Category: Music and Youth

MUMBAI: Brand integrations have become the norm of the day. With ever-changing times, the broadcasters, along with advertisers and media agencies are coming up with novel and more exciting ways to put forth their message to the viewers beyond the 10 sec or 30 sec TVC.

9XM has followed suit and collaborated with Cadbury 5-Star for the same. In the latest TVC, the channel’s iconic characters – Bade and Chhote are seen indulging in their quintessential ‘Bakwaas’ humour as Ramesh and Suresh (Cadbury characters) get lost and engrossed, courtesy 5-Star.

Titled #JoKhaayeKhoJaaye, it is a two-episode campaign wherein the basic plot revolves around Bade- Chote chilling out with Ramesh and Suresh in a canteen and indulging in the usual banter and the Bakwaas Band Kar humour.

The campaign showcases both the jodis getting lost in their own world after chewing on Cadbury 5 Star, thus bringing in the essence of ‘Jo Khaaye Kho Jaaye’.

For the very first time, a brand integration-based concept has been executed, featuring animated characters interacting with real-life ones in a live action format.  All done in-house, it took around 45 – 50 days for the channel to execute and create a one minute TVC. How ingenious is that?

Well, how does this entire process transpire? For starters, the network has an in-house department called “Brand Solutions”, that incessantly works on novel ways of creation, ideation and is also involved in production.

Why did the channel choose Cadbury? Earlier, 9XM had been associated with iconic brands like Idea, Tata Docomo, Nissan and others.  The channel constantly ideates and tracks the iconic brands that are ruling the market to be able to associate with them. “How we can merge those brand communications with what we stand for as a channel or as a network, and what these characters stand for is our main aim,” says 9X Media chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani.

The channel goes to these brands and pitch its ideas. “We go to brands where they want to go beyond a normal TV commercial. Cadbury is a case in point. We ideated for Cadbury, went to 5-Star to apprise them as to what the line of communication is, and then tried to merge both concepts, thereby popularising them with our characters,” asserts Jailkhani.  

He further goes on to say that with over 5,000 brands in the basket, the channel can’t pitch to each and every brand. “We need to identify what they stand for, what the line of communication is and what they would like to do.”

It took around 10 – 15 days for the channel to ideate, another 10 – 15 days to pitch and then the client’s creative team gets involved. He believes that brands should be equally excited to do something new, which is beyond the average TVC.

“Iconic brands will also not lend their communication to any old brand, which is not a dominant / iconic brand. This becomes a perfect fit then and they also take a lot of time to ideate and lend their characters too. In this case, for the first time in the history of Cadbury, after the Ramesh and Suresh concept, have they actually lent those characters.”

The two TVCs which went on-air in the last week of December, 2014 will run till mid January, 2015. “After some point of time the novelty also gets over.” Jailkhani believes that four – eight weeks is sufficient enough to viralise the brand.

On the digital front, it gets replicated too.  According to him, the response in terms of social media is also huge. “People have seen characters like Ramesh and Suresh, Bade and Chhote in a different ‘avatar’. Response from day one has been fantastic. Creation like this goes beyond response.”

According to Jailkhani, 9XM will continue to strengthen value additions and associate itself with big brands like Cadbury 5-star.