Mumbai: The ABP Group has launched a campaign celebrating its 100-year journey in the Indian media space on Thursday. The network unveiled its centenary logo designed by renowned creative director and writer Agnello Dias and as well as a film. “Both the logo and the film are a reiteration of the foundational ideas of ABP, its core beliefs that have stood the test of time for a century now,” said the statement.
“ABP Group’s centenary logo represented by the question mark emanates from the fact that curiosity makes everything in life interesting,” said ABP network pvt ltd’s ceo Dhruba Mukherjee.
“While many forces illuminate ABP’s influence, an unflinching sense of curiosity permeates all the rest. As a result, more than being the sixth sense, this is probably the first for us – an inquisitive gene that drives the primal human need to know more. We believe this iconic logo will best represent our brand identity across media, across different decades, and geographies. With that trust, we chose our centenary year for this excellent occasion to express and capture it once and for all,” he added.
ABP Network’s ceo Avinash Pandey said, “100 years of curiosity is what built the ABP Group and through the course of that century we have always aspired to help shape thinking through insightful and credible content.”
“Since inception the name ABP has stood for content that is relevant and unbiased. As we step into the 2nd century of our existence, we look forward to keeping our legacy alive and are committed to work tirelessly to strengthen an informed and open society. Through the Centennial Celebration Campaign, the ABP Group intends to resonate these core objectives with our readers, viewers, stakeholders, and every Indian of today and tomorrow,” he added.
Agnello Dias said, “Visualizing the journey of the brand ABP Group, we made a film that is a cinematic parable told through the eyes of a little one whose drive sets off the search for a certain geographical destination.”
“We intended for it to have that surreal yet uncooked emotion that is both innocent and ethereal. The whole campaign around the brand logo captures the most succinct depiction of what the brand stands for as the human face of all questions,” Dias added.
NEW DELHI: Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), the global media & marketing communications conglomerate, has now entrusted Soumitra Karnik, currently chief creative officer (CCO) at Dentsu Impact and mcgarrybowen India, with the additional charge of CCO, Dentsu India. He will assume this role for Dentsu India, the full-service agency headquartered in Bangalore, with immediate effect, and will report into DAN India creative chairman Agnello Dias.
Under the expanded mandate, Karnik will lead Dentsu India’s creative output nationally and will be responsible for maintaining and amplifying a robust client-agency relationship for the agency across its offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi.
Agnello (Aggi) said, “I have known Soumitra for many years now and he is the sort of guy you could go to war with. Nothing fazes him. I have seen him take on the most absurd challenges with a happy fascination at having found a new puzzle to solve. He has that rarest of attributes in a creative person – his creative stamina, and I am sure he will go on to do more than justice to his new extended role.”
Karnik said, “Keeping the big-sounding designations aside, I am the same hungry and relentless creative person that I have always been. Lately, I find a lot of people from the industry complain about the prevalent diminishing standards and mediocrity everywhere; and while I am certainly not going to deny this, I also believe that the only way out of it is to roll up our sleeves, put our heads down, and get to work. That is exactly what we did when we were giving shape to Dentsu Impact a few years back. We won a lot of good clients and did a lot of good work which won us a battery of awards nationally and internationally. I am fortunate to have worked very closely with some great clients and some amazingly talented team members. Without the support of both, consistently producing good work is just not possible. With the mandate and the freedom to build a strong creative culture at Dentsu India, what I now have is an incredibly exciting challenge and an opportunity – all rolled into one.”
DAN India chairperson creative line of business Narayan Devanathan said, “Soumitra and I have been partners in crime for close to nine years now, and I couldn’t be happier to have him now also lead the creative mandate at Dentsu India. Over the years, Dentsu India has grown to be one of the most stable partners any client could ask for. With this solid foundation, I’m sure Soumitra will help the agency scale new heights with a creativity-first approach.”
Soumitra joined the network in 2012, playing a key role in the resurgence of the group’s creative reputation. Prior to that, he was an ECD at JWT. In over 11 years spent there, he worked on a variety of clients, including Pepsi, Airtel, Nestle and Hero Honda. Karnik has also worked at Lowe and Percept. Among his notable campaigns are ‘Pepsi Yeh Hai Youngistaan Meri Jaan’, Slice Aamsutra, ‘Yaari Ki Gaadi’ for Hero Honda Splendour NXG, and the ‘What Makes Us Click’ Campaign for Canon, to name a few.
MUMBAI: Chances are high that one might not remember their partner’s phone number but have a by-heart recall of every single word of their favourite ad jingle. Music is an integral part of everyone’s life. It invokes both emotions and nostalgia. Probably that’s the reason that brands, since ever, have been leveraging music and background scores to make their adverts more appealing.
They have given us some iconic jingles as well, filling a big part of our childhood memories.
After all, who doesn’t remember the iconic Vicco ads, Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai, or Pepsi’s ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ anthem.
“Music is the lubricant that allows hard-sell messaging to slip smoothly into public consciousness. It persuades, coaxes, cajoles and slips into you what it would otherwise have to say up front,” says Dentsu Aegis Network India creative chairperson and Taproot Dentsu co-founder Agnello Dias.
Havas Media Group CEO India South East Asia Anita Nayyar adds, “Love for music is an age-old phenomenon especially given our Bollywood roots. Music had always played a big role whether it is in advertising, in films or in any other genre. India has a rich heritage of music gharanas. You will always find shows like Indian Idol or Sa Re Ga Ma or music concerts doing well. There is a soulful connection always and a lot of expressions. Music had always connected people across boundaries. Hence its presence adds to commercial success.”
However, as time is progressing the relevance of jingles seems to be taking an exit from ads.
The use of jingles and music in the ads is considerably declining, though there are few good ads that are recognizable through their music like Dream 11’s signature tune or Tinder’s ‘Jaan Pehchaan Ho’ commercial. But if one notices, the frequency of such ads is less.
According to Logicserve Digital founder and CEO Prasad Shejale, “At least on digital mediums, brands are trying their best to quickly sell their proposition to the new-age audience whose attention spans are shrinking. Also, it’s a Herculean task to create a great jingle, which has an apt message and is hummable. Further, you must be aware that not every jingle can make the cut with the audience.”
Speaking further on the issue Nayyar said, “The advertising environment and ecosystem is constantly evolving. There are different requirements by brands and advertising caters to those needs. However, music, if catchy, becomes a differentiator, be it as jingles or be it the Britannia -ting ting tring. These days, brands are doing a song and dance sequences e.g., Pepsi with Salman Khan. Brands are trying to keep themselves relevant to the environment and the audiences.”
As per Jingles India co-founder CEO and chief of production and execution Amit Vishnoi, “Whenever a customer is going to an agency, they go for TVC, where they already have a theme. While radio stations are not outsourcing the work. So, when the radio stations are not outsourcing they have an in-house team. More importance is given to the money rather than giving value to the money. Radio stations are not capable of creating a jingle like Humara Bajaj. Jingles are expensive and radio ads are comparatively cheaper. Big brands generally go for jingles as it adds more value to the advert. I think people who are driving the advertisement world are not putting jingles forward.”
Additionally, if online ads can be muted how will it benefit the brand.
According to Nayyar, audiences are evolving and it is no longer a one-way communication. Attention spans are reducing. Interruptions are not welcome. If one finds an ad intruding and there is an option to skip, one will do so. That’s why today the challenge for advertising is to deliver the brand message in three to five seconds especially online.
“It’s definitely a challenge. Most of the time these days, the audience watch things putting in on mute wherein they are sneakingly smacking the content. With the mute mode, I believe, you lose the essence of the whole story. There are just a few things you can do by playing with subtitles, etc. It is important to shake the users from the slumber and make them unmute the videos in creative and engaging ways,”added Shejale.
Relevant or not, brands are still trying their hand at creating jingles that resonate well with their brand identity. Here are some of the most catchy ones:
Dream 11
A cricket-based digital sports gaming platform Dream 11 is known for its quirky music.
Tinder
Tinder’s advert Jaan Pehchan Ho featuring a young girl will make you groove instantly. The ad created by advertising agency BBH India features actor Kavya Trehan.
Coke: Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho
This version of the Mohammad Rafi’s song was perfectly curated for Generation X. The campaign starring Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra made it more impactful.
Kingfisher
In the year 1996, Kingfisher’s partnership with West Indies cricket team gave birth to the iconic jingle ‘Oo la lala le o’. Since then the tune is synonymous with the King of Good Times.
Idea Cellular
Paving its way into the cluttered television advertisements, Idea Cellular’s “Hum Nahi Banege Ullu Aaj Se…” instantly became a singing anthem. The ad conceptualised by Lowe Lintas depicted how users can evade unfair situations and people in life. So, ‘Idea Internet lagoing, India ka no ullu banoing’.
Seagram Imperial blue
Imperial blue’s ‘slice of life’ advertising strikes a chord with everybody. The ‘Men will be men’ tagline is the brainchild of advertising biggie Ogilvy & Mather
It is successfully winning our hearts for more than two decades. Adding to the charm is late Jagjit Singh’s beautiful rendition “Pyaar ki raah mein chalna seekh…” that echoes in the background.
Airtel Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hain’
Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hain’ campaign released in 2011 was created by the advertising agency Taproot Dentsu.
Humara Bajaj
Bajaj’s ad campaign called “Hamara Bajaj” released in 1989 had set a new benchmark for the Indian advertising world.
The ad made it clear that consumers can be a hero too. The lyrics ‘Buland Bharat ki Buland Tasveer’ shows how the brand highlighted the pre-liberalization state of India. The ad is conceptualized by Lowe Lintas.
Nerolac’s Jab Ghar Ki Raunak Badhani Ho
Shah Rukh Khan’s energy in this campaign is so infectious that you cannot resist singing along with him. The campaign is created by creative agency FCB Ulka.
Lifebuoy’s Tandurusti
While Lifebuoy has significantly moved from its tagline tandurusti to kitaanu, the jingle still makes us nostalgic.
“Imagine the popular ads like Cadbury’s “Kuch khaas hai zindagi” or Old Spice’s “The man your man could smell like” whistle or Amaron battery’s “Last long, really long” ad without music. Music is definitely the soul of ad films. When consumers hear it, they immediately bond with the brand message. Hence, next time when they see that brand’s product, there is a very high probability that they will buy it, giving you a higher chance of conversions,”concludes Shejale.
DELHI: India alone accounts for 11 per cent of Facebook’s global user-base, making it the biggest for the social media platform. The country, with its growing internet penetration and smartphone market provides ample opportunities for the platform to grow and therefore, it is not leaving any stone unturned to tap the space.
After updating the branding of the Facebook company in November 2019 and annoucing the appointment of Avinash Pant as the marketing director for India operations, Facebook has released its first high-decibel campaign ‘More Together’ in India, making the country the first Asia-Pacific region to witness its roll-out.
“Consumer marketing is a new strategic area of focus for Facebook and is part of the company’s priority of transparently communicating the role its services play in the world. ‘More Together’ is the marketing campaign for the Facebook App, to share stories that celebrate and highlight the power of connections. It is built on the core belief that people can do more together, than alone," shared Facebook in a press release.
Facebook India VP and MD Ajit Mohan noted that India is at the heart of Facebook. He insisted that the brand wants to tell stories of its services that are deeply embedded in the fabric of India. “While at the company level we remain focussed on building trust, we want to showcase the many ways that Facebook is intertwined in the lives of Indians – from connecting with loved ones, to growing businesses and supporting local communities, to finding ways to come together to learn and share and celebrate.”
The first film of the campaign, themed around the upcoming festival of Holi, has been catching the fancy of the media veterans.
Praising the campaign, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc founder Harish Bijoor said, “Brands need to keep reminding their users that they are culturally in sync and in connect. Facebook is doing just that with this piece of communication. It is a format of pure goodwill communication at play. It seeks nothing but goodwill.”
Samsika Marketing Consultants founder chairman and managing director Jagdeep Kapoor told Indiantelevision.com, “It is a vibrant campaign, taking the brand, Facebook, at a higher emotional level, far and wide and deepening friendship beyond boundaries, which keeping the Indianness intact, in this case through Holi.”
Kapoor feels that the campaign will take the brand reach wider and deeper. He stated that the timing is perfect to launch such campaign which is topical and relatable.
The multi-channel campaign has been conceptualised by Taproot Dentsu and will have multiple campaigns going on-air over the next few weeks, in eight languages.
Dentsu Aegis Network creative chairperson and Taproot Dentsu co-founder Agnello Dias taking delight in developing the campaign said, “The world of Facebook represents a canvas of connections that’s huge, vibrant and full of serendipitous outcomes and surprises. To celebrate all users and to inspire more of them to benefit from the power of connections, our creative team led by Pallavi Chakravarti, wrote stories with all these unexpected, wonderful outcomes, which are inspired by real people and their real journeys.”
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India has announced an enhancement in its creative structure. Taproot Dentsu chief creative officer and co-founder Agnello Dias (Aggi) will now take on the additional responsibility of Dentsu Aegis Network India creative chairman. In his new role, Dias will now also guide and mentor the creative output of all DAN India companies even as he continues his services with Taproot Dentsu.
Taproot Dentsu CCO, co-founder and DAN India creative chairman Agnello Dias said, “Taproot Dentsu is now a robust, full-fledged agency, based in two cities and run by a team of capable and talented professionals. In fact, this is the team that has been at the forefront of everything the agency has done for some time now. With the structure now in place and Paddy (Santosh Padhi) leading the way with the rest of the team, it was felt that I could stretch myself to also work with the other hungry and talented teams across the DAN network in India. It is an exciting part of my life’s journey and I hope it’s fruitful for all.”
Speaking on Agnello’s enhanced role Dentsu Aegis Network CEO greater south and chairman, CEO India Ashish Bhasin said, “It is really delightful to add on an additional responsibility of Creative Chairman DAN India to Aggi. The entire creative community in India looks up to Aggi for his tremendous achievements. His mentoring of creative talent across all DAN India agencies will make DAN India an unbeatable creative powerhouse. I am really glad that Aggie has agreed to stretch himself and share his unparalleled talent across the group. I look forward to him chairing the DAN India Creative Council.”
Dias, previously the national chief creative officer for JWT India, has been with Taproot Dentsu, the agency he co-founded, for 10 years now. Today, the agency has a robust structure with Santosh Padhi (CCO & co-founder), Umesh Shrikhande (CEO), Pallavi Chakravarti (ECD), Ayesha Ghosh (general manager) and Shashank Lanjekar (head of strategy) in Mumbai and Harjot Narang (general manager), Titus Upputuru (ECD) and Anand Murty (head of strategy) in Delhi, leading their teams across a diverse portfolio of national and local brands.
MUMBAI: IPL is not only prominent for its matches but is also a platform for advertisers to make a mark, similar to the Super Bowl in the US. This year too, broadcaster Star India in collaboration with Taproot Dentsu has created a beautiful campaign which along with promoting the series also tells the heartwarming tale of the players participating in it. The ‘Game Banayega Name’ docu-series highlights the stories of uncapped talents who got recognised because of their game at IPL.
Taproot Dentsu head-strategy planning Shashank Lanjekar shares that the idea behind the campaign was to offer something unique. He says, “When 11 campaigns of a particular brand have already happened, the first question you normally ask is what is new. How do we say something new and also in a way that has never been seen before? That’s how the whole process began for us and incidentally, we came across the line that is written on the IPL trophy, in Sanskrit, which reads ‘Where Talent Meets Opportunity’. So, we picked from there and the campaign was conceptualised.”
‘Yatra Pratibha Avasara Prapnotihi’ is the credo of the IPL game and highlights how the tournament gives opportunities to rank outsiders, to stand with and also play against established international players like Dhoni and Kohli.
ECD Pallavi Chakravarti continues, “The part of the brief (shared by Star) was that they wanted something that appealed to a cricket loyalist as much as is to the infrequent viewer. They wanted something that speaks to everybody. So, for all of us, the thought was to capture the universality of the game. The idea of a newcomer who joins the team to make a name for him connected well to the thought.”
Speaking about the lyrics for the campaign, Chakravarti reveals that the peppy words were co-written by her along with a lyricist. She says, “We wanted to say it in an easy manner that is neither too cumbersome nor too ‘Shuddh Hindi’ or too English. It had to be younger and contemporary so it appeals the most of the audience. The song tells the philosophy (of the game) but not in a very philosophical way.
Co-founder and CCO Agnello Dias shares that it was very taxing to be a part of such an interesting and unique campaign. Summing up his thoughts about it, he says, “I can think of an old saying that states that when you enter a casino, you might win or lose, but if you don’t enter it, you will definitely lose. So, it was a challenge that we took.”
It is for the first time that the players from all the eight teams have come together for a campaign like this, and the energy on sets was undoubtedly infectious. Chakravarti mentions that the players were very cordial to one-another as well as the boys on the other side of the wall. Dias notes that not only the concept but also the way the ad was shot was very interesting. He shares that the screen that the players are seen pushing in the ad is not a special effect, but an actual panel with a camera attached to it.
The docuseries has been shot with five young players, who were selected by a joint decision taken by BCCI and Star India. The main campaign ad has garnered around 15 million so far, as shared by the team.
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club Calcutta, the oldest advertising club in India, has inducted Agnello Dias, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer – Taproot Dentsu, into its ‘Hall of Fame’ for the year 2019.
The other famed recipients who have been inducted with this honour earlier include names such as Alyque Padamsee (Lintas), R.K.Swamy (BBDO Advertising), Ram Sehgal (Contract), Ms. Simone Tata (Trent Ltd), Mohammad Khan (Enterprise), Mike Khanna (HTA), A.G.Krishnamurthy (Mudra Communications), Arun Nanda (Rediffusion DY&R), Dr. V.J.Kurien (Amul), Roda Mehta (O&M), Aroon Purie (India Today), Ranjan Kapur (WPP India), Sam Balsara (Madison India), Prem Mehta (Lintas), R Balki (Lowe), Prasoon Joshi (McCann) and Piyush Pandey (Ogilvy & Mather) amongst others.
Speaking on being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Dias said, “It is a privilege to be in the shadow of giants and I am grateful that an institution as respected as the Ad Club of Calcutta considered me worthy of this honour. It feels a tad intimidating to be honest and am truly grateful to the many hands that guided me along this journey.”
Established in 1953, Advertising Club Calcutta is a non-profit society that has been catering to the advertising fraternity of Kolkata for the past 62 years. 45 years ago, it hosted India’s first advertising symposium. Today it remains a relevant and engaging platform that encourages fellowship among the fraternity through a plethora of programmes like debates, corporate quiz shows, educational workshops(Masterclass), etc.
Advertising Club Calcutta recognises and awards not just creativity or the strategy behind campaigns but also iconic professionals through bestowing the Hall of Fame. It is the highest and the most prestigious award that is given periodically to leading advertising professionals
MUMBAI: The ubiquitous Airtel 4G girl is back in a new avatar starting today as she goes on a vacation with her friends. Airtel’s new campaign around its 4G services starring Sasha Chhetri goes on air today during the India-New Zealand match of the ICC World T-20 Cup.
Airtel has led the proliferation of 4G services in India and has the widest 4G footprint in the industry with services available in over 350 cities and towns across the country. The new campaign, which has been conceived by Taproot Advertising, is positioned on Airtel being the widest 4G network in the country with unmatched coverage.
The campaign will have a total of 5 films, each one different from the other in terms of the visual beauty of the location. It will have support legs in outdoor, print and digital mediums which will play a big role in delivering the message to the online audience, in particular the youth.
Since August 2015, when Airtel’s disruptive 4G ‘Challenge’ went on air, Sasha Chhetri has become the synonymous with 4G in India and has established herself as the confident go-getter who can deliver the brand’s message with panache.
On the new campaign, Bharti Airtel (India & SA) CBO Rajiv Mathrani says, “Airtel’s 4G campaigns have redefined communication around high speed mobile data services and the brand has powerfully surged ahead. With the expansion of Airtel’s 4G network across India, the campaign showcases the network in some of the most picturesque locations and is delivered in a casual yet persuasive tonality. We will see Sasha in a refreshingly new avatar as she continues to build a strong youth connect for Brand Airtel”
Taproot-Dentsu’s Agnello Dias says, “The Airtel 4G girl has built a powerful 4G association with Airtel. For this campaign, we have taken a different spin on her character while driving home a strong network message”
India is witnessing explosive growth in the mobile data category. As the 4G device ecosystem matures, and 4G enabled handsets are available at affordable price points, high speed data services are expected to see considerable uptake across India.
MUMBAI: The ubiquitous Airtel 4G girl is back in a new avatar starting today as she goes on a vacation with her friends. Airtel’s new campaign around its 4G services starring Sasha Chhetri goes on air today during the India-New Zealand match of the ICC World T-20 Cup.
Airtel has led the proliferation of 4G services in India and has the widest 4G footprint in the industry with services available in over 350 cities and towns across the country. The new campaign, which has been conceived by Taproot Advertising, is positioned on Airtel being the widest 4G network in the country with unmatched coverage.
The campaign will have a total of 5 films, each one different from the other in terms of the visual beauty of the location. It will have support legs in outdoor, print and digital mediums which will play a big role in delivering the message to the online audience, in particular the youth.
Since August 2015, when Airtel’s disruptive 4G ‘Challenge’ went on air, Sasha Chhetri has become the synonymous with 4G in India and has established herself as the confident go-getter who can deliver the brand’s message with panache.
On the new campaign, Bharti Airtel (India & SA) CBO Rajiv Mathrani says, “Airtel’s 4G campaigns have redefined communication around high speed mobile data services and the brand has powerfully surged ahead. With the expansion of Airtel’s 4G network across India, the campaign showcases the network in some of the most picturesque locations and is delivered in a casual yet persuasive tonality. We will see Sasha in a refreshingly new avatar as she continues to build a strong youth connect for Brand Airtel”
Taproot-Dentsu’s Agnello Dias says, “The Airtel 4G girl has built a powerful 4G association with Airtel. For this campaign, we have taken a different spin on her character while driving home a strong network message”
India is witnessing explosive growth in the mobile data category. As the 4G device ecosystem matures, and 4G enabled handsets are available at affordable price points, high speed data services are expected to see considerable uptake across India.
Mumbai, 7th March, 2016: The Goafest Creative Abbys, the highly coveted advertising awards that recognize the best in advertising and marketing, is all set to kick start the jury deliberation process. The Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2016 has announced the Jury Chairs of Film, Digital and Publisher Verticals. Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer of Taproot Dentsu Private will chair the Film Jury of Creative Abby, Karl Gomes, Chief Fanatic at Fanatics will chair the Digital jury and Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President& Publisher of the Chitralekha group will chair the jury for the Publisher Vertical.
Jury Chair of the Film Category Agnello Dias Agnello Dias, fondly called Aggie amongst his peers is reckoned in the advertising community as a creative powerhouse. Dias is credited with catapulting India into the Global Advertising map by winning India’s very first Grand Prix and Titanium/Integrated Lion at Cannes. He has also won various other awards like the double Grand Prix at Asia’s Media Spikes Awards for his landmark and inspiring “Teach India” campaign. His work has been featured across awards books for The One Show, the Clio Awards and Cannes Lions, D&AD, AdFest, New York Festival, and Media Spikes among others.
The Jury Chairs for other Creative Abby verticals will be announced shortly.
Presented by the Advertising Club and AAAI the Goafest ABBYs 2016 will once again see the entire advertising and marketing fraternity come together in Goa from 7th April, 2016 to 9th April 2016 at The Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, North Goa.
