ITV

Tag: Health & Wellness

  • Cannes Lions roars into action with creatives and a Czech first

    Cannes Lions roars into action with creatives and a Czech first

    MUMBAI: Day one of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 saw a sizzling lineup of winners across the Health & Wellness, Outdoor, Pharma, Print & Publishing, and Audio & Radio categories — and even a historic first Grand Prix for the Czech Republic.

    Lions CEO Simon Cook said, “It’s always an exciting moment when we see the results of our Juries’ hard work in establishing the global creative benchmark. We’re seeing work that not only pushes creative boundaries but also demonstrates the tangible impact creativity can have on business and society. Thank you to all our Jurors for their commitment, time and expertise in selecting the ideas that truly move the industry forward.”

    Ogilvy Shanghai took home the Grand Prix in Pharma Lions for ‘Make Love Last – Bedroom’, a poetic Viagra campaign for Viatris that turned intimacy into art. From 305 entries, 9 Lions were awarded in the category.

    Pharma Lions jury president and Area 23, an IPG Health company, executive VP, executive experience director, USA, Franklin Williams commented, “This piece stood out by saying everything without needing to say a word. Its long-exposure technique delivered intimacy and product benefit with breathtaking subtlety, turning regulation into creative opportunity. Beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant, it made a pharmaceutical brand feel deeply human. For me, it was a bold yet quiet masterclass in storytelling and an unforgettable example of how craft can carry meaning.”

    In Health & Wellness, it was science meets skincare as Ogilvy Singapore scooped the Grand Prix for Vaseline Verified, a savvy campaign that saw scientists test viral hacks and share the truth straight with creators. Out of 1169 entries, 33 Lions were awarded here.

    Commenting on the Grand Prix winner, Health & Wellness jury president and Havas Health Network Global chief creative officer Eric Weisberg said, “People run toward light and away from darkness. With health misinformation becoming a global emergency, we found a bright light in ‘Vaseline Verified’ – —our Grand Prix winner. This work proves how creativity, joy, science, and influencer culture can powerfully unite to fight false narratives, educate, and transform lives.”

    Ruffling feathers with humour, The Best Place In The World To Have Herpes for the NZ Herpes Foundation grabbed the Grand Prix for Good, thanks to its sharp, irreverent take on stigma, national pride and a one-of-a-kind “destigmatisation course”.

    Jury president United Nations Foundation Chief Communications & Marketing Officer David Ohana said, “This year’s Lions Health Grand Prix for Good unabashedly uses humor to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatization. Forget doom & gloom, there’s enough of that already to go around. Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big bold crazy idea (…can only imagine the pitch…), and humor for days, that anything is possible. Brilliant.”

    Meanwhile, Africa Creative DDB São Paulo turned the dial up with One Second Ads for Budweiser, nabbing the Audio & Radio Grand Prix for cleverly compressing iconic songs into blink-and-miss-it spots — then making fans guess them on social media.

    Audio & Radio Jury President and Joe Public Chief Creative Officer, Africa and Middle East, Xolisa Dyeshana said, “Budweiser’s ‘1 Second Ads’ campaign was exceptionally creative, insightful, and fresh. It resonated with the brand, the medium, and most importantly, the target audience. It was an audio-first idea that couldn’t have been pulled off without the power of sound. The execution was flawless, and it achieved the ultimate goal of all communication: keeping people coming back for more.”

    Print & Publishing saw Serviceplan Munich win the Grand Prix for Price Packs for PENNY — packaging that wore its price tag like a badge of honour, ditching design frills in favour of full-throttle affordability messaging.

    Print & Publishing jury president and DM9 Brazil president and chief creative officer Icaro Doria said: “Price Packs is print, is publishing, is packaging and is a point of view! A massive brand statement and commitment to their customers printed on paper for people to see, hold and take it home. We were all deeply impressed with the simplicity, the elegance, the courage and, well, the prices too!”

    In Outdoor, there were two Grands Prix: one went to VML Prague for Phone Break for KitKat, marking Czech Republic’s first-ever Grand Prix. The witty work swapped out people’s phones in public ads with KitKats, reviving the legendary “Have a break” line with a modern-day twist.

    About the work, Outdoor Lions jury president and Ogilvy Latam chief creative officer Keka Morelle said: “Masterclass in Outdoor. Without words or logos, it communicates a strong message through a beautifully crafted image. It captures the moment we’re living in, reinforces the brand’s concept, and immediately sparks reflection, holding up a mirror to our screen addiction.”

    The other Outdoor honour went to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games campaign, which turned the Seine into a spectacular floating stage, waving France’s tricolour values of liberty, equality and fraternity with high-production swagger.

    Commenting on the second Grand Prix this year, Morelle said, “It’s bold, unforgettable, and a clear reminder of the limitless power of Outdoor. This work redefines public space as a platform not just for visibility, but for meaning, where brand values meet cultural relevance. This is how Outdoor should be seen: expansive, emotional, and essential to authentic brand expression in today’s world.”

    Special awards handed out include:

    ●    Healthcare Network of the Year: FCB Health, Real Chemistry, Ogilvy Health

    ●    Healthcare Agency of the Year: AREA 23, an IPG Health company, New York
        Followed by 21Grams and Ogilvy Health

    So far, it’s less lions lying in the sun, more roaring brilliance from every corner of the globe.

  • Leander Paes’ Flying Man Ventures snares Apurva Sircar as CEO

    Leander Paes’ Flying Man Ventures snares Apurva Sircar as CEO

    MUMBAI: Very few sportsmen can cross the rubicon and move into running successful businesses. Tennis veteran and legend  Leander Paes is attempting the same with his outfit Flying Man Ventures (FMV). He has hired marketing veteran Apurva Sircar as the company’s CEO. The goal: grow its business in various verticals like sports, sports education, health & wellness, corporate collaborations and  entertainment.

    Sircar announced his joining at the beginning of this week. Despite his experience, he expressed his nervousness.

    Said Sircar on Linked in: “On Monday, I joined a legend in the world of sports to help him execute his vision of making the world a better place through sports and fitness. As I begin my days at at FMV, I feel excitement and nervousness in equal measure. The latter gets taken care of whenever Leander says (and says often), “I got you, champ!” It is my privilege to be Leander’s full-time professional partner off the court. He’s a global icon, having played professional tennis for nearly four decades. He is a man with amazing human values, Lee is an inspiration to so many across the globe.”

    Sircar has had a career of 20 years having headed marketing at Bandhan Bank, brand, insights, corporate communications and digital markting at Aegas Federal Life Insurance, channel marketing at Birla Sun Life Insurance, worked as a brand manager with Kotak Mahindra Bank, apart from stints with Heinz India and Blowplast.

    As he begins his journey at FMV, the gut feeling is that both he and Leander are going to hit it out of the park. Even if they are entering the sports business game a little late. That’s because the sports ecosystem is going to explode in the next decade as India works on building a sports culture. 

  • OTT platforms go beyond entertainment to score consumers

    OTT platforms go beyond entertainment to score consumers

    KOLKATA: Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have come a long way in the country now. Around 2015, these services were mere apps to catch up on favourite television shows and stream live sporting events. Cut to 2020 and the discussion has evolved to whether OTT is a threat to TV. After a transition from catch-up content to premium originals, homegrown OTT platforms are now heading in the direction of being a one-stop shop. 

    In the last few months, many OTT platforms have enhanced their content catalogue, delving into segments like education and gaming. At the beginning of the year, ZEE5 announced a partnership with Eduauraa. Later, more players like VOOT also took the ed-tech road especially during lockdown thanks to the online learning boom. 

    While streaming services were already bullish about ed-tech and gaming, the lockdown period pushed them into health and fitness content, accelerating the next transition of those players. Disney+ Hotstar forged partnerships with Brilliant Wellness, Cult.Fit and Sarva recently. Another player VOOT also partnered with Cult.Fit and Isha Foundation. 

    KPMG India media and entertainment partner and head Girish Menon says that most of the OTT players were already looking at this strategy but the post-Covid2019 change has accelerated it. 

    “Consumers have been engaging with OTT platforms in a significant manner rather than certain hours. The idea is to increase the number of hours on the app, reduce video churn and increase retention,”  Deloitte India partner Jehil Thakkar says.

    “For us, constantly enhancing and improving our catalogue is important so that our existing and new consumers constantly keep seeing something new and different on the platform,” Viacom18 AVoD business head Akash Banerji says.

    Banerji adds that merely enhancing the catalogue is of no value unless it is also relevant to customers and can drive higher engagement. Moreover, forging partnerships with premium partners is also an important aspect. “We wanted to give something more,” he sums up.

    "For any platform, offering good content is more important rather than focusing only on entertainment. The content can educate , inform, entertain consumers. While OTT space has been largely focusing on entertainment, we have to offer more to get consumers back on the platform. Everything a person can do online, we want him to do it on ZEE5," ZEE5 SVoD senior vice president and business head Rahul Maroli says.

    He also mentions that when they talk to B2B partners, the latter will partner with an entity where their customer will get entertainment, infotainment, education at the same place. Moreover, as consumer tastes evolve they start moving around new content and that leads to a stronger brand affinity.

    While both Banerji and Maroli said they want to “offer more”, they also want to get more consumers. 

    “They are definitely looking to build an offering which is more comprehensive than pure-play content. The idea is that if you have a consumer who is coming to your app for entertainment, are there other services you can provide to them which will ensure that he continues to spend time and builds on that,” KPMG’s Menon adds. According to him, these deals make sense as an extension of offering rather than starting a separate segment.

    While its an offering about consumption right now, commerce around core offering and other deals can also become the norm.  

  • Care World TV to quiz viewers on Health & Wellness – launches ‘Health Quiz’

    Care World TV to quiz viewers on Health & Wellness – launches ‘Health Quiz’

    Mumbai: Care World TV in an attempt to make well-being an interactive subject, has launched Health Quiz. A daily quiz session, Health Quiz will constitute simple but puzzling questions on wellness related subjects. The nine year old TV channel endeavours to evoke the minds and interests of viewers on diverse, critical health topics. Viewers are invited to respond via SMS and the result is announced on the same day. The winners also stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

    “Health and wellness are subjects of importance to everyone yet it always remains a passive subject in the order of priorities. Most of the health issues when educated with a preventive course of action are met with a laid back attitude, unless it is an emergency. Our endeavour is to keep our viewers abreast of all such preventive measures and be equipped with knowledge on leading a fit and healthy life. Our interactive Health Quiz has been developed with the intention of making this possible and it has changed the scenario, grabbed attention and has compelled viewers to actively participate,” says Mr. Ajit Gupta, Managing Director, Care World TV.

    Care World TV has brought an unprecedented interest in the health and wellness industry which is evident by the popularity of the channel, in this segment. While many others have attempted and are still debuting with some health dedicated time slots in their existing channels, Care World has captured the entire gamut of this sector. It is making progressive strides in this field, both to better the viewer experience and make the subject as interesting as it can get.

    “Health Quiz was piloted for identifying viewers who have benefitted with any or all of our shows. We kept receiving a steady trickle of entries to the quizzes we posted and over time we realised that this interaction would become another means for us to engage with the audience. Winners appreciated that we recognised them and we were pleased to know that it mattered to our viewers. This has encouraged us to extend Health Quiz across all our other digital platforms as well. Our health and wellness app – Body Care, is emerging as the next favourite platform for participants to participate in the quizzes,” adds Mr. Gupta. “For the first time in the history of Indian television, Care World TV is making an attempt to idealize health by making it a topic of active and interesting communication through Health Quiz. We are positive it will make a change,” he concludes.

  • Care World TV to quiz viewers on Health & Wellness – launches ‘Health Quiz’

    Care World TV to quiz viewers on Health & Wellness – launches ‘Health Quiz’

    Mumbai: Care World TV in an attempt to make well-being an interactive subject, has launched Health Quiz. A daily quiz session, Health Quiz will constitute simple but puzzling questions on wellness related subjects. The nine year old TV channel endeavours to evoke the minds and interests of viewers on diverse, critical health topics. Viewers are invited to respond via SMS and the result is announced on the same day. The winners also stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

    “Health and wellness are subjects of importance to everyone yet it always remains a passive subject in the order of priorities. Most of the health issues when educated with a preventive course of action are met with a laid back attitude, unless it is an emergency. Our endeavour is to keep our viewers abreast of all such preventive measures and be equipped with knowledge on leading a fit and healthy life. Our interactive Health Quiz has been developed with the intention of making this possible and it has changed the scenario, grabbed attention and has compelled viewers to actively participate,” says Mr. Ajit Gupta, Managing Director, Care World TV.

    Care World TV has brought an unprecedented interest in the health and wellness industry which is evident by the popularity of the channel, in this segment. While many others have attempted and are still debuting with some health dedicated time slots in their existing channels, Care World has captured the entire gamut of this sector. It is making progressive strides in this field, both to better the viewer experience and make the subject as interesting as it can get.

    “Health Quiz was piloted for identifying viewers who have benefitted with any or all of our shows. We kept receiving a steady trickle of entries to the quizzes we posted and over time we realised that this interaction would become another means for us to engage with the audience. Winners appreciated that we recognised them and we were pleased to know that it mattered to our viewers. This has encouraged us to extend Health Quiz across all our other digital platforms as well. Our health and wellness app – Body Care, is emerging as the next favourite platform for participants to participate in the quizzes,” adds Mr. Gupta. “For the first time in the history of Indian television, Care World TV is making an attempt to idealize health by making it a topic of active and interesting communication through Health Quiz. We are positive it will make a change,” he concludes.