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Tag: Diwali

  • It’s family time this Diwali

    It’s family time this Diwali

    In this world of cut-throat competition where life is full of struggles and work for the people in the corporate world, Diwali is a moment of relief. The lights of Diwali doesn’t just spread brightness around but also illuminates their inner self as they get a chance to have family time. Few corporate head honchos talk about their plans this Diwali and talk about their memorable Diwali moments.

    I am spending time with my family and friends but I won’t be bursting any crackers as I am against it. Diwali is a festival of lights and not noise.

    One of the fondest memories of Diwali is when I once made sweets and kandil at home and kept it in a way that everybody could see it. These days we usually buy sweets from outside.

    Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors

    On Diwali, everybody is at home and if something happens we have to be on our toes. And thus, I would be working on Diwali.

    I remember how as a kid I used to wake up early morning at 4.00-4.30 and be the first one to burst crackers. Later, when I became a cable guy, it was to go and adjust the CNN dish.

    Arvind Prabhoo, president, MCOF (Maharashtra Cable Operators Association)

     

    Festivals are the best time to be at home and with the family. I too will be home and play with my children and grandchildren. On Diwali, we’ll have a puja and then we would burst crackers. Every year, we plan a family get together to celebrate the festival of lights. Even this year, the families of my three brothers and few colleagues will come to my home to celebrate the festival.

    The best Diwali in my life was in 2004 when my daughter got married just before Diwali.

    M Rajendran, MD, Raj network

     

    This Diwali, I will praying to the almighty that light enters many lives and the earth becomes harmonised. I will also be lighting lamps and celebrating with friends.

    I have a hilarious memory of Diwali. When I was a seven year old, a rocket cracker flew into our house and went inside our landlord’s lungi, who was standing on the top floor balcony. Thankfully, the rocket had already burst earlier.

    Swapna Sundari, COO, Raj Network (Telugu market)

     

    For me the festival of lights has always been about spending some quality time with family, friends and relatives. Enjoying food and sweets, and of course burst a few crackers. But this time around, Diwali will be even more special as I will get to spend time with my twin daughters who are two years old and are learning everything slowly. It is going to be a really special time with them.

    Krishna Desai, network head, Kids Entertainment, India, Turner International

     

    I always remember Diwali as the festival when we spent time with close friends and family, burst lots of crackers and enjoy the variety of sweets on offer. However, this time around, Diwali will be a quiet affair. I will spend time with my family and kids.

    Rohit Lamba, head, network distribution, business development & affiliate sales, Times Global Broadcasting Company Limited

     

    Well, Diwali, the festival of lights, is a great occasion to sit back and spend time with family and friends. But, I also take this opportunity to rethink on key issues relating to my professional and personal life.

    Sandeep Arora, vice president, sales – India & SAARC Service Provider (Telco), Cisco Systems

     

    I remember how as a kid Diwali used to be a time when the entire family got together and spent time with each-other. Everyone used to be excited as this was a time to buy new clothes and eat great food. But now I feel we need to be conscious about not adding to the already polluted environment by bursting crackers. It would be best to celebrate a noise free Diwali and have fun too.

    Uday Singh, managing director, Motion Picture Association (India)

     

    We celebrated the second anniversary of Helios on 1 November. Diwali has become a special event for us because it brings with it double celebrations. Another reason I love Diwali is because I am a big gambler and I love playing cards. While I play cards almost every weekend, Diwali gives me an opportunity to play the game with more fervor.

    Divya Radhakrishnan, managing director, Helios Media

     

    Diwali is a family affair for me. Whenever possible, I try to visit my hometown where my parents live and we light lamps, burst crackers with the children. My parents usually shuttle between Nanital and Bombay, so when they are in Bombay it becomes much easier for us. But we always make a point to be together on Diwali. Since childhood it has been a complete family affair and I looked forward to the festival. I try to keep it like that. We avoid going out and try to be together.

    Ashish Bhasin, chairman India and CEO South East Asia, Aegis Group

     

    Diwali is all about puja, bhajan and family time. Usually we go out every year, but this time we will be celebrating the festival with relatives and close friends. Diwali is much more than a holiday as it is also the beginning of the new year for Hindus. For Gujaratris, it’s a special occasion, to say saal-mubarak. For us, these two days are very important and auspicious. Diwali is the occasion where you can greet people with not only love and affection but also with gifts and mitthai. It is an occasion to stop worrying about the calorie counts and eat as many sweets as you want to. It is a colourful occasion and very lively atmosphere.

    J.D Majethia, producer and actor/director, Hats Off Productions

     

    When we were kids we used to celebrate Diwali with lots of crackers, but now the festival is much more than bursting crackers. It is one occasion when we get together with family and get a little religious. It is so hectic in Mumbai that socialising becomes a little difficult. This is a day for extended family get together.

    Ravi Mansukhani, CEO, Incable

     

     

    The festival is for family and friends. It is about lots of food and playing cards. This year, I will celebrate the festival with my family and friends in Mumbai first and then head to Delhi to meet my parents. My kids are excited to be with their grandparents this Diwali.

    The fondest childhood memory of Diwali is how we wanted to be the one to burst the longest ladi in the neighbourhood along with loads of other fireworks. Though with time I have grown to become more eco-friendly and thus fireworks now is a big ‘No no’.

    Gaurav Gandhi, group COO, IndiaCast

     

    Diwali for me is a day which is spent well with family, performing puja and playing teen patti. There was a time when I used to burst a lot of crackers. But once I grew up I realised how annoying it could be for others, so I don’t burst crackers anymore, but yes I have to admit that it used to be great fun bursting crackers.

    Ferzad Palia, senior VP & GM, English entertainment, Viacom18 Media

     

    My (escape) plan for Diwali is to drive down to the peace and quiet of Goa. The most memorable Diwali for me was last year when I celebrated the festival with my niece and nephew in North Korea. They had enough fireworks to give North Korea an inferiority complex.

    Anil Kakkar, founder/chief creative officer, Gasoline
  • Fevicol spreads togetherness with its elephant mascots

    Fevicol spreads togetherness with its elephant mascots

    MUMBAI: They have endorsed the message of togetherness for last many years. Now, Fevicol, the largest selling brand of adhesives in India, has rolled out its third edition of the animated TV campaign series to connect with its audiences during festive season.

    For the third edition of the TVC developed by Ogilvy & Mather, the communication has taken a step further to reinforce the ‘strong bond of togetherness’. What is working for the brand is the clever use of Fevicol mascots – the elephants. O&M has clubbed the interesting concept with animation advertising that has brought its elephants to life, thus growing its connect with the audience. The animated elephants have kept the wit and humour quotient intact as always in a Fevicol fashion way.

    Pidilite Industries Chief Marketing Officer Anil Jayaraj, said, “We are happy to present the third TVC in our ‘Judh Jayein Tyohaar Pe’ festive series. We have received positive feedback for our earlier commercials on Rakhi and Navratri and hope Diwali TVC also draws similar response. Picking out simple events of life, marrying these with the brand’s message and incorporating it in such a manner that the audience can find connect with the brand’s message has been the philosophy of all our campaigns and so has been for our festive campaign. We are happy to subtly remind our audiences that Fevicol would “stick” around and bond with them on all festive and joyous occasions.”

    The TV campaign will be supported by an integrated digital marketing campaign. Apart from outdoors and increased visibility at trade outlets, they are also executing a number of demand generation initiatives to reap maximum advantage of the new TVC.

    Commenting on the concept, Ogilvy & Mather executive chairperson and creative director South Asia Piyush Pandey, said, “Fevicol has never shied from experimentation or risked averse. We wanted to give animated life to our elephants and are happy to already see them growing fondness and capturing places in the minds of the audiences.”

    The ad will be aired across key Hindi speaking markets from 2 November to 4 November including sports during India-Australia ODI on 2 November, 2013. The communication will be extended through various digital promotion plan and BTL activities such as high visibility and innovative POS, demand generation activations, dealer certification, contractor certification and gratification program, Contractor contact programs among other elements.
    The commercial opens with one of the Fevicol elephants developing cold feet at his attempt to burst tenderfoot sutli crackers. Meanwhile, he is realises that the other elephant, his fellow companion, has slyly already lit the much impactful rassi bomb right at his back. Bang! With the thudding noise of the crackers, the elephants go back to forming the Fevicol logo (trademarked for Fevicol – The Ultimate Adhesive) wishing everyone a happy, playful and a safe Diwali.

  • Brands ready to outshine on Diwali

    Brands ready to outshine on Diwali

    Inflation be damned! Diwali is here and consumers are more than willing to loosen their purse strings. Exactly, why a majority of brands go all out to woo them.

    It is a critical period for most companies and hence, elaborate plans are made to reach out to consumers, says Llyod Mathias

    In any case, most companies are known to allocate nearly 25 to 35 per cent of their marketing budget to the festive season. Not surprisingly, it’s that time of the year when newspaper supplements get to look fatter and fancier, and television ads and hoardings get a colourful new lease of life.

     

    Says marketing veteran Lloyd Mathias: “It is a critical period for most companies – consumer durables, auto, paints etc. – and hence, elaborate plans are made to reach out to consumers, who are also not hesitant to shell out money.”

    Apart from aggressively marketing existing products, many brands even launch new products.
    Titan, for instance, has launched a new campaign featuring Katrina Kaif to promote its latest Raga collection – Raga Pearls. Says global marketing head Rajan Amba: “In addition to Raga, we also have outdoor campaigns for our premium brands – Nebula & Xylys.” In a first, Titan plans to offer a Tanishq gold pendant free with every purchase below Rs 70,000, and a Tanishq gold and diamond pendant free with every purchase about Rs 70,000. Titan also plans to launch 180 variants in keeping with the festive spirit.

     

    At Raga we strive to create memorable stories every year, explains Rajan Amba, The World Gold Council, undeterred by soaring gold prices, has launched its new collection named Azva. “This season is the main spending time for us and will go all out with it. GECs, movies, music, regional channels as well as OOH and print will be utilized in the 360 degree marketing plan to optimize sales,” says WGC jewellery director Vipin Sharma.

     

    There’s no undermining the importance of sweets during Diwali, and this year, Cadbury plans to leverage the entire Mondelez International Portfolio to create a cross-category gift pack containing Cadbury chocolates, Choclairs, Cadbury Bournvita and Oreo biscuits for customers. “As we get into the Diwali season, we will again look at getting consumers to celebrate the true spirit of the festival. The essence of the festival, of spending time together with your loved ones, seems to have been lost. Through, Cadbury Celebrations thus, we look forward to actually enabling people to come together and spend quality time this Diwali,” says Cadbury India chocolate – gifting & strategy AVP Amarpreet Anand. At Cadbury, gifting is all about re-establishing closeness with loved ones which seems to have been replaced in today’s age of technology, busy lives and consumerism; Anand points out.

     

    In sharp contrast, PepsiCo India plans to capitalize on the ‘sweets overkill’ to promote their salty snack brand Kurkure.

     

    Vipin Sharma says that the festive season is the main spending time and WGC will go all out with it

     

    “Over the years, through its campaigns that encourage consumers to spend more time with family, Kurkure has constantly re-invented itself to remain relevant to the Indian ethos and culture.

     

     

    Festivals hold special importance in our annual marketing calendar and offer an ideal platform to reach out to consumers. Kurkure, with its unique take on celebrations, seeks to cut down the excessive sweetness that accompanies celebrations. So every year around the festival season, we bring in new flavours and innovative gifting options that strengthen our much loved proposition of ‘Zyaada Meetha ho Gaya? Iss Diwali Muh Kurkure Karo’,” says PepsiCo India Indian snacks category director Nalin Sood. Indeed, Kurkure is launching a new range of ‘Raja Rani’ gift packs designed by Ray and Keshavan, a leading South Asian brand & design consulting firm.

    The festive period also sees a lot of consumer spending in the FMCG and automobile categories. Says Godrej Appliances sales & marketing executive VP Kamal Nandi: “At Godrej, our attempt is to delight our consumers with Best in Class innovative products. Continuing this tradition, we are launching a breakthrough technology in washing machines, which will be a revolution in this category and most of our marketing activity will be focusing on this product this festive season The pre-launch phase of this special campaign has already been launched on digital media and which in itself is a first of its kind initiative in the industry.”

    Godrej plans to focus on consumer engagement through facebook and YouTube apart from regular digital advertising, SEM, etc.

    Godrej plans to focus on consumer engagement through facebook and YouTube apart from regular digital advertising, SEM etc, elaborates Kamal Nandi

     

    Similarly, Fiat Group Automobiles India has come up with a new ad for its recently launched Linea Classic. The campaign showcases Fiat Linea Classic as an affordable car designed to make the sedan far more accessible to hatchback users, in turn making them ‘feel big’.

    In the electronics segment, Dell India has kicked off its ‘Celebrate Dell Se’ campaign a few weeks ago, part of which is the ‘Hint a Gift’ TV commercial for its Inspiron notebooks. Says Dell India marketing director Ritu Gupta: “Building an emotional connection between our customers and technology is integral to Dell’s branding strategy. In line with our on-going achievement “I can do kuch bhi” campaign, we decided this festive season to inspire the youth with the idea that they have the power to get what they want by hinting to their loved ones about their preferred gift for Diwali, which in this case is the Dell Inspiron range of touch laptops.”

    All said, brands may try to outdo and outshine one another but it is ultimately up to the customer to decide which one to give preference to…

  • Indulge your loved ones this Diwali with Gifts from Portico New York

    Indulge your loved ones this Diwali with Gifts from Portico New York

    MUMBAI: The festival of lights, Diwali is here again, bringing an array of dazzling fireworks, get-togethers and parties. In the grip of Diwali shopping fervor, the search for one-of-a-kind gifts has begun and Portico New York brings you a wide range of bed linen sets that are guaranteed to delight family, relatives and friends.

    Portico New York’s collections ranging from Bed sheets, Bed covers, Duvets, Duvet Covers, Towels, Towel Gift sets, Shower Curtains, Soyabean Duvets, Anti-Mite & Anti Bacterial Pillows, Bath Mats, Blankets and more are available in an assortment of prints and festive hues that suit the auspicious occasion.

    Inspired by the festivity of lights and colours, Portico New York’s latest collection- Shubha Mangalam is inspired by our cultural heritage, architecture & jewelry. Moreover, our designer collections from Neeta Lula, Manish Arora & Nishka Lulla are one of the current hot picks of the season. Nautical & Pixella collections are edgy, striking and tastefully designed specifically for the youth.

    Portico New York’s collections are available in exclusive and unique packaging ideal for the festive gifting. The products are priced Rs. Rs.1399/- onwards and are available at leading home furnishing & lifestyle stores & also online on www.porticoindia.com and www.bedbathmore.com.

  • Sahara Star Celebrates the Festival of Lights with Gusto!

    Sahara Star Celebrates the Festival of Lights with Gusto!

    MUMBAI: On the vibrant occasion of Diwali, commonly known as the day when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after he won the battle against Ravana. Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. This Diwali head to the Sahara Star, as this five star deluxe brings in the festival of lights with fervor, food and festivities for all.

    On 3rd Nov, 13 , Earth Plate, the International Food theatre at Sahara Star, offers “Special Diwali Dinner Buffet” comprising savory buffet dinner from 7 pm to Midnight, at Rs 1750 plus taxes.

    To make the occasion memorable the entrance of Earth Plate will be decorated with floral rangoli and diyas. Chef Kshitiz will dish up an extensive menu with Indian traditional delicacies for the occasion. Live counters will be overpowered with the aroma of regional cuisine. A delight to the gourmet as they get a chance to indulge into the traditional variety of seafood, vegetarian & meat preparations. Buffet will be a glee as they will reflect the colors of various regional Indian households using fresh regional vegetables & meat. Pamper your sweet tooth with a wide variety of delectable Indian & International desserts will be an attraction.

    Exotic mocktails & Soft drinks will be a part of the buffet. Martinis, Sparkling cocktails will be the main attraction while Vodka, Scotch, Gin, Rum & Whiskey will also be served.

    Furthermore, there is a special room package for this festive season till the 10th November 2013 starting at Rs.7500 plus taxes. This package includes buffet breakfast for two at Earthplate, two way transport to domestic airport, 20% discount on FnB in all restaurants and complimentary hi-speed wifi along with welcome drinks and special Diwali sweets on arrival.

    Celebrate this Diwali in grandeur and luxury, making it an occasion to cherish for a lifetime!!
    Special Diwali Dinner : 3rd Nov ’13: 7:00 pm to 12 midnight 
    Special Diwali Room Package: Till 10th November 2013

  • Have a sparkling Diwali with MOVIES NOW!

    Have a sparkling Diwali with MOVIES NOW!

    MUMBAI :  The festival of lights is incomplete with the firecrackers, rockets and sparklers and MOVIES NOW brings all that to the table this Diwali!Starting 24th and 25th October, MOVIES NOW will mesmerize its fans like never before! From the Fireworks to the stunningDiwali Divas, movie buffs get ready for an overdose of exciting movies that leave you asking for more!

    MOVIES NOW will showcase the most explosive blockbusters of all time in Fireworks, starting 24th October, every Thursday at 9pm! Catch your favouriteaction cult heroesin the most iconic blockbusters. From X-Men Wolverine or Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows 1, the channel will showcase it all. Making the occasion more lively and robust, MOVIES NOW brings Hollywood enthusiasts the most electrifying action films that sparked worldwide trends with their unbelievable visual effects! This October, don’t miss Fireworks onMOVIES NOWwith a special Diwali Dhamaka featuring Blade 2, The Last Air Bender and Torque.

    Don’t missDiwali Divas and their scintillating magic starting 25th October, every Friday at 9pm.Catch the sexy sirenHally Berry, the captivating Catherine Zeta Jones, fiery Salma Hayek, the dazzling beauty Jessica Alba and the glamorous Nicole Kidman set the stage ablaze in After the Sunset, Entrapment, Into the Blue, Swordfish, Catwoman and The Peacemaker.
    So get set to have a blast this Diwali on MOVIES NOW – Hollywood in HD!

  • Raanjhanaa director shake hands with Dhanush for his next film

    Raanjhanaa director shake hands with Dhanush for his next film

    Director Anand L Rai, whose Raanjhanaa generated good response at the box office, is coming up with another romantic film and is currently working on the script.

     

    The making of script is currently under process, and if sources are to be believed by Diwali, Rai will be in a position to talk about the project.

     

    Raanjhanaa was a story of a Hindu Banarasi boy falling in love with a Muslim girl and giving away his life for her.

     

    Rai who thinks that people have lost faith in love, strongly feels that one way of keeping the romance alive is through films. He feels sad (to) see this as love is an integral part of life

     

    ‘Kolaveri Di’-fame south star Dhanush, who made his Bollywood debut with Raanjhanaa, will be working together with Rai again for a film, tentatively from the same genre.

     

    To top it all, his one more project is the sequel to 2011 romcom Tanu Weds Manu. However, Rai did not elaborate on this piece.

  • Star GOLD Blockbuster Diwali Bonus gives you a chance to become a Lakhpati this Diwali!

    Star GOLD Blockbuster Diwali Bonus gives you a chance to become a Lakhpati this Diwali!

    Celebrate the grandness of Diwali with Star Gold this year with ‘Blockbuster Diwali Bonus’ contest. Starting 14th October to 8th November 2013 at 9pm, Star Gold will give you the opportunity to win Rs One Lakh every day with just one single SMS.

     

    With the ‘festival of lights’ round the corner, Star Gold has lined up a series of blockbuster movies for four weeks that guarantees to be a daily dose of wholesome entertainment for your family. From comedy to romance to thriller to action, Star Gold promises to be the one stop destination for a fun family entertainment week during Diwali.

     

    Viewers can send in their answers to a simple question asked during the movie to qualify to win a prize money of Rs One Lakh every day.

     

    Announcing the launch of the contest, Hemal Jhaveri, Executive Vice President, Star Gold said, “Following the success of our annual property Twenty20 contest, it gives us immense pleasure to introduce another property to engage with our audiences this year. This festive season we are committed to entertaining and rewarding our audiences with the Blockbuster Diwali Bonus, where viewers can win Rs One Lakh just with one sms. We hope to make the festive celebrations grander, happier and brighter for our audiences.”

     

    The contest is being promoted across the Star network besides other channel genres including Bollywood entertainment, news, kids and music. In addition, radio in key markets and viewer engagement activities on Social Media will drive reach for this initiative.

     

    With a line-up of movies like Housefull 2, Dabangg 2, Bol Bachchan, Ready and much more Star Gold will be the choice of many families this Diwali. So sit back, relax and earn your Diwali Blockbuster Bonus with Star GOLD this festive season.

     

    Tune in to Star Gold from 14th October to 8th November, every Monday to Friday at 9pm, to be a winner.

  • E lounge unwind with Kangana Ranaut

    E lounge unwind with Kangana Ranaut

    This week on CNN-IBN’s weekend entertainment show ‘E Lounge Unwind’, actor Kangana Ranaut talks about the relevance of awards in the film industry. In a candid conversation with Rajeev Masand, Kangana says bagging a movie with a superstar can do more for an actor’s career than winning a National Film Award. On the show, she also shares her experience of playing the role of a mutant in the much-awaited Diwali release ‘Krrish 3’, and opens up to why she would have loved to play the lead in Vikramaditya Motwane’s ‘Lootera’.

     

    Don’t forget to tune into this captivating episode of ‘E Lounge Unwind’ on Sat, Oct 19th @ 10:30 PM, only on CNN-IBN.

  • Orange Sunshines brings Little shoppers – Come, Eat, Play and Shop

    Orange Sunshines brings Little shoppers – Come, Eat, Play and Shop

    MUMBAI: With a passion for fashion and an eye for new trends, Orange Sunshine for the first time ever has come up with a two day fun filled event Little Shoppers for kids and families at Tulip star hotel, Juhu on 5th and 6th October, 2013 from 11:00 am to 7pm. We will be having DORA, inaugurating the event.

     

    The event will show case around 50 stalls inclusive of all types of clothing’s, apparels, stationary, kid’s accessories and so on. It will also include a Kids adventure zone & a drop off zone for entertaining them wherein parents can go for shopping.

     

    Paridhi Jain, Co Founder, Orange Sunshine commented,” I am very excited as Our sole motive behind this expo is to provide kids and families with an exciting, fun filled shopping experience, showcasing fresh and talented designers, products and services  dedicated to kids. It’s an event which will keep the kids and their parent’s active throughout the day

     

    Manjiri Agarwal, Co Founder, Orange Sunshine commented, “It’s an event where families can shop, play and eat together. With an extensive line up of activities and workshops for kids and parents, it’s an exciting weekend planned for families to do their Diwali Shopping. With a wide array of stalls to shop from Little shoppers will be an experience to remember”

     

    The two day event will have exciting food court. It’s a Free Entry for kids. SIDICI by Rajnita Gupta, Spellbound, Yellow Submarine by Nisha Parekh Hansel & Gretal & 3H services are some of the designers who will be participating in the event