ITV

Category: MAM

  • JWT Mumbai wins Stevie Award in New York

    MUMBAI: With a focus on creating distinct advertising, JWT Mumbai has been the only Indian advertising agency to be honoured by a Stevie Award – The International Business Awards – in New York for the ad created for the Philips – ‘Bada TV’ and a finalist certification for the Philips DVD – Ramukaka’ TVCs.
     
     
    The Stevie Awards honor and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies, agencies and business people worldwide. These awards commenced in 2002 with The American Business Awards, followed by The International Business Awards in 2003, and now The Stevie Awards.
     
     
    JWT Mumbai senior vice president and general manager Tarun Rai said, “We wanted to keep it simple yet give the brand a modern personality in the minds of the consumer. This has been the thrust of all the work we have created for Philips.”
     

     
     
    Adds JWT Mumbai vice president and executive creative director D Ramakrishna, “The one thread running across all our work has been the use of life insights underpinned with humour, making it universally appealing.”

    “The impact made by these television commercials was huge in the market place resulting in a huge surge in sales for both categories,” said JWT Mumbai vice president and client services director Suranjan Das, who heads the Philips account.

    Bada TV resulted in over 60 per cent increase in CTV sales in 2004 over the previous year. The DVD Ramukaka film (which also won the Ad Club, Mumbai EFFIE silver) helped grow the DVD category by 1000 per cent in 2003-04.

     

  • Times hand N B Verma to join DNA as ad sales head

    MUMBAI: Daily News & Analysis (DNA), a newspaper to be launched from the Zee-Bhaskar combine, has roped in N B Verma as its ad sales head. Verma has been heading Times of India Mumbai’s response department, region three, in his 23-year long stint with the Bennett, Coleman & Co.
     
     
    Verma will be reporting to sales & marketing head Suresh Balakrishnan. Sources close to indiantelevison.com indicate that Verma will be putting his papers on 22 April. Then, he will serve a one-month notice period before joining Diligent Media, the Zee-Bhaskar joint venture which will launch the newspaper.
     
     
    When contacted, Balakrishnan said a final decision hadn’t been taken yet on the appointment. “We have given an offer, but haven’t got any confirmation from Verma yet,” he says.
    DNA is targeting a September launch and has already roped in veteran journalists Ayaz Memon, R Jagannathan and Vijay Kadu. Diligent Media has set up its office in Mumbai suburb Lower Parel’s Kamala Mills Compound.

     
     
    Currently, Bhaskar group is conducting a pre-launch survey, covering a staggering 11-lakh households in Mumbai and Thane. The survey will go on for two months. Simultaneously, the marketing campaign is also being unfolded phase by phase.

  • I’ve got the power

    The free hand – a mythical concept which has been in existence ever since the term ‘management’ was invented by a group of orangutans figuring out how to nail a bunch of bananas (ok, I lied about the orangutan bit, but there were definitely some bananas involved). It is meant to be an empowerment tool that serves to motivate and nurture employees and prepare them to assume more responsibility. However the chances of this definition actually being implemented in the real world are as remote as the odds of the orangutans returning those bananas, even it there is a world famous card and a curvaceously crafted star actress being waved in their faces.

    “Never trust boss who says the decision is your own, soon the issue will come back and you will cry and moan.” The high pitched, heavily accented oriental cackle, and Chai-La, the mystical Chinese tea boy, had disbursed his morning ascetic pearl into the unsuspecting ears of Ram Shankar, as always with the customary tea cup, nestled in Ram’s fingers.

    Vikas (Ram’s boss) had been away, incommunicado for a week. The office speculation was that the (in) famous Russian pole dancer who he used to chat with, was in town and Vikas had felt it was an opportune moment to learn the ‘Russian tongue shuffle’. Thus, he had excused himself by saying it was merely a case of paying lip service to some pressing issues for a while (which it was) and had zoomed off into an unspecified direction leaving behind an excessively overburdened and outrageously confused Ram Shankar in his wake. His parting words to the young chap were, “Don’t wait to get in touch with me for any decisions, act like you are captain of the ship and just move ahead. I am backing you all the way.”

    Those words, after rather lazily tracing some motivationally challenged, elliptically orbital paths in Ram’s mind, had settled and resonated in meaning, inflating Ram Shankar’s ego and chest dimensions almost to match those of his stomach. He felt wondrously alive and detected a distinct surge of electricity running through his veins making his hair stand on end, until he realized that he had absent mindedly inserted his pen into a three pin socket.

    Nevertheless thus ‘charged’, he had attacked each day with a ferocity that would have done a pack of teen age girls entering a shoe sale proud. And the days, as also the various assignments, had zipped by.

    When Vikas resumed, looking a little odd with puffed and bruised lips, the first thing that he did was ask for a status update with Ram. Ram felt, for once, that he was in for some praise. Everything over the last few days was running extremely smoothly.

    “Things will change when boss is back, as things need to get back on track,” Chai-La’s sermon for the morning had Ram a little bewildered. What could possibly go wrong? He had performed a minor miracle over the week. Even PP (the creative director of the hideous moustache fame) had a few good things to say about him, and if you were in servicing that was as rare as a meeting ending without an exhortation for the need of ‘out of the box’ thinking.

    “What has been the progress on the market research brief that we were supposed to initiate?” asked Vikas, scratching his head in a bellicose manner.

    “Well the research has been initiated, it began three days ago,” answered an elated Ram.

    “What?” screamed Vikas, touching the high octaves, causing an ageing Indian ex-captain to momentarily take his eyes off the ball and nick yet another one into the waiting slips.

    “I only asked you to initiate a research brief.”

    “But you told me to take decisions; I was in charge you said.”
    “You don’t know the sensitivities on the account, now talk to the research agency and stop whatever has been initiated.
    Figure out how the costs will be absorbed.”

    “Don’t you even want to see what the brief was?”

    “At my level, I don’t need to. I just can sense things becoming issues.”

    Retorted Vikas, with his mood visibly uplifted. Ram felt his morale sag like the male interest in a Ms. World pageant after the swimsuit round is over.

    “What about the new press ads needed for the Gujarat market? Can we see the creative? When are we looking at releases?”

    Ram’s mood perked up again.

    “We have already begun the campaign, one ad has already appeared and the others are due over the next few days.” Ram replied, beaming ear to ear like a reality show participant waiting for the audience vote to come in Vikas’s clapped his hand to his forehead and slumped back into his chair.

    “Why do you take these decisions? How much do you know of the brand?”

    “But I presented it to Mr. Bose (the client), he approved it, in fact he said this was the most incisive idea that the agency has created over the last year.”

    “Mr. Bose wouldn’t know an idea if it stood up and slapped him, get PP over here.” Interrupted Vikas, then seeing PP pass by hailed him.

    PP sunny disposition vanished the moment he set his eyes on Vikas.

    “PP, our boy here…”

    PP brightened and slapped Ram on the back, “has come a long way, I never knew he was that smart, he hardly gets in a word when you are there. He has helped create and sell some cracking work.”

    Vikas was clearly unimpressed with the endorsement.

    “I was going to say that he has caused enough mayhem and was going to tell you to stop work on the campaign, we will give you a new brief.”

    “Why?” boomed PP, always eager to combat his nemesis.
    “Because I head the account and it’s my call.”

    “Its better for the account when you are away, take leave more often.”

    “This account is with this agency because of the relations that I enjoy at the client end. I have the final say on everything!”

    They were standing toe to toe, just when the referee, oops sorry, the President motioned them both into his room in a manner that meant that the rest of the afternoon was gone.

    “I want all the releases stopped by the time I get back, also you better reverse all the bright decisions you have taken when I was away,” hissed Vikas, closely resembling an extremely agitated viper as he left the cubicle.

    PP offered Ram a sympathetic smile, and a wink of encouragement.

    Ram sat in his chair, a little stunned by the course of events. His brain seemed to have shut down. He was trying to contemplate what all he would need to do to reverse the ‘Vikas effect’ and the ramifications on his esteem and his job list were immense.

    “Never take decision when boss is away, when he is back he will make you pay,” those wise words of wisdom, the express delivery of the teacup and Chai-La had vanished into a page of a textbook on empowerment that was lying on Ram’s table. The page was titled. “How to use empowerment to keep subordinates motivated.”

  • Television looks ‘Outdoors’

    There’s no escaping now, everywhere you go it follows, across buses, trains, kiosks and more. Striving to use every possible object within its reach to grab eyeballs. Such is the impact of outdoor advertising!

    It is estimated that currently, the outdoor space availability in metros is ‘zero.‘ With festivity around the corner, television channels are beefing up their programming and the most opportunistic way to utilize advertising appears to be via this medium.

    The outdoor business is estimated to be growing at 20 per cent and the size of the organized industry alone has been pegged at Rs 11 – 12 billion by industry experts. These figures are proof that advertisers‘ dependence on outdoor has significantly increased.

    The biggest players this year among television channels are the ususal suspects Sony, Star and Zee. The average spends among these channels is estimated to be close to Rs 700 – 800 million annually on outdoor advertising. 30 per cent of these spends are dedicated to the festive rush spanning September – December, says Star Sight CEO Sanjay Shah.

    Bright director Yogesh Lakhani opines that spends usually go up by 15 – 20 per cent during the festive period. Jhalak Dikhla Ja got the ball rolling for Sony but now Kaajal and Extraaa Innings from the same stable are straddling Mumbai city. It is believed that more than 50 per cent of Sony‘s spends in launching properties is dedicated to out of home.

    Star has followed suit with its three big launches Antariksh and yet to be launched Paraya Dhan and Sathi Re. Naach Baliye was also given this life-size value during its launch period.

     

    Slide Show: Different mediums used in Outdoor

    Zee went all the way with Betiyann and is planning to use outdoor to build the buzz for the Sa Re Ga Ma finale on 28 October, as well as the newly launched youth block Klub. Zee alone is estimated to spend about 15 to 20 million on each property.

    In addition to these big players, other contenders currently in the outdoor space include Disney Channel with its latest local offering Vicky Aur Vetaal and Tata Sky‘s DTH platform battling it out with Dish TV. Primesite head GM West Aneil Deepak remarks that channels usually adopt a dual strategy, whereby 30 – 40 per cent of their spends go to permanent sites on an annualized basis, however in promoting certain properties they will increase their spends depending upon its significance.

    Outdoor is consistently used by channels as it not only acts as a reminder medium but it also gets people to sample a new show. Ogilvy Activation country head – Landscapes and Signscapes Nabendu Bhattacharyya opines, “Outdoor builds quick awareness and is the most cost efficient option. It is beneficial because it can be city specific and have a customized plan by which campaigns can run from 7 days to months.”

    Though the outdoor industry falls short of a common currency measure, individual specialists with the likes of Star, Sony Entertainment, Zee TV, Times Now and Sahara that use outdoor all the year round, have their own proprietary tools to derive accountability from the medium.

    Besides TV, the biggest spender this year are from the Telecom sector says Aaren Initiative president Vivek Lakhwara. Reliance and Airtel have a pan Indian presence, adds Shah. “Normal medium vacancy level of 20 per cent during the year becomes zero during September to December as brands like telecom, finance, press, automobiles, radio are also fighting to grab the available spots,” says Bhattacharyya.

    Going beyond billboards and bus shelters out of home as a category is fast expanding into areas like retail and entertainment. With emerging technology like LED screens, interactive facia at malls, backlit air blimps and large building wraps, Bhattacharyya forsees, “Airport advertising will take on a much greater significance with clients. Technology driven platforms like bluecasting will see the emergence of different options available to advertisers which will add to the array of the outdoor armament.”

    The future is bright! On a rather optimistic note, Bhattacharyya predicts that this year will prove to be a watershed year for the outdoor advertising industry. “The area of consolidation both from a buyer and the concessionaire‘s perspective, is around the corner. It has happened the world over and India will prove to be no different. The outdoor specialists will control about 75 to 80 per cent of the entire outdoor market in India in two years time and consolidation amongst them will also happen very quickly. Alliances and mergers will take place, media groups will broaden their services, bandwidth will be built in order to deliver efficiencies and scale, and the big buyers will only get bigger.”

    He also sees foreign investors and large media groups waiting for an opportunity to lunge into the Indian market. He says, “The big daddies like Viacom, Clear Channel and Decaux know it‘s a profitable business to get into. They are just hoping and crossing their fingers that tighter legislation and better regularities come into play, for them to invest long term in India.”

    Of course, one such biggie has already made a quiet landing on Indian shores. News Outdoor India (NOI), the local arm of News Corp’s OOH subsidiary News Outdoor Group (NOG) and headed by a former senior executive of Star India Sumantra ‘Sumo‘ Dutta, has been operating in the country for the last six months.
     

  • Television looks ‘Outdoors’

    There’s no escaping now, everywhere you go it follows, across buses, trains, kiosks and more. Striving to use every possible object within its reach to grab eyeballs. Such is the impact of outdoor advertising!

    It is estimated that currently, the outdoor space availability in metros is ‘zero.’ With festivity around the corner, television channels are beefing up their programming and the most opportunistic way to utilize advertising appears to be via this medium.

    The outdoor business is estimated to be growing at 20 per cent and the size of the organized industry alone has been pegged at Rs 11 – 12 billion by industry experts. These figures are proof that advertisers’ dependence on outdoor has significantly increased.

    The biggest players this year among television channels are the ususal suspects Sony, Star and Zee. The average spends among these channels is estimated to be close to Rs 700 – 800 million annually on outdoor advertising. 30 per cent of these spends are dedicated to the festive rush spanning September – December, says Star Sight CEO Sanjay Shah.

    Bright director Yogesh Lakhani opines that spends usually go up by 15 – 20 per cent during the festive period. Jhalak Dikhla Ja got the ball rolling for Sony but now Kaajal and Extraaa Innings from the same stable are straddling Mumbai city. It is believed that more than 50 per cent of Sony’s spends in launching properties is dedicated to out of home.

    Star has followed suit with its three big launches Antariksh and yet to be launched Paraya Dhan and Sathi Re. Naach Baliye was also given this life-size value during its launch period.

    In pictures: Different mediums used in Outdoor

    Zee went all the way with Betiyann and is planning to use outdoor to build the buzz for the Sa Re Ga Ma finale on 28 October, as well as the newly launched youth block Klub. Zee alone is estimated to spend about 15 to 20 million on each property.

    In addition to these big players, other contenders currently in the outdoor space include Disney Channel with its latest local offering Vicky Aur Vetaal and Tata Sky’s DTH platform battling it out with Dish TV. Primesite head GM West Aneil Deepak remarks that channels usually adopt a dual strategy, whereby 30 – 40 per cent of their spends go to permanent sites on an annualized basis, however in promoting certain properties they will increase their spends depending upon its significance.

    Outdoor is consistently used by channels as it not only acts as a reminder medium but it also gets people to sample a new show. Ogilvy Activation country head – Landscapes and Signscapes Nabendu Bhattacharyya opines, “Outdoor builds quick awareness and is the most cost efficient option. It is beneficial because it can be city specific and have a customized plan by which campaigns can run from 7 days to months.”

    Though the outdoor industry falls short of a common currency measure, individual specialists with the likes of Star, Sony Entertainment, Zee TV, Times Now and Sahara that use outdoor all the year round, have their own proprietary tools to derive accountability from the medium.

    Besides TV, the biggest spender this year are from the Telecom sector says Aaren Initiative president Vivek Lakhwara. Reliance and Airtel have a pan Indian presence, adds Shah. “Normal medium vacancy level of 20 per cent during the year becomes zero during September to December as brands like telecom, finance, press, automobiles, radio are also fighting to grab the available spots,” says Bhattacharyya.

    Going beyond billboards and bus shelters out of home as a category is fast expanding into areas like retail and entertainment. With emerging technology like LED screens, interactive facia at malls, backlit air blimps and large building wraps, Bhattacharyya forsees, “Airport advertising will take on a much greater significance with clients. Technology driven platforms like bluecasting will see the emergence of different options available to advertisers which will add to the array of the outdoor armament.”

    The future is bright! On a rather optimistic note, Bhattacharyya predicts that this year will prove to be a watershed year for the outdoor advertising industry. “The area of consolidation both from a buyer and the concessionaire’s perspective, is around the corner. It has happened the world over and India will prove to be no different. The outdoor specialists will control about 75 to 80 per cent of the entire outdoor market in India in two years time and consolidation amongst them will also happen very quickly. Alliances and mergers will take place, media groups will broaden their services, bandwidth will be built in order to deliver efficiencies and scale, and the big buyers will only get bigger.”

    He also sees foreign investors and large media groups waiting for an opportunity to lunge into the Indian market. He says, “The big daddies like Viacom, Clear Channel and Decaux know it’s a profitable business to get into. They are just hoping and crossing their fingers that tighter legislation and better regularities come into play, for them to invest long term in India.”

    Of course, one such biggie has already made a quiet landing on Indian shores. News Outdoor India (NOI), the local arm of News Corp’s OOH subsidiary News Outdoor Group (NOG) and headed by a former senior executive of Star India Sumantra ‘Sumo’ Dutta, has been operating in the country for the last six months.

  • I’ve got the power

    The free hand – a mythical concept which has been in existence ever since the term ‘management‘ was invented by a group of orangutans figuring out how to nail a bunch of bananas (ok, I lied about the orangutan bit, but there were definitely some bananas involved). It is meant to be an empowerment tool that serves to motivate and nurture employees and prepare them to assume more responsibility. However the chances of this definition actually being implemented in the real world are as remote as the odds of the orangutans returning those bananas, even it there is a world famous card and a curvaceously crafted star actress being waved in their faces.

    “Never trust boss who says the decision is your own, soon the issue will come back and you will cry and moan.” The high pitched, heavily accented oriental cackle, and Chai-La, the mystical Chinese tea boy, had disbursed his morning ascetic pearl into the unsuspecting ears of Ram Shankar, as always with the customary tea cup, nestled in Ram‘s fingers.


    Vikas (Ram‘s boss) had been away, incommunicado for a week. The office speculation was that the (in) famous Russian pole dancer who he used to chat with, was in town and Vikas had felt it was an opportune moment to learn the ‘Russian tongue shuffle‘. Thus, he had excused himself by saying it was merely a case of paying lip service to some pressing issues for a while (which it was) and had zoomed off into an unspecified direction leaving behind an excessively overburdened and outrageously confused Ram Shankar in his wake. His parting words to the young chap were, “Don‘t wait to get in touch with me for any decisions, act like you are captain of the ship and just move ahead. I am backing you all the way.”


    Those words, after rather lazily tracing some motivationally challenged, elliptically orbital paths in Ram‘s mind, had settled and resonated in meaning, inflating Ram Shankar‘s ego and chest dimensions almost to match those of his stomach. He felt wondrously alive and detected a distinct surge of electricity running through his veins making his hair stand on end, until he realized that he had absent mindedly inserted his pen into a three pin socket.


    Nevertheless thus ‘charged‘, he had attacked each day with a ferocity that would have done a pack of teen age girls entering a shoe sale proud. And the days, as also the various assignments, had zipped by.


    When Vikas resumed, looking a little odd with puffed and bruised lips, the first thing that he did was ask for a status update with Ram. Ram felt, for once, that he was in for some praise. Everything over the last few days was running extremely smoothly.


    “Things will change when boss is back, as things need to get back on track,” Chai-La‘s sermon for the morning had Ram a little bewildered. What could possibly go wrong? He had performed a minor miracle over the week. Even PP (the creative director of the hideous moustache fame) had a few good things to say about him, and if you were in servicing that was as rare as a meeting ending without an exhortation for the need of ‘out of the box‘ thinking.


    “What has been the progress on the market research brief that we were supposed to initiate?” asked Vikas, scratching his head in a bellicose manner.

    “Well the research has been initiated, it began three days ago,” answered an elated Ram.


    “What?” screamed Vikas, touching the high octaves, causing an ageing Indian ex-captain to momentarily take his eyes off the ball and nick yet another one into the waiting slips.

    “I only asked you to initiate a research brief.”

    “But you told me to take decisions; I was in charge you said.”
    “You don‘t know the sensitivities on the account, now talk to the research agency and stop whatever has been initiated.
    Figure out how the costs will be absorbed.”

    “Don‘t you even want to see what the brief was?”

    “At my level, I don‘t need to. I just can sense things becoming issues.”

    Retorted Vikas, with his mood visibly uplifted. Ram felt his morale sag like the male interest in a Ms. World pageant after the swimsuit round is over.


    “What about the new press ads needed for the Gujarat market? Can we see the creative? When are we looking at releases?”


    Ram‘s mood perked up again.


    “We have already begun the campaign, one ad has already appeared and the others are due over the next few days.” Ram replied, beaming ear to ear like a reality show participant waiting for the audience vote to come in Vikas‘s clapped his hand to his forehead and slumped back into his chair.

    “Why do you take these decisions? How much do you know of the brand?”

    “But I presented it to Mr. Bose (the client), he approved it, in fact he said this was the most incisive idea that the agency has created over the last year.”

    “Mr. Bose wouldn‘t know an idea if it stood up and slapped him, get PP over here.” Interrupted Vikas, then seeing PP pass by hailed him.

    PP sunny disposition vanished the moment he set his eyes on Vikas.

    “PP, our boy here…”

    PP brightened and slapped Ram on the back, “has come a long way, I never knew he was that smart, he hardly gets in a word when you are there. He has helped create and sell some cracking work.”

    Vikas was clearly unimpressed with the endorsement.

    “I was going to say that he has caused enough mayhem and was going to tell you to stop work on the campaign, we will give you a new brief.”

    “Why?” boomed PP, always eager to combat his nemesis.
    “Because I head the account and it‘s my call.”

    “Its better for the account when you are away, take leave more often.”

    “This account is with this agency because of the relations that I enjoy at the client end. I have the final say on everything!”

    They were standing toe to toe, just when the referee, oops sorry, the President motioned them both into his room in a manner that meant that the rest of the afternoon was gone.

    “I want all the releases stopped by the time I get back, also you better reverse all the bright decisions you have taken when I was away,” hissed Vikas, closely resembling an extremely agitated viper as he left the cubicle.

    PP offered Ram a sympathetic smile, and a wink of encouragement.


    Ram sat in his chair, a little stunned by the course of events. His brain seemed to have shut down. He was trying to contemplate what all he would need to do to reverse the ‘Vikas effect‘ and the ramifications on his esteem and his job list were immense.


    “Never take decision when boss is away, when he is back he will make you pay,” those wise words of wisdom, the express delivery of the teacup and Chai-La had vanished into a page of a textbook on empowerment that was lying on Ram‘s table. The page was titled. “How to use empowerment to keep subordinates motivated.”


    After stints at Lowe, Mudra and Everest the author is now general manager Client Service Network Advertising. In addition to that he is also patron saint of Juhu Beach United – a movement that celebrates obesity and the unfit ‘out of breath‘ media professional of today. To join up contact vinaykanchan@hotmail.com


    (The views expressed here are those of the author and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to the same)

  • Mrs. India pageant invites entries for ‘Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs. India 2007’ contest

















    MUMBAI: Its Mrs. India time again! Bombay Dyeing along with Gladrags, the lifestyle and fashion bimonthly, has called for entries for the Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs. India 2007.


    Entries have been pouring in from all across the country with the regional selection rounds conducted by Mrs. Maureen Wadia, the President of Gladrags Beauty Pageants and the organiser of the Mrs. India and the MegaModel and Manhunt Contests held annually. The selection rounds will take place in Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Mumbai.



    The Mumbai selection round will take place on Thursday, 12 October 2006 from 12 noon onwards at Gladrags Career Academy, Wadala.





    Mrs. India contest invites married Indian women aspirants under the age of 50 years to participate in this pageant. It also welcomes entries from divorcees.



    Selected contestants from all states will represent their state at the all India Finals of the Mrs. India Contest, to be held in Mumbai in early December 2006.



    Speaking about the contest, President of Gladrags Beauty Pageant Maureen Wadia says, “The Mrs. India pageant is a celebration of the contemporary Indian married woman. She’s a wife, a mother and a multi-talented achiever who maintains that perfect balance between her home, her family and her career if she has one. She is a woman that husbands and families are proud of. She walks a trapeze all her life, balancing all her responsibilities equally.”



    Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs. India 2006 title holder Shillpa A. Singh, expresses, “Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs. India has not only made me realise my full potential but also given me the courage and confidence to progress my life with forgotten dreams. It has literally been a stepping stone to my success and honed me to become what I am today — a woman of substance. Thank you Bombay Dyeing and Gladrags so much for giving me the opportunity to be where every woman aspires to be.”



    This beauty pageant for married woman is the springboard to international acclaim for the aspirants. The winners will represent India at Mrs. India in Las Vegas and at Mrs. Globe International pageant this year.



    The Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs. India Contest Winners


    Over the last six years Bombay Dyeing and Gladrags have together taken Indian married women to a new level by holding the Mrs. India Contest together.


    Aditi Govitrikar won the Gladrags Mega Model in 1996. As Mrs. India, Aditi represented India at the Mrs. World Contest in Las Vegas, and won Mrs. World in 2001.


    Mrs. Jasmine D’Souza of Mumbai won the Mrs. India Contest in 2002. She was in a tie with Mrs. U.S.A. for winning the title


    Mrs. Tania Soni of Hyderabad won the Mrs. India Contest in 2003.


    Mrs Naina Dhaliwal of Chandigarh won the Mrs. India Contest in 2004.


    Mrs. Shilpa Reddy of Hyderabad won the Mrs. India Contest in 2005.


    Mrs. Shillpa A. Singh of Mumbai won the Mrs. India Contest in 2006.

  • ‘Commercial Break’ trains spotlight on Delhi Agencies

    Advertising agencies in Delhi are now on the radar of the producers of “Commercial Break”, the show on JANMAT that re-discovers the advertising world for television.

     

    “Commercial Break” talks of the creative process, the highs and lows of the advertising world and the people who mould words and images to make us laugh, cry and think. The show on JANMAT is on every Saturday on 7.30p.m., with a repeat at 11 a.m. on Sunday. In a half hourly format, ‘Commercial Break’ covers one leading Ad Agency every week. On show are the agency’s memorable works, awards won and ad creatives that made the grade or fell by the wayside.

     

    In forthcoming weeks, prepare to watch fascinating episodes that zero in on leading lights in New Delhi from Dentsu, JWT, Lowe and Grey Worldwide. Chief Creative Officer at Dentsu, Gullu Sen was categorical when he said that “A bigger budget does not automatically mean better advertising”. At Dentsu, having a dream was the basis of future success!

     

    Senior VP and GM at JWT, Delhi, Rohit Ohri admitted of competition among JWT branches countrywide but that it was healthy and constructive! His take on celebrities endorsing products was cautious: “Using celebrities is a gamble,” he said. Pepsi reigns over his mind: “When you hold Pepsi in your hand, its much more than just a drink!

     

    “If you see from our point of view, we are the No.1 agency,” is what Executive Vice President of Lowe, Mohit Beotra believes. He backs his belief with his client list adding that the only parameter of success is the success of the brands that you manage. Lowe’s USP is finding surprising solutions that engage customers and help business grow.

     

    Prataph Suthan, National Creative Director of Grey Worldwide staked his confidence upfront: “We are an extremely aggressive and very fierce agency and India Shining was one of our most successful campaigns despite the political fallout.” He reiterated his confidence in India by saying companies who want to grow must do business in India.

     

    Commercial Break departs from the current industry norms of having a very formal or structured interview format. Instead it also introduces segments on old Indian commercials that have entered Indian marketing lore – for example the 40-year old Hamam ad campaign was recently showcased. There are segments on international ad campaigns, a Vox Pop for the common man and focus on the top three ads of the week.

     

    Positioned as India’s first Views Channel, JANMAT has brought a fresh breeze in the country’s TV viewing landscape. JANMAT is a 24-hour current affairs channel targeted towards the discerning Indian audience. Through its innovative positioning and its interactive programming JANMAT is breaking old stereotypes.
    Catch COMMERCIAL BREAK on Saturday on 7.30p.m., with a repeat at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

  • Gulf Air appoints new general manager for India

    Gulf Air appoints new general manager for India

    A consistent achiever and winning performer, Nambiar has risen from the ranks of Gulf Air, having joined it in 1999 as District Sales Manager in Doha, Qatar from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

     

    After a nearly three and a half years stint in Doha, he moved to Nairobi, Kenya on promotion as Area Manager for East and West Africa. In June 2004 he was elevated to the position of General Manager at Gulf Air headquarters in Bahrain, the biggest station of Gulf Air network, before moving to Dubai in January 2005.

     

    A Bahrain-born Indian, Nambiar brings to the position a depth of knowledge and experience that will serve him well in this highly competitive market.

     

    “I am delighted to take up the new position in India, which is an important market for Gulf Air,” says Nambiar.

    “Gulf Air is, and will continue to be, a major player in this rapidly growing travel market. I hope to continue with my undeterred spirit to further develop the market. I am thankful to Gulf Air management for their confidence.

    Regional General Manager Robin Middleton says Gulf Air’s relationship with India goes back to the 60s when it started its first flight to Mumbai in 1960 – the first gulf airline to operate into India.

    “It is one of the top five revenue producing markets for Gulf Air, and it continues to be one of the largest international carriers serving this important country, which is a rapidly-growing economy,” he says.

    “We are confident that under Rajeev’s leadership and in conjunction with our GSA Jet Airways, Gulf Air will continue to go from strength to strength, not only in creating an even stronger profile with new innovative products but also by providing our Indian customers with our unique brand of Arab hospitality and culture, for which we are renowned.”

     

    About Gulf Air
    Founded in 1950, Gulf Air is presently owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is the only truly Pan Gulf carrier in the region.

     

    More than half a century later, the regional, geographic and cultural values that the airline has embraced over more than half a century are still central in defining the brand and service ethos within the contemporary and global environment.

     

    Today the airline’s network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 44 cities in 30 countries. The fleet comprises 34 aircraft.

     

    Under President and Chief Executive James Hogan, the successful implementation of the first phase of a restructuring programme, which commenced in 2003, has resulted in the establishment of a platform for sustained commercial operation.

     

    It has also provided a framework for a succession of innovative products and services including the unique Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies that form part of Gulf Air’s ’boutique airline’ vision.

     

    The dramatic turnaround in fortunes has won international recognition. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) presented the airline with the prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award for 2003. Gulf Air was also the recipient of the 2003 Platinum Award for the Best Airline in the Middle East and North Africa, which recognised the airline’s commitment to service excellence. Other awards include:

    Winner – Middle East Leading First Class Airline, World Travel Awards 2005
    Winner – World’s Leading Airport Lounge, World Travel Awards 2005
    Winner – Middle East & North African Platinum Best Airline Travel Award 2004
    Winner – Skytrax Most Improved Airline Award 2004
    Winner – Skytrax Best First Class Onboard Food Category 2004
    Winner – Skytrax Best Business Class Check-in Category 2004
    Official Airline and Sponsor of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2006

    For further information please contact:
    Rashmi Shetty / Riann Vaz
    Tel: 022 22812957 / 60
    Mob: 98217 65776 / 98198 64424