throat of mummies, statues and portraits. The mother is the interpreter of the child‘s fear ‘Sardi Khansi Wala Bhoot‘ and recommends a natural remedy that will act as a preventive shield from cough and cold.

MUMBAI: TV Networks including NBC, ABC, Fox, Nickelodeon, ABC Family and other cable networks have banned a new television commercial (TVC) made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the USA.

The commercial revolves around a little girl who says grace before her family‘s thanksgiving dinner and earnestly describes in her prayer how turkeys suffer on filthy factory farms. 
 
The networks refused to allow PETA to buy airtime for the 30-second spot, even though they take advertising money from companies that carefully hide animals‘ true living conditions on factory farms and the cruelty of animal‘s deaths in slaughterhouses, says PETA in a statement.

The Learning Channel felt that the overall tone of the spot was very disturbing for our family viewers. NBC too said that this commercial did not meet its Universal standards.
 
On the other hand, the Discovery Kids channel commented, “Discovery, which as a whole, is very conservative and legal, feels that this spot would be too disturbing and traumatic for children to view.”

PETA had designed the ad to run during family programmes, including the Macy‘s Thanksgiving Day Parade, so that young viewers could decide for themselves whether or not to eat turkey this year. 
 
Commented PETA EVP Tracy Reiman, “Young people have a natural affinity for all animals, including the gentle turkey, whom Benjamin Franklin wanted to make our national bird. They deserve to know why birds raised for the Thanksgiving table have nothing to be thankful for. Rather than contributing to factory-farming cruelty, many kids are now asking their parents for vegan holiday meals.”
 

MUMBAI: Bates 141 Delhi has roped in Vaasu Gavarasana as executive vice president.

Gavarasana will assume his new role from 30 November, to replace Jayanto Banerjee. 
 
Says Gavarasana, “I could connect well with the fresh management team at Bates 141. My mandate will be to understand the Delhi market, its clients and challenges and then address them.” 
 
Prior to this, Gavarasana was in Singapore where he was a dotcom entrepreneur.

Meanwhile, Banerjee will move to the Middle East to meet some personal commitments. He joined Bates 141 as EVP in October, 2008.
 
“I have my family in the Middle East and I have some urgent personal commitments to be addressed. So, I would be returning to the Middle East,” says Banerjee.
 

MUMBAI: ZenithOptimedia (ZO) India, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, has elevated Satyajit Sen MD North to CEO with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Ambika Srivastava has been given additional role of chairman of the company. She will continue with her other responsibility as chairman of Vivaki Media Exchange.
 
ZO APAC CEO Philip Talbot said, “As we continue to grow and expand it is only right that we reward and promote those people who were instrumental in our success. Sen richly deserves this promotion and with Ambika‘s guidance I am sure we will continue to achieve success. His profound knowledge and understanding of the Indian media market as well as clients businesses and deep insight of the challenges facing our industry has earned him a reputation as a trusted and respected leader.”
 
ZO said that India is a strategic market both for businesses and brands worldwide and its client acquisitions are testimony to the media agency‘s hallmark – The ROI Blueprint. The company claims that with the latest addition of Usha international business to its client roster, it has reached “$100 million for new business acquisition in ZO India for 2009”.

“We are delighted that Satyajit will be leading ZenithOptimedia India into its next era of growth,” commented ZenithOptimedia Worldwide CEO Steve King. “I would like to thank Ambika Srivastava for her contribution towards the growth of ZenithOptimedia India. We are glad that she continues to be an invaluable resource for ZenithOptimedia and the Vivaki group.”
 
 
On his promotion Sen said, “Ambika has been a great leader who has created benchmarks for us at ZenithOptimedia India and I am looking forward to carrying that legacy and taking this team to newer heights through stronger client relationships -current and new, and re-affirming our commitment to ROI.”
 

MUMBAI: In a move to extend its ‘Jiyo Befikar‘ message, Bajaj Allianz has tied up with the upcoming Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan starrer Paa.

This tie-up further emphasises the importance of financially securing a child‘s future through Bajaj Allianz Child Plans. Continuing on the lines of the Child Plans campaign already on air, Bajaj Allianz has introduced an integrated advertisement on child plans which has been interspersed with the promo of the film. 
 
Commenting on this association, Bajaj Allianz head marketing, Akshay Mehrotra, said, “In a country where Bollywood is nothing short of a religion, here is a unique opportunity to combine the story of an emotional relationship between a father and son with our unique Child Plan campaign.

The integrated advertisement re-emphasises the need for parents to think about their child‘s future and plan for their finances. The real life, and now reel-life, father-son relationship between Amitabh and Abhishek epitomises how security can bring you happiness and comfort, which is a reflection of our ‘Jiyo Befikar‘ message. 
 
Talking about the tie-up, director R Balki said, “Financial planning for a child‘s future is an important element of the responsibilities that come with being a parent. It is a privilege to be associated with Bajaj Allianz and I feel this is a great initiative to spread awareness about child plans.”

Paa set to release on 4 December is a bright and cheerful family entertainer directed by R. Balakrishnan. The film also stars Vidya Balan and Paresh Rawal. 
 
One of the most awaited films of recent times Paa has generated huge interest amongst film-goers due to the rare and emotional subject, a unique role reversal between Amitabh-Abhishek Bachchan in the film and Amitabh Bachchan‘s look in the film.