Category: Press Release

Snapdeal collaborates with GOME to sell high privacy phones

MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading online marketplace, today announced the launch of smartphones by Hong Kong-based GOME on its platform. GOME’s C7 and C7 note series will be available on Snapdeal from today.

Both the phones promise to provide many unique privacy features besides delivering an ultimate smartphone user experience.

C7 Note

The GOME C7 Note delivers a perfect viewing experience with 5.99” (18:9) HD+ full-screen display. Its 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor along with high-speed capability can take multitasking to the next level. The 3500mAh battery delivers a long-lasting performance with GOME’s add on OS’s machine learning optimization which further enhances the power performance of the phone.

C7 note’s 13MP + 5MP dual rear camera let its users capture some truly amazing life moments. There’s also a 5MP camera on the front to power your perfect selfie moments.

The phone scores high on privacy features which lets you hide details of incoming calls or notifications. These details are only revealed after unlocking the phone with the Face ID. What’s more, the user can also give a guided view of their photo gallery. You can show any photo to your friend without any worry of him/her swiping through to the next one.

The phone is priced at Rs 6499 for 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage variant, and Rs 7999 for 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage variant. It is available in vibrant shades like black and gold on Snapdeal.

C7

The GOME C7 5.45” display supports (18:9) HD+ Full display that gives a perfect visual treat to its users. It also has 1.5GHz Quad Core Processor for a seamless graphics-heavy gaming experience. The 3000mAH battery for enhanced power performance.

C7 supports a combination camera of 13 MP on the rear and 5MP on the front view to capture special moments with their personal masterpiece.

The phone is strong yet sleek and lightweight. It fits perfectly in your hand.

Priced at Rs 5499, it is available in shades like black and gold on Snapdeal.

March 7, 2019
Vistara becomes first Indian airline to provide sanitary pads onboard domestic flights starting this International Women’s Day

MUMBAI: India’s finest full-service carrier, Vistara, today announced another thoughtful initiative #PadsOnBoard, whereby it will provide sanitary pads onboard its flights to women travellers on request, starting this International Women’s Day on 8 March 2019. This initiative makes Vistara the first Indian airline to offer sanitary pads on flights within India. The airline will provide ISO 9001:2015 certified, bio-degradable and organic sanitary napkins made from plant-based fibres that are free of plastic, toxins and perfume.

Recognizing the need for this essential amenity, the airline introduced this service to assure women travellers of a comfortable flying experience every time they fly Vistara. Vistara’s cabin crew will make in-flight announcements on all flights to create awareness among travellers that sanitary pads are now available onboard for customers to freely ask for it if they need it.

Commenting on the initiative, Ms. Deepa Chadha, Senior Vice President – HR & Corporate Affairs, said: “At Vistara, everything we do stems from the concept of ‘intuitive thoughtfulness’. It is this simple, humane perspective that makes us different from any other airline, and the reason that Vistara is the first choice for air travellers in India today. The initiative to provide sanitary pads to our customers is a meaningful one that reflects our core philosophy that ‘small things make a big difference’. As a woman, I feel a greater sense of pride for being part of an organization that’s providing such an essential amenity to customers – something that will help so many travellers in times of need.”

The introduction of #PadsOnBoard is part of Vistara’s focus on services and amenities for women travellers, adding to #VistaraWomanFlyer service that was launched in 2017 to provide certain benefits and peace of mind to solo women travelers. Together, these products and services will come under the ‘Vistara for Women’ service umbrella, as Vistara continues to lead the way on this front in India.

Additionally, to celebrate International Women’s Day, all-women crew and pilots will operate retro-themed flights on the #VistaraRetroJet between Delhi and Goa on March 8. The cabin crew on these flights will be dressed in limited-edition retro-style uniforms, and customers will be invited to dress retro as well, and will be welcomed with memorabilia and served special dishes.

As the highest-rated Indian airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, Vistara has consistently raised the bar for operations and service delivery in the Indian aviation industry in a short span of four years. The airline recently announced the launch of services to Raipur and Dibrugarh, taking its destinations served to 24 with a fleet of 22 Airbus A320 aircraft operating over 800 flights a week, and has flown over 13 million customers since starting operations four years ago.

March 6, 2019
Yeh VIVO IPL hai, Yahaan Game Banayega Name; Star Sports’ new campaign for VIVO IPL 2019 launched

MUMBAI: The 12th edition of VIVO IPL is all set to enthrall fans globally from March 23rd onwards. Adding to the excitement ahead of the world’s most-watched cricketing tournament, Star Sports and BCCI have unveiled the campaign #GameBanayegaName which focuses on VIVO IPL as a platform where one’s ‘Talent’ (Game) precedes one’s name.

The film is conceptualized by Taproot Dentsu. In a historic first, IPL players from across all eight franchises come together in one frame to showcase the spirit of the upcoming league. The TVC features Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishabh Pant and Rashid Khan in their respective team jerseys.

The VIVO IPL campaign, ‘Game Banayega Name’ is a great leveler and reflective of young and fearless India in every sphere. This is a powerful philosophy in a country like India where more than 50% people are below the age of 30 years. This insight goes beyond cricket, talking to people who are brimming with confidence, skilled and are fearless in their approach to claim their space in the Sun.

The TVC opens with a split screen battle between young players in a maidan on one side and established VIVO IPL stars on the other to grab screen space. After an entertaining tussle, the film ends with IPL stars acknowledging the maidan players talent and inviting them to show their game. The TVC is a reflection of the core spirit that VIVO IPL resonates, a platform for young talent to showcase their game and an opportunity to make a name. The TVC is set to a catchy song and is written by Puneet Sharma and Pallavi Chakravarti and composed by Sameer Uddin.

Commenting on the campaign Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI said, “BCCI’s primary objective while launching the IPL in 2008 was to promote domestic talent. In the last 11 years, it has unearthed some extraordinary players who have been serving Indian cricket with distinction. Star Sports’ new campaign for IPL-12—#GameBanayegaName resonates with that spirit and vision of IPL and we are looking forward to a great season.”

Speaking on the campaign, Gautam Thakar, CEO Star Sports said, “Through this campaign we wanted to truly reflect this thought that, given the right opportunity, anyone with skills and talent can make their mark in the world. The VIVO IPL has already shown in the past that it is an ideal platform for aspiring cricketers to showcase their talent. Names such as, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bhumrah, Rishabh Pant among many others are all testament to this. This campaign reflects the spirit of young India and we are excited to bring the biggest ever IPL on our network.”

Speaking on the campaign execution, Agnello Dias, CCO, Taproot Dentsu, said “This campaign is special because it showcases not only the biggest sporting platform this country has ever seen but also the new generation of talent coming through at Taproot Dentsu and in the advertising industry. The IPL has been the single propellant of new talent in the history of world cricket and our ECD, Pallavi Chakravarti nailed with an idea so vivid and engaging, and it simply had to be done.”

The film is being released simultaneously in 7 languages – Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi across all platforms, TV, Radio, and Digital.

The 12th edition of VIVO IPL starts on Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore.

March 6, 2019
Get ready for some chills down your spine as &flix airs the spooky supernatural mystery ‘Insidious’ this Saturday

MUMBAI: Finding your dream home is a monumental task. But what do you do when your new home has horrors waiting to unfold? #LeapForth into the dark unknown as &flix, the destination for the biggest Hollywood hits, is all set to air the supernatural thriller ‘Insidious’. Airing as a part of the ongoing property Scary Mornings, the film is sure to terrify viewers in broad daylight on Saturday, March 16 at 11AM.

A story of two doting parents Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne), Insidious revolves around the adventures of the family of five who finally settle in a new house. Little do they know that ‘the ghost in the attic’ is no more just an amusing tale. The life of this happy family comes to a standstill when their eldest son meets with a freak accident in the attic as he slips into an inexplicable coma. With paranormal forces using their son’s body as vessel, Josh and Renai must employ all possible means to defeat the darkness that surrounds their family.

The first instalment in a successful franchise series, Insidious has bagged multiple nominations and won the Best Horror Film Award category at the Fright Meter Awards.

March 6, 2019
Greenply introduces India’s first women carpenters

· Objective of the campaign:

To create conversations around a purposeful; real and inspiring topic that also motivates men and women to act differently when it comes to issues pertaining to Women

· Brief shared with the agency:

How can Greenply bring about a small but actionable change (instead of just a philosophical one) in the journey towards ensuring ‘empowerment’ and ‘equal opportunities’ for Women in India

· The Creative Approach:

Women often tend to underestimate what they can or cannot do. The creative idea was to challenge this perception as a Plywood brand, through a social experiment.

· Film Descriptor (i.e. describing the film):

Women were invited to an art gallery, where various objects were displayed inside a wardrobe. They were asked a simple question: Which of the things they saw were made by women. As each of the women inspected the objects, all guesses gravitated towards the objects, like clothes, food etc. Not one participant thought to assign the art of furniture making to a woman’s hands.

The big surprise then played out on a projection – a video showing the building of an actual wardrobe by India’s first all-women carpentry team from Archana Women’s Centre, right from the first steps to the final product. Shortly after, the women carpenters themselves emerged, and were introduced to the amazed participants.

· Excerpts from Spokespersons: This may include the Company spokesperson and Creative Director / Producer (on their experience of making the ad)

Speaking at the launch, Sukesh Nayak – Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, said, “The seeds of patriarchy are sowed so deep that we still express wonder when we hear of women working in certain professions. Carpentry is one of them. We wanted to seize the opportunity to drive home the flaws in our ways of thinking. That’s why we chose Women’s Day as the right time to catapult this event.”

In this initiative to encourage more women to break the shackles of – what women can and what women cannot, Mr. Rajesh Mittal, Managing Director – Greenply Industries Limited (GIL) said, “Our partnership with Archana Women’s Centre is to provide expertise in various training programs such as mechanical skill, knowledge about newer techniques and critical thinking skills, which will develop the women workforce to meet all challenges of carpentry. At every phase, we attempt to find ways to empower and include women workforce in our ecosystem, where they can lead the plywood industry forward”.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sanidhya Mittal, Executive Director of Greenply Industries Limited, further added that, “There is a huge opportunity for carpenters of every skill level in India for various woodworking and carpentry services. Through our association we will nurture them and provide vocational training to make them skilled professionals.”

March 6, 2019
Dailyhunt Launches #KhudKiSochBanao Campaign as Nation gets ready for Elections

MUMBAI: Dailyhunt, India’s #1 news and local language content application, today announced the launch of its new election campaign, Dailyhunt Chalao, #KhudKiSochBanao.

India, the world’s largest democracy with 1.35 billion population, is preparing itself for upcoming general elections in India. The campaign aims at highlighting how it is imperative for us Indians to have a ‘Trusted’, ‘Unbiased’, ‘Credible’ source of information online to make an informed choice.

This groundbreaking campaign comes with a powerful message, “Iss election, kisi ka tota mat bano!” It attempts to reiterate on the significance of forming one’s own opinion at a time when the presence of multiple channels of information often leads to the misrepresentation of facts, biased coverage and impacts neutrality.

The multi-media campaign across TV, Digital, Radio targets all individuals who are eligible to vote and are residing not only in the metros but also in tier 2, 3 Indian cities, towns and rural villages and will be aired in all major languages and continue till the end of elections.

The campaign TVC interestingly shows various ‘totas’ among us –someone accused of mindless repetition of opinions from different walks of life, living in different parts of the country, speaking diverse regional languages, accessing latest news updates via different media channels. The ‘tota’ is seen blindly repeating other people’s opinions on important election issues, such as the hike in petrol-CNG prices, reservation, LPG subsidy, black money and implications of GST.

Umang Bedi, President, Dailyhunt, said, “The “Khud Ki Soch Banao” Campaign resonates with the philosophy of the brand. With the increase in the use of smartphones, expansion of 4G to rural villages, the growth of social media and media outlets, Indians are bombarded with multiple avenues offering news, varied opinions and biased narratives, thereby affecting election outcomes. The consumer feels the absence of a credible and trustworthy news brand that can provide unbiased coverage and multiple perspectives on every topic…. The Dailyhunt brand fills that void for the voting public.”

The #KhudKiSochBanao campaign is conceptualized and executed by Mumbai-based, full-service digital agency, What’s Your Problem Brand Solutions.

Amit Akali, Founder and Creative Head, What’s Your Problem, said, “We are excited to partner with Dailyhunt for this insightful campaign – a captivating way to bring forth the issue of biased, polarized opinions being formed against the backdrop of elections. We feel ‘tota’, as a metaphor, works beautifully and starts the debate on how important it is to have a platform that can give multiple perspectives allowing you to form your own opinions.”

National Award-winning Director, E Suresh (from Eeksaurus Studios), has directed the candidly shot film, and Firefly films, of Bahubali fame, has created the parrot-head CGI.

March 6, 2019
India’s First Sales & Marketing Solutions Platform – Benddit, Raises $250K Funding

MUMBAI: India’s first sales and marketing solutions platform, Benddit today announced having closed $250K of seed funding from industry leaders. The Benddit platform is a unique blend of smart-tech and expert intervention that allows companies and start-ups to find the best fit solution provider for their specific marketing and sales needs. Benddit will use this round of funding to accelerate product development, expand its team of experts, on board service providers through a strict verification process, and bolster marketing initiatives.

Benddit is a marketplace that offers ‘expert intelligence’ enhanced by technology to match client requirements to service providers in marketing and sales. Companies of all sizes today require outsourced expertise at the right price, innovative and flexible, and with high service standards. Today they may rely on their personal networks to look for experts that may be inefficient. This critical challenge is solved by Benddit in a scientific way that is a win-win for both the companies and the service providers.

Benddit’s proprietary tech algorithm matches the requirements of its clients seeking specific solutions in sales, and marketing to the specialised service providers, basis various parameters such as complexity, stage, relevance, cost, etc. The algorithm scans through Benddit's database of service providers and suggests the best fit names of service provider with 'scores' – to reflect the degree of the 'match' between the two and then facilitates a call between the company and the selected provider. This process is augmented by the intervention of Benddit Experts who assist clients with crystalizing their requirements and articulating their brief on the platform precisely, to be able to make the ‘perfect match’. Further, the Experts hand hold the entire process of the service delivery to ensure that clients receive the quality of services assured and the service provider is also well supported in being able to meet commitments. This two-way intervention is a key aspect of Benddit’s operations.

“Every business today is looking at agile, creative service providers across a spectrum of services where they are assured of quality and timely service. We are excited that Benddit is bringing a first of its kind solution to the industry through a platform that simplifies a necessary, but often burdensome process with a platform that is as easy to use as making a phone call. Our blended model, of using tech as well as Experts to support and hand hold both the client and service provider alike, ensures that we deliver impactful results!” says Vani Gupta.

“Our vision is to be the ultimate destination, for marketing and sales services, at scale. We are excited for the funding, as it will help us grow our team of experts and improve our machine learning capabilities”, said Vipul.

March 6, 2019
Indicash – India’s largest White Label ATM network pioneers ‘uberisation of ATMs’

MUMBAI: Tata Communications Payment Solutions Limited (TCPSL), that owns and operates India’s first and largest* white label ATM (WLA) network –‘Indicash’, today announced that it has contracted 1500 ATMs under its revolutionalry WLA co-branding model – that has paved ‘uberisation of ATMs’ in the country. With instant access to Indicash’s expansive 8000+ WLA network in 21 states, this plug and play ATM deployment model enables banks to rapidly expand their ATM footprint across the country. TCPSL’s pioneering WLA co-branding solution is designed for new age & far-sighted banks i.e. public, private, co-operative, small & payment banks along with NBFCs to give them ready access to high potential markets with minimal investments, zero capex and without any operational hassles.

Within few months of its launch, the model has found acceptance from multiple reputed banks. These include the recent largest co-branding alliance with a leading Payments Bank recognized as India’s largest digital wallet player headquartered in Noida for deploying ~1000 ATMs spanning 18 states. Other key banks include Suryoday Small Finance Bank; private banks like Federal Bank; foreign banks like DBS Bank Ltd.; scheduled commercial banks like The Nainital Bank Ltd; and co-operative banks like The Sutex Co-operative Bank Ltd., and Solapur Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., amongst others.

Sanjeev Patel, CEO, Tata Communications Payment Solutions Limited, says, “We are pleased to extend this pioneering & disruptive gig economy model to banks who are nimble and far sighted. With this model’s inherent operational and cost benefits, they will be able to rapidly advance their ATM-cum-brand reach.” He further adds, “Indicash’s WLA co-branding solution for banks spells the beginning of the end of the archaic commitment and capex heavy brown label ATM model that is prevalent in the industry today. Similar to the developed economies we foresee this cutting edge model to be rapidly adopted by, ‘plugged-in’, customer-centric banks in India and will further fuel cash accessibility in the country.”

Partner banks’ customers can enjoy host of cash and non-cash services such as cash withdrawals, balance enquiries, mini-statements, PIN change and VAS like card-to-card transfer, cheque book request and bank statement request. These ATMs accept all domestic debit cards with the first five or three free transactions per month, depending on the location, in line with the RBI regulations for use of ‘other bank’ ATMs. Moreover, bank customers can also avail a host of enhanced ATM services like setting their favourite transaction to save transaction time on their every visit, preferred language feature that enables customers to choose and enjoy transacting in their preferred language.

Indicash® ATM network is India’s first and the largest* WLA network. It is currently the **2nd largest ATM network across semi urban and rural markets after SBI and the **8th largest ATM network with over 8000 ATMs driving cash accessibility across ~5000 towns and villages in 21 states. Indicash® is committed to accelerate RBI’s vision to extend ATM accessibility to the masses with special focus on Tier 3 to 6 geographies which are largely underserved by the banks. The company is in its 5th year of operation and a market leader with over 48%# market share in the white label industry.

March 6, 2019
Zee Kannada launches Gattimela – a story on women empowerment

MUMBAI: Known for its compelling content creation, Zee Kannada has become every Kannadiga household’s hub of entertainment. In-line with Zee Kannada’s recently launched brand proposition Bayasid'dhaBāgiluTegiyōṇa, translating to ‘open door to possibilities’, the channel launches its latest fiction show, Gattimela. The story narrates the struggle of amighty woman who is encounteredwith hurdles,hailing from a lower middle-class family, with the courage to dream big of witnessing her 4-daughters be a part of a sacrament alliance. Tune-in to watch to be empowered with the tale of Gattimelastarting 11th March at 8:00 PM only on Zee Kannada and Zee Kannada HD.

The plot revolves around exploringthestrength of women. The tale of Gattimela is established with a focus on a conflict between VedanthVasishta, a successful business man who detests women and relationships,and Amulya, who isoutspoken yet a humble woman who fights against the conventional norms of the society.Parimala, mother of Amulya, Aarati, Adithi, and Anjali,constantly grieves about her inability of getting her daughters married and therefore, has set-up a small catering business which supplies snacks and sweets to social events in order to sustain their livelihood. How the serial progresses with the turn of events forms the crux of the story.

Parimala, enacted by Sudha Narasimha Raju, plays a predominate character in the serial. Her comeback to the small screen is definite to mark a strong significance in the minds of our viewers. While Rakshit, popular for his roles in the television industry, returns as VedanthVasishta. Gattimela’sstar-studded cast has begun creating a sensation amongst Zee Kannada audiences.

Commenting on the launch, the spokesperson of the channel said, “We, as a channel,stand true to women empowerment and believe that womenhave the strength to succeed through any situation. Zee Kannada inspires women to push their boundaries to achieve the extraordinary, and the tale of Gattimelaportrays the similar message for its ardent viewers. Additionally, the new serial is a genuine family entertainer due the hype created with the release of its promos, by continuing to cater to the audiences’ unique entertainment needs.”

March 6, 2019
Perfetti, Chupa Chups Racing on Moto GP Tracks with Jorge Lorenzo

MUMBAI: The iconic logo, originally designed by Salvador Dali, returns to the tracks of the World Motorcycle Championship embellishing the helmet of one of the greatest champions of all times, Jorge Lorenzo, holder of five titles in the world championship, and who recently joined the Honda team.

"I could not resist the temptation to show off my new Shark helmet, showcasing the legendary Chupa Chups daisy logo, right from the start of the pre-season tests", commented Jorge Lorenzo. "Motorcycling isn’t just sacrifice, passion and commitment, it’s also having fun and Chupa Chups is a fun brand! My passion for motorcycling dates back to childhood and Chupa Chups like motorbiking, is part of my childhood fun, a memory that has been part of many adventures and achievements and that it’s still present nowadays”.

Jorge will wear his new helmet with the Chupa Chups logo in the 2019 and 2020 World Championships, first-off the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix on March 10th.

Jorge’s fondness for the iconic lollipop brand has lasted for over twenty years since, way back in 1999, his helmet was "signed" Chupa Chups, accompanying him through the early years of his career in both the 125cc and 250cc class, when he won the championship both in 2006 and 2007, up until 2008 when he raced his first championship in the 500cc class.

Chupa Chups will also accompany Jorge Lorenzo every time he climbs on to the podium. A fun and irreverent way to celebrate his successes, showing his many fans how he enjoys the brand for which he has been a true ambassador for many years.

All the Best from Chupa Chups, Jorge! Forever Fun!

Chupa Chups is a brand of Perfetti Van Melle, a leading global confectionary Group producing and distributing candies and chewing gums in more than 150 countries worldwide, under world famous and renowned brands like Mentos, Fruittella, Alpenliebe, Frisk, Smint, Vivident, etc.

March 6, 2019