Mumbai: Beardo, a male grooming brand, has launched a new digital film for their flagship fragrance- Whisky Smoke EDP, featuring actor Vicky Kaushal. Rated NFB (Not for Boys) the film is set in a high-stakes poker game that pits a group of boys against the lone Kaushal, clearly distinguishing a boy from a true Beardo. Donning a smoldering avatar, Kaushal warns the audience that this scent is exclusively for men.
Kaushal’s character in the ad represents the musky and attractive scent of Beardo’s Whiskey Smoke perfectly. The notes of whiskey, tobacco, and spices, make the fragrance a great choice for a sophisticated and confident man. The film highlights the stark difference between a grown man and boys by showcasing that they have different priorities and the former focuses on things that are more important than impressing their peers.
Talking about the film, Kaushal said, “When the concept was shared with me by team Beardo, I was excited to be a part of the same as it perfectly blends the essence of the fragrance Whiskey Smoke which is masculine and bold. We have tried to incorporate this very thought in a fun yet thought-provoking manner which goes with the very ideology and success that Beardo is known for.”
Sharing his thoughts on the ad, Beardo CEO Sujot Malhotra said, “When we started conceptualizing this film, we were absolutely clear about the message it was going to portray. The gap between boys and men is not just about age, but rather it’s about mindset and attitude. Whiskey Smoke is specifically designed for men who know what they want and are not afraid to go after it. We’re thrilled to have Vicky Kaushal as the face of our fragrance line and especially of this campaign, as he perfectly embodies the spirit of a true Whiskey Smoke Beardo.”
Mumbai: With an aim to celebrate the success of female employees and to foster the culture of diversity, McDonald’s launched a unique multi-nation campaign with the umbrella thought that ‘Inspiring Women, Inspire Women’. Six countries of McDonald’s in the APMEA region including India (S&W), India (N&E), Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand, came together to narrate #StoriesThatTakeYouForward campaign bringing to fore real inspiring stories from real voices, driving real impact. The campaign focuses on the women’s commitment to creating opportunities for themselves and others in the company while also celebrating the accomplishments of some of McDonald’s inspiring women who serve as role models for many.
Taking the center-stage, these women spoke about their journeys, ambitions, dreams, day at work, families, break time and how they encourage other crew members at the restaurants. These reels are followed by bite-sized Instagram stories throughout the day, highlighting the fact that wherever our women may be, their passion, dreams, and determination to make it happen are the same.
Westlife Foodworld managing director Smita Jatia said, “We at McDonald’s India place utmost importance on promoting a culture of gender equality and diversity. We recognize and celebrate the essential role of women in our workforce and are ever committed to creating equal opportunities that empower our employees and foster an inclusive culture that provides a level playing field.”
Mumbai: Procter & Gamble’s feminine-care brand Whisper, has released a film titled ‘The Missing Chapter’ as its #KeepGirlsInSchool (KGIS) movement’s fourth edition.
As per reports, one out of five girls drop out of school every year in India due to lack of period education while seven out of ten mothers don’t know the biology of periods and consider it ‘dirty or impure’. Since mothers are the first teachers of their children, it is crucial that they properly educate their young daughters about the natural menstruation cycle and the use of appropriate products.
Most mothers in India are unaware of the biological workings of their bodies during menstruation, leaving 71 per cent of Indian girls unaware of their periods when they first get them. As a result, young girls have little understanding of how to manage their periods and prefer to stay at home on period days every month.
The new Leo Burnett conceptualised film begins with the attendance roll call being done in a classroom and the protagonist, Purvi, being absent yet another day. Her friends decide to take matters into their own hands to educate Purvi’s mother so that their friend doesn’t miss another day of school because of her periods. They collect an assortment of objects — a bicycle seat, plastic bottle, pipes, marbles, and watermelons — to create a science project to explain the workings of the female reproductive system to Purvi’s mother. When they reach Purvi’s house with their model, the mother thinks they’ve come to see Purvi. She tells them she is ‘unwell’, another common way periods are referred to, but it’s the mother that the friends want to meet. They set up their project and demonstrate for her the biological process of periods which happens each month and more importantly by using the right sanitary product, that is, a pad can help them do everything on their period days, even attend school.
“For a natural process like periods, it is very important that parents educate their young daughters correctly. In most parts of India, we’ve seen that mothers themselves are unaware about the biology of periods and the ways to manage it. As a result, menstrual hygiene is compromised. This leads to girls staying at home during their period days every month and they slowly start falling behind eventually dropping out of school altogether. Our film ‘The Missing chapter’ aims to address this and spread awareness among mothers so that the next generation of women is empowered and educated to manage their periods and keep girls in school,” said Procter & Gamble India vice president and category leader, feminine care Girish Kalyanaraman.
Sharing her support for the movement, actor Mrunal Thakur said, “Menstrual education is so important to teach girls about their periods, their body and how to manage it. It is also about breaking the taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation, empowering girls with knowledge and choices, and ensuring their right to health, dignity, and education. Whisper is doing an incredible job with its #KeepGirlsInSchool campaign, and I am proud to be associated with this cause. It’s time to have open conversations about periods and create a world where menstruation is not a barrier to girls’ education and well-being. By keeping girls in school, we are not only investing in their individual growth and success but also in the progress and prosperity of our society.”
Speaking about the campaign, Leo Burnett – South Asia CEO and chief creative officer Rajdeepak Das said, “A mother is the first teacher of a child, the one who imparts life’s most important lessons. Thus she could be a powerful ally in our journey with Whisper to keep girls in school. But in India, mothers themselves lack the education to teach their daughters about periods. Our focus this year is to educate mothers, create a chain of positive information, and break the cycle of ignorance.”
The KGIS campaign has been breaking myths about periods being ‘dirty’ or an ‘illness’ by educating Indian girls about the science of the female reproductive system and how the usage of sanitary products can help them go to school. It has so far helped keep over ten crore girls in school by providing free pads and period education to girls through the year.
Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited, (MMFSL), part of the Mahindra Group, and one of India’s non-banking finance companies, has launched a campaign – ‘Money Gyaan se Jeevan Asaan’ – to spread public awareness about financial matters. The campaign is targeted to rural and urban masses across the country.
The campaign, through a series of three videos features a fictional character called ‘Money Babu’. The character educates consumers around key financial aspects including borrowing responsibly, being aware of EMI payment frauds and usage of government’s financial support schemes.
This financial literacy public awareness campaign is a part of Mahindra Finance’s CSR initiative. The NBFC aims to enhance financial awareness levels amongst individuals and communities in rural as well as urban parts of the country.
Mahindra Finance head marketing Anand Dubey mentioned, “We are pleased to launch our public awareness campaign ‘Money Gyaan se Jeevan Asaan’ which highlights the importance of being financially literate thereby ensuring peace of mind. It has been developed around interesting consumer insights and the core message is delivered in an endearing manner. At Mahindra Finance, we strive to educate consumers on finance related aspects, and we believe that this campaign will enhance their understanding, allowing them to make informed choices.”
The creative agency behind conceptualizing the campaign is ‘Social Beat’. The videos have been produced by Eight MM Films. This campaign is currently live on Digital and Social Media platforms.
1. Borrow Responsibly: In the first film, Money Babu urges consumers to take loans according to one’s financial capacity and not go overboard. He also insists consumers to repay the EMIs on time thereby ensuring peace of mind.
2. Beware of Fraud: In the second film, Money Babu goes on to educate viewers about EMI related payment frauds. He urges consumers to beware of fraudsters who are constantly luring consumers by offering various discounts or offers via fake links and QR codes. The video aims to highlight this critical issue and urges consumers to safeguard their funds by being vigilant.
3. Avail MSME Government Schemes: The third video voices the lack of information that Indian masses have about various government schemes for financial assistance of micro and small businesses. Money Babu explains one of the government’s credit guarantee schemes for Micro and Small Enterprises and how it helps in the growth of small businesses
Mumbai: Mia by Tanishq, has partnered with the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first all-women team as their main sponsor. The partnership is a tribute to these remarkable players’ grit, perseverance, sweat, and struggle for creating a space and a legacy for women in cricket nationwide.
After a successful collaboration with Indian Olympic women athletes last season, the jewelry brand is strengthening its long-term commitment to encourage and support women in sports with cricket.
The brand has always been at the forefront of building a symbiotic relationship with a culture of acknowledging, embracing, and supporting women from various walks of life. This collaboration with RCB is a step ahead in making Mia more inclusive and diverse.
Mia’s association with the unrivaled players of the RCB team is the perfect match as each of these players is a true Mia woman who has a unique sense of style, which is not only powerful but also a true reflection of their indomitable spirit and can inspire the women of today.
Speaking about the association, Tanishq’s Mia business head Shyamala Ramanan said, “Our association with RCB women’s team is a matter of great pride. Mia celebrates the modern woman achiever, who is fiercely independent, liberated, unapologetic about her choices, exuberates confidence, is a go-getter, and whose aura lights up everyone’s lives. All the women players are trailblazers and each one of them is independent, a dreamer, an achiever, and self-expressive – they espouse everything that a Mia woman is. The association has brought in perfect synergy as Mia is a brand for the contemporary Indian woman who believes in realizing her dreams and that she is limited only by her vision which is exactly what our athletes believe in.”
Speaking on the occasion RCB head & VP Rajesh Menon said, “RCB is thrilled to partner with Mia by Tanishq, a brand that fits perfectly with our vision on the WPL franchise and how we wish to scale our marketing program with the help of like minded partners. We look to build on the integrated marketing & communication plan from this season to a longer-term partnership.”
The brand has presented a short film to cheer up the team member’s lively personalities and vivacious attitude with #SheGotGame.
Mumbai: Mappls KOGO, a start-up aiming to build the world’s largest community powered travel and experiences platform, has announced a new brand campaign called #unboxtheplanet. The brand has released teaser videos and images on social media with a Spaceman aptly named “the Kogonaut”, as the hero character coming back to planet earth to rediscover it as never seen before.
The Kogonaut, an eclectic explorer in a spacesuit, will be an integral part of KOGO’s upcoming communication and messaging across platforms and will be used to create a distinctive ‘cultural identity’ for the community. The campaign is predominantly a digital campaign running across their social media handles with innovative hyper-personalized, passion-centric videos delivered to the audiences.
The Kogonaut is seen roaming the streets and exploring different experiences across earth’s busiest and most scenic landscapes. With the #unboxtheplanet campaign, KOGO hopes to inspire and enable people to explore the world by making travel and experiences more relevant and discoverable. During the campaign, the Kogonaut will collaborate with the travel community, set major travel goals, recommend experiences and show people how they can unbox the planet, one great experience at a time.
Speaking on this, Mappls KOGO co-founder & CEO Raj K Gopalakrishnan said, “Every story needs a device. And what better device to use for a story about travel and discovery than a travel influencer in a space suit, looking at this planet with eyes of wonder? Since inception, our vision is to bring a travel tribe and inspire and enable them to discover new places and experiences in an engaging and gamified format.”
Mappls KOGO is a community-powered travel platform that runs on a new-gen currency called KOGOCOIN, which can be used to book and buy experiences, itineraries, hotels, and cool merch at the best prices. Users can supercharge their savings by getting the KOGO X membership, which enables them to earn and spend three times more KOGOCOIN than a regular user.
Mappls KOGO CPO & co-founder Praveer Kochhar added, “Every essence of KOGO has been designed to unbox excitement, exhilaration, inspiration, happiness, and fun for our community of users. The Kogonaut is everyone who’s here, unboxing the planet in their own way.”
Mumbai: Niine. a menstrual hygiene brand, has launched #LetsTalkPeriods campaign which aims to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and break the stigma around menstruation.
The campaign also aims to change the menstrual misconceptions across cultures and communities encouraging open conversations about periods and spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene. A study by NGO Dasra called Spot On! found that 70 per cent of mothers with menstruating daughters considered menstruation as dirty and 71 per cent of adolescent girls remained unaware of menstruation till menarche.
As part of the campaign, Niine is releasing a digital video in which Femina Miss India 2023 contestants share their first-period experiences and childhood misconceptions about menstruation. The brand hopes to make people aware about periods and contribute to open conversation about the topic among the society.
After five years of research and collaboration with international agencies and scientists, Niine has also created a certified biodegradable sanitary napkin. They have done so at an affordable price point for mass production, distinguishing themselves from other market players who have not been able to do so at scale. Niine’s eco-friendly options aim to transform the sanitary napkin industry, positioning them as a pioneer in this field.
“As we celebrate International women’s day, it is important to remember that misconceptions around menstrual hygiene are not just a women’s issue, but the responsibility of society as well. By breaking these misconceptions about menstruation and promoting the use of eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable future. This women’s day, let’s break the misbeliefs surrounding periods by making people more aware of them. Niine’s #LetsTalkPeriods – awareness campaign has been at the forefront of a larger movement towards menstrual equity and education for all and we will continue to do our bit to educate the society around this very important woman’s health topic.”, said Niine CEO Ameya Dangi elaborating on the #LetsTalkPeriods – awareness campaign.
Mumbai: Seven March 2023 as India witnesses a robust development and growth making it a prominent emerging market on the world stage, menstrual awareness and education still remains an area for improvement. With deep-rooted cultural shame and associated stigma, periods are not spoken about openly. Menstruation poses particular challenges to young women living in India due to high levels of menstrual stigma, thus resulting in reduced quality of life for young girls and a constant hindrance in their progress.
Kimberly Clark’s Kotex, a menstrual hygiene brand in the world, that stands for change and healthy period protection, decided to change the conversation by bringing menstrual hygiene out in the open in a striking, unmissable way.
The Kila Raipur Sports Festival 2023, Kotex organised a relay race where instead of the usual baton, young women athletes passed an open sanitary pad, creating a disruptive conversation around periods. This campaign inspired moments from the race, bytes from the participants & organisers, and reactions from the audience.
Kotex globally supports the destigmatisation of periods and products, and this is a key step in building a world where women can progress on their terms. Bringing products seen as taboo to the forefront of an event that celebrates female athletes aligns with Kotex’s ongoing endeavour to challenge negative perceptions and celebrate female success.
Kimberly – Clark India marketing director Saakshi Verma Menon said, “As a pioneer in feminine hygiene globally, Kotex believes that a period should never come in the way of any women’s progress. In a country like India, where there is no dearth of talent and grit within our women, the taboo and stigma within society around periods is what holds us back from championing their progress! It is about time that we normalise periods and support our women in breaking the glass ceiling. At Kotex, we don’t just make pads, we actively identify problems women face when it comes to periods and tackle them with revolutionary solutions. Our disruptive new launch of Kotex ProHealth+ Sanitary Pads will end the old cycle of choosing between singular benefits and give young girls a chance to elevate to Healthy Period Protection. Because we truly believe – Period Or Not, She Can!”
Ogilvy India chief creative officers Kainaz Karmakar and Harshad Rajadhyaksha said that ”Even in 2023, periods are still not spoken about openly. But today the young girls of India are braver, freer, and ready for change. Partnering with brand Kotex that has always stood for change, healthy period protection and women’s progress, we held #PeriodOfChange – the world’s first relay race where young girls passed a sanitary pad to each other, instead of a baton. They did this in front of a stadium full of people at India’s longest running sports fest – the Kila Raipur Sports Festival. With Kotex #PeriodOfChange we hope to inspire more and more people to bring periods out from behind closed doors and turn this into an open conversation.”
Kila Raipur spokesperson, colonel Surinder Singh Grewal (Retd.) said, “At Kila Raipur Games, our goal has always been to provide equal opportunities to women and girls – whether it’s by encouraging participation or through equal distribution of prize money. When Kotex approached us with the #PeriodOfChange activity, we felt strongly about the message being communicated through the relay race. Period hygiene is the need of the day, but awareness of new ways of period care, even more essential. We are hopeful that this change that originated from Kila Raipur, not only impacts all women and girls in our village, but also across the globe.”
By bringing menstrual hygiene out in the open, Kotex #PeriodOfChange turned each young girl into a bearer of change and each creator into a catalyst of that change by championing the athletes and the cause.
Mumbai: In search for the best that nature has to offer, an invaluable source of wisdom is often the Vedas. ITC Vivel has launched Vivel VedVidya, a crafted bathing bar. The brand introduces its VedVidya range with actress Sharmila Tagore.
Vivel VedVidya brings to bear the beauty traditions of ancient India, passed on through generations and ingredients that transcend the test of time. The VedVidya TVC features Tagore bringing back to life her younger self using AI technology, enabling audiences to relive and experience conversations from an era ago. With the new Vivel VedVidya launch, the brand aims to demonstrate the unique product attributes and benefits of radiant and soft skin in an innovative, never seen before manner. This is the first time Tagore will be seen lending herself, and a digitally created avatar of her younger self to a beauty brand campaign.
ITC Limited divisional chief executive Sameer Satpathy shared “ITC Vivel with VedVidya heralds a new and modern perspective of timeless beauty with ingredients inspired by ancient beauty rituals. An ideal amalgamation of technology and ancient beauty concoction in the new narrative helps us bring to life the proposition of beauty in an interesting and never seen before way. This technology enables us to retell the ‘old is gold’ story and still remain relevant in the beauty space today. With. Sharmila Tagore at the helm, Vivel VedVidya aims to tell a timeless beauty story, to present an indelible experience of ancient beauty weaved into modern day values.“
“Beauty I believe is always a personal choice. I belong to an era where beauty was to do with the simple but the most incredible ingredients and a generational know-how for skin care. These ancient beauty secrets are truly the core of timeless beauty. I am so happy to collaborate with Vivel VedVidya and revisit some of these ancient beauty recipes that have also been prevalent in my family. I am delighted to be a part of this innovative product and this unique storytelling journey that enables access to such experiences through the everyday ritual of a bath.”
Mumbai: Criteo S.A. (NASDAQ: CRTO), the commerce media company, has announced its acquisition of Brandcrush, an Australia-based company whose platform enables the buying and selling of omnichannel retail media, including offline media channels. With this acquisition, Criteo will be able to provide a holistic omnichannel monetization solution globally for retailers to manage their entire media inventory across both ecommerce and physical retail while enabling brands and agencies to seamlessly discover and purchase omnichannel media from leading retailers.
Additionally, the acquisition expands Criteo’s client footprint and capabilities in the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific retail media market, strengthening Criteo’s global leadership in retail media.
Retail media has become a multi-billion-dollar revenue opportunity for retailers, but many either rely on antiquated processes such as emails and spreadsheets to manage the packaging, availability, and purchasing of their media inventory or are forced to adapt their legacy Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to fulfill the unique needs of their retail media operations. With Brandcrush, retailers can now leverage a purpose-built solution for retail media orders, inventory, and supplier management across all media channels. Moreover, by enabling the self-service discovery and booking of shopper media, retailers can drive incremental revenue without increasing overhead costs.
“As marketers continue to invest in retail media, offline is emerging as the new frontier – and brands and agencies must be able to effectively plan, execute, and measure their campaigns in an integrated way,” said Global Enterprise Criteo general manager Sherry Smith. “Brandcrush directly addresses the current market need for consolidated offline and online advertising management, and our combined solutions will make omnichannel retail media strategies a reality, empowering retailers to own their entire retail media ecosystems.”
The Brandcrush platform provides 360° media asset management and activation, ranging from in store activations such as digital screens, point-of-sale displays, and sampling to out-of-store activations like inbox sampling and inserts, and online activations such as digital circulars, email, and social. Combined with Criteo’s first-class retail media solutions, including sponsored ads, on-site display, and off-site ads, advertisers can now scale their campaigns across the entire omnichannel retail media environment.
“By combining forces, we’re bringing together our platform with Criteo’s best-in-class retail media technology to create the most effective monetization platform for retailers,” said Teresa Aprile, co founder & CEO at Brandcrush. “With Criteo’s retail media client footprint of 175+ retailers and nearly 1,800 brands – unlike any others in the industry – we’re also tapping into their unique scale to truly harness the power of omnichannel across the entire advertising ecosystem.”
Brandcrush’s platform is available globally and is currently undergoing integration with Criteo’s retail media solutions to provide a truly seamless and superior experience for retailers and their advertisers. Brandcrush will also continue to support integrations with financial, digital, audio, and commerce platform partners in retailer’s ecosystems.