Mumbai: ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched an inspiring new brand campaign, “The Power to Dream Bigger,” aimed at showcasing how the bank expands the chain of joy by empowering the customers especially women from the lowest ebb to the highest.
Notably, the bank has played a significant role in fostering women empowerment through its branch functions, showcasing its dedication to supporting and uplifting women in various spheres of life.
The campaign, which is a result of a customer study conducted in Kochi, Chennai, and Mumbai, highlights the bank’s commitment to meeting the needs of its customers across segments. In a broader sense, the campaign tries to communicate how the innovative products and services of the bank bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
By emphasising the bank’s role in transforming dreams into reality, the campaign aims to resonate with a broad audience, establishing ESAF Bank as a financial partner that joyfully fosters prosperity.
Conceptualised by FCB Interface, Kochi, the campaign’s centrepiece is a vibrant TVC that communicates the concept of the chain of financial support the bank provides, cutting across segments. The brand campaign was followed by two product campaigns of FD and gold loan under the same umbrella – the power to dream bigger, as each product is designed to meet the brand objectives.
ESAF Small Finance Bank EVP George Thomas said “The TV campaign is supported by a 360-degree initiative through print, radio, and online platforms. Plans for outdoor campaigns are also on the anvil. The brand campaign along with the two product campaigns under the same umbrella adds meaning to the initiative. Also, it underscores the fact that ESAF is not just a bank it’s a partner in converting its customers’ dreams into reality.”
ESAF Small Finance Bank VP- head, branding & communications Sony V Mathew explained, “The campaign is the result of a study the agency conducted in three of our prime markets. Also, it is a new communication strategy that gives more meaning to our positioning, the joy of banking. We feel there is no better way to manifest the joy of banking than the chain of joy.
Mumbai: BeanstalkAsia, a new-age integrated marketing communications agency in India and Nepal, delivered a series of engaging films for HomeSure Tile Ex by Walplast. The films, crafted with a humorous and entertaining narrative, aimed to position HomeSure Tile Ex as the “Expert with POWER of 4 ACES,” offering revolutionary tile adhesive solutions. The “Power of 4 ACES” signifies easy application, superb adhesion, excellent aquasafe properties (water resistance), and accessibility across India.
Speaking about the performance of the films, Drychem India Ltd Sr VP, marketing, CSR, and business head – P2P division Aniruddha Sinha opined, “HomeSure Tile Ex Tile Adhesives stands out as a technologically advanced and cost-effective solution in the market. Seeking to communicate the benefits engagingly, BeanstalkAsia delivered a campaign that was humorous and has effectively highlighted the advantages of ‘4 Aces’. Executed primarily through digital and on-ground activation in key cities across the West, North, and Eastern parts of India, the campaign has already achieved impressive results. With 4.5 mn plus views & nearly 3 Mn+ unique viewers, and 1.4 mn plus impressions on YouTube, these figures are noteworthy, particularly given our focus on a niche B2B audience comprising architects, builders, contractors, engineers, and Tile applicators. We also achieved a 52 per cent secondary growth by volumes during the first nine months of FY24.”
BeanstalkAsia founder director Upendra Singh Thakur remarked, “Tile adhesives typically fall into a low involvement category, with end consumers often showing less engagement in the decision-making process compared to their involvement in selecting tile designs. Targeted towards the B2B audiences, this category presented an opportunity to leverage humour and exaggerate situations to capture audience attention. The campaign is centred around slice-of-life concepts that have high recall with an unexpected twist, encouraging the target audience to ‘expect the unexpected’.”
Film Descriptions:
1. Toh Rishta Pakka Samjhein? – Depicts a humorous take on an Indian arranged marriage scenario, showcasing the unexpected twist when the girl inspects the boy’s home and focuses on broken tiles, leading to the introduction of Tile Ex.
2. Chipak Chipak Ke – Illustrates the consequences of not seeking expert advice, as a family attempts comical and unconventional fixes for fallen tiles, only to face failure. Tile Ex emerges as the expert solution.
3. Tiles Ki Terahvi – A sequel to the previous film, humorously ties in the Indian ritual of “Terahvi” with broken tiles, underlining the importance of Tile Ex for effective solutions.
The creative and strategy team, led by Upendra Singh Thakur, worked closely with director Shashii Bhushan, creative director Naresh Mestry, and the entire production team to bring these entertaining narratives to life.
The HomeSure Tile Ex brand, a part of Walplast’s B2C interface, aims to provide cost-effective solutions against tile issues such as cracking, peeling, and chipping. The product offers a range of tile adhesives suitable for various types of tiles, both internal and external.
For end consumers, HomeSure Tile Ex provides a budget-friendly solution with time-saving benefits, high water resistance, and durability for various areas in the home. For masons & applicators, the product is easy to mix, eliminates messy work, sets faster, and enhances productivity.
Walplast Products, a DryChem India Group company, has been a key player in the building materials industry since its inception in 2004. With 25 strategically located manufacturing units and NABL-certified R&D labs, Walplast has emerged as the 3rd largest manufacturer of Wall Putty in India and a significant global exporter.
Mumbai: Bajaj Allianz Life, a private life insurance company, proudly unveils Plankathon 2024, the fourth edition of its unique fitness initiative. This edition themed #PlankForAces, is exceptional as it seeks to express gratitude towards the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) – the true aces who propelled India to the moon and, more recently, achieved success with the Solar Mission, Aditya L1. The initiative is impeccably timed to coincide with the celebration of India’s 75 Republic Day and will culminate in an on-ground event in Bangalore’s Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium on 11 February 2024.
Through the countdown to the on-ground event, this unique challenge encourages individuals to share their planking videos with the #PlankForAces, creating a collective gesture of gratitude for ISRO’s stellar contributions to space exploration.
Bajaj Allianz Life chief marketing officer Chandramohan Mehra said, “A highly engaging fitness drive at the core, the plank initiative in its fourth edition, continues to be anchored on platforms that strike a chord with a larger cohort. The new edition of the Plank campaign celebrates ISRO’s accomplishments, aligning with India’s unmatched rise in tech, economic and geopolitical power. We are confident that #PlankForAces will generate massive participation as it has always done”.
The Bajaj Allianz Life Plankathon has gone beyond individual health and fitness benefits to contribute to larger societal causes since 2018. The first edition, #36SecPlankChallenge, was linked to curing heart disorders amongst economically disadvantaged kids in collaboration with Hrudaya Foundation. The second edition, #PlankForIndia, supported the young Indian Olympians in association with OGQ. The third edition of #PlankToThank aimed to express gratitude towards the Indian Armed Forces, mark India’s 75 Independence Day in style and provide a livelihood for retired jawans.
#PlankForACES 2024 and commit to champion the cause of fitness, and salute the real ACES of ISRO.
Mumbai: Taboola, an organisation in powering recommendations for the open web, announced rapid adoption and results for its performance advertising focused bidding technology, called Maximise conversions. Since launching just 3 months ago, this technology is already being used by 50 per cent of Taboola advertisers, including Hyundai, ERGO, Leica Camera, Sonova, Peugeot Turkey, and Opel Turkey, with some advertisers seeing 110 per cent increases in conversions.
Taboola’s Maximise conversions empowers Taboola advertisers to evolve beyond manual and time consuming cost per click (CPC) bidding strategies, in favour of simply specifying a budget and having Taboola’s algorithm automate the CPC bid to drive as many conversions as possible, while staying within budget. Advertisers are using maximize conversions to drive results, boosting conversions while maintaining their cost per acquisition (CPA). In addition to making ad campaigns more effective, maximising conversions has also provided immense benefit in making campaigns more efficient, reducing the time in which advertisers get to their optimal results by half.
Maximise conversions is designed to give advertisers flexibility for their campaigns. The technology can be used without a target CPA, which delivers against an advertiser’s daily budget, driving the most conversions at the lowest cost. When used with a target CPA, it delivers performance at a CPA they control.
Taboola CEO and founder Adam Singolda said, “Maximise conversion is one of our most rapidly adopted offerings ever. The world’s top advertisers are embracing it because it takes the guesswork out of CPC bidding, it clearly produces results, and it is based on AI that is trained with an understanding of their consumer’s one that is unique to Taboola. We’re connecting advertisers with customers quickly and easily, no matter what goal an advertiser has.”
Mumbai: YCOM, a leading mobile accessories brand in the market since 2011, has launched its much-awaited brand campaign #ApniSuno for the Indian users. The campaign, featuring OTT famed actor Vijay Varma, marks the introduction of YCOM’s innovative range of smart gadgets and mobile accessories, including neckbands, speakers, earpods, chargers and power banks.
Leading the charge of the video campaign is Vijay Varma, The star spoke to young artists and athletes, with the interaction highlighting a complete synergy between YCOM’s cutting-edge gadgets and its young users.
The brand video campaign #ApniSuno has been conceptualized to resonate with the dynamic youth of India. Featuring Vijay Varma, the face of YCOM, whose emphatic performances in projects like Darlings, Gully Boy, Pink, Lust Stories 2, and many others, have made him India’s finest youth icon. The video campaign draws a narrative for today’s GenZ and millennial audience who believe in balancing work & personal life, and encourages them to listen to their inner voice. At the heart of the campaign, the video captures the actor synergising with young artists and athletes, defining YCOMs brand identity of being a trendsetter in the smart gadgets and mobile accessories market. With this campaign, the brand emphasizes its allegiance to empower its consumer with attractive choices to premium and yet affordable smartphone gadgets and mobile accessories.
Commenting on the launch, Varma said, “Growing up as an artist, I craved gadgets that could help me unlock my true potential with respect to how I perceived media, and I feel, YCOM does just that. The brand has taken significant strides when it comes to the smart gadgets landscape in India, and I am beyond thrilled to represent a brand that stands for youth power. I’m honest when I say that it is more than just a brand. YCOM, through its affordable, high-quality, and intricately designed products, is truly empowering the younger generation to recognize their own power and worth.”
The YCOM group brings along a diverse range of meticulously crafted audio products right from TWS, Neckbands, and Speakers. YCOM’s charging solutions encompass chargers, charging cables, and power banks that are available across India in the offline market. YCOM is dedicated to providing reliable and affordable solutions to consumers.
Speaking on the campaign launch, YCOM marketing head Rithish Parthasarathy said, “Vijay Varma has a strong resonance with Indian audience, driven by his versatile and hard hitting roles played across various OTT serieses and Indian movies. He embodies the essence of our brand vision and his versatility and ability to connect with the audience will significantly strengthen our relationship with consumers in the most organic way possible. We are excited to have him as the face of our latest brand campaign #ApniSuno and looking forward to a more fulfilling association.”
Mumbai: Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate, part of Publicis Groupe India, has conceptualised the launch campaign for UPES ON, a new entrant into the online degrees and learning space. This two-film campaign showcases inspiring stories of individuals who have transformed their lives with an additional online degree. The films have been shot in Hindi, English and Telugu for better reach.
The first film “Driving Tomorrow” highlights the remarkable journey of a man who, despite life’s challenges, chose UPES ON and went on to achieve great success. The second film “REBEL” features a girl who opted for UPES ON’s online education over traditional college, forging her own path as a decisive and independent thinker.
Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate EVP & business head Prachi Bali said, “We aimed to create a campaign that not only exhibited the transformative capability of education but also connected with the viewers on an emotional level. Through these films, we have knitted a yarn of touching and inspiring stories, each reflecting the success that comes with knowledge.”
UPES ON senior director global sales & marketing and business head Sumanth Palepu added, “The stories from the two campaigns, ‘Driving Tomorrow’ and ‘REBEL,’ highlight how education can make a big difference in people’s lives. Both campaigns tell us that education can shape your future, no matter how you choose to learn. UPES ON is all about supporting unique journeys and encouraging people to choose online degrees that match their dreams. It’s a call to action to rethink education and take charge of your own path in a world that’s constantly evolving and creating new and innovative ideas.”
Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate, creative director, ECD & Delna Dastur Sudarshan Sudevan further commented, “While UPES ON provides an opportunity to pursue online education, we focused on capturing the emotions experienced by students after completing their education. In the two films, we delve into emotions such as a profound sense of achievement and pride, coupled with the empowering feeling of creating one’s own narrative. These films help us strike a chord in the hearts of people, further making them want to pursue an online education.”
The campaign films are live and will have presence across digital platforms as well as in cinema halls.
Mumbai: If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t. To highlight this and remind people of the harsh reality of the growing online frauds, HDFC Bank, together with FCB Kinnect decided to ‘scam to save’ with their new campaign EOSS: End of Scam Sale!
To warn people, who are likely to get swayed by the number of discounts and end-of-season sales they come across, HDFC Bank’s anti-fraud influencer Vigil Aunty upped her game, by morphing herself into the Bollywood actress, Nora Fatehi. With the increasing number of deepfakes shocking the world, they decided to take the audience for a ride.
Knowing that a lot of people would fall prey to this, Vigil Aunty posed using Nora Fatehi’s
deepfakes, for a glamorous, but ‘unheard’ fashion brand called ‘Lulumelon’.
Fatehi’s pictures and videos were plastered around the brand’s Instagram page, showcasing
unbelievable discounts that had everyone talking about the brand’s EOSS.
However, when an excited but ignorant user ended up on the brand’s landing page, they got
a reality check. They were SCAMMED. Sorry, SAVED from being scammed!
HDFC Bank created a fake brand from scratch and had audiences believe its legitimacy by creating an Instagram page and choosing the brand’s name, making it sound like ‘Lululemon’ – a genuine apparel brand which made it hard for users to spot the difference between the two. They also ran ads targeting people and used AI and Machine Learning to morph Nora’s face on Vigil Aunty.
What’s special about this campaign is the fact that a reputed brand like HDFC Bank risked its regard temporarily, all to safeguard people from falling prey to scamsters by letting them live through their worst nightmare for a few moments.
Not forgetting our AI partner, Gan.ai who helped us bring the real Nora to life in the form of Vigil Aunty.
Acknowledging that scamsters always try to be one step ahead of a smart consumer, HDFC Bank together with FCB Kinnect did scam people, but only to save them!
The campaign went live on 20 January, starting with the offers on the fictitious brand Lulumelon’s Instagram page. Nora Fatehi revealed the idea behind the campaign in the reveal video which she put up on her Instagram page on January 23.
FCB Kinnect national creative director Kartikeya Tiwari said, “Discounts are a big part of the Indian psychology, which makes it so easy for AI to give an illusion of something genuine just by throwing a couple of mind-blowing offers around. This coupled with optimism bias, which is the perception that nothing wrong could happen to oneself was what led us to create a convincing fake brand called ‘Lulumelon’ and we hope that it bursts people’s bubble of invincibility. We had a lot of fun getting our creative and media teams to think like that of a scamster.”
HDFC Bank senior vice president and head of digital acquisition, website, social media and content marketing Jahid Ahmed added, “Many people fall victim to scams because of a false sense of security, believing it could never happen to them. We used deepfakes since they have been rampant in our society of late, with celebrities like Rashmika Mandanna, Sachin Tendulkar, and Alia Bhatt, among others also falling victim to it. Yet, people are still missing the extent to which they can cause real harm to us. Knowing how fraudsters use End of Season Sales as a window to lure shoppers with deals that are too good to be true, we defrauded people, to raise awareness and educate them about real fraud. However, we kept in mind that this must be done responsibly and ethically. To give this initiative a real and impactful meaning, we went a step further by investing time and resources in creating authentic deepfakes using advanced machinery. This allowed us to simulate realistic scenarios and demonstrate the potential risks associated with falling for deceptive practices, ensuring that all red flags can be seen and understood by the public.”
HDFC Bank group head, CMO, head-direct to consumer business Ravi Santhanam said, “With ‘people’ at the core of our values, we believe in taking initiatives that educate and equip people for their safety. We have gone to great lengths with Vigil Aunty to spread awareness about financial fraud entertainingly, and with ‘End of Scam Sale’, we wanted to challenge people’s optimism bias and show them how susceptible they are to fraud.”
Our efforts in creating awareness against online fraud were also acknowledged and appreciated by the government.
Speaking about the campaign, Mayank Jain, scientist-e/director to Govt. of India, digital economy division, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), said, “I am happy to see this initiative of HDFC Bank. In my opinion, this will help in disseminating the awareness of public awareness about Deepfakes, and rising negative use cases of AI (Artificial Intelligence) apart from curbing the Cyber Financial frauds.”
Government of India, I.T.S, assistant director General (AI & DIU), Artificial Intelligence & Digital Intelligence Unit, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Naveen Jakhar added, “I have seen the video and information conveyed through the conversation of Nora Fatehi and Vigil Aunty is so meaningful to the citizens wherein they can easily correlate it to the new age crimes like deep fake, fake videos, fake audios which might be misused in carrying out cyber-crimes and financial frauds also. Sincerely appreciate the efforts of HDFC Bank in thinking out of the box to keep the citizens informed and aware of the subject matter.”
Mumbai: Saudi’s national tourism brand ‘Saudi Welcome To Arabia’ has kicked off another global marketing campaign featuring football legend and Saudi Tourism Ambassador, Lionel Messi.
Launching across key target markets in Europe, India and China, the “Go Beyond What You Think” campaign is anchored on consumer insights, which revealed there are still common misconceptions about the destination, and invites audiences to experience the incredible and vibrant cultural transformation taking place across Saudi. Those who know Saudi are encouraged to share positive experiences and memories on TikTok and social channels using the bi-lingual hashtags #ShareYourSaudi and in Arabic #السعودية_بعيونك,.
The latest ‘Saudi Welcome to Arabia’ brand campaign is a combination of TV, Social, Digital, and OTA tactics activated over three months. It is the latest in a series of initiatives by Saudi Tourism to foster the broadening of perspectives and bridging cultures through tourism.
The campaign brings to life the UN Tourism, ‘Tourism Opens Minds’ Initiative that launched on World Tourism Day in Riyadh in September 2023, which extends a compelling invitation for travellers to broaden their horizons and explore uncharted corners of the world. Governments and Industry were presented with a special pledge, calling on them to promote new and under-appreciated destinations while consumers pledged to ‘be open-minded to new cultures and destinations, holding an open heart while travelling’
Lionel Messi is one of many leading international figures who took that pledge. Messi has a fond connection with Saudi being a frequent visitor to the country, including most recently with his wife, Antonella and two children last Spring. Both Messi and his family have expressed delight in their Saudi experiences and a desire to continue visiting the country.
Boldly addressing these misconceptions head-on, the campaign’s powerful call-to-action encourages visitors to discover the unexpected beyond outdated stereotypes, with a hero video featuring Messi breaking down metaphorical ‘walls’ of various misconceptions about the country.
The video showcases Saudi’s diverse locations, weather and terrain – from the pristine waters of the Red Sea to the lush green mountains in Aseer, snow-covered Tabuk, the coastal city of Jeddah and Riyadh, the bustling capital. In celebration of Saudi’s activities and attractions, the Messi campaign highlights the Diriyah E-Prix, Riyadh Season’s theme park rides, AlUla’s hot air balloon flights and MDL Beast music events.
The campaign also places a spotlight on Saudi’s open and welcoming culture and the importance of inspiring young Saudi women to reach their full potential. Messi celebrates the Saudi women who have been trailblazers in their fields and led Saudi’s cultural transformation such as the Saudi Women’s National football team, motorsport athlete Dania Akeel, DJ Cosmicat, and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman in space.
Of note, the campaign is launching ahead of Messi’s imminent and much-anticipated Saudi return playing two matches with his current Club, Inter Miami, against Al Nassr on 1 February and against Al Hilal on 29 January.
Mumbai: Protinex, the brand of Danone India, has launched its new ad campaign titled “Protinex, Strength Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye.” The campaign aims to highlight the pivotal role of daily strength in fulfilling one’s responsibilities. The TVC focuses on the idea that strength goes beyond individual well-being, encompassing the emotional and physical health of our families. The campaign is in continuation of the relaunch of Protinex, reaffirming the brand’s mission to spread awareness and encourage people across India to make healthier choices, focusing on overall well-being.
In the heart of the campaign is the narrative of a couple, featuring actor Namita Dubey and Nandish Singh Sandhu renovating their home to welcome the girl’s parents to live with them. The husband’s enthusiasm and active involvement in the process break away from conventional roles, symbolising a partnership built on equality and shared responsibilities. A heart-warming moment unfolds as the husband presents his wife with a thoughtful gift – a nameplate that reads ‘Maa, Papa, Priya, Rohan’, signifying the inclusion of the wife’s parents in their residence. As both partners consume Protinex, the tagline “Protinex, Strength Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye” resonates, encapsulating the brand’s dedication to supporting not just individual strength but also the strength derived from meaningful relationships. .Protinex is scientifically designed and enriched with protein, calcium and other essential nutrients to help improve strength in 8 weeks.
Speaking about the TVC, Danone India marketing director Sriram Padmanabhan, said, “In a world that is constantly evolving, our brand evolves to meet the changing needs and aspirations of our consumers. With this campaign, we are not just promoting a product; we are championing a mind-set that strength is holistic, encompassing physical, emotional, and relational well-being. Protinex aims to inspire individuals to not only enhance their personal strength but also contribute to the strength of their loved ones. The campaign reaffirms our commitment to promoting health and well-being in every aspect of life.”
Aligned with the broader Danone mission, to provide health through food to as many people as possible, Protinex remains dedicated to providing optimal nourishment, making it the ideal choice for those seeking comprehensive nutrition and strength, contributing to the health and well-being of individuals across India.
The campaign will be prominently featured on television channels and various digital platforms, including Protinex’s YouTube channel and social assets.
Mumbai: Archies, the quintessential brand synonymous with expressions of love, unveils its digital campaign for Valentine’s, #ArchiesHaiToValentineHai, just in time for the season of romance.
The heart-warming narrative unfolds with the tale of a young man ensnared in the chaos of life, inadvertently forgetting the most romantic day of the year – Valentine’s Day. As his beloved is left understandably disheartened, an unexpected hero emerges in the form of his wise and seasoned father. Proposing a timeless remedy, the father advises a visit to Archies, urging his son to select a thoughtful gift from the store to mend the momentarily broken heart.
The campaign’s essence is beautifully encapsulated in the tagline: “Archies Hai To Valentine Hai” — a sentiment that resonates with the very foundation of Archies. Since its inception, Archies has been a trailblazer in crafting cards and gifts that weave seamlessly into countless love stories. Archies is not merely a brand; it symbolizes love and timeless expressions.
“Archies Hai To Valentine Hai because Archies has been weaving the threads of love since the inception of the company. Our cards and gifts have borne witness to countless love stories, and we take immense pride in being a part of those special moments,” said Archies executive director Varun Moolchandani.
This digital campaign is more than just a celebration of love; it serves as a poignant reminder that a heartfelt gesture has the power to heal any rift, especially when packaged in the signature warmth of Archies. With a diverse array of gifts and cards tailored for every expression of love, Archies ensures that no heartfelt apology goes unnoticed. In matters of the heart, Archies stands as the timeless choice. With Archies, every love story becomes a timeless tale.
