Tag: Arun Iyer

  • Lintas designs Burger King’s Whopper TVC

    MUMBAI: Burger King India, the renowned International fast food franchise launches its first ever TVC, with an aim to establish its signature product, the “Whopper”, as the unequivocal leader in the market. The campaign conceptualised by Lowe Lintas Mumbai and the film, directed by Kishore Iyer (Nirvana Productions), is primarily targeted to India’s millennial generation, and will aim to strengthen brand awareness.

    The ad started on 12 May and will be extended across the digital medium. The new integrated campaign will have a multi-pronged approach, with reach on TV, in-store and across digital and social platforms.

    In its quintessential authentic tongue-in-cheek style, the TV spot opens with a group of teenagers trying to guess at the correct pronunciation of the Whopper. With this typical style, Burger King subtly concedes that the Whopper is often mispronounced in India. However, the spot goes on to take a good-humoured dig that it doesn’t matter what how a guest pronounces the Whopper, so long as it is not called a burger, because the Whopper is indeed bigger than the average Burger. Burger King aims to extend this creative thought in many further interesting ways through on-ground activations and innovations.

    Raj Varman, Chief Executive Officer, Burger King India said, “The Whopper is inimitable and bigger than a quintessential burger in both flavour and size. This is exactly what we wanted to impress upon in this campaign. Our guests absolutely love the Whopper and give us credit for offering a BIG product at an affordable price. It is truly value for money to get this great tasting, high-quality, super-sized Whopper starting at just Rs. 109. This commercial is a great combination of a real consumer insight and a powerful product differentiator. The insight in connected to our brand philosophy of your way and encouraging people to be their true self. We had done extensive research to land on the most powerful differentiator for the Whopper, which is the fact that it is bigger than any comparable burger at that price and that’s the central idea of this TVC.”

    Burger King will launch a limited time offer, in time for the campaign, where a full Whopper meal with fries and Pepsi will be available starting at only Rs. 99 (plus taxes).

    Arun Iyer, Chairman & CCO Lowe Lintas said: “Whopper” is the flagship product of Burger King, globally. The brief was to launch this flagship product in India by telling the millennials this truth “It’s not a burger, it’s a whopper” while keeping it in sync with the brand philosophy of “your way”. However the challenge for us from the India context was two fold – “Whopper”, the word, is not used enough plus we needed to bring alive the brand philosophy (of Your Way) for the Indian millennial. That’s when we noticed the Indian truth for the Whopper- it was mispronounced a lot thanks to the way the spelling reads. We felt this ‘mispronunciation’ was an opportunity to leverage wherein the brand accepts millennials as they are and also demonstrates its ability to laugh at its own reality of people mispronouncing the whopper, hence the idea of “call it whatever, never a burger”. This not only landed the brand philosophy but also delivered on the core attribute of ‘authenticity’ that the brand has at its core.

  • Mumbai Indians: Lintas designs #CricketMeriJaan

    MUMBAI: It’s possibly the only team at the moment that’s having a magnificent run at the Vivo IPL T20. And much of that could be a result of the faith & support being reposed by the fans in the team. This gesture of the unconditional love for the team by the fans is captured appropriately in the latest communication initiative that has been rolled out by Mumbai Indians.

    Conceptualized and executed by Lowe Lintas Mumbai, #CricketMeriJaan is the credo that the team is moving ahead with as it reaches out to its fans spread far and wide. Led largely by Outdoor, Print and Digital, #CricketMeriJaan seeks to make the Mumbai Indians franchise a winning, successful sporting brand beyond just IPL. The insight behind the campaign was that while in all the other cities the people are fans of their respective teams, when it comes to Mumbai, the people are fans of the game first and then the team. Thus for team MI and its fans – cricket comes first.

    The approach was to give the brand a deeper philosophy, one that only a team emanating from the city of Mumbai (the Mecca of Cricket for this country) can own, a philosophy that will stoke the pride and passion of a fan and make him/her feel superior to any other fan of any team.

    Commenting on the communication objective, Mumbai Indians Spokesperson said, “Cricket Meri Jaan – is not just a campaign thought developed by Lowe Lintas, but it emulates the way of life for the players of Mumbai Indians and the fans of Cricket as a sport to swear by. The campaign has brought forth the ‘fan of cricket’ aspect amongst Mumbai Indians players and goes on to resonate the sentiments of millions of Indians towards the love for the sport.”

    Sharing the creative challenge undertaken by the agency, Lowe Lintas chairman and CCO Arun Iyer said: “In India cricket is religion and Mumbai is considered to be the holy land. We wanted to infuse this city’s ‘love for the game above all else’ into the brand as this would help it forge a deeper bond with its fans, irrespective of which city or country they come from. Given that MI also is known to be the team that displays the most ‘team-work’ further allowed for it to uniquely own this philosophy of ‘Cricket Meri Jaan’. We brought this philosophy to life by capturing the ‘on-field energy of the game’ as these are the visuals that remain embedded in a fans heart whenever he or she reminisces about the game.”

    The campaign has been rolled out with a big focus on merchandise and ticketing collaterals, which is crucial from business standpoint. Apart from this, the idea has been launched in a big way via stadium branding (Wankhede), Outdoor, Press ads, Bus shelters, branding on local trains on Western Railway & Central Railway and also on BEST buses.

  • A warrior to tread an adventurous path: MRF Wanderer

    MUMBAI: As an active proponent of cricket, MRF Tyres has always rallied behind the team and its players in pushing the cause of the sport in India. Whether the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 where it was the Global Partner or other such top-rated cricketing properties, MRF has always essayed a supportive role by putting out communication that is strikingly unique.

    Partnering MRF in achieving its communication goal over the years is Lowe Lintas Chennai that has been instrumental in managing the communication objective for the tyre brand in India. In its latest initiative, Lowe Lintas Chennai has announced the launch of an integrated marketing campaign that promotes the attributes of SUV brand, MRF Wanderer in India.

    The campaign was launched today and will span the online and offline routes including Television, Print, Outdoor and Digital.

    To refresh the brand’s proposition, MRF Wanderer has got its brand ambassador and Indian cricket captain, Virat Kohli to communicate the core message to the audience. The campaign seeks to celebrate the warrior-like instinct and determination — trademarks that best define both the Wanderer and also the ace cricketer. Much like the cricketer himself, MRF too has been treading the Indian roads with great determination and its warrior-like approach has made it the tyre of choice for many Indians.

    The new integrated brand campaign by Lowe Lintas Chennai seeks to bring alive the Samurai spirit in people who like to explore their limits and even go beyond by challenging themselves – and what better face to push forward this thought than one of India’s best known Samurai, Virat Kohli.

    MRF Ltd. executive VP marketing said, “MRF Wanderer tyres are designed for those who never settle for the mundane and venture off the beaten path. Our communication this time has taken a more aggressive twist and a fresh perspective on the core brand positioning – Tread Anywhere. Lowe Lintas Chennai has portrayed the true Wanderer spirit by using Virat’s Samurai tattoo and his passion for adventure as exceptional creative devices. We believe that this new film will resonate well with those who chase adventure.”

    In the film titled ‘I dare to Tread Anywhere’, the capabilities of the MRF Wanderer tyre are brought to the fore by drawing a parallel with Virat Kohli’s Samurai warrior spirit. Whatever the terrain or journey, a true adventurer never backs out and takes on the challenge with ease. As on the cricket field where Virat has always let his warrior-like approach do wonders for the team, so is it for MRF Wanderer whose “Tread Anywhere” proposition has enabled drivers to wander far and discover remote, inaccessible places with ease.

    Lowe Lintas chairman & CCO Arun Iyer says, “Every Wanderer has a story to tell – be it the user or the product. We have tried to capture the spirit of that story through the eyes of Virat Kohli. While Virat is a samurai on the field, MRF is a master of the roads – and both are adventurous when it comes to chasing their passion. This thought has been captured well in the new campaign.”

  • Lowe Lintas: Iyer takes over as chairman, Gupta as CEO

    MUMBAI: MullenLowe Lintas Group today, through an internal communique sent out by Joseph George (Joe), Group Chairman & CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group announced the leadership for its flagship agency – Lowe Lintas.

    Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Arun Iyer will operate as the chairman & chief creative officer of the agency. Partnering him will be Lintas’ veteran Raj Gupta, currently the president and Mumbai office head, Lowe Lintas, who will operate as the CEO of the agency. Both these appointments, the communique said were to be effective from 1 April, 2017.

    Joe said: “I have worked long, and closely with both – individually and as a team; and I can without a shred of doubt say that Arun and Raj are best placed in experience, expertise and energy to fulfil Lowe Lintas’ business, effectiveness and creative ambitions going forward.”

    Arun who has been with Lowe Lintas for over 15 years has been the creative genius behind many campaigns across Surf Excel, Idea, Tanishq, Axis Bank, Paperboat, Freecharge, Hotstar, Google, OLX, Fastrack, Flipkart, Hike and many others. He was the youngest Creative Director in the history of Lintas to have been appointed National Creative Director in 2010 and also when appointed Chief Creative Officer in 2016.

    Arun Iyer said: “We are getting ready for the future and the plan is to ensure we have the most contemporary hyper-bundled offering in the industry.”

    Raj Gupta who has been with Lintas for over 25 years has held leadership positions in the company across Media, Digital, Strategic Planning, Channel Planning, Business Development and of course Account Management. His width of expertise and leadership experience across functions, the company feels, will be invaluable in the agency’s journey back to full service or what at the Group they call Hyper-bundling.

    Gupta said: “Great brands have a purpose that never stops unfolding and with our determination to make Lowe Lintas truly hyper-bundled, we will now have so many more ways to tell our brand stories.”

  • Flipkart announces integrated brand communication campaign

    Flipkart announces integrated brand communication campaign

    MUMBAI: There are a host of dates earmarked in India’s annual calendar where consumers wait with bated breath to partake of the celebrations. Clearly figuring in this list is the ‘The Big Billion Days’ (BBD), that has been made popular by Flipkart over the past two years. As a concept, Big Billion Day was launched in 2014 as a one day sale initiative across categories. But over time, it has moved to a 5-day long full-fledged sale event with different categories opening on different days.

    As opposed to The Big Billion Days 2015, which was an ‘App only’ sale, this year the sale is being extended across all platforms – App, website and m-site. To re-establish its connect this year with the users, Flipkart has announced the rollout of a full-blown integrated campaign that is one of the largest marketing initiatives being undertaken by the company this year.

    Flipkart, which is aiming to grow its customer base as it launches its largest marketing campaign this year, recently said that it crossed 100-million registered users. “We aim to get 30% more reach this year with our campaign for Big Billion Days and will spend more than 20% of our budgets on digital channels to do this,” said Flipkart Chief Marketing Officer Samardeep Subandh.

    As part of the marketing exercise, Flipkart has rolled out a series of videos that will attempt to inform the consumers that it is not just another sale event but the ‘Sale Event’ of the year. The key message that is derived from the campaign sums up the entire event – “ITNE mein ITNAAAA milega”. It communicates that no matter what one’s budget is, BBD increases its value with the unbeatable offers it has across categories. So staying within budget, one can upgrade or buy more and not let the budget dictate one’s shopping aspirations.

     Conceptualised and executed by Lowe Lintas Bangalore, the brief shared to the agency was to land the fact that BBD is not just another sale event but rather it is the ‘Sale Event’ in India. To cut across the clutter and differentiate itself, Flipkart opted to use kids and show them in witty yet real situations.

    Lowe Lintas Chief Creative Officer Arun Iyer said, “Like most important events, The Big Billion Days have come to be an important event in the Indian context. These are the days when consumers unleash their inhibitions and go on a shopping spree with much gusto. The campaign thought ‘ITNE mein ITNAAAA milega’ is a colloquial expression that captures how Indians like it when they receive something extra by paying a small sum. This thought has been captured well by the kids that act as orchestrators of the message. It was an exciting campaign to work on, and we hope consumers like it as much.”

    All these initiatives will go a long way in making BBD the most awaited event for the year in India.

  • Flipkart announces integrated brand communication campaign

    Flipkart announces integrated brand communication campaign

    MUMBAI: There are a host of dates earmarked in India’s annual calendar where consumers wait with bated breath to partake of the celebrations. Clearly figuring in this list is the ‘The Big Billion Days’ (BBD), that has been made popular by Flipkart over the past two years. As a concept, Big Billion Day was launched in 2014 as a one day sale initiative across categories. But over time, it has moved to a 5-day long full-fledged sale event with different categories opening on different days.

    As opposed to The Big Billion Days 2015, which was an ‘App only’ sale, this year the sale is being extended across all platforms – App, website and m-site. To re-establish its connect this year with the users, Flipkart has announced the rollout of a full-blown integrated campaign that is one of the largest marketing initiatives being undertaken by the company this year.

    Flipkart, which is aiming to grow its customer base as it launches its largest marketing campaign this year, recently said that it crossed 100-million registered users. “We aim to get 30% more reach this year with our campaign for Big Billion Days and will spend more than 20% of our budgets on digital channels to do this,” said Flipkart Chief Marketing Officer Samardeep Subandh.

    As part of the marketing exercise, Flipkart has rolled out a series of videos that will attempt to inform the consumers that it is not just another sale event but the ‘Sale Event’ of the year. The key message that is derived from the campaign sums up the entire event – “ITNE mein ITNAAAA milega”. It communicates that no matter what one’s budget is, BBD increases its value with the unbeatable offers it has across categories. So staying within budget, one can upgrade or buy more and not let the budget dictate one’s shopping aspirations.

     Conceptualised and executed by Lowe Lintas Bangalore, the brief shared to the agency was to land the fact that BBD is not just another sale event but rather it is the ‘Sale Event’ in India. To cut across the clutter and differentiate itself, Flipkart opted to use kids and show them in witty yet real situations.

    Lowe Lintas Chief Creative Officer Arun Iyer said, “Like most important events, The Big Billion Days have come to be an important event in the Indian context. These are the days when consumers unleash their inhibitions and go on a shopping spree with much gusto. The campaign thought ‘ITNE mein ITNAAAA milega’ is a colloquial expression that captures how Indians like it when they receive something extra by paying a small sum. This thought has been captured well by the kids that act as orchestrators of the message. It was an exciting campaign to work on, and we hope consumers like it as much.”

    All these initiatives will go a long way in making BBD the most awaited event for the year in India.

  • Priyanka creates ‘Reflections’ for Blenders Pride

    Priyanka creates ‘Reflections’ for Blenders Pride

    NEW DELHI: Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has unveiled a new TV campaign with Priyanka Chopra as their brand ambassador. ‘Keep the World Guessing’ is an edgy rundown of the multi-faceted demeanor of today’s youth and their endeavor to wow the world with every step they take.

    The TVC is shot in black and white tones, wherein Priyanka is running in a stunning mirror maze, being chased by the paparazzi. She throws multiple reflections on the mirrors creating a strong resonance with her multi-faceted persona and eventually escapes the maze, leaving behind the paparazzi in complete surprise, end up shooting her striking reflection.

    Conceptualized by Lowe Lintas, the TVC has been shot in New York by the famous French filmmaker and visual artiste Jean Claude Thibaut, known for his bold stylish work.

    Pernod Ricard India Assistant Vice President –Marketing, Raja Banerji, said, “Priyanka emulates the dynamism, enigma and a multi-faceted personality which is the essence to ‘taste life in style’ for today’s consumers.”

    Priyanka added, “To me, style is a mirror of your inner self, giving you a chance to bring out your hidden facets.”

    Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Arun Iyer added, “This particular film marries Blenders Pride Fashion Tour and Priyanka’s personality perfectly. It brings out the fact that style empowers you to surprise the world. It was a very complex shoot with lot of mirrors and reflections, but Jean has beautifully executed the idea.”

    The TVC can be viewed here –
     

  • Priyanka creates ‘Reflections’ for Blenders Pride

    Priyanka creates ‘Reflections’ for Blenders Pride

    NEW DELHI: Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has unveiled a new TV campaign with Priyanka Chopra as their brand ambassador. ‘Keep the World Guessing’ is an edgy rundown of the multi-faceted demeanor of today’s youth and their endeavor to wow the world with every step they take.

    The TVC is shot in black and white tones, wherein Priyanka is running in a stunning mirror maze, being chased by the paparazzi. She throws multiple reflections on the mirrors creating a strong resonance with her multi-faceted persona and eventually escapes the maze, leaving behind the paparazzi in complete surprise, end up shooting her striking reflection.

    Conceptualized by Lowe Lintas, the TVC has been shot in New York by the famous French filmmaker and visual artiste Jean Claude Thibaut, known for his bold stylish work.

    Pernod Ricard India Assistant Vice President –Marketing, Raja Banerji, said, “Priyanka emulates the dynamism, enigma and a multi-faceted personality which is the essence to ‘taste life in style’ for today’s consumers.”

    Priyanka added, “To me, style is a mirror of your inner self, giving you a chance to bring out your hidden facets.”

    Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Arun Iyer added, “This particular film marries Blenders Pride Fashion Tour and Priyanka’s personality perfectly. It brings out the fact that style empowers you to surprise the world. It was a very complex shoot with lot of mirrors and reflections, but Jean has beautifully executed the idea.”

    The TVC can be viewed here –
     

  • Surf Excel celebrates Ramazan with #madadekibadat

    Surf Excel celebrates Ramazan with #madadekibadat

    MUMBAI: “Kisi ki madad karna bhi ek ibadat hai. Aur agar madad karne mein daag lag jaye, toh daag acche hai” — is the message Surf Excel is conveying in the holy month of Ramazan.

    The cute factor of Surf Excel campaigns with kids staining their clothes is something that we have always seen in its campaigns with the signature phrase ‘Daag Acche Hai’, but this time Surf Excel’s all new campaign has touched the chords of many hearts as innocent kids go out of their way to help an old samosa seller in need highlighting and bringing in #madadkiibadat.

    The advertisement tagged #madadekibadat has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and produced by Absolute Productions. It is shot in Old Delhi. The campaign has gone viral on digital platforms owing to its feel good factor. The advertisement is directed by Vasan Mala and music is by Hanif. It was released only on digital platforms on June 10. Apart from India, the campaign is garnering eyeballs in Pakistan as well; the brand is planning to launch the campaign internationally.

    “Surf Excel wished to create something with the divine feel of Ramadan, and the creative team of Lowe Lintas developed the story around it. We tried creating a story that people will connect to. We wanted to convey the true spirit of the holy month.” said Lowe Lintas CCO Arun Iyer.

    The 2 minutes 20 seconds video starts with three adorable kids celebrating Ramazan evening by breaking their fast at Iftaar. In between the celebrations, where some people just pass by a broken cart of an old samosa seller, the three kids decide to go out of their way and help the old man. In their shiny new kurtas, they pick the samosa cart and run around to sell them; and manage to bring smile on everyone’s faces leaving the strong message that the festival is about helping others. Their mother is shown in the end with a proud smile. After all, if you stain your clothes while helping someone, then stains are good; Daag Acche Hai.

    The vision came from pulling out a story that can touch viewer’s heart. The essence of the holy month of Ramazan is cleansing the souls and actions of people. The video reflects that perfectly – kids who could just carry on with their own evening, but instead decide to help an old man. That is a very strong message for people to realise that goodness and helping others is the true prayer. The makers of the video also explained that samosas and jalebis are very popular for Iftaar, which is another factor in developing a story like #madadekibadat.

    Ad campaigns have seen a turn over with digitalization where 30 seconds adverts have stretched to 1-2 minutes short films. There are many recent well received campaigns which have appealing stories to tell and emphasise on a message rather than just promoting the product in conventional ways. Brands have turned to narrating stories around the inspiration of the product, which can leave a greater impact on consumer. The same formula has worked for #madadekibadat campaign. The human emotion of helping in the holy month is what consumers are connecting with. Despite the hassle of cleaning stains, a mother is happy because of the gesture her child made.

    The agency seems very confident about the connection the story has with its viewers, and that the viewers will take it forward. It claims that the video had 21,000 shares and 142,586 views after going live.

    Commenting on the kids’ factor of Surf Excel advertisements, Iyer said, “The brand is planning to stick to children as they are the ones with most stained clothes. Even in the present campaign, both factors have connected the audiences with the goodness of the holy month and innocence of kids”.

    About making campaigns relevant to festivals, agency clarified it is not very focused on occasions but stories which will stay with people.

  • Surf Excel celebrates Ramazan with #madadekibadat

    Surf Excel celebrates Ramazan with #madadekibadat

    MUMBAI: “Kisi ki madad karna bhi ek ibadat hai. Aur agar madad karne mein daag lag jaye, toh daag acche hai” — is the message Surf Excel is conveying in the holy month of Ramazan.

    The cute factor of Surf Excel campaigns with kids staining their clothes is something that we have always seen in its campaigns with the signature phrase ‘Daag Acche Hai’, but this time Surf Excel’s all new campaign has touched the chords of many hearts as innocent kids go out of their way to help an old samosa seller in need highlighting and bringing in #madadkiibadat.

    The advertisement tagged #madadekibadat has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and produced by Absolute Productions. It is shot in Old Delhi. The campaign has gone viral on digital platforms owing to its feel good factor. The advertisement is directed by Vasan Mala and music is by Hanif. It was released only on digital platforms on June 10. Apart from India, the campaign is garnering eyeballs in Pakistan as well; the brand is planning to launch the campaign internationally.

    “Surf Excel wished to create something with the divine feel of Ramadan, and the creative team of Lowe Lintas developed the story around it. We tried creating a story that people will connect to. We wanted to convey the true spirit of the holy month.” said Lowe Lintas CCO Arun Iyer.

    The 2 minutes 20 seconds video starts with three adorable kids celebrating Ramazan evening by breaking their fast at Iftaar. In between the celebrations, where some people just pass by a broken cart of an old samosa seller, the three kids decide to go out of their way and help the old man. In their shiny new kurtas, they pick the samosa cart and run around to sell them; and manage to bring smile on everyone’s faces leaving the strong message that the festival is about helping others. Their mother is shown in the end with a proud smile. After all, if you stain your clothes while helping someone, then stains are good; Daag Acche Hai.

    The vision came from pulling out a story that can touch viewer’s heart. The essence of the holy month of Ramazan is cleansing the souls and actions of people. The video reflects that perfectly – kids who could just carry on with their own evening, but instead decide to help an old man. That is a very strong message for people to realise that goodness and helping others is the true prayer. The makers of the video also explained that samosas and jalebis are very popular for Iftaar, which is another factor in developing a story like #madadekibadat.

    Ad campaigns have seen a turn over with digitalization where 30 seconds adverts have stretched to 1-2 minutes short films. There are many recent well received campaigns which have appealing stories to tell and emphasise on a message rather than just promoting the product in conventional ways. Brands have turned to narrating stories around the inspiration of the product, which can leave a greater impact on consumer. The same formula has worked for #madadekibadat campaign. The human emotion of helping in the holy month is what consumers are connecting with. Despite the hassle of cleaning stains, a mother is happy because of the gesture her child made.

    The agency seems very confident about the connection the story has with its viewers, and that the viewers will take it forward. It claims that the video had 21,000 shares and 142,586 views after going live.

    Commenting on the kids’ factor of Surf Excel advertisements, Iyer said, “The brand is planning to stick to children as they are the ones with most stained clothes. Even in the present campaign, both factors have connected the audiences with the goodness of the holy month and innocence of kids”.

    About making campaigns relevant to festivals, agency clarified it is not very focused on occasions but stories which will stay with people.