MUMBAI: Honda 2Wheelers rang in the New Year in a quirky manner as they wished the industry “Happy 2009” in January 2019. The move was a part of an interesting print ad campaign conceptualised and developed by Dentsu One – a Dentsu Aegis Network agency.
The peg behind the innovative campaign was the government regulation making it compulsory to equip every 2-wheeler of less than 125cc engine capacity with a Combi-Brake System (CBS) from 1 April 2019 onwards. Honda 2wheelers, on the other hand, had introduced the Combi-brake system in India (with equaliser technology) way back in 2009.
The agency revealed its approach towards creating the campaign, which has caught many eyeballs, stating, “The approach was to create a disruptive communication to grab reader’s attention and inform them about brand Honda’s technology leadership. The opportune time – first day of the year was selected strategically to make the message more clutter breaking.”
Dentsu One national creative director Titus Upputuru said, “At Dentsu Aegis Network we try to build brands through innovative ideas. This is an example of that spirit. Salute to Honda Two Wheelers for buying into this unique creative and release it nationally. Usual shelf life of a print ad is one day however it clearly broke the trend with conversations about the advt. & creative going viral on digital medium long after the newspaper has gone into the bin. We are delighted with the response.”
Dentsu One executive vice president Abhinav Kaushik added, “We wanted to create a communication that had immense stop value and the power to hold the reader’s attention without any dilution. A communication is considered as really effective when people start talking about it and this is what is happening right now. The objective of the campaign to reaffirm Honda’s leadership position stands successfully achieved.”
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India senior vice president, sales and marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria mentioned, “Honda has always been at the fore front of new technology introduction. We have a history of creating history in technology benchmarks adding value & convenience for our customers. While the industry is now adopting CBS aligning with regulation, we are proud to say that more than two crore happy customers are already riding CBS equipped Honda 2Wheelers. A clutter breaking simple communication to reinforce brand Honda’s technology leadership on New Year’s day was the core of this campaign.”
MUMBAI: The rapid growth in the number of high net worth individuals (HNIs) and aspirational lifestyles and consumer demographics has led to a demand for luxury living.
Queo’s latest campaign conceptualised by Dentsu One, narrates Jacqueline’s journey and her quest for the best-in-class bathroom experience.
The ‘NOTHING LESS WILL DO’ campaign, launched across digital, cinema and print medium targets HNI consumers for whom opulence is a way of life.
The campaign recreates a life of grandeur and an affluent lifestyle. Delivered by Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez, the brand ambassador for Queo, the films show her playing a woman who wants the best or nothing. As it says in the story, for the ones who value luxury, 'NOTHING LESS WILL DO'.
The first of the two-part series takes off with Jacqueline Fernandez refusing to stay in a 7 star hotel because the bathroom was not good enough. This raises a lot of eyebrows and becomes national news with newspapers covering the walk-out.
Aptly titled, ‘The Walkout’, the film begins with the controversial walkout picture of the star and then goes on to show Jacqueline walk into her ultra-luxurious world of Queo bath lounge. In the background, her manager gives a point of view on the controversial walkout and talks about Jacqueline’s absolutely uncompromising attitude. The star flings her ill-fitting shoe off before indulging with it. This film celebrates the ability to get things. The launch film showcases the newly launched F-Courbe series, with one of its kind wash basin whose curves never meet and the second film showcases the Smart Tap shower that works in sync with Amazon Echo.
On the launch of the film, HSIL Ltd president building products division Manish Bhatia said, “We got the luxury brand Queo to India in 2011, with an aim to create the luxury segment in bath spaces as it did not exist back then. Designed and conceptualised by leading European design masters, Queo, is a testimony to the intricacy and finesse in craftsmanship. This new campaign with Jacqueline resonates with this uncompromising standard of the brand. She fits in perfectly as she exuberates the class, the elegance and the attitude that matches with the brand. I feel this attitude towards luxury reflects a new Indian customer who won’t accept compromises.”
Speaking about the campaign Dentsu One, national creative director Titus Upputuru said, “Luxury marketing is largely about imagery and lifestyle. We wanted to add a layer of attitude. The campaign not just celebrates the uniqueness of Queo products but also the unique demands of a star like Jacqueline.”
“I’m extremely excited to continue my association with Queo. The brand epitomises true indulgence and luxury and I admire their quality and attitude of not settling for mediocrity, in order to provide unparalleled experiences to their customers,” said brand ambassador Jacqueline Fernandez.
MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has gone on-air with its new corporate campaign.
The campaign is conceptualised by Dentsu One, a Dentsu Aegis Network division.
The film demonstrates how Honda has given wings of freedom to the ride of millions of Indians in the last 18 years and have touched their lives in different ways. Honda aims to communicate the commitment and experience Honda offers to its customers from pre- sales to after sales, from safety riding training to customisation of products, from racing to adventure.
The brand today has reached a stage where it is not merely known for its products. The brand trust is relevant today in manifold ways. Thus, the idea was to showcase all the myriad ways in which the brand touches the customer.
The story opens in the Honda factory where Honda associates gather for their shifts. The group is joined by Akshay Kumar, the brand ambassador. Towards the end of the film, we see Akshay Kumar himself experiencing the joy of adventure on the hills while riding Africa Twin. The film marks the introduction of Joy Club- Honda 2Wheeler India’s loyalty program which customers can join and enjoy many benefits.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India SVP sales and marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria says, “The trust and patronage of our customers towards 'Brand Honda' reflects in the expanding customer base of 39 million Honda wing riders. With the new corporate film, we aim to further strengthen our commitment by 'Serving our Customers with a Smile' in all areas of engagement and provide them with the joy of riding in pursuit of their dreams!!”
Dentsu One EVP account management Abhinav Kaushik adds, “In marketing, we often talk about touch-points through which a brand needs to engage with its customers. For most brands, it’s a tick-mark and a numeric count of how many touch points they have. With this campaign and ground-level initiatives, Honda wants to ‘touch’, ‘empathise’ and ‘engage’ with its customers to create deep-rooted and inseparable bonds of trust and commitment – that transcend the ‘touch-points to trust-points’. The relentless spirit to create long term value for its customers is clearly the objective that Honda is pursuing here.”
MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter has launched its latest campaign for the new Activa 125.
The campaign is conceptualised by Dentsu One, a Dentsu Aegis Network division.
The 2018 edition of Activa 125 comes equipped with LED headlamp, LED position lamp and 4-in-1 lock with seat opening switch. Building on the trust of more than a million customers, Activa 125 offers solid power, strong (metal body) and blend of performance, efficiency, comfort with advanced features.
The campaign aims to promote new class leading features of Activa 125 while leveraging on trust and legacy of brand Activa.
Taking a slice of life route, the “Sau mein se sava sau” campaign illustrates a family where the girl highlights all positive attributes of her love interest to get her father’s approval.
The story opens with a young daughter approaching the conversation seeking her father’s approval on her choice of husband. The father expresses initial scepticism about her choice. This is when the daughter elaborates on qualities of the boy which embodies the features of Activa 125. The first thing she mentions is his smartness where the film cuts to scooter’s chrome chest, LED headlamp & LED Tail Lamp.
The girl then describes him as sensible with the film cutting close on Activa’s console with the ECO mode indicator. On the daughter’s request the mother also supports her by saying that the boy belongs to a good family. It is then the film reveals that the scooter is an Activa- India’s most trusted two-wheeler. The daughter reiterates her choice by saying that ‘he is as strong as her father’ with the frame focussing on the metal body of Activa 125 personifying robustness and confidence. In the next frame, the boy is seen riding uphill smoothly with extra power and torque provided by Activa 125.
Collaborating the narration, the parallel stories merge together. The boy arrives on Activa 125 and introduces himself as ’Captain Vikram’ followed by greeting her mother. The father gets extremely impressed with the boy when he relates to all his qualities with his choice of ride.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter SVP of sales and marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria says, “The purpose of this campaign is to showcase the new segment leading product features and reiterate trust of brand Activa.”
Dentsu One national creative director Titus Upputuru adds, “If you belong to a good family, you will have good genes. That’s the key insight we have taken to build communication for the campaign. Activa 125 hails from the family of Activa. The product scores 125 per cent in every aspect and that’s why the expression ‘sau mein se sava sau! Shooting the film in a cable car was very challenging but we are very excited to see the final outcome.”
MUMBAI: Honda Jazz in collaboration with its creative agency Dentsu One, has launched a new campaign for its latest upgrade. With a combination of strong marketing strategy and creative expertise, the YouTube Masthead for the campaign alone garnered a whopping 27 million views in one day.
In a market satiated with choices for the sub 4 meter premium hatchback car category, the Jazz comes with world class legacy, looks, features and most importantly a fresh and vibrant attitude. With the lineage of Honda, the product is assured to offer best in technology and stand differentiated from the competition. So with the latest upgrade, the challenge was to make the communication just as unique and differentiated. This is precisely what inspired an entirely different perspective for the new campaign – Sexy in a new light.
The tagline itself serves a dual purpose, at one hand connoting the new take on last year’s ’Sexy And I Know It’ campaign, and on the other highlighting a key new feature.
Staying true to the quirky brand personality, the films attempt to break clutter by using the idea of a ‘Cat’ personified as a difficult to please snob, scoffing at lesser mortals (read humans) but all the while thoroughly impressed with the New Jazz to navigate human chaos and deliver a stellar experience.
Talking about the campaign, Dentsu One national creative director Titus Upputuru says, “A lot of brands employ celebrities to endorse their products. We thought let’s get the coolest them of all – Billi Jean! Jokes apart, we thought a cat was a good idea to launch the quirky attitude of the new Jazz. We are pleased that the communication has been received so well. We look forward to many more Jazz cars on road soon”
Dentsu One executive vice president Abhinav Kaushik adds, “In a category full of models that sell on bells and whistles, the new Honda Jazz with its anti-ordinary personality has used the CAT to mock the set conventions and notions with an execution that is memorable and uncharacteristic.”
Marketing mix for the campaign included a combination of press, outdoor, online and social media push.
MUMBAI: Dulux, the decorative paints brand from AkzoNobel India, has unveiled a new TVC for its brand Dulux Velvet Touch.
The campaign, titled ‘The Glow of Success’ featuring brand ambassador Farhan Akhtar, inspires consumers to showcase their achievements through the walls of their homes.
The TV commercial channels the power of simplicity to cut through the clutter with Akhtar’s compelling discourse on an individual’s journey towards achieving success and then proudly displaying it through the glow on the walls of his house. The commercial portrays what the super-premium emulsion, Dulux Velvet Touch stands for – a partner to help you portray your accomplishments through the beauty of your walls.
AkzoNobel cluster general manager of decorative paints for South Asia David Teng said, “We all work hard to achieve our dreams and celebrating them with our loved ones is equally important. With this new Dulux Velvet Touch TVC, we hope to motivate our consumers to not just decorate their walls, but to cherish their well-deserved accomplishments and success.”
AkzoNobel India head of marketing of decorative paints Parth Udia added, “Our consumer understanding has revealed that personal taste and its expression in the beauty of one’s home is intrinsic to how today’s consumers behave. The brand’s journey thus far had helped it position itself strongly on being stylish and creatively inspired; our attempt this time around was to design a narrative that scored high on relatability.”
The new creative has been made in Hindi and Bengali and is being aired across general entertainment, movies, lifestyle and news channels.
Explaining the rationale behind the brand campaign, Dentsu One national creative director Titus Upputuru mentions, “The protagonist, played by Farhan Akhtar, bares the walls of all the conventional success symbols, choosing instead to portray it through the unique glow offered by the brand. The poetic expression of the voice over is something that we thought would go well with the celebrity’s surname.”
MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter has introduced a 360 degree ad campaign for the iconic Activa 5G. Developed by Dentsu One, a Dentsu Aegis Network Company, the TVC is now on air across all popular channels.
Honda’s ‘Love is Growing’ TVC starts with an establishment of a college campus. It is here that Taapsee enters riding the new Activa 5G with her father (Boman Irani) as her pillion. The father and daughter duo (Boman Irani and Taapsee Pannu) ride the new Activa 5G to college.
A group of four youths stops to notice the scene. The first says “Ye to wahi hai yaar” to which the second replies “lagti to bilkul alag hai yaar” to which the third friend adds “Bright like sunshine”. One of the friends has all eyes for the girl and says “Tu 5G dekh, mujhe to apna future dikh raha hai.” The strict professor father (Boman) hearing this gets annoyed and scolds the boy to come inside the building. A voiceover in the background introduces the scooter as ‘Agaya hai naya Activa 5G. Curiosity badegi, batein badhengi, aur pyaar toh badhega hi.’
“As the number one selling two-wheeler of India, Activa is no longer just a mobility solution but a cherished part of life for more than 18 million Indian families and youth. Activa has transformed to meet the evolving needs of every generation over the years. The new fifth generation Activa 5G, while staying true to its legacy of trust, innovation, quality, reliability and convenience; looks and rides completely different giving young India all the more reason to fall in love with it. The new ‘Love is Growing’ campaign celebrates that not only is the Love for Activa is growing but love is growing in real life too,” says Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India senior vice president of sales and marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria.
“Activa is a household name in India. It has seen many generations. As we were briefed about the 5th generation model of this very popular brand, we thought let’s showcase how this love is growing. The film is a little chapter from this love story, which occurs in a university, between one of the students and the professor’s daughter. It was great working with Boman Irani. Taapsee adds a new flavour to the brand. We hope the film builds on the love that the brand already enjoys across the nation,” adds Dentsu One national creative director Titus Upputuru.
Dentsu One senior vice president of account management Abhinav Kaushik mentions, “Activa has become an inseparable part of Indian families since its launch 17 years back. So many things have changed during this time but the love and affection for Activa has only grown and multiplied over the years. With this growing love across multiple generations, it was the right time to launch Activa 5G with a quirky campaign where the brand becomes the harbinger or catalyst to get two people to fall in love with each other.”
MUMBAI: Ironically, when it comes to advertisements, condom players don’t know how to play it safe. Condom ads have been at the centre of numerous controversies owing to the erotic nature of the storytelling. Several governments have taken a strong stand against sleazy ads.
Condom advertising in the US has been a much-debated topic for the longest time. At first, advertisements for condoms were mostly limited to men’s magazines such as Penthouse. The first television ad, on the California station KNTV, aired in 1975 but was quickly pulled off after it provoked the ire of people. Years later, the first condom commercial on US television aired in 1991.
Condoms have been available in India since the 1940s but the first mass-distributed condom was introduced in 1963 under the name of Kamaraj (pseudonym of Indian cupid Kamadeva) but K Kamaraj was then the president of the ruling party, Indian National Congress. Hence, a new name for the condom was chosen: Nirodh that means protection in Hindi.
In 1952, the Government of India established the first national family-planning programme in the world. At this time, condoms were privately manufactured and sold at high prices. Only the rich could afford the price of 25 paise even though population growth rate was the highest amongst the lower-income groups. In the late 1980s, several TV commercials were developed to create awareness about Nirodh. But the message from these advertisements was not clear about what a condom was, who used it, where would one get it or that it was distributed free of cost.
It was in 1991 that KamaSutra condoms seduced viewers with erotic images of Bollywood actors, linking condoms to pleasure for the first time. Today, you have plenty of condom brands but all of them rely on the same creative–sensual and explicit scenes. Durex, Manforce, Playgard, Skore and others have resorted to the same storytelling through the years.
They have not wavered from using the ‘sex sells’ motto to grab eyeballs. The Glitch co-founder and content chief Varun Duggirala thinks that the audience has matured but is still being considered as naive.
It was in December 2017 when the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) decided to ban condom advertisements on television between 6 am to 10 pm. The move was directed after the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) approached the MIB for withdrawing condom ads that were telecast during prime time or ‘family-viewing time’. The council was reacting to complaints regarding the kind of content condom brands showed in ads, which was not necessarily suitable for kids and teenagers. Asci, in its letter to the ministry, specifically stated that ads that were explicit and vulgar in nature should be aired only between 10 pm and 6 am.
Havas India CEO Nirmalya Sen thinks that in India, the category has, to an extent, called the recent ban upon itself with mindless use of sex to sell condoms. He adds that this ban, in fact, could well be the catalyst the brands in the category need to act responsibly and be creative.
Ajay Rawal, general manager of marketing for JK Ansell, maker of KamaSutra sexual wellness products, believes brands need to change their communication now and move away from using erotic ads. “Things have changed drastically in the last decade and the option to view eroticism is now easily available online. Millennials today are not interested in seeing this kind of content and want to see a creative that is relatable, realistic and memorable for them,” he adds.
Interestingly, condom ads on digital are more creative than the TV ones – skewed to showing their use and benefits.
Condom makers don’t use these ads on TV because of the cost involved in buying ad slots where they don’t want to risk their necks.
Rawal notes that the advertising spends in the condom category are pithy compared to the giant FMCG category. “If a condom brand wants to create a new communication that does not have eroticism and sexual overdose to it, it has to be memorable and a lot of effort needs to be put in creating resonating, real and relatable stories,” he adds.
While stating that India is still a conservative country when it comes down to sex, Dentsu One president Harjot Singh Narang mentions that companies tend to resort to the easiest part of storytelling—to have lots of sex without any fear—which is why most condom ads show romanticising situations on air. “Internationally, brands have moved over sexuality in ads and are talking about where it actually fits in the consumer’s life. In India, Durex is taking that route but we still have a long way to go,” he says.
Historically, most condom purchases were made by men and that’s why the focus has predominantly been on the male audience. But since using contraception is essentially a woman’s call, maybe there is a need for change in communication and have more female protagonists in ads.
While raising a point that why condom advertising in India stops at soft porn, Narang concludes that it is time for brands to build deeper relationships with consumers by creating engaging content as it is the need of the hour.
MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has rolled out the latest television commercial (TVC) for exciting 4th Gen upgrade of Activa – India’s No. 1 selling two-wheeler brand.
Developed by Dentsu One, a Dentsu Aegis Network agency, the TVC was launched with the World Television Premier of Jolly LLB 2 and has started running on air across popular channels from 14th May’17.
From its debut in 2001, Honda 2Wheelers India re-activated the automatic scooter segment with the iconic Activa on back of its two core strengths – advance technology and innovation. Activa’s biggest strength lies in its continuous evolution ahead of the time which has fortified its universal appeal that cuts across generations, geographies and genders. Over the years, Activa grew from No. 1 selling automatic scooter to overtaking all motorcycles and become No. 1 selling two-wheeler of India. In 2017, Honda 2Wheelers launched the 4th generation BS-IV and AHO compliant ‘ACTIVA 4G’ with new style and features like mobile charging port for connectivity on the go.
The ‘Nayi Generation Hai’ campaign reinforces the top of mind recall for Honda’s fourth generation Activa; both emotionally and rationally. The idea is to showcase how Activa 4G is playing an active role in the slice of life of India’s new generation.
In 16 years, Honda’s Activa brand has gained a strong trust of over 1.5 crore Indian families and counting. The iconic Activa is today the “Most Trusted & Convenient” common denominator for all Indian families – be it young college-goer or working professional, home-maker or the active senior citizens.
India’s psychographics is fast evolving and everyone in this new India is exploring something new.
Be it the trending youth, WhatsApp-ing parents or jogging grandparents. The TVC is all about how India’s Nayi Generation is doing things differently and the new Activa 4G is their ride of choice.
The target audience of Honda’s Activa is not limited to a specific age group or region. It is trusted by every generation across the nation. Age or gender is no more the barrier for people to do different things or do things differently. The slice of life narrative is written with a consumer insight that people from different age brackets are now venturing into things that were traditionally considered out of bounds for them.
Honda’s ‘Nayi Generation Hai’ TVC opens with a middle-aged man on the bed, busy on his phone. He receives a WhatsApp message from his daughter to go out for snacks late in the night. The man agrees and they both ride to a neighborhood food kiosk on their Activa 4G.
Bringing life to the voice over, noted theatre artist Piyush Mishra elaborates, “Na Din Khatam hota hai, na raat. Aur sham chalti hai subah tak… Nayi Generation Hai bhai!”
The second sequence opens with a group of young women of all sizes working out… not in the gymnasium but through an energetic Zumba performance in a dance studio.
The sequence begins with the background jingle Zamaane ke yaar hai sab, masti mei sawaar hain and concludes with Piyush Mishra’s spicy voiceover saying, “Jo Mehnat ko masti banaye, wahi wise hai… are dance bhi to exercise hai!”
The group then rides out of the dance class on their Activa 4G’s and the jingle continues – Zamaane ke yaar hain, hawaon pe sawaar hain.
In the third sequence, a young professional is riding his Activa 4G and it’s his new generation mother (the pillion) who guides him to the destination by using satellite navigation maps on her mobile phone. The voice-over connects the Nayi Generation with “Manzil kahan hai… kaise pahunchna hai? No Confusion… that’s the Nayi Generation!”
The fourth sequence shows an old lady jogging towards a parked Activa 4G. Suddenly, she stops and plugs out the mobile charging cord from her grandson’s mobile and plugs it in her phone and starts dancing to the music on the spot. Surprised by her fun mood, her grandson joins in and both later leave on their Activa 4G. The peppy voice-over says Baalon ke rang par mat jao… hum battery full hain! Inke saamne to acche achon ka dibba gul hai and is completed by the happy jingle Zamaane ke yaar hain, hawaon pe sawaar hain..
The last sequence of the film takes the nayi generation theme even further. The sequence opens with the shot of an old man outside his home ready to move on an Activa 4G. His wife steps outside their home and ties a fitness band on her husband’s wrist. On being asked, “Ye kya hai?” she replies, “Nayi Generation Hai!” before both ride away to the park.
The sequences are followed by a montage, i.e. father-daughter, women performing Zumba, mother-son duo, grandmother-grandson duo and old couple seen riding Activa and enjoying their ride. The film ends with a voice over – “Aajkal India ki har generation, Nayi Generation Hai. Inhi ke liye aayi hai nayi generation wali Activa 4G” (Today every generation of India is doing something new and for them is the new generation of Activa. Activa 4G- Nayi Generation Hai)
“Activa’s continuous evolution over the years in terms of technology, innovation and design ethos has made Activa relevant across generations. While retaining its core of trust and reliability, our astute communication has led Activa to gain top of consumer mindshare as well,” Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.
“Time was when we used to say ye nayi peedhi hai, ye aisi hain, waisi hain, inko samajhna mushkil hai etc. but now you see that there is no such thing as a generation gap. We thought it’s an opportune time to speak of this new generation that defies all age related myths,” said Titus Upputuru, National Creative Director, Dentsu One
“The traditional demographics have become a passé and age as a metric of classification means nothing. Marketing and brand building is all about having right insights that connect to right mindsets – whether the consumer is 18 or 80 years doesn’t really matter,” said Abhinav Kaushik, Senior Vice President, Account Management, Dentsu One
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network’s agency Dentsu One which has bagged the creative mandate for JK Tyre and Industries, will focus on two-wheeler tyres across TVC, print, radio, OOH, digital and activations.
The multi-agency pitch included Contract India, McCann World Group India, and Law & Kenneth.
JK Tyres and Industries India operations president Vivek Kamra added, “We are happy to have them on board and hope they will effectively communicate our key brand attributes including technological superiority, youthfulness, humility and progressiveness in a truly Indian grown brand, through our creative campaigns.”
“We are grateful and delighted with this win. The teams had great fun working on it from ideation to creation. JK Tyres is a great home grown brand and we look forward to building preference and love for the two wheeler tyre segment of the brand through some powerful communication”, Dentsu One NCD Titus Upputuru said.
“The challenge is to not only take the brand idea seamlessly into digital and other mediums but going forward to own it consistently so that it can stand differentiated in the consumer mind space over time”, Dentsu One Senior VP Sunita Prakash said.
