Tag: Kartik Smetacek

  • Duster TVC reflects its resilience and real capability

    MUMBAI: Renault, one of the fastest growing automotive brands in the country, will release its new TVC for the recently launched Duster Petrol with CVT (Continuously Variable Timing) automatic gearbox. The first in the series goes live on Monday (8 May).

    Setting the benchmark for perfection, Renault Duster has firmly achieved the status of being a cult product in the Indian automobile industry. Duster plays a pivotal role in Renault India’s product portfolio and with the introduction of the new petrol range with CVT transmission, Renault has the widest offering in the segment, enabling to best cater to evolving customers’ needs.

    The new campaign seeks to build greater appeal, and expand the market base for a car that has been well accepted and loved by the country for over five years now. The film celebrates the spirit of the Duster driver, characterized by a certain inner strength, sincerity and sense of duty – qualities that resonate with greater India.

    Renault India head of marketing Virat Khullar said, “This is the first time Renault has introduced an emotive campaign on social awareness for the Duster. The TVC essentially retains the Duster’s iconic macho stance, but also adds a heart of gold to the narrative. The overarching objective was to realign the communication approach for the new Duster in a way that it resonates with both urban and semi urban audiences, thereby reaching out to a wider base of audience. The campaign subtly brings this emotion alive, through our protagonist, with his all-terrain capable and resilient new Renault Duster. The campaign essentially drives home the point to take the right step with the right intent that becomes a source of inspiration for others too.”

    Conceptualised by Law and Kenneth Saatchi and Saatchi, Renault in its latest TVC campaign aims to create an awareness campaign, encouraging people to be more socially conscious, highlighting the versatility of the true SUV- Duster.

    The TVC opens with an aerial shot of the new Duster wherein the protagonist, a smart young guy, driving the new Duster CVT through a narrow hilly area with a perfect picturesque background. As the road takes a turn, the young fellow finds that the road is blocked by a trailer of oranges which accidentally got overturned. Further aggravating the situation, some hooligans are seen taking stock of the strewn oranges while an insane biker is crushing the oranges lying over the road.

    Two elderly farmers vehemently try to prevent them but fail miserably in their attempts. The protagonist stops his Duster in the midst of the commotion and the hooligans escape from there. Braving all odds, the protagonist himself tries to move the trailer to clear the road-block while others get inspired too and join him.

    The film now portrays the dynamic SUV ability of the new Duster CVT as it literally helps in clearing the road-block, bringing smiles to the farmer’s face. The rendition of the TVC also aims to depict the protagonist as a Samaritan who stands up to break the archetypical barriers bothering all civilized citizens of the country. The film ends with the fruit trailer being towed by the powerful Duster CVT as it traverses through the scenic hilly landscape to drop the farmer at the market place.

    Executive creative director Kartik Smetacek said, “The task was to build emotional appeal for the new Duster. We mined stories that would strike a chord with greater India, while also allowing us to demonstrate the inherent strength and capability of the car.”

    The new TVC celebrates the humanitarian spirit of the protagonist, characterized by sincerity, solidarity and sense of moral duty – qualities that resonate with the new age India. The personality reflects the Duster’s inherent characteristics of strength, resilience and real SUV capability. The TVC is summed up with the voiceover, “Presenting the new Duster with the DNA of a true SUV for the new Indians who believes in doing things right” as the background score lifts up the spirit.

  • Kartik Smetacek joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi as ECD

    Kartik Smetacek joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi as ECD

    MUMBAI: While adding to its brand portfolio with a recent spate of business wins, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi have also been adding people to its growing teams across office. A recent addition has been the appointment of Kartik Smetacek as executive creative director.

     

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi national creative director Charles Victor said, “Acquiring talent has and will be our focus across offices. Great work can only come from wonderful creative people and I believe Kartik is definitely one of them. He has extensive, diverse experience and I love the fact that he’s hungry to take on bigger responsibilities and challenges.” Charles added that bringing people like Kartik into the system was one of the many steps taken to raise the creative bar, the results of which will soon be seen.

     

    Fully immersed in work already, Smetacek said, “While my time at ideas@work was rewarding on many fronts, I missed the scale and opportunity that a big agency provides. So when Praveen and Charles offered me Renault, I jumped at the chance to work on a marquee international brand and in a category as buzzing as automobiles.”

     

    On challenges that await, he said, “I think the agency is at a point of inflection with a clear mandate to become one of the key Saatchi & Saatchi offices in the region. I’m excited to be part of this journey.”

     

    Through the many years of experience behind him, Smetacek has worked on diverse brands like Airtel, Colgate Palmolive, Taj Hotels, Cadbury, DNA, Lakme, Tata Motors, Nerolac, Bigrock and Rustomjee, to name a few.

  • Draftfcb Ulka creates new campaign for Vista D90

    MUMBAI: Tata Motors has launched an ad campaign created by Draftfcb Ulka for its new offering, the new Vista D90.

    In keeping with this vision for the brand, the campaign captures youthfulness in a fresh way. The TVC shows two Vista D90s driving alongside each other with parasailers, attached to the rear of the car, being lifted in the air as the cars catch speed. The analogy brings to life the new Vista D90’s powerful 90 PS engine – befitting its claim of being ‘Designed to thrill’.

    The agency felt that with the addition of features like the Touchscreen Multimedia System with GPS and Automatic Climate Control, there was a need to communicate how the new Vista D90 enhances one’s overall experience and sets a new precedent for hatchbacks in its class.

    Draftfcb Ulka group creative director Kartik Smetacek said, “The commercial is essentially a demonstration: Of power, of thrill, of the adventurous, adrenaline-fueled lifestyle that defines the new Tata Motors.”

    The ad films has been produced by Chrome Pictures while Amit Sharma has directed it.

  • Draftfcb Ulka appoints Trishay Kotwal as creative director

    MUMBAI: IPG’s Draftfcb Ulka has appointed Trishay Kotwal as creative director.

    With over a decade of experience in the trade, Kotwal started off at Grey Worldwide as a trainee after completing his post-graduation in mass communication. Through the years he has worked with with Enterprise Nexus, Alok Nanda and Company, Rediffusion Y & R and McCann Erickson. He has been involved with flagship accounts such as Arrow, Taj Hotels, L’Oreal Paris, Marico and General Motors.

    Draftfcb Ulka group creative director Kartik Smetacek said, “Trishay is a very talented writer and a valuable addition to the team. He will be handling an important set of accounts, and we look forward to some great work from him.”

    Kotwal said, “I am excited to work on Draftfcb Ulka’s portfolio of clients. It’s a very interesting mix and both Kartik and Chax are people I’ve wanted to work with for a while now. I look forward to some great opportunities here.”