Category: MAM

MUMBAI:TheCongress party has given Crayons Advertising and JWT India the mandate to handle its media and creative duties for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections.
 
JWT India will take charge of Congress‘ television and radio camapigns. Crayons Advertising, on the other hand, will take care of the print and outdoor campaigns.
 
The multi-agency pitch also saw Precept contending for the account.
 
To be held in five phases, the Jharkhand state elections will be held on 25 November, 2, 8, 12 and 18 December.
 

MUMBAI: The Incredible India promotional film has received the Grand Prix Award in Vienna, Austria. The award was received by tourism minister Kumari Selja.
 
Said Selja, “The film has been used extensively in our global marketing campaigns and has received worldwide recognition. After winning a series of international awards at Berlin, Poland, Romania, France, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Croatia, the film has now been honoured with the Grand Prix Award.”
 
The “Incredible India” story started in the year 2002 when the Ministry of Tourism took the initiative to brand the country, with the primary objective of establishing a unique and single identity – “Incredible India”. 
 
According to the ministry, the campaign has generated huge interest about Indian tourism products globally and has contributed significantly in the growth of tourism in India.
 

MUMBAI: Jaypee Cement has taken the title sponsorship for the upcoming three-match test series between India and Sri Lanka. 
 
Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that Jaypee Cement has shelled out Rs 60 million for the series, ‘The Jaypee Cup‘. 
 
Nikon and Hero Honda have come on-board as associate on-ground sponsors. They are shelling out around Rs 25 million, says a source. 
 
The on-ground marketing rights of the series lie with the World Sport Group. The series, which begins next week, will be telecast on Neo Cricket.
 

MUMBAI: Former Bates 141 SVP south Vijay Jacob has joined Grey Worldwide as VP for the southern market. Interestingly, this is Jacob‘s second stint with the company.
 
Confirming the news, Jacob says, “My first stint with the company was very good and with my experience, I am looking at building the agency even better.”
 
In his new role, Jacob will head the overall business operations in the South. “I will be looking after the Chennai and Bangalore offices and will be dividing my time between the two,” he adds.

He will report to Grey Worldwide chief operating officer Jishnu Sen.
 
Jacob quit Bates 141 in October.

MUMBAI: Children‘s apparel company Gini & Jony has partnered with Bajaj Allianz to launch the limited edition of ‘Groovy T-shirts‘. 
 
Says Giny & Jony director Anil Lakhani, “Bajaj Allianz‘s aggressive strategies and our broad customer base will complement each other in achieving milestones. We hope this association is just the beginning for a longer alliance with Bajaj Allianz.”
 
Bajaj Allianz head marketing Akshay Mehrotra says, “This exercise not only helps us connect directly with the kids but also provides us a platform to connect with masses and spread the general interest messages endorsed on the range. These T-shirts are a medium to educate masses about the importance and need of child insurance.”
 
The ‘Groovy T-Shirts‘ will be available at all Gini & Jony outlets across the country from 14 November. They are available in two colours and four text options.
 

MUMBAI: The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has unanimously elected Colvyn Harris, JWT CEO, to replace Mudra Communications MD and CEO Madhukar Kamath, as president for the year 2009-10.
 
Interface Communications executive director Nagesh Alai has been elected as vice president while Neville Gomes, Multimedia Aquarius MD, has been named secretary.
Ashish Bhasin, Carat Media Services chairman, is the treasurer. 
 
Kamath, meanwhile, will play the role of an ex-officio member of the new AAAI executive committee.
 
The other elected members of the executive committee for the ensuing year are MG Parameswaran (DraftFCB+Ulka Advertising), Nakul Chopra (Publicis Communications), Prasoon Joshi (McCann-Erickson), Sam Balsara (Madison Communications), Srinivasan K Swamy (R K Swamy BBDO), Surajit Nag (Advertising & Sales Promotion Company), Tapas Gupta (BEI Confluence Communication), Umesh Shrikhande (Contract Advertising), Vikram Sakhuja (Group M Media India) and Vinod Nair (Network Advertising).

MUMBAI: The ODI format is still alive, at least when it comes to bilateral series featuring India. However, it is also subject to the law of diminishing returns.
 
Tam data c&s4+ shows that the first five matches in the recently concluded series between India and Australia gave a rating of 5.5. This is a decline over the 2007 series between the two teams which had delivered a rating of 6.7. It is, however, more than the IPL ratings of 4.2 this year and 4.8 in the first edition.
 
The fifth match on 5 November, which went down the wire where Tendulkar scored 175 run,s got a TVR of 7.1. In fact, ratings increased as the series progressed.
 
The first match on 25 October got a rating of 3.6. By contrast, the Champions Trophy only got a rating of 1.6. In the 2007 series, the highest rating was for the sixth match which got a rating of 9.3.
 

MUMBAI: DDB Worldwide has bagged the creative rights for Unilever‘s Flora/Becel brands including Flora pro.activ, in Western Europe and North America in a multi-agency pitch. 
 
A Unilever spokesman said, “We look forward to working with the DDB team on developing a TV/print campaign for 2010 that will strengthen the brand‘s positioning as a heart healthy spread.”
 
Commented DDB UK chairman and CEO Stephen Woodford, “Flora/Becel is one of the most significant food brands in the world. We are delighted to have been chosen to be Unilever‘s partner in building on its success.”

MUMBAI: Credit card major Visa, a Worldwide Olympic Games sponsor for more than two decades, has announced the global launch of its Olympic-themed marketing campaign for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Themed Go World, the global campaign, which features television, digital and out-of-home advertising along with hosting market merchant activation programmes and usage promotions, will enable Visa to connect with cardholders and Olympic and Paralympic Games fans to drive preference for and usage of Visa products worldwide.
 
This launch follows the recent extension of Visa’s Olympic Games sponsorship for another eight years – through 2020 – enabling Visa’s financial institution clients and merchant partners to continue to build strong relationships with their customers through unique Visa marketing programmes.

Visa CMO Antonio Lucio says, “Go World builds on the concept that ran so successfully in the United States during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. To connect with Olympic fans globally, we’ve taken this platform and created a campaign that transcends borders, resonates with fans’ sense of national pride, builds our own business and that of our clients, and advances the spirit of the Olympic Movement”

The Go World campaign celebrates athleticism and human triumph through unique athlete stories. It features a wintry blue tone throughout all creative executions and will be customised to maximize local relevance in key markets. The campaign also includes merchant offers, enhanced social media applications and a deeper focus on Visa-sponsored athletes.
 
US Television Advertising and Customization: Recently Get Closer, the first of several television commercials, aired in the US. Get Closer looks to reinforce Visa’s history of supporting Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and connects directly with fans through a new Olympic-themed usage promotion. When US cardholders use their Visa card till 31 December, 2009, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for four to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The second spot, Anthem will air in the coming weeks to build anticipation for the games with images of a burning Olympic Cauldron and a montage of iconic Olympic Games moments to remind viewers of global commonalities and the power of the Olympic Spirit.
 
“When we introduced More people go with Visa earlier this year, we focused on people taking action – and the role of Visa in that action. No group embodies this concept of empowerment more than the thousands of Olympic and Paralympic athletes chasing their Olympic dreams” adds Lucio.

Upcoming creative executions of Go World will feature Olympic and Paralympic athletes of the past and present – including a series of television commercials during NBC’s broadcast of the 2010 Winter Games in the United States, where Visa will enjoy category exclusivity for the duration.

Similar to More people go with Visa, elements of the Go World campaign will be localized in Canada, Russia, Japan, Korea, China and Latin America to strengthen the campaign’s relevance in those markets.

US Go World Web Site : Visa’s efforts in the digital space also put the athletes at the center, offering cardholders and Olympic and Paralympic Games fans a unique glimpse at the personal journey of these hopefuls. By providing this behind the scenes access, Visa reinforces its role in the Olympic Movement and strengthens its relationships with millions of Olympic and Paralympic Games fans worldwide.

The campaign will also include a site which contains exclusive merchant offers, behind the scenes Team Visa – Vancouver training videos, downloadable photos of athletes in action, and athlete training playlists with songs available for purchase.

Athlete widgets will be available for download and posting on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Visa has also worked with its network of merchant partners to provide offers to Visa cardholders as they prepare for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Go World online content will also be customised for Olympic and Paralympic Games fans in Canada and Russia.
 

MUMBAI: Film actor R Madhavan is the brand ambassador for the Dubai-manufactured Spark mobile phones which are aimed at being ‘fashion phones wrapped in toughness’.
 
Madhavan said he never agreed to endorse any product without first believing in it, and he had checked the mobiles himself before agreeing to be the brand ambassador.
 
Elaine Ester who is chairperson of the Spark Group of Companies based in the United Arab Emirates said five models of the phone priced between Rs 2,200 and Rs 10,000 would be out by the end of the year. 
 
She said the entire manufacturing had been done in Dubai, though some parts had been imported from Korea and China. She also claimed that the entire research and development had been done in Dubai by her company.

She said Spark Mobiles had commenced finding distributors for the product in India and will supply the phones by December this year.