ITV

Tag: Brooke Bond Taj Mahal

  • Brooke Bond Taj Mahal & Ogilvy come together to create history & a Guinness World Record

    Brooke Bond Taj Mahal & Ogilvy come together to create history & a Guinness World Record

    Mumbai: Indian classical music and its lore has the power to move people. Taj Mahal Tea shares a storied connection with this genre. As an expression of their passion for it, they partnered with their creative agency Ogilvy and made the extraordinary Megh Santoor. A one-of-a-kind musical installation in Vijayawada. Inspired by the rains and activated by them, the instrument was conferred a Guinness World Record for being the ‘Largest Environmentally Interactive Billboard’. The billboard measures 209 meter square in total surface area and achieved this record-breaking feat on 10 September.

    Ogilvy India chief creative officers Kainaz Karmakar & Harshad Rajadhyaksha said, “We’re extremely proud of the Megh Santoor piece. It has taken months of planning, testing and failing, before we finally succeeded in making this happen. Taj and Indian classical music have been each other’s companions for very long now. We added rain to it for this experiment. We call it an experiment because it was filled with ‘what ifs’, with no guarantee of result until the day it rained, and the drops hit the keys and created music. Important to mention our Taj team at Unilever’s belief and support. Also, kudos to Fritz Gonzales, Jayesh Raut, Nikhil Mohan and his team at Ogilvy who saw it through from conception to execution. The world needs as much music as it can get and we’re happy to add our little bit to this.”

    Hindustan Unilever beverages and foods head Shiva Krishnamurthy added, “We are thrilled to have ‘Megh Santoor’ recognized as the world’s largest environmentally interactive billboard by The Guinness Book of World Records. Vijayawada is one of the biggest citadels for Taj Mahal Tea, and creating this extraordinary experience is our way of extending heartfelt gratitude to the city in a way that fits us best, with Hindustani classical music! This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to Hindustani classical music, the beautiful people of Vijayawada and to sheer tea enjoyment in the rains. We have created history, and we invite everyone to experience this extraordinary blend of art and technology.”

    Megh Santoor is a unique adaptation of the traditional Santoor and is designed to play only when it rains. Using a clever arrangement of weights that fill up due to rainwater, it melodiously brings to life the Raag Malhar – a classical composition that celebrates the rainfall. In doing so, it transforms the ultimate muse into the ultimate master. The instrument currently installed outside Vijayawada Railway Station, will be up till 16 October 2023, allowing people to enjoy this first-of-its-kind concert till the monsoons fade away. 

  • Gaana celebrates classical music with ‘Unwind with Taj’

    Gaana celebrates classical music with ‘Unwind with Taj’

    Mumbai: Audio streaming app Gaana has unveiled ‘Unwind with Taj’ to bring alive the magic of Indian classical music among millennials.

    Hosted in partnership with tea brand Brooke Bond Taj Mahal, the specially curated ‘Unwind with Taj’ caters to millennials to help them discover the splendor of classical music, which showcases our music heritage. The collection features Indian classical maestros such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ronu Majumdar, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Anoushka Shankar among others. According to the company, the playlist has been created to make Indian classical music more accessible and available to millennials and sustain its legacy.

    Coupled with Brooke Bond Taj Mahal’s gourmet Indian flavors, the timed playlist will also change as the day progresses. While the ‘Morning Raga’ will entertain millennials by the day, the ‘Focus Instrumental Music’ will help evoke bouts of serenity amidst a chaotic work–from–home afternoon, said the music streaming app.

    “Gaana constantly looks forward to bringing novelty to the Indian music fan,” said Times Internet, CEO Gautam Sinha. “We believe in the rich legacy and glory of Indian classical music and are thrilled to join Brooke Bond Taj Mahal in initiating a movement to add the timeless aura of this genre. As millennials become more than receptive towards newer genres of music, we are certain they would be mesmerised by the beauty of Indian classical music, and enjoy its changing ragas through the course of the day.”

    Tea & Foods (HUL) vice-president Shiva Krishnamurthy added, “Brooke Bond Taj Mahal has a deep-rooted association with classical music and the brand has always sought ways to champion it. This campaign is an effort to instill an appreciation of Hindustani classical in millennials, by leveraging their listening behavior and giving them the perfect playlists to match their moods.”

  • Brooke Bond Taj Mahal extends classical music association with e-concerts

    Brooke Bond Taj Mahal extends classical music association with e-concerts

    NEW DELHI: Due to the current nationwide lockdown, Indian classical musicians were looking for opportunities to continue performing for their audiences. Brooke Bond Taj Mahal recently launched the concept of live online Indian classical music concerts featuring gifted Indian classical musicians serenading audiences with specially-curated compositions from the confines of their homes.

    Their limitless passion to deliver symphonies to the living rooms of their audiences prompted Brooke Bond Taj Mahal to extend its 30-year old association with Classical Musicians to create ‘Sur Ke Saath’, a line-up of 24 artists performing live for over two months.

    Tea & Foods (HUL) vice president- Shiva Krishnamurthy, in a conversation with Indiantelevision.com, spoke about the insight behind its latest campaign, 'Sur Ke Saath' where it is bringing classical musicians together. “Brooke Bond Taj Mahal’s purpose is to champion Indian classical music," Krishnamurthy said. "Taj Mahal tea has always been associated with Indian classical music and has promoted it through some memorable and iconic advertising for over three decades. During the lockdown, classical musicians and classical music aficionados are not being able to experience the joy of live classical music performances. Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea believes that “the show must go on” and is proud to present “Sur ke Saath”, a series of live Indian Classical Music content on digital platforms of Facebook. Our endeavour is to urge people to support Indian classical music by coming to Taj Mahal Tea’s Facebook page every Sunday morning at 10 am. We hope that Brooke Bond Taj Mahal’s Sur ke Saath will make people say “Wah Taj!”"

    Krishnamurthy also shed light on the future of e-concerts in India. He says that for the foreseeable future, there is likely to be an increase in the number of e-concerts. “For the sake of Indian classical music, I hope this turns out to be true. Virtual streaming and virtual gigs were a part of our life even in the pre-Covid2019 era. With physical distancing being the new norm, e-concerts have gained in popularity. It gives you a chance of attending sessions in any form, from the comfort of your home. And I see a lot of scope for e-concerts to grow as it gives budding musicians a platform to showcase themselves.”

    This unique initiative is also being supported by Nirali Kartik who came on-board and helped in curating the weekly performances. Kartik is one of India’s popular Hindustani classical vocalists and the brand ambassador for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea.

    Krishnamurthy shares that the campaign has received an overwhelmingly positive response. “We have reached over 82 lakh people so far with this initiative. The most gratifying part is the love that we have received from the wonderfully talented musicians who have performed for us. Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, Sur Ke Saath has seen classical musical lovers join us every Sunday on the Facebook page of Taj Mahal Tea for two months, and this really motivates our upcoming artists to put up a great show.”

    To spread the word about the campaign, the brand has a digital marketing plan to urge people to watch the e-concert. “We created a campaign video (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=565165081028169 ) with Nirali Kartik. Week-on-week, we create chatter around the artists performing for the week through different social media channels."

    Due to the ongoing pandemic, people are spending more time at home, there is an increased consumption of tea. Brooke Bond Taj Mahal sees this as an opportunity to serve consumers with the finest of Indian tea and raga-themed virtual concerts performed by classical musicians.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • HUL trims ad spend by 7% in Q3

    HUL trims ad spend by 7% in Q3

    MUMBAI: Joining its peer Colgate-Palmolive, FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has cut down its ad spends in the fiscal-third quarter ended December amid pressure on margins and a slowdown in the economy.

    The largest ad spender in India trimmed its promotional budget by 7.14 per cent in the quarter to Rs 6.9 billion compared to Rs 7.43 billion in the earlier year.

    The year-on-year percentage of sales to advertising and promotional spending has also decreased from 14.5 per cent in the third quarter of FY‘11 to 11.6 per cent in Q3 FY‘12.

    For the nine-month period ended December, HUL‘s ad and promotions spend dropped 7.77 per cent to Rs 19.74 billion as against Rs 21.41 billion a year ago.

    Percentage of ad spend to sales during this period also took a blow, dropping to 11.84 per cent from 14.76 per cent.

    HUL launched two products in the personal care category in the third quarter of the current fiscal – Dove Nourishing Oil Care shampoo and Sure for Men. In the foods category, it launched Bru Gold coffe, Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Green Tea and a range of Brooke Bond Taj Mahal tea bags in various flavours. In its water category, HUL launched a new variant of Pureit water purifier.

    The company launched a promotional exercise by the name Joy of Giving Week and also celebrated Global Handwash Day both in October 2011.

    Fuelled by volume growth, sales rose 16.5 per cent to Rs 58.53 billion from Rs 50.27 billion in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Sales and detergents put up a stronger performance than personal products.

    Competitive pressures, however, could challenge the sustainability of this volume growth.

     

    Company Name Q3FY12 Ad Spend (in Rs) Ad/Sales Ratio (%)
    HUL 6.9 billion  11.6
    Dabur India Ltd 1.98 billion 13.6
    Marico 1.34 billion 12.5
    Colgate- Palmolive 1.07 billion 16.1

     

    Marico and Dabur India are the two FMCG companies that posted an increase in A&P spends in Q3FY12 of 48.63 per cent and 46.9 per cent respectively while Colgate-Palmolive cut its spends by 10.86 per cent.