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  • Brands rekindle patriotic fervour, as the nation celebrates 73rd Republic Day

    Brands rekindle patriotic fervour, as the nation celebrates 73rd Republic Day

    Mumbai: The nation marks 73 years of its transition to a republic on 26 January. To commemorate the day on which the Constitution of India came into effect, brands have come out with varied campaigns and initiatives that celebrate the important day.

    PARLE-G

    Homegrown food company Parle Products launched a special Republic Day film that reminisces India’s defining moments while tracing the journey of its flagship brand Parle -G over a span of seven decades. Conceptualised by creative agency, Please See in partnership with Reliance Entertainment, the film uses archival footage of major milestones and glorious moments from the freedom movement in the 1930s & 40s, the 1971 war and the country’s first World Cup win in 1983. The film directed by Sreemoyee Bhattacharya and produced by Rajdeep Chowdhry also traces India’s successful space mission, while cutting to the now successful creation of Covid-19 vaccines. All of these are interspersed with an amalgamation of Parle-G from its launch in the 1930s (Parle Gluco) to its pack version of today, showcasing it as ‘Bharat Ka Apna Biscuit’ and giving out the message that ‘Years changed, but we stayed the same’.

    Voicing the narrative is veteran actor-lyricist Piyush Mishra, whose earthy tone adds a whole new dimension to the film. To create this special film, Parle Products sourced various footage through different sources ranging from Getty to the Films Division, taking special permissions.  

    TATA TEA PREMIUM

    TATA Consumer Products’ flagship brand TATA Tea Premium ‘Desh Ki Chai’ brought its Republic Day initiative ‘Desh Ka Jhanki’ that tried to capture the innate spirit of different regions. Drawing inspiration from its state-specific packs, each Jhanki (tableau) is designed with elements reflective of the pride of the region, capturing customs, traditions, and culture-specific to each state. The initiative paid ode to the amalgamation of diverse elements that makes India truly unique. Keeping true to its hyper-local strategy the initiative brought alive elements of each state with the special creative rendition that’s akin to the tableaus of the Republic Day parade.

    GODREJ GROUP

    Every one of us has grown up singing and listening to the patriotic song ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’. On the occasion of India’s 73rd Republic Day, conglomerate Godrej Group has unveiled a rendition of this inspirational song ‘The Bharat Hoga Kamyab Anthem’. The music video conceptualised by the Corporate Brand & Communications team at Godrej and advertising agency Creativeland Asia features 13 frontline workers such as a doctor, nurse, police official, delivery executive, home visit technician, security guard, ambulance driver, milkman, municipal body and NGO executives. The #BharatHogaKamyab film also features individual Covid heroes and brands/institutions such as Apollo Hospital, CRY, Mumbai Thane Municipal Corporation among others, who took up unique initiatives for the well-being of citizens as we dealt with the pandemic.

    Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance

    Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance kicked off its digital campaign #GarvSeJeeyo ahead of Republic Day 2022. Built around its latest offering Guaranteed Suraksha Kavach– a niche product designed exclusively for Defence, Security and Police personnel, the campaign puts a spotlight on India’s brave soldiers and honours them for their selfless services. Furthermore, #GarvSeJeeyo conveys the message of living with pride despite the odds in life and essentials for smartly creating financial protection around self and family members.

    FUJIFILM INDIA 

    To mark the occasion of Republic Day, Fujifilm India has announced the launch of a Republic Day contest titled #ShareYourIndia. As part of the contest, Instax invited participants to share what they love most about the country and stand a chance of winning the best-selling Instax camera. The contest that went live on Instagram from 20 January will be open till 26 January and the winner will be announced on the 27th. To participate, users can upload their favourite photograph which depicts the belongingness and love that they feel for the country and supports it with a caption, using the hashtag #ShareYourIndia. The initiative is a part of Instax’s endeavour to help people archive their memories better and instill a sense of happiness, pride and nostalgia on this Republic Day.

  • TV ad volume soars in 2021, Oct-Dec records highest quarterly growth since 2019: Barc India

    TV ad volume soars in 2021, Oct-Dec records highest quarterly growth since 2019: Barc India

    Mumbai: The television ad volume recorded significant growth in 2021, beating the previous year’s performance, according to the latest data released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc). The total ad volume in October-December 2021 was in fact recorded to be the highest during a quarter since 2019, as per the data.

    Riding high on the festive wave, as many as 2,524 advertisers and 4,104 brands advertised on TV in December 2021, out of which at least 19 per cent were new advertisers and brands. Overall, December 2021 recorded a total of 155 mn seconds of ad Volumes, which was 25 per cent higher than December 2019

    “Post a rollercoaster ride in 2020 on account of the pandemic and lockdown, 2021 was a strong positive year for the broadcast industry. We witnessed increased attention from marketers towards television, across languages, while welcoming new brands to the medium throughout the year,” said Barc India head-client partnership revenue function Aaditya Pathak.

    E-commerce, BFSI, retail, and textile sectors independently registered over 40 per cent growth each when compared to December 2019. Ad volumes for the corporate/brand image category surged by 42 per cent over December 2020, as per the Barc Think Report for the month.

    “Ad volumes for digital native and e-commerce brands indicate that marketers continued to bet on television to establish stronger relationships and effective communication with their consumers. With a total of 155 million seconds of advertising volumes in December 2021, we can say with optimism that the broadcast industry ended 2021 on an encouraging note,” added Pathak.

    According to the data, ad volumes on Hindi language channels continued to grow consistently with 15 per cent and 22 per cent growth over December 2020 and 2019 respectively. While the ad volumes for English language channels recovered with a 15 per cent growth over December 2020

    On the other hand, Bhojpuri language channels witnessed the highest growth of 120 per cent over December 2019 while Punjabi increased by 83 per cent over December 2019. Oriya and Assamese Ad Volumes recorded a 50 per cent growth over December 2019, while the ad volume for Marathi channels grew by 47 per cent as compared to December 2019.

    In a piece of good news for TV, advertisers beyond the Top 50 enhanced their presence on TV with 30 per cent and 26 per cent growth over December 2020 and 2019 respectively, said Barc India.

    Q4 2021 showcased stronger growth than Q4 2020 and Q4 2019

    According to Barc India, Q4 021 recorded 489 mn seconds of Ad Volumes, registering 27 per cent growth over Q42019 and six per cent over Q4 2020. Brands across BFSI, e-commerce, corporate/brand image and personal accessories categories led this growth in Q4 2021 over Q4 2019

    The ad volumes on South language channels i.e. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada – registered 25 per cent growth in Q4 2021 over Q4 2019.

  • Fido Dido comes up with ‘fresh solutions’ to everyday problems in 7UP’s new TVC

    Fido Dido comes up with ‘fresh solutions’ to everyday problems in 7UP’s new TVC

    Mumbai: Soft drink brand 7UP has launched a quirky campaign to ring in the new year, featuring its much-loved, curly-haired brand mascot Fido Dido in his trademark cheeky avatar. The central concept of the brand campaign, a part of its ‘Think Fresh’ series, is to address everyday curveballs through a fun and playful attitude.

    The campaign launched on Monday opens with a man sitting in the ladies’ section of a bus, who pretends to fall asleep as soon as he sees a young girl enter the full bus. It’s then left to Fido Dido to tackle this googly and turn it into an opportunity. He takes a swift swig of 7UP and comes up with a ‘fresh’ solution which results in the man hastily vacating his seat, much to the girl’s delight. The lighthearted campaign aims to encourage today’s youth to not be frustrated with daily problems.

    PepsiCo India Flavors senior marketing director Naseeb Puri said: “7UP urges youth to ‘Think Fresh’ to address the various life’s curveballs with a cool mind & smart thinking. The new campaign throws light on the many tricky situations that we face every day… and Fido Dido, with his quick-wit and fresh thinking demonstrates that no matter which curveball comes one’s way, keeping a cool mind will ensure one finds a ‘Fresh’ way to emerge on top and win in this evolving reality.”

    The campaign will be amplified across TV, digital, outdoor, and social media with a 360-degree campaign, said the brand.

  • GUEST COLUMN: The harm that good ads do

    GUEST COLUMN: The harm that good ads do

    Mumbai: If you want to greet somebody in the morning, two things are essential. First, you have to say ‘Good Morning,’ not ‘Good Night’ or ‘Good Afternoon.’ And second, you should say it pleasantly. If this combination goes haywire, you won’t get the other person to say ‘Good Morning’ to you, and with a smile.

    What to say is the ‘strategy’. How to say is the ‘creative’. Effective communication is a perfect blend of content and presentation.

    The job of strategy is to set the message right. And to do that, it has to get the objective right. It should be a precise and well-defined objective. The objective must be in terms of a shift in feeling with reference to the brand in question. And then, to achieve that, the specific message has to be precise like the tip of an arrow. Sharp.

    A creative’s job is to say ‘Good Morning’ but in a way that is interesting and engaging. Saying it with a blank face and with a serious voice won’t cut any ice. At the same time, a creative cannot say ‘Good Night’ in the morning howsoever enchanting the way it is said in. Your audience will like the smile and the charm but won’t get that you wanted to greet them with a ‘Good Morning.’

    When the strategy is right, it may be basic, it may be obvious, but if it is right, the job of the creative is to engage the audience in a powerful manner. And only an emotional approach can engage the audience in a powerful way. Emotions can be of any kind, including humour, which is one of the most powerful emotions used for communication.

    Things start behaving like life when we forget this basic principle. When we create ads that are very engaging but they don’t say ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Good Afternoon,’ they might confuse people but in a very engaging and charming way. The road to disaster is paved with charming ads.  God forgive them for they know not what they were supposed to convey.

    And while they don’t communicate what they were supposed to, they obviously don’t get the right result, which is primarily contributing to the brand image and secondarily, helping sell the product. When the batsman doesn’t score the runs in spite of hitting some beautiful shots, the selectors start believing that those shots must not be used again. While the real culprit is the strategic miscalculation while executing these shots.

    Clients start believing that since these charming ads aren’t working in the long run, charming ads don’t work. They don’t see the bigger picture and become wary of ads that are highly creative. And they go back to dull and boring ads which they believe work for the brand.

    We need to understand and distinguish between four kinds of ads:

    1.     Boring ads based on wrong strategies.

    2.     Boring ads based on the right strategies.

    3.     Highly engaging ads based on the right strategies.

    4.     Highly engaging ads based on wrong strategies, and

    No 1) Boring ads based on wrong strategies are certified and guaranteed disasters. Nothing can save them. Everything is wrong with them. Life looks quite pointless after watching them. Something immediately dies inside you.

    No 2) Boring ads based on the right strategies are mediocre and will bring average results for the image. Look around, the world is full of them. These are donkeys walking in the right direction. But they are donkeys.

    No 3) Highly engaging ads based on the right strategies are the darlings of the industry. Everybody wants them. Though, not everybody recognizes them. There is no debate on these. They build factories.

    No 4) These are highly engaging ads based on wrong strategies. These are the good-looking villains which do the real harm. They are like ‘Asurs’ in the guise of ‘Apsaras’.  Because of them, you don’t get the message right. They say “Good Evening” in a beautiful voice at 7 am, leaving the audience charmed, confused, and lost.

    These ads give a bad name to the really good, charming, engaging, and creative ads. Clients become wary of all creative and clutter-breaking ads. Once bitten, twice shy. The Cred Rahul Dravid ad is the epitome of this category. Highly engaging and disruptive, but leave the audience asking “Arre kehna kya chaahte ho bhai?”

    (Kapil Mishra is a brand and creative Consultant at Indiassetz, where he oversees the entire marketing, social media communication, and advertising. The views expressed in this column are personal, and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • HUL top advertiser in week 2: Barc

    HUL top advertiser in week 2: Barc

    Mumbai: Maintaining lead in the second week of 2022 (8-14 January), Hindustan Lever Ltd (HUL) delivered ad volumes of 4010.93, as per Barc data. Reckitt Benckiser India was second at 3187.2 (‘000s). Ponds India finished third with ad volumes of 995.42

    Brooke Bond Lipton India, Cadburys India, ITC, Godrej Consumer Products, Procter & Gamble, Amazon Online India, and Colgate Palmolive India were at number four to ten.

    At 631.12, the brands’ list was led by Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean. It was followed by Dettol Antiseptic Liquid (494.26) and Dettol Toilet Soaps (346.77) in the next two positions. Lizol All In 1 was in the fourth spot.

    Policybazaar.com and Asian Paints Apex Ultima Protek were the new entrants at number five and six.

    They were followed by Horlicks, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Ultratech Cement and Clinic Plus Shampoo.

  • HUL regains top spot in first week of 2022: Barc

    HUL regains top spot in first week of 2022: Barc

    Mumbai: After lagging behind Reckitt Benckiser (RB) for two consecutive weeks, Hindustan Lever Ltd (HUL) has regained the top position in the first week of 2022. According to data released by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc), HUL delivered ad volumes of 4551.67 for the period of 1-7 January.

    The FMCG giant was the consistent top performer in 2021. It was trumped by RB in the last two weeks of the year by huge margins. While RB was at 3005.75 in week 52 (25-31 December 2021), HUL’s score was 1914.69. The corresponding figures for week 51 were 3322.98 (RB) and 2059.20 (HUL).

    Coming back to this week, RB was at the second position once again with 3022.09 ad volumes. At 1160.97 (‘000s) Ponds India was third.

    Brooke Bond Lipton India, Cadburys India, Procter & Gamble, Godrej Consumer Products, ITC Ltd., Amazon Online India, and Colgate Palmolive India were at the No. four to ten.

    Among the brands, Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean led the list with ad volumes of 608.55. It was followed by Dettol Antiseptic Liquid (550.43) and Horlicks (356.19) in the second and third positions.

    The remaining slots were grabbed by Dettol Toilet Soaps, Lizol All in 1, Clinic Plus Shampoo, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Vanish Oxi Action, Ultratech Cement and Almond Board of California (new entrant).

  • #Retrace2021: Influencer-led purchases played a big role in driving growth: SUGAR CEO Vineeta Singh

    #Retrace2021: Influencer-led purchases played a big role in driving growth: SUGAR CEO Vineeta Singh

    An established name in the Indian beauty & personal care market, SUGAR Cosmetics was among the early movers into the D2C (direct-to-consumer) space as a digital-first cosmetic brand. Nurtured by Vineeta Singh, an IIT & IIM graduate who co-founded the beauty startup in the year 2015 along with her husband, the brand today boasts over two million app downloads on iOS and Android and 1.8 million-plus Instagram followers. Not only this, it has established retail touchpoints in over 35,000 outlets across 130+ cities and has raised $21 million in series C funding in early 2021.

    The persistent entrepreneur was third-time lucky after her first two start-ups did not take off. However, the second startup, Fab Bag, a subscription business that offered women an assortment of beauty products every month for a small fee- gave her enough data and insights to kickstart her third one. Singh realized that the makeup brands that were available—foreign or local—didn’t cater to Indian skin tones or the Indian way of life, and poured her academic learning and freshly-learned consumer insights into SUGAR. Unlike most digital-first brands, SUGAR was early to develop an omnichannel presence. The gamble paid off and today the seven-year-old startup has hit an annual run rate of Rs 500 crore as of November 2021, having closed FY21 at approximately Rs 130 crore revenue.

    The massive push to the digital economy that the pandemic offered also proved to be a boon and gave the brand a huge opportunity to connect directly with its consumers.  The multi-faceted serial entrepreneur who describes herself as “CEO @ SUGAR Cosmetics. Mom. Running, cycling, swimming person – in that order” believes that “women make the best all-rounders.”

    IndianTelevision’s Anupama Sajeet, caught up with Vineeta Singh- CEO & cofounder of SUGAR Cosmetics– for an exclusive chat on the key innovations the Beauty brand brought into its portfolio in the past year and its expansion plans in 2022. She also shares her thoughts on trends witnessed by the beauty industry last year while also delving upon the learnings that she carries into the new year.

    Edited excerpts:

    On key changes/innovations brought in 2021 by the brand

    Despite the difficulties that all brands faced during the second wave of the pandemic in 2021, SUGAR Cosmetics launched 30+ new products. Keeping the market scenarios in mind, we also extended our skincare category with the launch of a coffee and citrus-based skincare range. SUGAR Cosmetics also built conversational & educative content using strong videos and infographics, exploring experiential retail marketing tactics and deploying stronger content even on the brand-owned app.

    As we continued to grow stronger on building powerful content, we also ensured that we strengthened our content distribution channels from digital and OOH to TV. Our SUGAR x Taapsee campaign TV Commercial aired on prime TV channels in eight languages witnessed over 50 Million views.

    On the brand’s association with the non-fiction show ‘Shark Tank India’ on Sony

    I am very grateful to have been invited to ‘Shark Tank’ as one of the Sharks. As this wasn’t a kind of brand collaboration, my acceptance of this offer by ‘Shark Tank India’ was purely a personal interest to nurture the entrepreneurship boom in the country. It’s a sheer pleasure being a part of this iconic show that has helped create several multi-million-dollar companies across geographies, over the years, along with a unique viewing experience to the audience not only educating them but entertaining them at the same time.

    On leveraging influencer marketing to connect with consumers

    For SUGAR, influencer marketing has played a big part in creating online and offline popularity for the brand. Not only in the sense of getting our engagement levels high, but also the direct response from consumers through the sales conversions has seen a spike when we have engaged in influencer marketing strategies. In the near future, we plan to take our association to the next level, by creating an exclusive community of these mini brand ambassadors and rolling out an exclusive program for them.

    On expanding the brand’s current consumer demographic

    As a brand, we continue to stay laser-focused and loyal to the 18-to-25-year-old target group. However, with retail rapidly blitz-scaling to become a significant part of our business over the last three years, the brand has also attracted a slightly older target group of 25-to-34-year-olds. What’s common though in both audience sets is that they’re digital-savvy, more peer and influencer-led than celebrity-led and know what a good lipstick looks like. We are definitely foraying into Tier 2 – 3 cities and are already available in more than 500+ cities through just our retail channels.

    On major trends witnessed in the Beauty & Cosmetic industry in 2021 

    We are seeing a dominance of peer/influencer-review led purchases over celebrity-promoted ones. Traditional retail, of course, continues to dominate the lion’s share of colour cosmetics and beauty sales in India but with the democratisation of data and access to low-cost internet, there’s a massive Tier 2/Tier 3 city audience that’s waiting to consume beauty brands like never before. In terms of new product trends, apart from transfer-proof lipsticks and mask-proof makeup, hybrid products are a new rage. Such products have gained a surge in sales for SUGAR through our illuminating moisturizers, lip primers, lip balms, hydrating primers, and more.

    On key trends that might dominate the industry in 2022

    2022 will see further integration of tech in beauty. I definitely see a lot more experimentation happening on these lines as consumers and brands explore the blurred boundaries between the digital and real world. Also as the growing GenZs community joins in as early adopters of makeup – I see a lot of influence of their buying behavior skewed on brands that focus on sustainability, and who explore themes around realistic beauty and inclusivity. Adoption of an omnichannel approach and focus on conversational commerce will also gain popularity among a lot of brands.

    On brand USP amid tough competition from rising players in the D2C cosmetics space

    The three main USPs of the brand – highly coveted colours, the right pigments that compliment all skin tones, and makeup made with formulations that last long, has helped the brand to build a cult following in a short span of time. Our products are just more value for the price tag we command – it will be hard to find products that are more pigmented, longer-lasting, and more suited to the Indian skin tone.

    SUGAR, as a brand has always been more creator-led, than celebrity-led in a cluttered market, where brands spend more time talking about discounts than the power or beauty and cosmetics. Ensuring all SUGAR Cosmetics products are manufactured in regions across the globe that excel in providing high quality for that specific product – has also been a major contributor to maintaining quality. With a clutter-breaking persona, signature low-poly packaging and chart-topping products –SUGAR will continue to keep providing more value and better quality than any other competitor in our price range. We will also continue to be a squarely millennial-focused brand.

    On looking ahead: Goals & plans for 2022

    We will further strengthen our core pillars – distribution, product, content, and community. We aim to be in over one lakh stores in 2022 and make SUGAR one of India’s top three brands in the overall colour cosmetics category with a company turnover of more than Rs 500 crores. We currently employ more than 2000 women and we also aim to raise that number to 3000 so that the brand is truly built by women for women.

    On the personal learnings that she will take into the new year

    Covid-19 has changed the way the world behaves. For SUGAR, we came out stronger with so much gratitude in our hearts. Firstly, towards our customers who continued to support endlessly, secondly towards our retail, warehouse, and HQ employees who were nothing less than frontline workers. Another learning has been that no matter what challenge is thrown at us, agility matters. We realised that growth is not about how fast you get to it, but how well you sustain it once you have arrived. And, lastly, we learnt to not stop making bold and brave decisions, like we always did!

  • What India Takes Offence To : ASCI reveals six major triggers in adverts

    What India Takes Offence To : ASCI reveals six major triggers in adverts

    Mumbai: In recent times, several advertisements have faced controversy with various individuals or groups objecting to them. There is also a growing trend of ads and brands getting trolled on social media when people take offense to a particular message or depiction. Given the sensitivity of our times, the advertising industry has had its work sharply cut out.

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) undertook a deep dive to identify trends in such complaints and came out with some interesting findings and insights on ‘What India Takes Offence To’- a report based on 1,759 complaints against 488 advertisements over the past three years. The ads covered include those that may not necessarily be in violation of Asci codes, but nevertheless offended people/ groups. The report that seeks to deconstruct, not only the messaging that was found objectionable, but also the articulation of the complaint along with the desired action asked for, uncovered six major triggers.

    ‘Socially undesirable depictions for commercial gains’. For example, ads that promote stereotypes such as fair skin, certain body shapes, or ads that create undue pressure on parents and kids in the field of education. ‘Inappropriate for children’ which included ads, mostly viewed at prime-time, that seemingly provoked children’s interest in ‘adult life’, particularly in the idea of sexuality and physical intimacy were also considered problematic. ‘Ads where people seemingly crossed cultural boundaries’ which included ads that showed intergenerational dynamics in non-traditional ways were also frowned upon by some people. ‘Advertising mocking men’ or where men were depicted in a negative or poor light, even in humorous or introspective ways, were considered offensive by some.

    ‘Hurting religious sentiments’ or ads portraying mixed religious narratives, depictions of new interpretations of traditions or the use of religious and cultural motifs in a humorous manner became a major trigger point. Complainants questioned the intent of the ads and felt the need to guard against ‘conspiracies’. Even ‘Depicting unpleasant realities’ or ads wherein everyday realities were depicted in an in-your-face manner, triggered complaints from consumers who preferred a more sheltered and ‘civilised’ version of realities. Showcasing death, raw meat or blood tended to raise the hackles of these complainants.

    The report noted that while in some cases, the offence is genuine and justified, in others it is observed that “some people seem to be intent on assigning a devious agenda to a particular ad where none actually exists.” It also stresses that, “Not all ads that are complained against may need modifications as per the discussions and recommendation of the CCC.” In fact, in some of the cases given in the report, the advertiser did not have to make a change, because the CCC, taking all things into consideration, did not find the ads to be in violation of the Asci code.

    The objective of the report is to provide a pulse on consumer sentiment to different stakeholders. The study gets to the heart of the complaints and the complainants to reveal the underlying issues in advertising that bother Indian consumers and citizens. For brands, the report offers insights that may help in more sensitized creative development.

    The report concludes by emphasising that “mature discussions between stakeholders, seeking remedies through a neutral forum such as Asci are perhaps the best way to navigate these complex waters in what are fairly polarised times.” “Being in direct touch with the complainants gives Asci a unique vantage point to understand what people find offensive in advertising. We are sharing these insights with our stakeholders to help advertisers plan campaigns better and be more cognizant of consumer sentiment,” said Asci secretary-general Manisha Kapoor.

    Asci chairman Subhash Kamath added “At ASCI, we believe our role is not just to police the narrative but to also constantly add value to the industry by guiding our members towards more responsible advertising. These kinds of reports, along with initiatives like our ‘Advertising Advice’ service will help the industry a lot in that direction.”  

    The report makes observations that could help advertisers plan campaigns better, even as it makes note that there would also be instances of brands deciding to stand firmly behind their advertising, particularly when it represents the core of their philosophy.

    The Advertising Advice is a paid-for service that helps advertisers and brands identify whether an advertisement potentially violates any Asci guidelines. A panel of technical experts from the relevant field helps the advertiser examine their claim and the evidence for technical claim support.

  • Kurkure’s new campaign with Akshay Kumar adds a quirky twist to a heist

    Kurkure’s new campaign with Akshay Kumar adds a quirky twist to a heist

    Mumbai: Starting the year with a ‘masaledaar’ twist, Kurkure has unveiled a film featuring Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

    This film is a part of the larger ‘Ab Laga Masala’ campaign that captures Kurkure as a ‘chatpata’ anytime snack that adds an element of ‘masti’ and quirkiness to the daily lives of its consumers. In its two-decade-long journey, the Indian snack brand Kurkure has launched several innovative product formats and flavour profiles across collet, puffed, and namkeens – disrupting not only the domestic but also the international markets with its ‘masaledaar’ offerings and quirky storytelling.

    In the film, Akshay Kumar plays a thief who breaks into Samantha’s house in the middle of the night and gets distracted when he sees a packet of Kurkure kept in the kitchen cabinet. Just as he is about to open the packet, Samantha and her family catch him red-handed and snatch the pack from his hands to eat Kurkure themselves, then offering him as well. Forgetting his initial intention to rob the house and with no fear of being caught, Akshay, who is already eager to munch on the snack, readily obliges. Needless to say, Kurkure’s ‘masaledaar’ flavour sends Akshay into a ‘maha-flavourful’ bliss, until reality hits and greets him with the sound of police sirens on the way to the house.

    “Be it for my movies or my ads, I’ve always strived to create extraordinary moments for my fans, and Kurkure has been perfect at bringing out the quirky yet extraordinary side of me. It’s always fun to play an entertaining character that can transform dull moments into memorable ones with a ‘masaledaar’ kick,” said Kumar.

    PepsiCo India associate director – brand marketing Kurkure, Neha Prasad said, “Kurkure has a special place in the heart of Indian consumers with its iconic flavour and ‘tedha’ persona. The brand has the ability to portray unconventional yet relatable modern Indian family scenarios through its quirky, over-the-top storytelling that transforms any boring moment with family and friends into an entertaining one. Through this film, we want to intensify the brand love and celebrate the iconic flavour of India’s favourite ‘masaledaar’ snack.”

    Expressing her thoughts on the campaign, Wunderman Thompson senior VP Ritu Nakra said, “Daily life can be such a routine and boring when there is no ‘masaledar’ twist… but with Kurkure Masala Munch, the ‘masala’ hit in each collet unleashes full-on drama in every situation. Watch how the spicey tangy and ‘chatpata’ flavours ka hit make Akshay a mast chor in the new ad campaign for the brand.”

  • Acko launches new print campaign for its paperless service

    Acko launches new print campaign for its paperless service

    Mumbai: Acko, a new-age insurance company has released a print campaign with Ogilvy India to communicate the advantage of using its paperless services over traditional insurance providers, to the digitally-savvy youth.

    Insurance companies in India are known for the truckloads of paperwork they make their customers fill for submission for their records. The hassle of obtaining a claim becomes a huge hindrance because of this. As a result, paperwork becomes an enormous and a real pain point for insurance holders.

    Acko wanted to exaggerate the pain point. In this case – paperwork. “We created a setting of the typical brick and mortar offices in India – in a decrepit state, with piles of files and folders.  Through this execution, we represented how horrifying the paperwork with other insurance companies is to customers – as opposed to the smooth, paperless process that Acko offers,” said the brand in a statement.

    Ogilvy India (South) chief creative officer Mahesh Gharat said, “With Acko, there is zero paperwork. Our creative idea and execution was born out of this simple product insight. We wanted to dramatise the pain point and highlight the horrifying experience one has to go through while dealing with traditional insurance companies.  To see the campaign come alive on print was truly gratifying. Acko believed in the idea, and to see brands like Acko investing in the craft and not just the message, is great to see.”