Tag: Dentsu India

  • Dentsu turns up the volume with India’s first agency-led podcast network

    Dentsu turns up the volume with India’s first agency-led podcast network

    MUMBAI: Mic check, India branded storytelling just got a whole new sound. Dentsu India has launched the Dentsu Podcast Network (DPN), a dedicated vertical set to make podcasts the next big stage for brands to converse, connect, and create communities across Bharat.

    Podcasts are no longer just background noise. With over 650 plus shows, 100 plus brands, and 120 plus creators already under their belts, the trio of Aditya Kuber, Agith Kuruvilla, and Ashwin Gangakhedkar now vice presidents at dentsu are bringing their podcasting prowess from Ideabrew Studios into the global agency ecosystem. Their experience spans seven languages, from chart-topping Hindi originals to fast-growing regional formats, making them uniquely placed to amplify dentsu’s branded content play.

    Reporting to Dentsu Creative Isobar CEO Sahil Shah,  the new team will collaborate across dentsu’s media, creative, and CXM businesses to push the boundaries of branded audio. “Podcasts are no longer a niche; they are the most immersive and authentic way to connect with audiences,” said Shah, adding that DPN will help brands “tap into India’s cultural pulse” like never before.

    With India’s diverse subcultures and rising appetite for vernacular content, the opportunity is huge. As Dentsu Creative & Media Brands South Asia CEO Amit Wadhwa put it, “This is more than a media launch; it is a bold step towards shaping narratives that travel from the heart of Bharat to audiences across the globe.”

    In the months ahead, DPN will roll out original branded series, vernacular-first IPs, large-scale creator collaborations, video podcasts, and immersive storytelling innovations. The goal: to ensure every dentu client can harness the intimacy of podcasts and the diversity of Indian languages to build deeper, more meaningful brand affinity.

    For India’s podcasting scene already one of the world’s fastest growing, this could well be the big leap from playlists to power plays, with dentsu tuning brands into conversations that echo far beyond the metros.

  • Maybelline drops Teddy Tint bomb in Mumbai with CGI-powered Dabbawala

    Maybelline drops Teddy Tint bomb in Mumbai with CGI-powered Dabbawala

    MUMBAI: Maybelline New York and Posterscope India have painted Mumbai nude — literally and virtually — with the launch of Super Stay Teddy Tint – Nude Drop, a plush 11-shade lip tint collection that just got a larger-than-life debut with hyperreal CGI billboards.

    The campaign, brought to life by dentsu’s OOH specialist Posterscope, delivered a digital-first spectacle by fusing cutting-edge CGI with the warm nostalgia of Mumbai’s iconic Dabbawalas. These everyday heroes became the unexpected — and loveable — ambassadors of soft glam, starring in a seven-day CGI production that transformed the city’s skyline into a moving makeup marvel.

    Designed to tug at the heart and scroll-stopping enough to trend, the visual narrative reimagined the Teddy Tint’s soft-but-bold vibe through the lens of Mumbai’s cultural pride, marrying beauty with believability in a way that felt rooted yet global.

    Posterscope India CEO Imtiyaz Vilatra said, “This campaign was built on insight-led storytelling that connects emotionally and visually. CGI gave us the flexibility to craft an experience that felt both imaginative and rooted in local emotion. Bringing together a global beauty icon and an everyday Mumbai symbol allowed us to tell a story that was personal, timely, and unforgettable.”

    With a mix of emotional storytelling and tech swagger, Maybelline’s campaign wasn’t just lipstick on a billboard, it was a CGI glow-up for the Indian beauty playbook.

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  • Sujata Dwibedy & Jose Leon assigned leadership roles at dentsu

    Sujata Dwibedy & Jose Leon assigned leadership roles at dentsu

    MUMBAI: Two arrows have left the quiver of dentsu india. The goal is that the duo will enhance the business at the leading Indian agency and drive it into its next phase of growth. Sujata Dwibedy has been named CEO, dentsu x, while Jose Leon has taken on the role of CEO, retail media business. Both executives will report to dentsu, CEO-media for south Asia, Anita Kotwani.

    Sujata, who brings 26 years’ experience in strategy, planning, research, buying and innovation, will steer dentsu x towards integrated excellence across media, technology and creative services. her appointment is seen as a key move to forge transformative partnerships and deliver outstanding client outcomes.

    Jose, with a strong background in deep tech, commerce and digital consulting – including previous leadership roles at global digital platform companies – will lead the retail media business. his role is expected to enhance dentsu’s retail media offerings by delivering tech-driven, personalised campaigns that combine consultation, implementation and activation at scale.

    dentsu, CEO for south Asia, Harsha Razdan said the new appointments reflect dentsu india’s relentless pursuit of excellence and its commitment to staying ahead of industry trends, positioning the network for further innovation and market leadership.

  • IBS 2024: The Power of data, is it enough?

    IBS 2024: The Power of data, is it enough?

    Mumbai: The panel at IBS 2024 engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue on the evolving role of data in advertising, specifically questioning whether the sheer volume of data available today is sufficient for driving effective Return on Investment (RoI) in marketing campaigns. It also assessed if over-reliance on data and programmatic approaches might be overshadowing the need for value-driven strategies and calculated risks.

    The session was chaired by Ipsos India, senior client director, Ananya Roy Mathur followed by panelists: Blue Star India head – Digital Initiatives, Abhishek Kumar, dentsu India senior vice president – Product & Technology, Abhinay Bhasin, NitiAayog chief mentor Kushal Sanghvi and Quora head of marketing, APAC and EMEA, Neha Chimbulkar.

    Ananya asked Kushal on some of the most significant initiatives undertaken by the government years ago to which he says was the introduction of a single identity system, exemplified by the Aadhaar card. “With approximately 943 million Aadhaar cards issued, it serves as a unique identity for citizens, offering a comprehensive dataset that surpasses what any company, including Google or Facebook, possesses regarding consumer behavior. Today, almost everything is linked to this identity.”

    He also delved on initiatives like UPI (Unified Payments Interface), which have revolutionized transactions by providing a seamless payment platform. “Just a decade ago, it would have been unimaginable to have such a unified channel. Today, numerous platforms like Paytm and PhonePe enable marketers to effectively engage with audiences. The government’s approach emphasizes using data to create a holistic environment, rather than merely monetizing it.”

    Abhinay highlighted the behavior of the audiences and how it is evolving over the years. “Discovering audiences today involves understanding how behavior is evolving and integrating those insights into marketing strategies. Keeping a pulse on these changes is crucial for developing effective creative. The abundance of data we now have—processed at an unprecedented scale—provides invaluable signals from various sources, such as video viewership and behavioral patterns on platforms like Facebook and Google. This wealth of information shapes our understanding of consumers, directly informing the creative process and ensuring we reach the right addressable audiences effectively,” says Abhinay.

    Neha lastly gave insight more on to the analytical tools available. “The key lies in combining strategy with the available analytical tools. Once you clearly define your objectives, it becomes easier to identify the relevant metrics and data points necessary for achieving those goals. Despite the vast amount of data at our disposal, if we don’t focus on selling products or services that truly matter to us, we risk deflection and losing sight of ROI. In today’s marketing landscape, being ROI-driven is essential,” concludes Neha. 

  • L&T Finance Ltd unveils TVCs for the launch of ‘The Complete Home Loan’

    L&T Finance Ltd unveils TVCs for the launch of ‘The Complete Home Loan’

    Mumbai: L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF), one of the leading retail financiers, introduces its latest TV commercials, set to revolutionise the way people perceive home loans. Titled ‘The Complete Home Loan’, the TV commercials combine witty humour with relatable scenarios to create situations that are entertaining as well as informative, with the tagline, ‘Kum Nahi, Complete.’

    The company has launched a series of three TV commercials, with first commercial introducing the customers to ‘Home Décor Finance’ and the second and third introducing the customers to benefits such as ‘digitised process’ and ‘dedicated relationship manager’.

    The company has also launched its sonic brand identity by unveiling a musical logo that reinforces the company’s purpose: ‘retail, digital, and sustainable’. The musical logo is created with a harmonious blend of melodies, rhythms, and tones that reflect the Company’s attributes, core values, emotions, and brand personality.

    LTF chief marketing officer Kavita Jagtiani said, “We are building futuristic digital solutions by integrating technology across all our customer touchpoints. With the launch of our first-ever campaign, we are excited to present ‘The Complete Home Loan’ proposition that is set to meet customers’ expectations while addressing their needs. Our well-designed offerings like Home Décor Finance, Digitized Process, and Dedicated Relationship Manager inspired us to introduce the ‘Kum Nahi, Complete’ tagline which promptly communicates to customers that they should not settle for less. Furthermore, we have also incorporated an essence of our newly launched Sonic brand identity into this campaign. It is a musical expression of our brand’s purpose and will continue to foster consistent engagement and a heartfelt connection with our diverse 2.3 crore customer base.”

    The TV commercials have been created by Dentsu India. Speaking at the launch, Dentsu Creative India CEO Amit Wadhwa said, “Our TV commercials are meticulously crafted to connect with the audience by showcasing everyday life situations in an amusing way. By delving deep into introducing the protagonist as a relatable person in the scenarios and making clever use of mnemonics, we aim to not only entertain but also communicate key product offerings and make our campaign memorable. The journey we’ve embarked upon with LTF has been incredibly fulfilling, and we look forward to co-creating such impactful campaigns in the future.”

    The company has launched an integrated marketing campaign (IMC) across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, and Surat. The Sonic brand identity will be a part of this IMC. As part of the campaign, the company is one of the co-presenting sponsors for IPL, and the TV commercials are being streamed on Jio Cinema (Connected TV) during IPL matches. The Company will advertise on prominent news channels during the pre-election results and on poll counting days. In addition, the company is also conducting several initiatives like influencer marketing, outdoor hoardings, on-ground events, and leveraging its social media channels.

    Speaking at the launch of the company’s musical logo, BrandMusiq founder Rajeev Raja said, “Developing the Sonic identity for a leading financial services brand like LTF was a wonderful experience. We feel proud to note that the LTF MOGOSCAPE will now be used across all digital and physical touchpoints as well as the core communications of the brand. Additionally, our exploration of folk variations within the Sonic palette ensures genuine resonance with the communities that LTF serve through their extensive feet-on-street workforce. We are confident that it will elevate LTF’s customer experience with consistent engagement across platforms.”

  • Dentsu Creative India appoints Nikhil Kumar as managing partner (West)

    Dentsu Creative India appoints Nikhil Kumar as managing partner (West)

    Mumbai: Dentsu Creative, the creative agency network of Dentsu India, has announced the appointment of Nikhil Kumar as managing partner (West)

    As per the mandate, Nikhil will be responsible for leading the West region, with a focus on growth and creative excellence & will be reporting to Indrajeet Mookherjee, President, of Dentsu Creative.

    Dentsu Creative is evolving by expanding beyond creative solutions to provide end-to-end marketing consultancy. It embraces Creative tech in both thinking and execution, going beyond traditional art and copy domains.

    Nikhil’s appointment aligns with the agency’s recent transformation, combining digital experts and brand specialists for seamless integration with media, CX, and data.

    Nikhil joined Dentsu Creative from Publicis Groupe, where he was an EVP and business head for a few key mandates. He has over 16 years of experience within the M&A industry. And has championed a few marketing roles in the initial stages of his career before transitioning into specialized fields of the agency ecosystem. Including P&L management, business consultancy, brand strategy, shopper science & even digital excellence.

    Speaking on the appointment, Indrajeet said, “The West will play a pivotal role in driving sustained growth & glory for the agency and we are certain with Nikhil’s past expertise across diverse functions of the marketing realm, he has the right ambition and attitude to take us on this journey ahead. We welcome him to our family and wish him the best in his current & future endeavours.”

    Nikhil added, “Dentsu Creative has been a formidable leader in its craft & has historically challenged the paradigm of what’s conventional. With its impeccable pool of talent & teams, I’m looking forward to this responsibility of collaborating and steering the agency in a direction that benefits our partners and us equally.”

  • ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India unveils new corporate brand campaign

    ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India unveils new corporate brand campaign

    Mumbai: ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) – a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steelmakers – has announced the launch of a new television commercial titled ‘Banaunga Main, Banega Bharat’. The campaign aims to evoke collective enthusiasm for and pride in India’s progress and its diverse skilled workforce, who are powering the country’s development.  

    With a focus on engaging and motivating young people, the advertising film showcases recent national triumphs that underscore India’s advancement in areas such as high value-added manufacturing, science, and technology.

    Building on AM/NS India’s growing brand value, underpinned by the ‘Smarter Steels, Brighter Futures’ brand promise, this initiative serves as a platform to strengthen AM/NS India’s position as a leading player in the sector. It also reflects the company’s dedication to manufacturing steel which plays a fundamental role in driving the overall development of the country.

    Arcelormittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS INDIA) CEO Dilip Oommen said, “Building on our last year’s ‘Reimagineering’ campaign success, the latest endeavour reflects our unwavering commitment to contributing to a New India. In its journey towards the goal of Amrit Kaal, India is embracing steel-intensive growth through the Make in India program to ascend to new heights of prosperity. We are proud to be part of the country’s progress – a bright spot in the world economy – with our brand promise ‘Smarter Steels, Brighter Futures.”

    The advertising film has been created by Creativeland Asia, and will be rolled out by iProspect – a unit of Dentsu India – in the television and digital media space.

  • dentsu gaming & Intel transform college gaming with SCGC in India!

    dentsu gaming & Intel transform college gaming with SCGC in India!

    Mumbai: In today’s dynamic gaming landscape, with over 500 million amateur gamers, including 30 million passionate college students, it is pivotal to provide high-performance machines. Interestingly, a staggering 90 per cent of gaming enthusiasts expressed the desire to experience gaming on a laptop or desktop before making a purchase decision.

    To bridge this gap and revolutionise the gaming experience for amateur gamers, dentsu gaming- the gaming practice from dentsu India, in association with Intel, collaborated with digit- one of the most trusted and popular technology media portals in India, to execute a campaign harnessing the potential of SKOAR! college gaming club (SCGC) – India’s innovative amateur college gaming program.

    The campaign commenced with SCGC appointing campus ambassadors across 35 colleges in India. Leveraging platforms like Discord and WhatsApp, the ambassadors interacted with gamers, organising online playoffs and setting the stage for the subsequent phases of the campaign.

    Furthermore, SCGC hosted a day-long Intel-powered offline esports event within five selected campuses. Showcasing the prowess of Intel-powered computers, the events featured experiential zones, workshops, and activities, culminating in an esports tournament. During the casual gaming sessions, it also had machines put through their paces which led to them emerging as the driving force behind the triumph of top college esports teams.

    A key milestone was that the intel-powered online tournament, ‘Campus Clash’, witnessed the participation of teams from 35 colleges, further amplifying the campaign’s reach. A robust social media strategy was effectively executed with over 150 content pieces disseminated on Instagram and YouTube through the offline and online phases of the campaign.

    Over 10,000 amateur gamers from 50 colleges were exposed to the innovative campaign. Gamers also got their hands on PCs with powerful Intel ARC GPUs, giving them a taste of Intel’s latest dedicated GPU line-up that packs some serious firepower with built-in machine learning, graphics acceleration, and hardware-based ray tracing.

    Intel India marketing director, sales, marketing & communications group, Apurva Jani said, “Denstu has been an integral part of all our gaming activations for Intel, they help us identify the right media-led activations which drive reach and efficiency for Intel. SKOAR! college gaming club (SCGC) is a unique initiative from digit that is on a mission to build college-level gaming communities at the grassroots level across the country. The objective for this association was to enhance Intel’s brand resonance among college amateur gamers by facilitating hands-on trials of its personal computers across various colleges over three months.”

    dentsu CEO of media South Asia Anita Kotwani added, “The strategy adopted by dentsu gaming through this partnership was built on engagement, education, experience, and empowerment. The collaboration has undeniably heralded a game-changing victory in the gaming arena, setting new benchmarks within the gaming community.

    SCGC  head Arun Yadav commented, “At SKOAR! college gaming, we are relentlessly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of grassroots gaming and esports. Our unwavering commitment is to provide students with the support and tools they need to level up their gaming. Collaborating with industry leaders like dentsu gaming and Intel, we are poised to shape the future of esports and ignite a transformative era for the next generation of gamers.”