Mumbai: Vadilal Industries announced the appointment of Mullen Lintas Delhi as the creative agency for its global brand campaign. They will be responsible for Vadilal Ice Creams’ creative mandate for its international business.
Mullen Lintas will be responsible for driving growth objectives and business opportunities in the international markets for Vadilal Ice Creams. The agency will strategize and execute the brand’s communication for a mega campaign designed exclusively for its international markets—across countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe, Singapore, Middle East, amongst others.
As a leading ice cream brand, Vadilal has been bringing delightful ice-cream experiences to people across the world for over 115 years. Having established itself as the largest Indian ice cream brand in the international markets, the brand is now looking to take a communication leap with a well-designed marketing campaign.
Commenting on the new partnership, Vadilal Industries USA CEO Shreshth Jhawar said, “We were impressed with the deep understanding of the category and consumers demonstrated, and, of course, by the creative firepower on display by the team. We look forward to a strong and effective long-term partnership with Mullen Lintas.”
Delighted about the win, Mullen Lintas CEO Hari Krishnan commented, “We are delighted to have been given the mandate for Vadilal (USA). The brand is synonymous with joy & delight, and moments of fun and happiness. Our efforts would be to build a brand narrative that consolidates these emotions around the brand in a manner that is uniquely ingrained in the Mullen Lintas’ challenger thinking philosophy.”
Mumbai: Nikon India on Tuesday announced that it has on-boarded magnon eg+ as its creative and digital partner. The account was won after a multi-agency pitch and will be managed by the agency’s Delhi NCR office.
As part of the partnership, magnon eg+ will be responsible for the creative strategy and execution across online and offline platforms, including digital campaign planning, social media management, media planning and buying, online reputation management, and content strategy and creation, along with strategizing and executing influencer and creator-led content. The agency’s focus will be to partner closely with the team at Nikon to further build and strengthen equity for the brand and manage the entire portfolio of their imaging products.
Speaking about this collaboration, Nikon India managing director Sajjan Kumar said, “Nikon’s presence in the imaging market has been exceptional and we wanted an innovative digital strategy to take it further. I am pleased that this partnership with magnon will bring a fresh perspective to the brand proposition.”
Adding to it, magnon group founder and CEO Vineet Bajpai said, “We are delighted to win the creative & digital mandate for a renowned brand like Nikon, a world leader in the imaging products industry. Our team at magnon eg+ comes with marketing communications experience of over 20 years and is confident about delivering effective solutions and strategies to enhance the top-of-the-mind recall of the brand.”
Further, magnon eg+ managing director Vivek Merani added, “We are glad that Nikon India appreciated our creative concepts and awarded this mandate to us. We look forward to supporting the brand in a long-term partnership to further increase the desirability of its product portfolio and help convert customers to brand loyalists. This association is bound to click and we are all geared up to take it to the next level.”
Mumbai: Parle Products has launched three new TVC’s for Parle Marie. The product consolidates its position as the soul of adda in its latest campaign for the Bengal market.
The campaign is built on the Parle Marie brand’s foundations in the Bengal market.
Designed and executed by Thought Blurb Communications, the three-film campaign addresses a broad demographic of young and old, men and women and are all represented in the films. It spans the width of the populace which has one thing in common. Held by the same social thread that ties and binds all ages & segments of society.
Long before internet chat rooms were in vogue, the Bengali was devouring conversations, ideas and arguments in the form of ‘adda’. Parle Marie biscuits have always been a part of the tea-and-biscuits tradition that accompanies a good adda session. With the new campaign Parle Marie seeks to cement its relationship further.
Parle Products senior category head Mayank Shah said, “In a nation as vast as ours, each region has its own voice, values and ideals. A generic message addressed to the entire country may not always take root. Speaking to each consumer in his individual language, in idioms he understands and in surroundings that he is familiar with, is a far better option. The new campaign is in line with Parle’s belief in regional marketing, speaking in the voice of the local population, using subjects that are deeply relatable, and in a tone that is immediately understood.”
Thought Blurb Communications chief creative office & managing director Vinod Kunj added, “The strategy is as elegant as it is simple. Insert the brand into the social fabric and become part of the consumer’s conversation. Then you can accompany him through his life’s journey with occasional brand reinforcement. Too often, we have to confront the consumer and try to change his preferred brand and habit. But in this case, we are simply building another storey over a home with a strong foundation.”
Chivas has appointed Hrithik Roshan as its new brand ambassador with a captivating campaign, ‘Made of Great Character’.
Chivas showcased a refreshing brand image through the new campaign narrative, which highlights a ‘rich blend of success, generosity & brotherhood’, while retaining the brand ethos. The 360-degree integrated campaign will be widely seen on social media platforms, popular newspapers, OOH & during IPL on Hotstar.
Conceptualized by creative agency Ogilvy, the ad film has been shot by the famous French filmmaker and visual artist Jean Claude Thibaut.
The campaign celebrates the spirit of an individual’s positive character that makes them stand out as beacons of grace and gratitude, hope and high ideals. “We see various facets of great character through different lenses that highlight the attributes of self-made individuals who prioritize knowledge and progressive values above materialistic pleasures. The core ideology of character being a true measure of a successful individual with a positive spirit that is cultivated over years & refined over time, is reflected through the campaign,” the company said in a statement.
“The ad film showcases Hrithik as a successful entrepreneur who is pure class, reflective of his positive character. A seasoned actor who has only gained respect for his charisma and bold persona, Hrithik is a class apart both in real and reel life. He embodies modern values and a progressive mindset and is aware of his goals and desires,” it said.
The multi-talented actor, with his sheer simplicity, integrity, kind-heartedness and love for his audience, truly represents the brand’s philosophy, which is also reflected in the campaign film. The film also features actor Mouni Roy.
Commenting on the announcement, Pernod Ricard India chief marketing officer Kartik Mohindra said, “Chivas is an iconic brand for the successful individuals who embody progressive values & appreciate luxury.”
“The brand has always inspired others while celebrating the stories of those who have led the new paths of success. With Hrithik Roshan being one of the most successful and celebrated actors, his inspiring story of upholding great values while riding on the path to success makes him unarguably the best choice as our new brand ambassador. The coming together of Hrithik and Chivas’s outstanding character in the campaign ‘Made of Great Character’, will help forge a new direction for the brand,” he added.
On his partnership with the brand actor Hrithik Roshan, said, “I am thrilled to be the face of Chivas and take pride in being the voice of their latest campaign ‘Made of Great Character’. I truly believe that great values embody great character, which ultimately forges the path to success. I love the core theme of the campaign that encourages people to lead a life that they value and to develop their character. It also connects with so many different aspects of my life.”
“Character defines destiny” – simple, yet powerful words underline the fact that destiny is not a predetermined outside force. Rather, an individual’s future is determined by his inner character. The crux and the core of Chivas exemplifies this. Character is at the heart of Chivas’ spirit. The Chivas campaign revolves around our protagonist, who not just mirrors these values, but elevates character by capturing its many nuances,” said Ogilvy, North, executive creative director and head of design Nitin Srivastava.
Mumbai: After a combined 20 years at dentsu Webchutney, the former Webchutney CEO and CCO Gautam Reghunath and PG Aditiya are exploring their entrepreneurial sides with the launch of their new project, Talented. According to the statement, the duo has centred their venture around what they believe has to be the most valued currency in the industry – its talent.
Reghunath & PG Aditiya were both homegrown leaders at dentsu Webchutney having started out in 2010 and 2012 respectively.
The new founders said that they have a few ‘radical ideas’ they believe can fundamentally alter the agency business – including employee ownership and stronger skin in the game relationships with clients.
“We love the agency business. But the world certainly doesn’t need another advertising agency,” Gautam Reghunath & PG Aditiya said, on their new start. “What we believe it does need is a serious re-imagination of the agency experience – both for clients and for the talent in advertising. With Talented, we’re starting-up because we have some ideas that we believe can fundamentally alter what our business means, first for those working in it and then therefore for our clients.”
“We want to build a workplace where what every member of the leadership & its youngest colleagues think and say about the company, are the exact same,” they further added.
The duo further said they hope to create an ambitious, world-class, creative company ‘with a big heart’ – addressing age-old advertising tropes like pay, work hours, inequity, lack of employee ownership, lack of ESOPs and the industry’s looming irrelevance while at it. “We all know perfectly well what needs to improve in the agency business: we just plan to execute it to perfection. There’s so much we can learn from our friends in tech.”
The founders then went on to add that it’s only natural that the benefits of all of this will flow directly into their work for their clients. “When a client chooses us, we want them to know that we’re committed to putting the sharpest, most motivated talent in front of them. How we operate internally is going to play a huge role in making that happen,” stated the duo, adding, “And at the end of all of this, we just want to do great advertising.”
Mumbai: Global brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R on Wednesday announced the appointment of Pooja Jauhari as chief executive officer, VMLY&R India across its group of companies. Based out of the agency’s Mumbai office, she will report to VMLY&R Asia co-CEO Tripti Lochan, who is based in Singapore.
Jauhari takes over from Anil Nair, who is moving on to pursue new opportunities. Nair joined VMLY&R in 2019 from Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi India, where he was CEO (digital) and managing partner. VMLY&R first welcomed Jauhari in 2020, as the CEO of The Glitch. The independent creative agency was acquired by WPP in 2017 and integrated into the VMLY&R network in November 2020.
In this new role, she will oversee the agency’s combined operations, including VMLY&R, The Glitch, VMLY&R Commerce and GTB, across its three offices in India – Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai – plus its service of clients across the Indian subcontinent, said the statement.
She is also tasked with further integration of the network’s creative excellence in India, with its very strong customer experience, commerce and data capabilities, into an integrated powerhouse focused on human centricity, diversity, inclusion & high performance, it added.
“Since welcoming The Glitch into the VMLY&R network in 2020, we are seeing that together with VMLY&R India, the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts,” said Tripti Lochan. “Pooja’s proven track record of having driven a gender-blind and positive influence approach, aligns perfectly with our ongoing vision towards ever-improving our own inclusivity and progressiveness. Combined with her track record in growing The Glitch to be one of India’s best-known agencies, producing work for clients both nationally and globally, we believe her elevation makes us even better at creating connected brands, driving business for our clients, and positively impacting the communities they live in.”
“We thank Anil for being a part of our continued growth in India, and wish him the very best in the next stage of his journey,” she further said.
Having started her marketing career at JWT two decades ago, Jauhari moved to Unilever and then Worldwide Media before joining The Glitch in 2013. There, she was instrumental to the agency’s success, leading its strategic planning, plus setting its goals and approach to both business and culture.
Mumbai: Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Santosh ‘Paddy’ Padhi as chief creative officer (CCO) for India. W+K has been established in Delhi since 2007.
“The hire also means an expansion for the independent creative agency into Mumbai, where Paddy will build out the shop’s second India location,” said the company in a statement.
In this new role, Padhi will build out a leadership, talent and client roster for the expanded India shop. Dean Wei, who has been the executive creative director leading W+K Delhi since 2019, is leaving the agency later this year to return to London.
“W+K have always raised the creative product of our industry for the last 3-4 decades, they were one of my inspirations when Taproot was set up,” Padhi said. “In a business like ours you are as good as the kind of people you have on board—there are some wonderful minds in Delhi and I’m once again fortunate to hand pick some more wonderful people to join us and expand our presence into Mumbai.”
Padhi started his advertising career 25 years ago after graduating from art school in Mumbai. He founded Taproot in 2009, and the agency quickly became one of India’s most prominent creative agencies, picking up critical acclaim, accolades and awards.
Earning over 200 international awards (including two dozen Cannes Lions, and multiple Golds and Grand Prix titles from different award shows) and over 300 local awards, Padhi is one of the most awarded creatives in India.
“Paddy is a transformative creative leader with an impressive track record building creative companies and brands, and making work that is really centered in culture,” stated Wieden+Kennedy global chief creative officer Karl Lieberman. “We feel lucky to have him join us at a time when we really want to connect further to the creative people and culture in India. We are excited about the future of Wieden+Kennedy in India.”
Mumbai: FCB Interface has announced the appointment of Aditi Patwardhan as the chief strategy officer, as a part of the agency’s reorganisation towards becoming future ready and providing strategic partnership to its clients. She will be based out of the Mumbai office.
In her role, Patwardhan will be leading the strategy mandate to drive the next level of growth for the agency, said the statement.
“With Aditi on board, I look forward to some scintillating work emanating from razor-sharp strategy,” stated FCB Interface vice chairman and chief creative office Robby Mathew.
A brand and business builder, Patwardhan’s expertise comes from her 25 years of marketing and advertising experience that includes stints at Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett. She has partnered with global brands for multinationals like Unilever, P&G. Whisper, Fair & Lovely, Pureit, Knorr, Kissan & McDonald’s. Her Marketing stints include DCW Home Products, International Bestfoods, Dabur India and Mattel. Having been on both sides of the table, she is well versed in the intricacies of business and the pressures of P&L.
FCB Interface vice chairman and CEO Joe Thaliath said, “Aditi is a strong believer and practitioner of media agnostic solutions to real problems. Her well rounded experience and expertise is indeed a perfect fit to lead the agency in its next phase of growth! We look forward to creating inspiring Never Finished brand building stories with Aditi at the helm.”
“The agency’s strong strategy fundamentals and client partnerships made for a natural fit. But it’s the strong solutioning focus of the much awarded ideas like the ‘Punishing Signal” that excites me,” said Aditi Patwardhan on her new assignment. “I look forward to the mandate of taking the momentum to next level and sharpening the strategy offering. We are in process of building a powerhouse planning team which offers clients multidisciplinary competencies. Powered by the strong philosophy of Brand Bedrock and a suite of tools that have proven results within the network.”
Mumbai: Cryptocurrency exchange Zebpay has appointed Lowe Lintas Bangalore to manage its creative duties. The scope of the agency primarily includes conceptualising the brand’s positioning and communication strategy across the digital and offline mediums.
Speaking on the onboarding, Zebpay vice president – marketing Rohit Machado said, “We are delighted to partner with Lowe Lintas as our mainline communication agency in our mission to make crypto accessible to millions of investors across India. Our combined capabilities will allow us to build meaningful relationships with our users, while allowing us to capitalise on exciting opportunities in this hyper-competitive market.”
While the industry navigates through various regulations and new challenges around advertising guidelines for this sector, Lowe Lintas will be responsible for crafting a robust communication strategy for Zebpay to navigate the brand in this competitive industry landscape, said the agency in a statement.
Commenting on the win, Lowe Lintas Bangalore executive director and branch head Sonali Khanna said, “Cutting edge products deserve out-of-the-box communication solutions. Which is why we are so excited to be playing a critical role in Zebpay’s journey. While the category presents unique challenges, we believe the Zebpay – Lowe Lintas partnership has a distinct advantage with respect to product features and strategic thinking. As we’ve done with so many brands, we look forward to putting Zebpay ahead of the rest.”
Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen its content arm, Songfest India has brought Tanushree Paul on board as vice president, accounts and creative.
Paul will be spearheading branded content initiatives and brand associations for the creative agency. She will also be working on developing and executing music videos and web shows for the company-owned YouTube channel, said the statement.
“Tanushree brings in not only a rich experience of working with multiple brands and creative people across projects but also strong work ethic and a relentless drive to create, which gels beautifully with the values of our company,” stated Songfest India CEO and co-founder Gaurav Dagaonkar on the appointment. “Our aim has always been to create impactful stories with our music videos and ads, and her onboarding will help us take this offering to more clients.”
Paul comes to Songfest with over nine years of advertising experience. Prior to joining Songfest, she worked with BBDO India, a part of the global behemoth, as a senior account director for two years. She has also worked with MullenLowe Lintas Group as brand service director for seven years.
“Content is something which has always excited me, and I’ve been passionate about it since the start of my career,” said Tanushree Paul on her new assignment. “With advertising going through a lot of transition, as things move more and more towards content, I feel that Songfest is the perfect place where I can get a chance to narrate some heartening stories beyond the boundaries of a 30-second ad film. I look forward to doing some great work with Gaurav, Meghna and the team.”
