ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Snickers introduces all new almond variant

    Snickers introduces all new almond variant

    MUMBAI: Mars Wrigley Confectionery India today launched a new variant of its much loved chocolate brand SNICKERS®. The all new SNICKERS®  ALMONDS offers a base of nougat and crushed almonds, topped with a layer of diced almond mixed with caramel and enrobed with chocolate.

    Traditionally associated with boosting brain power, Almonds have always been a favourite of every Indian home. SNICKERS® ALMOND builds on this and highlights that hunger leads to forgetfulness which further leads to all kinds of irresponsible behavior. Therefore for every hungry brain SNICKERS® ALMOND is the answer.

    The tagline ‘No Bhook. No Bhoolna’ takes a spin on the brand’s global proposition of ‘Who Are You When You Are Hungry? and urges people to step up and take responsibility in their respective spheres of daily life. 

    The launch of the new variant will be supported by a television, digital & outdoor campaign, each of which will resonate with the idea of ‘You Become Forgetful When You Are Hungry’. The campaign reaches out to the brand’s millennial audiences by addressing everyday situations that are relevant to them. Whether it is reaching out to post on social media when someone is in trouble, or people not owning up to their responsibilities, the new campaign reflects how hunger causes forgetfulness leading to irresponsible and irrational actions and behaviors.

    Talking about the launch of SNICKERS® ALMOND, Mr. Yogesh Tewari, Marketing Director, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, said, “As a brand, SNICKERS® has always built on the proposition of ‘You Are Not You When You Are Hungry’ and this time, we wanted to bring in the angle of responsible behavior with SNICKERS® ALMOND. The campaign focuses on the goodness of almonds for hunger satisfaction and talks about stopping all kinds of irresponsible behavior. The product is a new, delicious twist to an all-time consumer favorite, and we are confident that SNICKERS® ALMOND will be well received by consumers across the country.”

    Two new thirty second TVCs have been introduced as part of the campaign, that will also be amplified digitally through online video bumpers of six seconds each. Each TVC focuses on a real life situation where people have forgotten their basic responsibilities as good citizens, because hunger has taken over their minds.

    The first TVC sees a man in a gym running on a malfunctional treadmill while everyone around him is capturing his plight on their smartphones. ‘When people are hungry, they forget how to behave’ he claims and gives the people standing by a SNICKERS® ALMOND to satiate their hunger, followed by the adage ‘No Bhook. No Bhoolna’.

    The second TVC is set in the context of a TV news show where politicians with differing views are seen throwing shoes at each other, while one of them  hides under the table to save himself. A chaiwallah appears and asks him ‘Are you hungry?’. When the politician replies in the affirmative, the chaiwallah hands him a SNICKERS® ALMOND and parts with the advice ‘No Bhook. No Bhoolna’.

  • Jim Sarbh to debut on TV with Discovery thought provoking, first of kind series, ‘Planet Healers’

    Jim Sarbh to debut on TV with Discovery thought provoking, first of kind series, ‘Planet Healers’

    MUMBAI: Good looking and versatile actor Jim Sarbh who has been a delight to watch on big screen in movies such as Sanju, Neerja and Padmavat is soon going to make his debut on television with Discovery Channel’s new series ‘Planet Healers’.  Jim Sarbh will host the thought provoking, first of its kind series featuring 8 start-ups who are working tirelessly to find innovative solutions to environmental hazards that we face today.

    Jim Sarbh will give the audience a deep dive into how these start-ups are focusing on complex and the same time extremely important issues like unplanned urbanization, electronic waste management, air pollution, fuel recycling et al. He will also be seen playing an integral role in educating viewers about the current environmental concerns and will give a reality check on how these hazards are impacting our planet.

    “I don’t believe in the separation between mankind and nature. Mankind is nature. It is only natural, that nature would find a way to heal itself, through mankind. I am excited by this Discovery’s new series “Planet Healers” and the startups on it. Hope more people stretch their imaginations in the direction of conservation and preservation of our large, wonderful, home.” said host Jim Sarbh.

  • A social comedy on sanitation, ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hai’ premiers as a Rishtey original

    A social comedy on sanitation, ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hai’ premiers as a Rishtey original

    MUMBAI: Emphasising on the importance of sanitation and hygiene in the country, leading Hindi mass entertainment channel Rishtey is soon to launch a new finite series called ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hain’.  The 14-episode finite series, ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hain’ is a social comedy that trails the journey of an under-cover government official who goes from village to village checking up on the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. The show will air on Rishtey starting 16h February 2019, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 PM.

    Commenting on the initiative, Shri. Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary-Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation said, “Under the inspirational leadership of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) has become a people's movement, revolutionizing sanitation in rural India. We are poised at the brink of achieving an ODF India, with 5.5 lakh villages and 600 districts already declared free from open defecation. The need of the future is to sustain these outcomes through continuous efforts made to reinforce the messages of safe sanitation and cleanliness. I am very happy that Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Limited and HDFC Limited are supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission and have produced "Hum Saaf Saaf Hain" – an entertainment-packed show for the full family, that carries the message of sustained sanitation in families and communities. My congratulations to the entire team.”

    The show promises to be a family entertainer which will not just tickle their funny bones but also enlighten them on the importance of sanitation and hygiene. The show will highlight issues such as ‘Swacchagris’, Toilets for the differently-abled, women’s safety and hygiene, ODF Plus and more with the twist of humour to engage the audiences.

    Mr. Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC said, “The Swachh Bharat Mission launched by the Government of India in 2014, was a much-needed initiative to make India open defecation free over a 5-year time frame. As a flagship and successful programme of the present Government, the Swachh Bharat Mission has not just built sanitation infrastructure, but also focused on creating awareness and behavioral change amongst people. Recognising the strong inter-linkage of sanitation & hygiene with socio-economic factors such as healthcare, sustainable communities and gender dignity, Sanitation has been one of HDFC’s focus areas since 2014 for its CSR programmes. We have partnered with experienced organisations across India, which are deeply connected with the communities they work in. HDFC is happy to partner with Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen and Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Limited for an innovative television series, which uses entertainment as an educative medium to impress the importance of good sanitation practices amongst India’s rural population. I wish all the teams success for this venture.”

    Speaking about the importance of socially inclined content, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18 said: “India is at the precipice of becoming open defecation free and at Viacom18, we believe that the media & entertainment industry plays a crucial role in changing behaviour and mindsets towards safe usage of toilets. Hence, be it through films such as Toilet Ek Prem Katha, shows such as Navrangi Re! and even with our flagship CSR program Chakachak Mumbai, we have mainstreamed the conversation on sanitation in living rooms and film theatres. With Hum Saaf Saaf Hai, we further intend to engage viewers in entertaining content while also creating awareness on safe sanitary practices.”

    The association has been orchestrated by INS-BE Viacom18, the brand solutions division under media conglomerate Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. The division in the past has successfully engaged with Arunachal Tourism, Himachal Tourism & Odisha Tourism along with prestigious associations with Ministry of External Affairs & DARPG under PMO.

    Commissioned by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation in partnership with HDFC Limited, a leading financial conglomerate, ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hain’ is being produced by Colosceum Media.  The lead actor of the show is the –humorous and witty – Rajesh Kumar, known for his popular stint as Rosesh Sarabhai. He will be seen playing the main character of ‘Hero Bhaiya’ who is a government clerk in his mid-thirties, finally getting a chance to fulfill his long-term dream of being a spy. The stellar cast also include Gulki Joshi who will be seen playing the character of Archana- an ambitious school teacher and Shashi Rajan who will essay the role of Gobind among others.

  • Indian Moms prioritizing themselves: Ipsos Mothering Excellence Study 2018

    Indian Moms prioritizing themselves: Ipsos Mothering Excellence Study 2018

    MUMBAI: A typical Indian mom conjures up images of sacrificing oneself to the role of motherhood. Cut to Circa 2018, Ipsos study christened ‘Mothering Excellence’ shows that the Indian and Asian mothers are turning ‘Me Focused’ from being ‘Child Focused’ in their quest to be role model moms. 

    Ashwini Sirsikar, Country Service Line Head of Ipsos UU (Qualitative Research division) sees a shift 2018, from 2015, when the study was last undertaken: “With the mom playing a more active and assertive role, she wants to be the best version of herself, in all her roles, including that of being a mom. So, being a good mom is about being her best self. Along with her family’s happiness she is focusing on her own happiness, fulfilment, identity and strengths and this positive mindset is a shift from the conventional role of the mother who always puts the family first.”

    Further the study shows, there is a stronger expression for the need of freedom, experimentation and exploration as moms. The conscious need to make the experience of being a mom enjoyable. We see more digitally savvy moms. They are focusing on developing kids as individuals (in their own right), at the same time looking at a life beyond being a mother and a caregiver. Interestingly, we see a backlash to the pursuit of domination, advantage and competitiveness; the need to have overperforming kids still exists, but the practice of using privilege, money or power is increasingly rejected. A level playing field is desired by all.  

    The study provides an insightful overview of the trends and scope around the topic of mothering motivations. The contemporary insights around mothering provide marketers the opportunity to review their market, brand and category strategy and communication, in this context to arrive at the right brand positioning. Ergo, it unravels consumer centric motivations for brand inputs.   

    Mothering Excellence is a qualitative study undertaken to understand mothering motivations of Asian Moms and was carried out in 11 Asian markets (India, Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines). It was a comprehensive study conducted via social listening (we looked at conversations around mothering on social media sites), netnography (where we zoned in on high traffic websites specific to each market, to understand the themes and conversations), spoke to experts like marketers, communicators, nutritionists, pediatricians, counsellors etc. and brainstormed with internal resource of Dimensionalizers (senior qualitative research staff, who are mums themselves). While the foundational work of the study was done in 2015 to derive core motivations and themes, it was reviewed in the fag-end of 2018, to monitor the shift in manifestations and expressions of mothers and their mothering motivations. This study is the update.

    “While the core motivations do not undergo changes easily year on year, we believe the manifestations and expressions are always dynamic and do change and provide us rich inspiration to ensure our engagement with mums stays fresh and contemporary,” added Sirsikar.  

  • ZEE5 and Gaana partner to offer free subscriptions to users entertainment

    ZEE5 and Gaana partner to offer free subscriptions to users entertainment

    MUMBAI: In an industry-first initiative, ZEE5, India’s largest multi-lingual OTT platform, and Gaana, the country’s favorite music streaming service will be offering each other’s users free access to their platforms. Users of both the platforms will benefit from the rich content library of ZEE5 comprising movies, original shows, and tv shows and the vast of Gaana’s music library of more than 30 million songs.

    ZEE5 will bundle a month’s subscription of Gaana with its own monthly subscription and Gaana’s subscribers can also avail ZEE5 for free.  Zee5 and Gaana would be promoting this limited-period offer on their platforms as a part of a joint campaign.  

    Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India, said, “OTT as an entertainment option is mostly consumed by people on the go. This, combined with seamless music experience, will make the subscriber’s travel experience just perfect. We are establishing ZEE5 as the go-to destination for digital entertainment and associating with Gaana will give audiences yet another reason to subscribe to the platform.”

    Prashan Agarwal, CEO, Gaana, “We have always strived to add incremental value to the lives of our subscribers. Associating with ZEE5 is a win-win for our 80 million strong user-base and Zee5’s rapidly increasing viewership as they’ll now be able to experience  double entertainment while subscribing to a single service.“

    With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivaled content offering for its viewers across the nation and worldwide. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.

    Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5 and iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.

    ZEE5 offers a freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content with  Rs.99/- for 1 month and Rs.999/- for a year. Gaana’s premium plan ‘Gaana+’ offers subscribers ad-free access to India’s largest collection of songs on their Android and iOS devices in HD quality. It is available at Rs. 99 for 1 month and Rs. 499 for a year.

  • The Josh is at an all-time high as BookMyShow sells 5 million tickets for 2019’s first blockbuster Uri: The Surgical Strike

    The Josh is at an all-time high as BookMyShow sells 5 million tickets for 2019’s first blockbuster Uri: The Surgical Strike

    MUMBAI: Aditya Dhar’s directorial debut Uri: The Surgical Strike has been the cynosure of all eyes since its trailer release. In what reflects immense appreciation for the film across the country, BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination, has sold over 5 million tickets for Uri: The Surgical Strike. 

    Blowing past expectations, the film scorched the screens, going from a fantastic first weekend to entering the coveted Rs 200 crore club recently, proving yet again that content-driven films continue to win at the box office. The film has been showered with great reviews and a strong word of mouth, aiding the film’s growth, week-on-week. A large section of BookMyShow users actively rated the film at a consistent average of 90%.

    Speaking about the response that the film has received, Ashish Saksena, COO – Cinemas, BookMyShow said, “Uri is undoubtedly the first blockbuster of this year! Its impressive box-office collections along with a strong performance on BookMyShow is a testament of millions of movie-goers' preference to reach out to us to watch their favourite films, week after week. With a strong narrative and technical prowess, the film has proved that good content wins over everything. Uri has been enjoying its much-deserved fame and continues to grow stronger.”

    Ronnie Screwvala, RSVP said, “Uri has been an inspirational movie for so many, and loved by many more and that is the most gratifying experience for RSVP, the director, the cast and the entire team that made this happen. That the movie also worked at the Box office is a true Salute to our audiences in India and around the world. 5 million tickets of Uri sold on BookMyShow is indeed a statement of how successful the platform is. We are proud of our ongoing collaboration with BMS and look forward to many more.”

    Starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead, Uri: The Surgical Strike is based on the real-life surgical strike undertaken by the Indian Army in PoK in 2016. 

  • Times Network rolls out times M.A.N (Movies and News) pack campaign

    Times Network rolls out times M.A.N (Movies and News) pack campaign

    MUMBAI: Times Network, India’s leading television broadcast network has rolled out the Times M.A.N (Movies and News) Pack campaign, in line with TRAI’s new tariff regime. Enhancing the positioning of the network, the campaign captures the distinct attributes of its strong bouquet of influential brands across best in class English Movies and News.

    Leading with the insight, ‘you are what you watch’, the quirky campaign is layered with a light hearted and humorous tone targeting women, with a compelling and differentiated pitch of making their man better with the Times M.A.N Pack (a smart acronym for Movies and News pack), priced at Rs. 13/- per month.

    Commenting on the campaign, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “With a clutter breaking proposition, the Times M.A.N Pack campaign moves beyond the general focus on price appeal, which most networks are basing their campaigns on and exemplify the distinct traits of our premium brands as we subtly make a statement that Times Network viewers are smarter, savvier and more stylish due to their superior content choice. We are encouraged by the reactions on social media and I am glad that the campaign has successfully evoked curiosity among consumers about our offering, which further reinforces the network as the preferred choice of smart urban viewers”.

    The campaign has been conceptualised by Famous Innovations for Times Network and the network has rolled out a 360-degree aggressive marketing campaign that includes:

    45 sec TV commercial (Link –  https://youtu.be/h0umg7w1YVU ) in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada across key geographies including HSM, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
    Print ads and innovations across all the editions of The Times Group dailies
    Radio spots across 4 leading stations
    Social media marketing across prominent digital mediums
    Communications across network channels and digital/social assets

    Times M.A.N pack offered at a compelling price of Rs. 13/-, is a strong mix of channels including 3 premium English news (Times Now, Mirror Now, ET Now), one Bollywood entertainment (Zoom) and 3 English movie channels (Movies Now, MNX and Romedy NOW).

  • Acclaimed “ARROW” and “TROLLHUNTERS” producer, Marc Guggenheim joins graphic india’s advisory board

    Acclaimed “ARROW” and “TROLLHUNTERS” producer, Marc Guggenheim joins graphic india’s advisory board

    MUMBAI: In a super-powered announcement which brings together east and west, Graphic India, the country’s leading superhero company, announced today that acclaimed television creator, writer and producer, Marc Guggenheim has joined the company’s Advisory Board.

    Marc Guggenheim commented, “I’ve had the immense pleasure of working with Sharad for over ten years now.  I couldn’t be more thrilled to be invited to participate in the remarkable company he is building in Graphic India.  I’m looking forward to helping mentor the next generation of Indian talent and help them take their stories beyond the printed page and into film and television.

    As Graphic expands more aggressively to take its characters from comics and animation into live-action film and television productions, Guggenheim brings decades of expertise across comics, television and film as a creator of TV shows including, “Arrow,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia” and writer of films including “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.”

    “Marc is a exceptional creator and an even more exceptional person,” commented Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder & CEO of Graphic India. “We are incredibly fortunate to have his wealth of experience in storytelling, VFX, animation and live action production, to help us as we expand our amazing team of Indian creators to launch new TV and Film projects that inspire audiences across India and the world.”

    In addition to Guggenheim, previous Graphic India advisors include, pop-culture icon and bestselling author, Grant Morrison; Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Tinder, Dinesh Moorjani;  Founder of People Group, Anupam Mittal;  and leading marketing expert and founder of South Asians in Media and Marketing (‘SAMMA’), Rajan Shah.

    Graphic has begun pre-production on numerous live-action and superhero, mythology and fantasy projects for India based on its graphic novels.

  • Nickelodeon launches an immersive school contact programme

    Nickelodeon launches an immersive school contact programme

    MUMBAI: With exam season just around the corner, Nickelodeon is all set to get kids to up the entertainment volume and let out the exam stress with their favourite Nickelodeon toons Rudra and Shiva. Presented by Alpenlebie Juzt Jelly, the immersive school contact programme will reach out to total 250 schools across cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Aurangabad and Kolkata.

    Presented by Alpenlibe Juzt Jelly “Nickelodeon Rudra Boom Chik Chik Boom” will bring alive the magic of Rudra into the classrooms with a series of fun and interactive games. The 4  week long campaigns will see Rudra spread his magic in schools across 4 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

    The franchise’s school contact programme will also see Sonic’s Shiva don a new avatar and make school time before exams frun and refreshing with  “SHIVA Reloaded”presented by Alpenlibe Juzt Jelly.  The amazing initiative will see Sonic’s super kid Shiva make school cool by engaging kids through various interactivities. The four-week long school activity of Sonic will cover cities – Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Aurangabad  & Kolkata.

  • Tata Sky shortstv to showcase oscar nominated short films all through february

    Tata Sky shortstv to showcase oscar nominated short films all through february

    MUMBAI: To celebrate Oscar season this month, Tata Sky ShortsTV has planned a power-packed schedule filled with carefully curated Academy acclaimed shorts.

    Starting February 10th, every evening at 9pm the channel will premiere a short film previously recognised by the Oscars. The shorts will come from varied genres (Live Action, Animation and Documentary) and will include titles such as The Voorman Problem, Bear Story and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore among others. 

    Tata Sky ShortsTV will also air a special Oscar marathon on the day of the Oscar ceremony (February 24th) with back-to-back Oscar films and interviews with Oscar nominated filmmakers.

    Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International Ltd said, “The Oscars is one of the most awaited events by film audiences across the globe each year. ShortsTV has been bringing the Oscar Nominated Short Films to cinema and TV screens around the world for over a decade and we’re thrilled to be bringing them to Indian TV audiences for the first time”.

    Speaking on the occasion, Arun Unni, Chief Content Officer, Tata Sky said, “Tata Sky ShortsTV is India’s first ever curated platform for short stories and films. Delivering on the promise of offering the best content to subscribers, premiering the prestigious Oscar recognized short films brought to India by ShortsTV, was an irresistible choice.”

    The broadcast of previously nominated Oscar shorts on Tata Sky ShortsTV comes ahead of the theatrical release of the 2019 Oscar Nominated Shorts Films in Indian cinemas, details of which will be announced soon. The 2019 release will be the first time the Oscar Nominated Short Films will be screened in Indian cinemas and will give Indian short film fans the opportunity to see the latest Oscar nominated shorts on the big screen.