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Tag: Amin Lakhani

  • Mindshare South Asia announces agency restructuring, key appointments

    Mindshare South Asia announces agency restructuring, key appointments

    MUMBAI: Media agency Mindshare has announced an organisation restructure that mirrors the agency’s ambition to become collaborative in client success and navigate its marketing agenda with intelligence and agility.

    After the tremendous success of team Fulcrum in delivering client delight and industry accolades, Amin Lakhani is elevated and has taken on a larger role as president of client leadership at Mindshare India. In his new role, Lakhani is responsible to further strengthen client relationships and drive client growth in a cross media market. He will manage core client capabilities across all offices in the country. During his 14 years at GroupM and Mindshare, Lakhani has grown from strength to strength and will continue to be a key growth contributor in the new role. 

    Anita Kotwani with her unique brand of leadership at Mindshare West has ensured remarkable growth of all business teams in the region. Her continued success and motivation are evident from the number of accolades and the stream of client appreciation her teams have acquired year after year. 

    Given Mindshare’s emphasis on growth through diversification, Kotwani has been promoted to senior vice president, responsible for new business development across the market. In addition to this, she will also drive Horizontality, and work closely with the larger marketing ecosystem. 

    As Lakhani transitions into his new role, Premjeet Sodhi will join Mindshare South Asia as senior vice president at Mindshare Fulcrum, South Asia, and will lead. In his current assignment, Sodhi is the COO at Initiative/ BPN, part of the IPG group, where he handles strategy and new business development for the company. He manages clients such as Amazon, Reckitt, Gionee, Kraft Heinz, Infoedge and Bajaj Auto. With a passion for brands, Sodhi has kept pace with the evolving media space and has contributed immensely in various leadership roles. His new role is effective March 2018. 

    Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar says, “As we enter 2018, we are accelerating transformation which is true to our DNA. We are clear on our strategic priorities, strengthening our connections with a growing universe of clients, consumers, brands and partners in the marketing ecosystem. To be able to do so, we now have the leadership and structure within our organisation to continue our path to greater success, and our renewed focus on creating a disruptive Mindshare with speed, provocation, teamwork.” 

  • Brooke Bond India’s transgender band sizzles Cannes stage

    MUMBAI: After bringing glory to India by winning the Cannes Grand Prix Glass Lion at one of the world’s most prestigious advertising and creativity awards, India’s first transgender band, the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band set the stage ablaze, with their live concert at Cannes this evening. Performing for an international audience encompassing some of the biggest names in entertainment, media and advertising in the world, this is the first time the 6-Pack Band has taken their act on the international arena.

    After the success of their debut album, and winning the Glass Lion Grand Prix at Cannes last year, the band truly stands for the message of Change. The band was invited to the festival to share their success story and the journey that brought them all fame and glory.
    Focusing on the message of inclusivity, the Brooke Bond red Label 6-Pack band has become a household name and a global example of addressing prejudice and bringing in change in society and this initiative through music has helped break these social barriers.

    Speaking about the event, Brooke Bond Red Label spokesperson and Hindustan Unilever category head – Tea Shiva Krishnamurthy said, “It is a wonderful feeling to see the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack band getting acknowledgement and accolades at the Oscars of advertising. It feels great to know that through our association with the campaign, we have been able to spread our message of inclusiveness, encourage people to become more accepting, break barriers and bond over a cup of tea.”

    The campaign is also a ‘best-in-class’ example of Unilever’s Unstereotype initiative in action. Unstereotype, launched last year at the 2016 Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity, aims to advance advertising away from stereotypical portrayals of gender; delivering fresh campaigns that are more relevant to today’s consumer. The Brooke Bond Real Label 6-pack Band was formed in response to the insight that deep-rooted stereotypes hold us back from forming new relationships.

    Hindustan Unilever head media south Asia Gauravjeet Singh said, “We are grateful to the committee at the Festival of Creativity, Cannes to recognize the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band. The journey of the band has been challenging as they have fought social barriers throughout their lives without losing hope. The strength of these 6 individuals is truly inspiring and today we see them perform on a global platform.”

    Mindshare CEO – south Asia Prasanth Kumar said, “The journey for all involved has been a bold one and it had challenges, excitement and passion. At the centre of this journey has been an incredible team of talented individuals from Unilever, Mindshare and YRF, Music boutique who executed this out-of-the-box idea and added scale to the social message. Watching them perform at the Cannes Glass Lion ceremony was truly delightful, and another milestone in our continuing journey to breaking barriers.”

    Expressing his delight, Fulcrum, Mindshare south Asia leader Amin Lakhani said, “It is indeed a proud moment for India as our work is showcased at Cannes – the mecca of creativity. We are grateful to the Festival of Creativity, Cannes and to the Mindshare global leadership to recognize the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack band, and invite them to perform for a global audience. This is a testimony and belief in our work that began almost two years ago at the HUL Content Day in June 2015. The band faced a lot of challenges throughout their journey, which now culminates to the Cannes stage. Their inspiring performance today is symbolic to their determination and ‘make it happen’ spirit. Truly a collaborative effort between Unilever, Mindshare, Yash Raj Films & Music boutique- who have partnered in this magnificent journey.”

    Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band Producer and Head of Y-Films Ashish Patil said, “We have always known that music can change the world because it can change people. We are super thrilled that our little band,India’s 1st Transgender band, the Booke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band is on such a massive platform at the prestigious Cannes festival. Here’s hoping we can take this important message of love and equality out to as many people in the world as possible. Full power to them!”

    The Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band was an iconic campaign that sang a song of inclusion and acceptance in mainstream media. Using the universal language of music, and engaging the entertainment industry in this endeavor, the campaign took a quantum leap not just transgenders but for anyone who has ever been ostracised.

  • When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) are in a celebratory mood not just for one but two reasons. In an all cash deal worth $385 million, the network has recently inked a pact to acquire the Ten Sports channel portfolio which was with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). Second, it is the fifth anniversary of its music channel Sony Mix.

    To commemorate its birthday, the network has initiated The Dhun Project. Through this, the channel intends to pay tribute to Indian musicians and aims to give back to India’s rich musical heritage by raising funds to empower those musically oriented and donate to educational initiatives across levels.

    “This is our way of giving back to music, by empowering its creators, curators and everyone associated with the art in India,” says SPN senior EVP and business head Max cluster, Sony Mix Neeraj VyasI. “It is a tribute to the musicians of Bollywood. Several things go into the making of a song which do not get recognised. The name ‘Dhun’ because it is a key word for music and also goes with the channel’s name. We had launched in 2011 because we clearly saw a need gap wherein music channels were providing everything else but music. We came with an aim to play more music, with a clear mood map to match music with various moods and 12 minutes of advertising. There was very little variety. The last five years have been exceptional for us. ”

    “Music is an integral part with or without Bollywood. We always wanted to grow music in this country. According to me, this is a good way to contribute and I hope to make some difference through this initiative. With The Dhun Project we want to encourage talented musicians, to help them further contribute to music in India and inspire society with the melodies they create that harmoniously unite us. The advertisers featuring in the video have identified the cause, they connect to music and will take the communication ahead from there,” adds SPN CEO N.P.Singh.

    The new initiative will be promoted on the various channels under the network and by featuring the CXO’s of media and entertainment industry, the initiative hoped to get a push through each one’s Twitter and Facebook page. Championing the cause, it has brought together stalwarts from the advertising and media industries to record an exclusive music video for the anthem. Senior executives like GroupM’s CVL Srinivas , Madiso’s n Vikram Sakhuja, Lodestar’s Shashi Sinha, Future Group’s Sandip Tarkas, Mindshare’s Amin Lakhani, Zenith Optimedia’s Anupriya Acharya, Idea Cellular’s Shuchi Singhal, OMD ‘s Harish Shriyan, Mudra’s Sonal Dabral, SPN’s Rohit Gupta and SPN’s Neeraj Vyas feature in Dhun Project music video. The project will also be played live during Goafest in front of the entire media and entertainment industry.

    The first leg of project involves the channel’s contribution of Rupees 10 Lakhs towards helping a musician who needs medical support every year. The ambassador for this year is Roshan Ali (a dholak player). Ali has recorded with artists like R.D.Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, etc. The project is seeking help from the Indian Cine Musician Association head who suggests them a name which the channel will filter further and pin down on a person.

    It is also leveraging the crowdsourcing platform Ketto.Org, co-founded by actor Kunal Kapoor to raise funds for Spic Macay to organize a series of events across the country that will enable heritage musicians to perform in schools and colleges. Young students will be exposed to music performed by nationally celebrated musicians, who in turn will continue to earn a living from this artistic endeavour.

    To catch a glimpse of the music video, visit:

  • When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) are in a celebratory mood not just for one but two reasons. In an all cash deal worth $385 million, the network has recently inked a pact to acquire the Ten Sports channel portfolio which was with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). Second, it is the fifth anniversary of its music channel Sony Mix.

    To commemorate its birthday, the network has initiated The Dhun Project. Through this, the channel intends to pay tribute to Indian musicians and aims to give back to India’s rich musical heritage by raising funds to empower those musically oriented and donate to educational initiatives across levels.

    “This is our way of giving back to music, by empowering its creators, curators and everyone associated with the art in India,” says SPN senior EVP and business head Max cluster, Sony Mix Neeraj VyasI. “It is a tribute to the musicians of Bollywood. Several things go into the making of a song which do not get recognised. The name ‘Dhun’ because it is a key word for music and also goes with the channel’s name. We had launched in 2011 because we clearly saw a need gap wherein music channels were providing everything else but music. We came with an aim to play more music, with a clear mood map to match music with various moods and 12 minutes of advertising. There was very little variety. The last five years have been exceptional for us. ”

    “Music is an integral part with or without Bollywood. We always wanted to grow music in this country. According to me, this is a good way to contribute and I hope to make some difference through this initiative. With The Dhun Project we want to encourage talented musicians, to help them further contribute to music in India and inspire society with the melodies they create that harmoniously unite us. The advertisers featuring in the video have identified the cause, they connect to music and will take the communication ahead from there,” adds SPN CEO N.P.Singh.

    The new initiative will be promoted on the various channels under the network and by featuring the CXO’s of media and entertainment industry, the initiative hoped to get a push through each one’s Twitter and Facebook page. Championing the cause, it has brought together stalwarts from the advertising and media industries to record an exclusive music video for the anthem. Senior executives like GroupM’s CVL Srinivas , Madiso’s n Vikram Sakhuja, Lodestar’s Shashi Sinha, Future Group’s Sandip Tarkas, Mindshare’s Amin Lakhani, Zenith Optimedia’s Anupriya Acharya, Idea Cellular’s Shuchi Singhal, OMD ‘s Harish Shriyan, Mudra’s Sonal Dabral, SPN’s Rohit Gupta and SPN’s Neeraj Vyas feature in Dhun Project music video. The project will also be played live during Goafest in front of the entire media and entertainment industry.

    The first leg of project involves the channel’s contribution of Rupees 10 Lakhs towards helping a musician who needs medical support every year. The ambassador for this year is Roshan Ali (a dholak player). Ali has recorded with artists like R.D.Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, etc. The project is seeking help from the Indian Cine Musician Association head who suggests them a name which the channel will filter further and pin down on a person.

    It is also leveraging the crowdsourcing platform Ketto.Org, co-founded by actor Kunal Kapoor to raise funds for Spic Macay to organize a series of events across the country that will enable heritage musicians to perform in schools and colleges. Young students will be exposed to music performed by nationally celebrated musicians, who in turn will continue to earn a living from this artistic endeavour.

    To catch a glimpse of the music video, visit:

  • Hindustan Unilever and Mindshare Mumbai bag Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2016

    Hindustan Unilever and Mindshare Mumbai bag Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2016

    MUMBAI: Mindshare Mumbai has done India proud at the 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, by winning the Grand Prix in Glass Lions category for its work on Hindustan Unilever’s Brooke Bond Red Label tea. The brand was honoured last Monday for creating India’s first transgender pop band, the 6 Pack Band as part of the campaign initiative.

    The 6 Pack Band comprises six transgender singers hailing from India’s ‘Hijra’ community. It’s an initiative created and driven by Y-Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality in India with Brooke Bond Red Label as partner.

    Describing the win as an ‘epic moment’ Mindshare South Asia CEO Prashant Kumar added he never doubted the campaign’s success given that the core idea was brilliant. “As an organisation we were expecting that the entry will get a recognition. But winning a grand prix was a great delight.”

    “This campaign came out of a content day that we did for Unilever which listed great customised ideas for brand solutions. This was one of the shortlisted ideas amongst few other three to four ideas. Then Amin and his team designed on the concept based on the idea, which was further put to discussion with other partners. The result lead to larger things,” Kumar added.

    From the brand’s perspective, Team Unilever South Asia, leader Amin Lakhani admitted that the idea was provocative to begin with. “But with each and every roll out of the content piece our confidence in the campaign grew.”

    Kumar also pointed out the unprecedented amount of participation and acknowledgement that the campaign garnered post its launch.

    Within a short time period of its launch the music videos featuring the 6 Pack Band grabbed millions of eyeballs on Youtube, was aired frequently on television and the radio. Digitally, it was further boosted by online music streaming apps like Hungama, Gaana and Saavn. The band was also invited to perform at the Radio Mirchi Awards and Indian Music Awards.

    When asked how the campaign is a relevant brand communication for Red Label, Kumar answered, “The space the brand and the consumer is talking is about a comfortable ecosystem. The music video is a celebration of just that. It also leads into further such space of comfort, and red Label is able to liaison with consumers on the context of comfort. That’s the larger motive behind this campaign.” After all, Red Label’s proposition has always been to stand up for diffusing tension within societies over a cup of tea, Lakhani added.

    The biggest success for the brand, Lakhani felt, was the amount of acceptance the six transgender members of the band received and the fact that they are now looked upon as role models — not just within their community but across various cross sections within the society. By using popular culture Red Label as a brand has started a positive conversation on gender equality, and the previous campaign with 6 Pack Band is part of a larger initiative the brand plans to build around the subject.

  • Hindustan Unilever and Mindshare Mumbai bag Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2016

    Hindustan Unilever and Mindshare Mumbai bag Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2016

    MUMBAI: Mindshare Mumbai has done India proud at the 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, by winning the Grand Prix in Glass Lions category for its work on Hindustan Unilever’s Brooke Bond Red Label tea. The brand was honoured last Monday for creating India’s first transgender pop band, the 6 Pack Band as part of the campaign initiative.

    The 6 Pack Band comprises six transgender singers hailing from India’s ‘Hijra’ community. It’s an initiative created and driven by Y-Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality in India with Brooke Bond Red Label as partner.

    Describing the win as an ‘epic moment’ Mindshare South Asia CEO Prashant Kumar added he never doubted the campaign’s success given that the core idea was brilliant. “As an organisation we were expecting that the entry will get a recognition. But winning a grand prix was a great delight.”

    “This campaign came out of a content day that we did for Unilever which listed great customised ideas for brand solutions. This was one of the shortlisted ideas amongst few other three to four ideas. Then Amin and his team designed on the concept based on the idea, which was further put to discussion with other partners. The result lead to larger things,” Kumar added.

    From the brand’s perspective, Team Unilever South Asia, leader Amin Lakhani admitted that the idea was provocative to begin with. “But with each and every roll out of the content piece our confidence in the campaign grew.”

    Kumar also pointed out the unprecedented amount of participation and acknowledgement that the campaign garnered post its launch.

    Within a short time period of its launch the music videos featuring the 6 Pack Band grabbed millions of eyeballs on Youtube, was aired frequently on television and the radio. Digitally, it was further boosted by online music streaming apps like Hungama, Gaana and Saavn. The band was also invited to perform at the Radio Mirchi Awards and Indian Music Awards.

    When asked how the campaign is a relevant brand communication for Red Label, Kumar answered, “The space the brand and the consumer is talking is about a comfortable ecosystem. The music video is a celebration of just that. It also leads into further such space of comfort, and red Label is able to liaison with consumers on the context of comfort. That’s the larger motive behind this campaign.” After all, Red Label’s proposition has always been to stand up for diffusing tension within societies over a cup of tea, Lakhani added.

    The biggest success for the brand, Lakhani felt, was the amount of acceptance the six transgender members of the band received and the fact that they are now looked upon as role models — not just within their community but across various cross sections within the society. By using popular culture Red Label as a brand has started a positive conversation on gender equality, and the previous campaign with 6 Pack Band is part of a larger initiative the brand plans to build around the subject.

  • MindShare promotes Amin Lakhani to head Fulcrum

    MindShare promotes Amin Lakhani to head Fulcrum

    MUMBAI: Here is another media professional who is getting more regional responsibility. And that gent is Amin Lakhani whom Mindshare has elevated to Leader – Team Unilever south Asia.

    In his new role Amin Lakhani will be heading Fulcrum, a unit of Mindshare that manages the media planning & buying for the Unilever business in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He will be replacing Anupriya Acharya who is moving on from the organisation.

    Amin has around 15 years experience which includes a stint as a product manager with an Indian pharmaceutical company and in media agencies. During his time with GroupM India, Amin has handled various roles starting with Maxus as the training head for west region, moving on to GroupM as west trading head and then on to Mindshare where he played the architect of The Exchange function in 2008, finally leading up and becoming the trading lead for Unilever business.

    Announcing the appointment, Mindshare leader south Asia Ravi Rao said, “Amin was our unanimous choice and we know he will turn a new chapter in Mindshare Fulcrum by raising media excellence in strategic planning and world class execution backed up with award winning innovations for Unilever. We wish Anupriya all the best and thank her for a short but great stint at Mindshare Fulcrum.”

    Commenting on his new role Lakhani said, “It is an exciting opportunity especially in challenging times. Mindshare Fulcrum has been a centre of excellence. I am looking forward to building on our strong base and continuing to provide delight to India‘s most esteemed client, Unilever.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com Anupriya Acharya said, “I leave as new challenges beckon me! But I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Team Unilever south Asia for Mindshare, especially through the challenging review year of 2012. The significant progress made in strategic initiatives, content, experiential, awards won and many other best practices has been truly rewarding for me both personally and professionally. Both the client and my larger organisation have been very supportive. I leave with rich experience and happy memories of steering this massive ship and will miss my rock-star team! I wish all of them all the very best.”