Tag: Leo Burnett

  • Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    Rajeev Sharma moves on from Leo Burnett

    MUMBAI: After spending more than 23 years at the agency, Leo Burnett national planning director Rajeev Sharma has decided to move on to explore newer avenues.

    Sharma joined Leo Burnett in 1994 as vice president based out of the agency’s Delhi office and after three years he moved to Mumbai to lead planning as national planning director.

    Rajeev spearheaded strategy for many brands and partnered them in their success for years together. Some of the brands he has worked on include McDonald’s, Godrej Consumer Products, Bajaj Auto, Heinz, Complan, Glucon D, Thums Up, Maaza, Minute Maid, Limca, Reebok, Ariel, Ezee, Cinthol, Bajaj Electricals, HDFC Life, HDFC Bank, Anchor, Sony Entertainment Television, Tata Capital, Dabur, Pillsbury, Iodex, etc.

    Rajeev has played a significant role in building Leo Burnett’s reputation as India’s most trusted integrated communications company that has a sharp focus on strategy. He is also instrumental in bringing Leo Burnett’s best global practices to India.

    Commenting on this development Sharma said, “After 23 years, it is time for me to bid a fond farewell to a fabulous organisation, amazing colleagues and equally amazing clients. I am proud of what the agency stands for, for what it has achieved and what it is in the process of becoming. The momentum we have gained recently will give us the scale and the capability to play a big role in the transformation the industry is going through. As I prepare for the next chapter of my life, I shall watch with great satisfaction the success Leo Burnett is sure to notch up in the future.”

    Leo Bunett CEO for South Asia Saurabh Varma added, “Rajeev set up Leo Burnett’s planning function from scratch and since then has led a robust team that has grown many brands in complex market scenarios, in the process winning many awards. Under his leadership, we produced some of the most iconic and culturally rooted campaigns by approaching consumers through a human lens. I thank Rajeev wholeheartedly and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”

  • FCB Ulka appoints Saad Khan as VP for  Strategic Planning

    FCB Ulka appoints Saad Khan as VP for Strategic Planning

    MUMBAI  – FCB Ulka Advertising today announced the appointment of Saad Khan as  strategy planning vice president. Khan has spent over 17 years building brands and has worked with some of the biggest advertising houses in India including Leo Burnett, Lowe Lintas, Dentsu Marcomm and Euro RSCG. In 2011, he founded ‘Marketing Unplugged’ along with Suman Srivastava.

    Commenting on Khan’s appointment FCB Ulka Group strategy planning vice chairman Suman Srivastava said, “Khan is one of the most creative planners that I have ever worked with. Many creative people have told me that they love working with Khan because he makes their job easy. To me that is the highest compliment that a planner can get. I have worked with Khan almost continuously for the last 10 years and it is great to have him as part of the strategic planning team at FCB Ulka.”

    Speaking on his new role, Khan Khan added, “Excited to be back in the business of advertising after consulting. It is like coming back to the alma mater.  There is a lot of energy and fervour at FCB Ulka which is infectious, and this agency culture driven by Rohit Ohri and Suman Srivastava will propel me to do work which is distinctive and brave and will help client businesses stand out and grow.”

  • FCB Ulka appoints Saad Khan as VP for  Strategic Planning

    FCB Ulka appoints Saad Khan as VP for Strategic Planning

    MUMBAI  – FCB Ulka Advertising today announced the appointment of Saad Khan as  strategy planning vice president. Khan has spent over 17 years building brands and has worked with some of the biggest advertising houses in India including Leo Burnett, Lowe Lintas, Dentsu Marcomm and Euro RSCG. In 2011, he founded ‘Marketing Unplugged’ along with Suman Srivastava.

    Commenting on Khan’s appointment FCB Ulka Group strategy planning vice chairman Suman Srivastava said, “Khan is one of the most creative planners that I have ever worked with. Many creative people have told me that they love working with Khan because he makes their job easy. To me that is the highest compliment that a planner can get. I have worked with Khan almost continuously for the last 10 years and it is great to have him as part of the strategic planning team at FCB Ulka.”

    Speaking on his new role, Khan Khan added, “Excited to be back in the business of advertising after consulting. It is like coming back to the alma mater.  There is a lot of energy and fervour at FCB Ulka which is infectious, and this agency culture driven by Rohit Ohri and Suman Srivastava will propel me to do work which is distinctive and brave and will help client businesses stand out and grow.”

  • The ad trinity attends Goafest 2016

    The ad trinity attends Goafest 2016

    MUMBAI: A couple of a months ago, ad guru Prasoon Joshi pleasantly surprised the advertising fraternity by announcing McCann Worldgroup India’s presence at the 11th edition of Goafest, after three consecutive years of no show from the agency at the Creative Abbys. The agency sent symbolic token entries to honour the festival in all the categories and their delegates participated and attended the fest in large numbers.

    Naturally anticipation was high to see if the other heavy metals in the industry like Ogilvy and Mather, Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett, who had long refrained from attending the Creative Abbys, would also follow suit and rejoin the biggest celebration of Indian advertising under Ad club president Raj Nayak’s leadership.

    Though the other two agencies didn’t participate at the Creative Abbys this year either, Goafest 2016 lived up to the anticipation to a certain extent as the top honchos of Ogilvy and Mather and Lowe Lintas graced the conference individually.

    The second day of Goafest 2016 leadership summit saw an auditorium full of creatives and media honchos at the edge of their seats listening to Mullen Lowe Lintas chairman R Balki having a tete a tete with film maker Karan Johar on the stage.

    When the curious audience couldn’t help but ask him — “What will it take to get Lowe Lintas back to Goafest? — Balki’s quick response was “Better ask Arun Iyer this question” before he gave a knowing smile.

    “It’s not about returning to Goafest. Just like Karan is happy just making Hindi cinema, as an advertising agency, we are happy making campaigns that touch people.  We are currently positioned in a way that we can say we are not ‘judged’ to be creative. I don’t think we will be back only because it works for us. We are positioned in a way that we can call ourselves good without recognition, we are doing good work given the credentials that come from clients. So when something like this is handed to us by default, it will be foolish to sort of give it away.”

    It didn’t stop at that. The trinity was finally complete later that day when the advertising fraternity came together to felicitate O&M India creative director and executive chairman Piyush Pandey on receiving the Padma Shri award.

    “We haven’t changed our stand. But, this invitation that has been extended to me pertains to my felicitation  by the organisers for getting the Padma Shri this year. I have accepted it and feel honoured to be part of an industry show such as Goafest,” Pandey informed when asked about his presence at Goafest 2016.

    The industry witnessed something similar when Prasoon Joshi was felicitated last year at the Goafest 2015. Given the indications, the industry is hopeful that the next edition of the advertising festival will see a full participation from all the industry heavy weights.

     

  • The ad trinity attends Goafest 2016

    The ad trinity attends Goafest 2016

    MUMBAI: A couple of a months ago, ad guru Prasoon Joshi pleasantly surprised the advertising fraternity by announcing McCann Worldgroup India’s presence at the 11th edition of Goafest, after three consecutive years of no show from the agency at the Creative Abbys. The agency sent symbolic token entries to honour the festival in all the categories and their delegates participated and attended the fest in large numbers.

    Naturally anticipation was high to see if the other heavy metals in the industry like Ogilvy and Mather, Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett, who had long refrained from attending the Creative Abbys, would also follow suit and rejoin the biggest celebration of Indian advertising under Ad club president Raj Nayak’s leadership.

    Though the other two agencies didn’t participate at the Creative Abbys this year either, Goafest 2016 lived up to the anticipation to a certain extent as the top honchos of Ogilvy and Mather and Lowe Lintas graced the conference individually.

    The second day of Goafest 2016 leadership summit saw an auditorium full of creatives and media honchos at the edge of their seats listening to Mullen Lowe Lintas chairman R Balki having a tete a tete with film maker Karan Johar on the stage.

    When the curious audience couldn’t help but ask him — “What will it take to get Lowe Lintas back to Goafest? — Balki’s quick response was “Better ask Arun Iyer this question” before he gave a knowing smile.

    “It’s not about returning to Goafest. Just like Karan is happy just making Hindi cinema, as an advertising agency, we are happy making campaigns that touch people.  We are currently positioned in a way that we can say we are not ‘judged’ to be creative. I don’t think we will be back only because it works for us. We are positioned in a way that we can call ourselves good without recognition, we are doing good work given the credentials that come from clients. So when something like this is handed to us by default, it will be foolish to sort of give it away.”

    It didn’t stop at that. The trinity was finally complete later that day when the advertising fraternity came together to felicitate O&M India creative director and executive chairman Piyush Pandey on receiving the Padma Shri award.

    “We haven’t changed our stand. But, this invitation that has been extended to me pertains to my felicitation  by the organisers for getting the Padma Shri this year. I have accepted it and feel honoured to be part of an industry show such as Goafest,” Pandey informed when asked about his presence at Goafest 2016.

    The industry witnessed something similar when Prasoon Joshi was felicitated last year at the Goafest 2015. Given the indications, the industry is hopeful that the next edition of the advertising festival will see a full participation from all the industry heavy weights.

     

  • Leo Burnett crafts new philosophy for HP Lubricants

    Leo Burnett crafts new philosophy for HP Lubricants

    MUMBAI  Zindagi Chale Smooth, a modern narrative designed by Leo Burnett India for HP Lubricants, highlights the brand’s sheer strength and the role it plays through its superior technology in smoothening people’s lives.

    The company is able to achieve this through presence across various segments like automotive, defence, farming, mining, shipping industries, railways and more.

    Created by Leo Burnett, the new positioning Zindagi Chale Smooth marks a shift in the brand’s marketing focus from being perceived as an engine oil company to a humane brand; one that builds innovative products and technologies for today’s consumer.

    Zindagi Chale Smooth is a human expression of the brand’s core offering. An animation film is being used to launch the thought ‘A to Z, Aapke Kaam Aate Hum’, which breaks category codes and highlights the company’s diversified and large scale operations through which it touches the lives of millions, making HP Lubricants a super brand.

    Leo Burnett South Asia CEO Saurabh Varma said, “HP Lubricants had not undergone a brand refresh for a very long time. Given the current market scenario, we wanted our joint efforts to build a modern narrative that gives the end consumer an accurate idea about HP Lubricants. A company that has strong presence across sectors and not just engine oil.

    A to Z Aapke Kaam Aatey Hai helps build higher emotional affinity and rightly captures what the brand stands for, which is to power India. And this is not just a communication change, but a part of a larger exercise being undertaken by us to align this purpose right down to packaging design.”

    Leo Burnett CCO RajDeepak Das  added, “Most people do not know the incredible products HP Lubricants has and the role the brand plays in our everyday life. We wanted to do that in a simple and human way.”

    Zindagi Chale Smooth is an integrated effort spanning across digital, print, retail, cinema, outdoor and TV. While the TVC has been launched, print, retail, cinema and digital campaigns are expected to go live post 8th March 2016.

  • Leo Burnett crafts new philosophy for HP Lubricants

    Leo Burnett crafts new philosophy for HP Lubricants

    MUMBAI  Zindagi Chale Smooth, a modern narrative designed by Leo Burnett India for HP Lubricants, highlights the brand’s sheer strength and the role it plays through its superior technology in smoothening people’s lives.

    The company is able to achieve this through presence across various segments like automotive, defence, farming, mining, shipping industries, railways and more.

    Created by Leo Burnett, the new positioning Zindagi Chale Smooth marks a shift in the brand’s marketing focus from being perceived as an engine oil company to a humane brand; one that builds innovative products and technologies for today’s consumer.

    Zindagi Chale Smooth is a human expression of the brand’s core offering. An animation film is being used to launch the thought ‘A to Z, Aapke Kaam Aate Hum’, which breaks category codes and highlights the company’s diversified and large scale operations through which it touches the lives of millions, making HP Lubricants a super brand.

    Leo Burnett South Asia CEO Saurabh Varma said, “HP Lubricants had not undergone a brand refresh for a very long time. Given the current market scenario, we wanted our joint efforts to build a modern narrative that gives the end consumer an accurate idea about HP Lubricants. A company that has strong presence across sectors and not just engine oil.

    A to Z Aapke Kaam Aatey Hai helps build higher emotional affinity and rightly captures what the brand stands for, which is to power India. And this is not just a communication change, but a part of a larger exercise being undertaken by us to align this purpose right down to packaging design.”

    Leo Burnett CCO RajDeepak Das  added, “Most people do not know the incredible products HP Lubricants has and the role the brand plays in our everyday life. We wanted to do that in a simple and human way.”

    Zindagi Chale Smooth is an integrated effort spanning across digital, print, retail, cinema, outdoor and TV. While the TVC has been launched, print, retail, cinema and digital campaigns are expected to go live post 8th March 2016.

  • Leo Burnett launches new digital platform for HDFC Life

    Leo Burnett launches new digital platform for HDFC Life

    MUMBAI: With the advent of the digital age, the sky is the limit for innovation and creativity. In a bid to create acts and solutions that trigger a larger and much sought-after change for brands, Leo Burnett has developed a new digital platform for HDFC Life customers, enabling them to leave behind more than just financial legacy for loved ones.

    The digital platform called #MemoriesForLife allows the man of the house to record little anecdotes, words of wisdom and life lessons, so that he continues to
    guide his loved ones in his absence.

    This digital platform will be launched via an integrated campaign designed for both offline and online media.

    The idea comes from the customer understanding that, often, a lot is left unsaid in the strife for securing the future of loved ones.

    The way it works: Record your message on the #MemoriesForLife platform, set the date and time you want your loved one to receive it and HDFC Life is committed to ensure its delivery.

    This is a strategic move to shift insurance from a transactional space to an emotional space, and to remind the man of the house that he means a lot more to his family than just money.

    HDFC Life senior EVP, head marketing, products, digital & e-commerce Sanjay Tripathy said, “We at HDFC Life believe that today’s hard-to replace individuals are far more important to their families than just their financial legacy. With #MemoriesForLife, we have made a strategic move to shift life insurance from a transactional space to a more emotional one in the form of a time capsule. Also, this bolsters our position as a leader in the digital space improving the online end-to-end customer experience. Most of all, #Memories ForLife’ is a new opportunity for us to reinforce our brand promise of ‘Sar Utha Ke Jiyo’ in our customers’ lives where they can record life’s little and big lessons to help their loved ones lead a life of pride forever.”

    The brand film narrates the story of a young successful executive who forgoes a business trip to Singapore to spend his special day, his birthday with his mother. It is later revealed that it was after watching a poignant video of his father’s words of wisdom, recorded when he was 17 years old (10 years back), that propelled him towards this different path. The narrative emphasizes the power of the individual to guide his family through life’s many challenges, even in his absence.

    Leo Burnett chief creative officer RajDeepak Das adds, “For HDFC Life, this year we are helping them launch a new product in form of a strong engagement platform. Memories for Life is a great example of how we are pushing the bar in bringing innovation, co-creation and creative thinking together to build HumanKind brands. Our idea was to bring HDFC Life’s Sar Utha Ke Jiyo philosophy into practice. In our busy lives we often lose out on special moments with our loved ones. This film subtly reminds us about that, without losing the Sar Utha Ke Jiyo lens of the brand.”

    Watch the film here:

  • Leo Burnett launches new digital platform for HDFC Life

    Leo Burnett launches new digital platform for HDFC Life

    MUMBAI: With the advent of the digital age, the sky is the limit for innovation and creativity. In a bid to create acts and solutions that trigger a larger and much sought-after change for brands, Leo Burnett has developed a new digital platform for HDFC Life customers, enabling them to leave behind more than just financial legacy for loved ones.

    The digital platform called #MemoriesForLife allows the man of the house to record little anecdotes, words of wisdom and life lessons, so that he continues to
    guide his loved ones in his absence.

    This digital platform will be launched via an integrated campaign designed for both offline and online media.

    The idea comes from the customer understanding that, often, a lot is left unsaid in the strife for securing the future of loved ones.

    The way it works: Record your message on the #MemoriesForLife platform, set the date and time you want your loved one to receive it and HDFC Life is committed to ensure its delivery.

    This is a strategic move to shift insurance from a transactional space to an emotional space, and to remind the man of the house that he means a lot more to his family than just money.

    HDFC Life senior EVP, head marketing, products, digital & e-commerce Sanjay Tripathy said, “We at HDFC Life believe that today’s hard-to replace individuals are far more important to their families than just their financial legacy. With #MemoriesForLife, we have made a strategic move to shift life insurance from a transactional space to a more emotional one in the form of a time capsule. Also, this bolsters our position as a leader in the digital space improving the online end-to-end customer experience. Most of all, #Memories ForLife’ is a new opportunity for us to reinforce our brand promise of ‘Sar Utha Ke Jiyo’ in our customers’ lives where they can record life’s little and big lessons to help their loved ones lead a life of pride forever.”

    The brand film narrates the story of a young successful executive who forgoes a business trip to Singapore to spend his special day, his birthday with his mother. It is later revealed that it was after watching a poignant video of his father’s words of wisdom, recorded when he was 17 years old (10 years back), that propelled him towards this different path. The narrative emphasizes the power of the individual to guide his family through life’s many challenges, even in his absence.

    Leo Burnett chief creative officer RajDeepak Das adds, “For HDFC Life, this year we are helping them launch a new product in form of a strong engagement platform. Memories for Life is a great example of how we are pushing the bar in bringing innovation, co-creation and creative thinking together to build HumanKind brands. Our idea was to bring HDFC Life’s Sar Utha Ke Jiyo philosophy into practice. In our busy lives we often lose out on special moments with our loved ones. This film subtly reminds us about that, without losing the Sar Utha Ke Jiyo lens of the brand.”

    Watch the film here:

  • Leo Burnett partners with Bajaj Auto to create ‘V’

    Leo Burnett partners with Bajaj Auto to create ‘V’

    MUMBAI: It was a leap of faith of sorts when Bajaj Auto took to Leo Burnett’s idea of carving a bike out INS Vikrant’s metal scraps, and from a mere prototype gave shape to Bajaj V, whose launch has  set social media ablaze .

    Amidst tweets, photos, Facebook status updates and insta-shares,  the latest commuter segment bike offering from Bajaj Auto  titled ‘V’ launched with much pomp and show in Delhi today.

    The bike was already making headlines since a video with a preview of it went viral online almost a week ago. Conceptualised by Leo Burnett India, the video shows documented footage of the aircraft carrier in all its glory and its subsequent dismantling in 2012 which is sure to set pangs across several patriots in the country who grew up with the name Vikrant.

    And the subsequent shot of the new bike born from the ashes of the war ship’s scrap sends across a sense of awe.

    While it is of common knowledge that Leo Burnett India are behind the creative campaign for the new bike, very few are aware that the original idea for the bike actually came from the agency as well.

    The idea for  Bajaj V, came from a prototype that Leo Burnett had conceptualised for their long term client.

    “We had to come up with a way to deliver on the idea if ‘Hamara Bajaj’. We didn’t want to go with the old song and dance formula and deliver something more participative. It was around the time Vikrant was going through its decommissioning and was being scrapped. Seeing the unanimous dismay over the scrapping, the team felt what if there was an iconic bike that carried the symbol of vikrant and every Indian could own it ? What better way to communicate hamara Bajaj?” asks Leo Burnett CEO Saurabh Verma.

    “Even in its nascent stage we only had a limited edition launch in mind and built the entire prototype on the back of that. It elaborated on how people will connect to it and engagement and campaign ideas for it.” Verma adds. Little did he know that automobile brand will take the idea to the next level. Bajaj Auto bought away the Vikrant metal; enough to process it to be a part of gas tanks of a lac of V motorcycles.

    This is not the first time the agency had lend their creative mettle in experimenting  with new ways to engage with brands they cater to. Their consumer engagement activity they built around OLX Mad ads was well loved and appreciated by the industry. What does it say about the  changing role of agencies and their significance to the clients?

    “Bajaj V is not just a campaign mandate for us, it’s much much more. Bajaj team and Leo Burnett team are partners increating this iconic bike, therefore there is more accountability involved. With this unique partners we handle campaigns for Bajaj, we handle activation and shopper marketing for them as well. Not to mention their internal communication and Pr as well,. From conceptualising an  from its very production to rolling it across every medium –  there is definitely a lot more involvement and ownership that leads to accountability for the brand,” responds Verma, adding that they have several other projects in the pipeline where they have experimented with brands on different levels.

    Expanding on the concept of building a bike’s gas tank from the scraps of a warship, the brains behind the idea Leo Burnett CCO Raj Deepak Das adds, “ Growing up, the biggest warship that comes to our mind is INS Vikrant. Therefore when they decided to scrap it, it didn’t sit well with many, me included. So when someone from the team suggested if we could use those scraps, we decided what better way than a bike through which we can own a bit of history?”

    It’s been over a decade since India’s popular locomotor brand Bajaj has churned out a motorbike. Their last, Bajaj Pulsar was a huge hit, and now is almost a household name.

    “The Bajaj V shall usher a new era in commuter motorcycling. We believe the Indian customer buying a commuter motorcycle deserves something that is substantial, solid, and which moves with a sense of purpose,”said Bajaj Auto president–motorcycle Business,Eric Vas

    Expected to be priced between Rs 60000  to Rs 70,000, the bike will hit the roads by this March.

    “We will start with a capacity of 20,000 units month and should demand exceed that, there is no problem in enhancing the capacity further,” adds a confident Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj while signing off.