ITV

Tag: JWT

  • JWT & Group SJR launch content marketing unit – Colloquial

    JWT & Group SJR launch content marketing unit – Colloquial

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR, a unit of Hill+Knowlton Strategies have joined hands to launch a content marketing unit called Colloquial.

     

    The joint venture brings together the creative talent and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson with the publishing and audience development experience of Group SJR.

     

    Colloquial will build publishing environments for brands, specializing in content that builds loyalty and audience over time – short articles, infographics and visual stories for brands that are quickly conceived, made and shared. It is a content marketing unit that shows brands how to act like publishers and benefit from an always-on digital narrative, helping them build passionate and monetizable communities.

     

    Colloquial will embody the intersection of advertising, publishing and public relations, with storytelling and creativity at its core. The new unit will share locations and draw on talent from J. Walter Thompson in key global markets including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

     

    “The launch of Colloquial is another piece of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets to create solutions that build enduring and winning brands, while driving business growth for our clients. Content is the new currency. Colloquial will deliver both authentic narratives and the creative visual storytelling that brands are demanding and consumers want,” said J. Walter Thompson Company global chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez.

     

    Group SJR managing partner Alexander Jutkowitz will serve as Colloquial’s CEO.

    “Successful brands innovate. Not only is that what J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR are doing with the creation of Colloquial, but it’s what we’re going to do for our clients — ensuring they have the ability to continuously reach targeted, ‘always on’ audiences with an array of engaging, high quality content that moves them,” said Jutkowitz.

     

    In addition to Jutkowitz as CEO, Colloquial will be led by William (Billy) Sind as editorial lead; Jinal Shah as strategy lead; and Gillian Melrose as marketing lead.

     

    “With the creative and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson, the creation of our digital agency network Mirum and now the launch of Colloquial, the J. Walter Thompson Company offers the full spectrum of content marketing to clients. We’re fortunate to have such great talent from across the advertising, public relations and publishing spaces, and know they’ll make a formidable team,” said J. Walter Thompson Company head of digital worldwide Stefano Zunino.    

  • RIP Mike Khanna: Ad man bids adieu forever

    RIP Mike Khanna: Ad man bids adieu forever

    MUMBAI: Indian ad fraternity’s father figure Mahinder K. Khanna familiar as Mike Khanna, who captained the titanic transition of Hindustan Thomson Associates (HTA) into J Walter Thomson (JWT) breathed his last on 7 June, 2015 at the age 76. Khanna had been unwell for some time.

     

    The entire business fraternity will speak highly about the numbers that he managed to secured as a leader of HTA first in Delhi and then in Mumbai but his achievements are way beyond those numbers. 

     

    Defining Khanna’s persona, HTA former national creative director Ivan Arthur writes, “And those who do not know him will have visions of a man like some others with similar achievements, men who draw attention to their success with big flourishes of the corporate wand and the abracadabra of individual style. With Mike there were no flourishes; no conjurer’s patter, no abracadabra showmanship. He almost seemed like a novice with a pack of cards, slowly dealing them out, stopping to spit-wet his fingers when suddenly you would notice: he has dealt you an ace. And then another and another. You looked in awe. And there he was, unimpressed with his own magic, intent on just dealing you those aces.”

     

    Arthur further adds in his blog, “A creative director will tell you how, on the occasion of the global CEO’s visit, her presentation was delayed by an hour, and how Mike went up to her, put his hand on her shoulder and said, Relax. This is not the end of the world. I could have kissed him then, she said. But I went about getting the job done. An office manager narrates how on his wife’s birthday, he had invited Mike home for dinner, at which he demonstrated the five-finger-and-palm bhangra clap.”

     

    In 2005 Khanna decided to hang up his professional boots and was replaced by Colvyn Harris as JWT India’s CEO. In January 2015, following Harris’ appointment as executive director for global growth and client development Tarun Rai was handed over the post of CEO of J. Walter Thompson South Asia.

     

    Under Khanna’s leadership, HTA represented some of India’s biggest brands like Hero, Pepsi, several Unilever brands, and Air India.

     

    “The freedom to try and fail. A strong sense of self-worth, fairness, integrity, leadership, challenge, A sense of fun. Aces that they hold close to their chest. Aces that have led them to where they are today. Many are now happily retired and a good number are CEOs, chairmen of companies and leaders in their fields. They are all of them echoing one line, I am what I am today because of Mike,” concludes Arthur.

     

    We at Indiantelevision.com deeply mourn the passing away of this maverick ad man. RIP Mike Khanna (1939 – 2015).

     

  • JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has acquired a minority stake in Turkish digital agency Wanda Digital.

     

    Founded in 2006 and employing 80 people in Istanbul, Wanda’s clients include Turkcell, L’Oreal, Nestle and Unilever.

     

    Wanda offers a range of services including campaigns, social media, platform development and games and apps.

     

    The agency’s unaudited net sales for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately $ 3.4 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately $ 2.3 million.

     

    Following the transaction, Wanda and J. Walter Thompson’s local office, Manajans J Walter Thompson Turkey, will operate independently, but jointly invest in new technology and innovative projects.

     

    Since 2010, Manajans J. Walter Thompson Turkey has tripled its revenues and won over 40 awards including the “Global Smarties” in 2014.

     

    Turkey is one of the Next 11 growth economies where WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of over $1 billion and employ over 10,000 people. In Turkey itself, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of around $120 million and employ approximately 1,300 people.

  • Turtle unveils digital ad campaign to save endangered species

    Turtle unveils digital ad campaign to save endangered species

    MUMBAI: As a part of their initiative to save the endangered turtles species, men’s lifestyle brand Turtle Limited, has launched a campaign called #SaveLittleShelly.

     

    The film opens up with an interesting animated character of little Shelly in a four part digital campaign. An initiative during the World Turtle Month, the #SaveLittleShelly is an extended campaign to the company’s campaign last year.

     

    #SaveLittleShelly is launched as a hashtag on social media as the story of Shelly, a baby turtle with a cute shell, making her journey from the nest to the sea, braving all dangers that come in the way. A unique animated social initiative, it is a two minute YouTube film broken down into four stages. At the end of each stage, viewers are asked to help Shelly complete the next leg of her journey by likes. Every new stage of the film was released only after a certain number of likes at the end of the previous stage. Gradually four stages of the film made it to YouTube. Finally, on World Turtle Day, people were able to see the entire film.

     

    Speaking on this campaign, JWT creative art director Arjun Mukherjee said, “The entire idea was to raise awareness of the plight of the turtles, who are facing extinction, in an interesting and engaging manner. So we wanted to give people, hands on opportunity to save a turtle. The month long initiative saw the creation of a cute virtual turtle that can move a step forward towards survival only when one donates. While the actual donations went towards the conservation of turtles and their environment, thousands of people logged in everyday to watch the journey of Shelly the Turtle and helped spread the word.”

     

    Celebrated on 23 May, 2015, World Turtle Day is dedicated to the salvation of these marvellous creatures that have inhabited this planet for the last 200 million years. To build buzz around #SaveLittleShelly campaign, the social media was flooded with interesting posts, ads and every Turtle shop in the country was speckled with posters that talked about the drive and the cause. Store merchandise were designed around Shelly and distributed to customers, who spread the word and drove the initiative both on social media platform and the personal front.

     

    Commenting on this initiative, Turtle director Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala said, “Turtles have been around for 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of smuggling, the exotic food industry, habitat destruction, global warming and the cruel pet trade. Keeping in mind this sad state of turtle globally, we thought of launching a month long campaign instead of celebrating a single day to raise awareness to save turtles.”

     

    With a 360 degree engaging campaign from a small message to a big-hearted donation drive, this campaign shows a simple idea can spread through word of mouth and create maximum impact.

  • Leo Burnett India ups Samir Gangahar as North India president

    Leo Burnett India ups Samir Gangahar as North India president

    MUMBAI: Leo Burnett has elevated Samir Gangahar as president of North India. In his new role, Gangahar will be responsible to lead the agency’s operations in North India. 

    Apart from content, digital and experiential, Gangahar’s new focus will be to grow other specialisations including shopper, retail and e-commerce.

    Leo Burnett Group India CEO Saurabh Verma said, “Under Samir, Leo Burnett, Delhi has transformed into a fully integrated operation. He has been instrumental in creating a culture of collaboration within the agency where a group of specialists work together to solve a client problem. Samir has helped strengthen Leo Burnett Delhi’s digital operation and I’m delighted to state that it has now become a technology/digital hub for many of our key clients. The activation business has grown tremendously in the last one year and going forward Samir’s role will be to build on that momentum. He will help us build new specialisations as part of his mandate. These include shopper, retail and rural.”

    Gangahar adds, “In my new role I look forward to working closely with Saurabh in growing Leo Burnett India on the back of a renewed thrust for integration. In line with our Human Kind philosophy, we will intensify our focus on finding and solving our clients’ problems and partnering them in the journey of brand building and business growth.”

    He joined Leo Burnett as executive director in August 2007 after a 17-year stint with JWT, where he was vice president and director, client servicing.

  • DDB Mudra South & East appoints Tejali Shete, Ajay Menon as senior creative directors

    DDB Mudra South & East appoints Tejali Shete, Ajay Menon as senior creative directors

    MUMBAI: DDB Mudra South and East has appointed Tejali Shete and Ajay Menon as senior creative directors. The duo will be based out of the agency’s Bengaluru office. 

     

    With over a decade of experience in the creative communications industry, Shete joins DDB Mudra from Grey Worldwide and a short stint at Leo Burnett, Kuala Lumpur. Shete has worked with agencies including Contract, Lowe Lintas, Ogilvy & Mather, Creativeland Asia, and Percept/H.

     

    On the other hand, Menon joins DDB Mudra from JWT Chennai where he was senior creative director & AVP. With over 16 years of experience, Menon has worked at Orchard in Mumbai, JWT in Chennai and Saatchi in Bengaluru.

     

    Shete said, “Joining DDB Mudra South and East was an easy decision for me, considering their diverse brand portfolio that carries immense potential, the quality of talent and a young and energetic team. Besides, I am excited to work with Sonal Dabral, whose work I have been following since the days when I was cutting my teeth in advertising. He has fostered an excellent balance between creative excellence and focus on client success at DDB Mudra, which would help us as a team to achieve laurels on national as well as international platforms.”

     

    Menon added, “Back in Bengaluru after nine years, coming to DDB Mudra is in many ways, a homecoming. This agency offers some great things – strong leadership, an emphasis on creativity, an open culture, a terrific team and great brands. In other words, all the necessary elements to create great advertising. It’s an opportunity that no creative guy looking to making an impact will pass.”

     

    DDB Mudra South & East president Ranji Cherian said, “I am delighted to have Tejali Shete & Ajay Menon join our team at DDB Mudra South and East. They come in with solid experience and strong body of work to showcase. They are extremely talented and nice to work with and fit into our DDB culture that prioritizes creativity & humanity. I am confident that their contribution will take our agency to greater heights.”

  • Goafest 2015: Arnab Goswami, Prasoon Joshi, JWT steal the show

    Goafest 2015: Arnab Goswami, Prasoon Joshi, JWT steal the show

    GOA: It was raining beers, the sun scorched the land and the beach was calm. The scene was from one big ‘creative’ gathering in Goa. This creative lot has the power of changing the fate of a brand with a 30 second ad or one well crafted hoarding. Yes, we’re talking about the mighty Indian advertising frat, which had assembled for Goafest 2015 this past weekend.

     

    The fest started on 9 April, 2015 and before lighting of the lamp, beer bottles were opened! Regardless of the high spirits, all keynotes saw huge attendance as more than 70 per cent of the ballroom was always occupied over the weekend, which is immense success for the organizers.

     

    The seminars were followed by rain dances and a sailing competition in the afternoon, whereas the evening had everyone on tenterhooks as the Abby Awards were distributed. One after another, a creative piece found recognition as metals were distributed. The award ceremony was followed by an after-hours party.

     

    Highlights of the event:

     

    · Eminent speakers came and shared their thoughts and vision on the platform about various issues.

     

    · Arnab Goswami’s session, on the second day, saw a packed auditorium for the first time, while his speech on stage was as always flamboyant; the counter reaction from a less known individual was a surprise. Whenever Goswami ended a sentence with a question mark, the man unceremoniously shouted from the audience. The banter went to that extent that organizers stopped the session and asked the man to leave the room. However, as soon as the issue was resolved, Goswami continued with his keynote.

     

    · There were more number of females receiving awards as compared to the males. The women representation in Goafest indicated that Indian women were empowered with every skill, no matter the field.

     

    · Prasoon Joshi was felicitated by the organizing committee and that was one of the greatest moments of the entire festival. He shared bits and bytes of his advertising journey and concluded by singing the song he wrote on Nirbhaya.

     

    · The youngest CEO Suhash Gopinath shared his story how he became a CEO at such an early age and ignited the entrepreneurship fever in every youth present in the hall.

     

    · Rejuvenating live performances from Indiva, Rodney and others got everyone dancing, while East India Comedy forced everyone to laugh.

     

    · JWT with 35 metals lead the metals tally where as Linen Lintas won the solo Grand Prix.

     

    Low notes of the event:

     

    · While there were speakers of huge stature, the moderating quality was average as the moderator failed to get much out of the speakers.

     

    · The gold and silver winners were invited on stage to receive metals but the ad or the creative piece they were credited for was abruptly displayed. On a gathering where the entire advertising fraternity was cherishing each other’s work, the entire creative piece should have been displayed uninterruptedly.

     

    · The hosting was sub-standard. There were too many oops moments, where a lady was introduced as Mister and vice versa. During the award ceremony too, flaws were very much visible. For a fest of this magnitude, the standard cannot be compromised with.

  • Askme appoints JWT as creative agency; sets aside Rs 350 crore marketing budget

    Askme appoints JWT as creative agency; sets aside Rs 350 crore marketing budget

    MUMBAI: Askme has appointed J. Walter Thompson as its creative agency to help the brand strengthen its leadership in the Indian digital platform and e-commerce space.

     

    With ATL and Digital marketing spends of Rs 350 crore, initially for one year, this contract will entitle J. Walter Thompson for all the creative and digital duties of Askme including Askme Bazaar and Askme Freeads.

     

    Askme had called for a multi-agency pitch where several agencies participated over three months. J. Walter Thompson was entrusted with creative duties for the next marketing campaign basis the creative ideas presented to the team.

     

    Getit Infomedia group head, marketing and digital products Manav Sethi said, “We launched Askme brand last year and have witnessed significant consumer uptake and others in app and digital ecosystem following the suite in trying to launch similar integrated services across search, deals, classified and commerce. We remain focused on our growth story and have been continuously working towards developing an enriching platform for end users and SMEs. We are confident that creative team at J. Walter Thompson India will help position Askme brand as a destination of choice across our target consumers in this already cluttered market.”

     

    J. Walter Thompson, Delhi managing partner Sanjeev Bhargava added, “J. Walter Thompson has a tremendous track record of creating brand value through advertising that catches the imagination of the people. In the e-commerce space, we are excited to partner with a brand on its journey to success and leadership in the face of intense competition. We are happy to be selected for our demonstrated prowess in strategic thinking and creative abilities that bested some worthy competitors. And we hope to live up to and exceed the expectations of leadership at Getit Infomedia.”

  • JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has consolidated its digital agencies under a new global network brand called Mirum.

     

    Mirum will unite JWT’s 11 digital agencies spanning 17 countries and 40 offices. Former Digitaria CEO Dan Khabie will take the helm as Mirum Global and North America CEO. In this role, Khabie will have oversight of Mirum’s overall growth strategy, including P&L responsibility, managing key client relationships and aligning resources to service clients globally. He will report to J. Walter Thompson Company global CEO Gustavo Martinez, and be based between the West Coast and the East Coast.

     

    Mirum is a new company created with a pioneering spirit, built by bringing together successful regional companies that have a deep understanding of local market needs. Mirum’s principles are rooted in innovation, design, data, marketing and technology to drive business transformation in a world of constantly evolving behaviors and expectations.

     

    Mirum companies include Digitaria (U.S.), XM (Asia Pacific), CASA (Brazil), ActivearkJWT (Finland, Sweden, India and U.K.) and Twist Image (Canada). Lunchbox (U.S.), i-Cherry (Brazil), HeathWallace (U.K.), Quirk (South Africa and U.K.), Clarus (Mexico) and X-Prime (France) will also join Mirum.

     

    “The launch of Mirum is an integral part of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets and capabilities in order to drive business transformation,” said Martinez. “Mirum is poised to deliver both the technology and creative solutions that global brands demand.”

     

    “Dan’s natural entrepreneurial instincts and passion will foster Mirum’s startup mentality as he drives growth forward across our global network,” said J. Walter Thompson head of digital worldwide and Mirum chairman Stefano Zunino.

     

    Mirum’s capabilities are organized around strategy & consulting services, creative & content, user experience & platforms, analytics & insight and product development & mobile. Additionally, Mirum has deep vertical service offerings in Digital Retail, Behavioral Media and Financial Services.

     

    Current clients include CBRE, Cyrela, Daum Kakao, Finnair, HSBC, Magazine Luiza, Mazda, Microsoft, Nokia, Petco, Singapore Tourism Board, TD Bank, Walmart and XL, among others.

     

    “I am extremely honored to have been given this exciting yet humbling role in leading some of the most talented thinkers and makers in the world,” said Khabie. “Over the last year we have worked hard as a leadership team to integrate all of these agencies together under one common vision and operational structure while keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in each region. We have become a borderless agency with a collaborative, passionate culture, and it has already led us to win global clients that will be announced on a later date.”

     

    Daiga Atvara will be chief design officer; Matt Webb, chief technology officer; Dave Wallace, chief operations officer; Nick Read, chief financial officer; Sarah Kotlova, global head of agency services; and John Baker, chief marketing officer. Khabie plans on naming a chief creative officer, chief strategy officer and global head of data & analytics over the next six months.

     

    Khabie has also named his global leadership team, which includes Robin Bade and Markus Hakala, Europe; Rob Stokes, MEA; Guilherme Gomide, LATAM; Nanda Ivens, APAC; Mark Goodman, NA; Alex Kavinski, Behavioral Media; and Kevin Weisberg, Digital Retail Marketing.