Tag: Ogilvy

  • Campaigning with a purpose

    Campaigning with a purpose

    MUMBAI: The countdown to the ‘who will claim the kursi’ has started and finally after spending enough and more moolah on advertising and campaigning, the world’s largest democracy will vote for its 16th Lok Sabha.

    Indiantelevision.com brings to you a roundup of all the television commercials launched by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to woo the voters – young or old, man or woman – and what was the message the parties wanted to convey through these.

    Campaigns by Congress

    India’s transformation

    Storyboard: The ad focuses on one man who is taken aback with no ATMs, no flyovers or no mobile phones. Only to be woken up to the reality which is quite different. He is relieved to see that the amenities, which have become an integral part of our lives today, are back. He laughs off the dream and is happy about how our lives have changed in the past 10 years, thanks to all the development.

    Purpose of the ad: The adverts show the progress the country has made in the last 10 years i.e. under the UPA regime. Be it telecom, infrastructure or other facilities, everything has become a part of our lives.

    Click here to watch the video

    The video highlights the inclusive growth, economic development and social equity achieved through the various welfare schemes of the Central Government. It underscores the impact of policy decisions at the ground level for participatory governance within the right framework.

    Bharat Nirman

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: A police jeep enters a busy street where street vendors are galore. The police hawaldar screams on top of his voice from the jeep telling the vendors to shut their shops as it is not allowed. However, one vendor (selling golguppas) refuses to bow down to the halwaldar’s dhamkis of shifting his cart to some other place. He proudly tells the policeman that he has a government approved licence to work and that it is his right.

    Purpose of the ad: Through this campaign, Congress wants to highlight the scheme which helps street vendors. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014 which was passed by the Lok Sabha on 6 September 2013, provides for protection of livelihood rights and social security of street vendors.

    Kattar Soch Nahi, Yuva Josh

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: The TVC revolves around a youngster (Hasiba Amin, a youth congress representative) who says that since India is a young country where 50 per cent of the population is under 30 years, only a party which can understand their beliefs, expectations, mindset, problems and dreams needs to come to power. And the party which does so is none other than Congress. So, under the leadership of young Rahul Gandhi, the youngsters can grow. The mantra is ‘not extremist thinking, but youthful energy’.

    Purpose: To bring forward Rahul Gandhi’s ideology of approaching the youngsters to come together and work for the betterment of the country. RaGa’s vision suggests that we are young minds and should not believe in fanaticism but youthfulness.

    Har Haath Shakti, Har Haath Tarakki

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: Again in this TVC, a youngster (Shabbir Ahmad, a youth congress supporter) is shown talking about his credence in Rahul Gandhi’s vision that we need to bring a change in our country with RTI, Food Security Bill, Lokpal Bill and Employment guarantee. He supports the vision for future which is to have ‘more equal, more caring society.’

    Purpose:  The ad highlights the need for the society to stand together. It also says that it is under Congress’ guidance/ hand that the whole nation will develop. The ad also highlights how the party has given a common man the power through its various schemes and bills. And this will empower them.

    Congress Ke Mazboot Haath

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: Congress leaders like Sachin Pilot, Nirupam Roy, Jyotiraditya Scindia and many more can be seen sitting and discussing matters which concerns the nation and what can be done to address them. In the background, a song plays which symbolizes these politicians as Congress’ strong hands and it is they who will ensure that India moves forward.

    Purpose: Moving towards a stronger India, Congress soldiers will always ensure people’s betterment and it will continue its efforts to provide a happy and prosperous life for all.

    Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP): campaigns at a glance

    Ab Ki Baar, Modi Sarkar

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: The black and white advert highlights how even though the country has progressed and people have sent there girls for higher education and work in other cities, they are not at ease. The woman/mother in the ad, stresses on the fact that the country isn’t safe in current government’s hands as women aren’t safe.

    Purpose: After the Delhi gang rape case and many more that followed it, the campaign highlights the fact that the government has failed to provide safety to the women of the country and worse, hasn’t been able to punish the culprits.

    I will Choose BJP, My Vote for Modi

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: A cobbler is shown reciting how a party headed by a dynasty has ruled the country for years and has filled its own pockets, while the poor has remained stagnant. He goes on to say that this time he for his self-respect, will choose BJP and vote for Modi.

    Purpose: To showcase how poor have remained poor in the country while the politicians and others have filled their pockets.

    Vote for BJP

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: The animated ad shows an umpire and a cricketer being disturbed by people who want their wishes to be fulfilled. People are shown screaming ‘humari maange poori karo’ while demanding petty things.

    Purpose: These ads were launched during the T20 World Cup, and hence revolves around cricket (umpire and cricketers). The ads take a dig at Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

    BJP Anthem

    Click here to watch the video

    Storyboard: The anthem shows BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi swearing by the motherland that he will not let her get destroyed and everyone will get his/her due. People from different socio-economic backgrounds are shown highlighting their concerns – no jobs, no safety, no economic growth etc.

    Purpose: To bring to focus the scams and other issues concerning the common man to foreground. Through the anthem, the BJP is trying to give out a strong message to the voters, that if Modi comes to power, he will take the country to an upward growth.  

  • TRAI defreezes tariff ceiling in analogue cable TV areas

    TRAI defreezes tariff ceiling in analogue cable TV areas

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has revised the tariff ceilings for the non-addressable cable TV areas. The authority has allowed an overall 27.5 per cent inflation linked hike in the tariff ceilings. The announcement was made through a notification of the Tariff Order namely the ‘Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Second) Tariff (Eleventh Amendment) Order, 2014’.

     

    The rise is based on the hike in the wholesale price index (WPI) over the past five years. “The Authority has come to a conclusion that an overall 27.5 per cent inflation hike is allowed. However, it is also of the view that a hike to the tune of 27.5 per cent in a single go would not be appropriate for the market and the consumer to adjust to. Therefore the Authority has prescribed this hike to be implemented in two installments,” says the TRAI release.

     

    While the first installment is of 15 per cent will be effective from 1 April 2014, the second installment for the remaining inflation linked increase will be effective from 1 January 2015. “This will give enough and reasonable time to all the stakeholders to adjust to these hikes,” says the release.

     

    Click here for the full notification

  • Election tracker: Battling it, out-of-home

    Election tracker: Battling it, out-of-home

    MUMBAI: This general election may be the first among many, where media has been so extensively (and blatantly) used by political parties and their prime ministerial hopefuls.

     

    Far from fighting shy of marketing themselves, the main players – Congress and BJP – have spent nearly Rs 400 to Rs 500 crore each on publicity campaigns. An additional Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 crore will be spent on related activities such as banners, hoardings, organization of public meetings and transportation of key campaigners, among others. Not surprisingly, media agencies estimate around 2 to 2.5 per cent of overall advertisement spends this year to come from elections.

     

    One can switch a channel, turn a page or surf away, but hoardings are hard to ignore or even miss. And this is the reason why of the whole advertising budget, parties are spending approximately 10-15 per cent of the total budget i.e. close to Rs300-400 crore on OOH, if not less, as per industry sources.

     

    Possibly, with advertising rates on general entertainment channels (GECs) on television being prohibitive and posters having been banned in several cities of the country, outdoor remains the only viable option for election propaganda as it is cost-effective and has high reach as well. So you have hoardings of calling for a ‘Modi Sarkar’ or boating of ‘Bharat Nirman’ with NamO and RaGa staring down at you from the most non-descript locations in the country. What’s more, they have illumination for better visibility at night.

     

    With elections just round the corner, outdoor advertising has picked up significantly, mostly fuelled by political parties, which is quite unlike the usual scenario where outdoor advertising is more prominent during the second half of the year.

     

    Speaking of the growing appeal of OOH, Madison OOH Media Group CEO Arminio Ribeiro, says: “Given the flexibility of this medium in terms of narrow- and broad- casting and its localization and rapid awareness build-up benefits, outdoor has appealed to political parties to get their message across to the electorate through its multiple formats.”

     

    In order to get the best quality hoarding, tapping the most crowded route through buses or railway has certainly increased the competition. Everyone is trying to avail the benefit of this golden opportunity and those who have the diverse range of inventories are the main gainers.

     

    Sanjeev Gupta, managing director of Global Advertisers, which has been roped in for outdoor by both Congress and BJP, says, “With changing trends, political parties have also changed their approach and have become more professional. Therefore, our media plan included a mix of outdoor inventories to expand the reach of these campaigns and we expect to see more demand for outdoor in the coming months.”

     

    While Postercope Asia Pacific regional director, Haresh Nayak, says: “Tier II and Tier III markets have been the focus for the last year, continuing to grow this year as well, showing deep penetration in rural areas to create brand awareness.”

     

     Indeed, the FICCI-KPMG 2014 report finds that the OOH industry has grown by 5.5 per cent from CAGR (2007 to 2013), what with clients from real estate, telecom, media, auto, and now politics, driving it forward.

  • Priyanka Rishi joins Taproot India as GM

    Priyanka Rishi joins Taproot India as GM

    MUMBAI: Taproot India has appointed Priyanka Rishi as its general manager. She will be reporting to CEO Umesh Shrikhande.

     

    “To be a part of an agency that has set benchmarks for the industry is professionally stimulating and exciting. I look forward to building on Taproot’s strengths and work ethos to create an even stronger organisation,” said Rishi.

     

    With more than 16 years in the business, Rishi in her earlier journey has had long stints with Ogilvy and JWT and brings with her solid cross category experience.

     

    Shrikhande said: “With so many interesting opportunities for adding value to our clients’ businesses and brands, Priyanka is a welcome addition to our talented team.  She is passionate about both strategy and creativity and comes with a deep and insightful understanding of brands. Infusing our team with such strong talent will further the process of adding depth and sparkle to brand Taproot.”

     

    She will be based in Mumbai.

  • AdFest 2014: India brings home 26 metals

    AdFest 2014: India brings home 26 metals

    MUMBAI:  At  the Adfest 2014 held at Pattaya in Thailand from 6-8 March, Indian agencies won a total of 26 metals, eight less than last year.

     

    This year, McCann Erikson led the charge with 11 medals, of which three are Gold, five are Silver and three are Bronze.

     

    JWT India and Grey Worldwide followed winning four metals each. Next are TBWAIndia and Creativeland Asia with two metals each and BBDO India, Taproot India and Linen-A Lintas Group with one each.

     

    The most-award winning campaign by McCann was Audiobook – the William Shakespeare/Mark Twain/Oscar Wilde campaign, which received two Golds in the Print Craft Lotus category for Art direction and Best use of illustration; and for Point of Sale: small scale sub category in the Design Lotus category. The campaign also picked up Silvers in Point of Purchase – Display sub category in Outdoor; Poster sub category under Design Lotus and Best Use of Computer Generated Imagery under Print Craft Lotus. In addition to this, it also took home bronze awards in the Press Lotus category under Best of Communication Media & Publications sub category, and Best of Travel, Entertainment & Communication Media sub category in the Outdoor Lotus category.

     

    Apart from this, McCann won a Silver each for its AIDS Awareness campaign under Media Lotus and Big Babol campaign in Best of food sub category under Outdoor. And, it won a Bronze for Rain catching Adshel campaign for Catchtherain.org in the Outdoor category.

     

    Nike’s Parallel Journey’s campaign helped JWT India stuck Gold under Best of sports, fashion cosmetics and luxury goods sub head in Film Lotus. The campaign also got two Silvers in the Film Craft Lotus category. The Health Capital campaign for Rotract Club of Mumbai Shivaji Park in the Direct Lotus category got the agency its single Bronze.

     

    Grey Worldwide picked up a Gold and a Bronze for Duracell Positive & Negative: Dock/Monkey campaign in the Press Lotus and Outdoor Lotus categories, respectively. For another Duracell campaign called Ageless Wonder: Music/Man/Woman the agency was awarded Silver in the Press and Print Craft categories.

     

    Creativeland Asia’s campaign for Frooti helped the agency grab Gold in the Original music score sub category and Bronze for direction under Film Craft Lotus.

     

    TBWAIndia won two Bronze medals for its Adidas Wall cricket campaign under External/street signs and street furniture and Guerrilla marketing sub categories in Outdoor Lotus.

     

    Taproot India’s Times of India’s farmer suicide campaign secured finalists berth in many categories but was only able to win Silver in the Outdoor Lotus category.

     

    BBDO was awarded Bronze for a public awareness campaign Stick It Art under Best use of ambient: small scale sub category in the Media Lotus category.

     

    Lastly, Linen-A Lintas Group was the only Indian agency to get a bronze in the Radio category.

  • Dentsu wins three awards at AdFest 2014

    Dentsu wins three awards at AdFest 2014

    MUMBAI:  Dentsu Inc Tokyo has achieved a triple win at AdFest 2014 by winning Agency of the Year, Agency Network of the Year and Interactive Agency of the Year awards.

     

    AdFest 2014 was held in Pattaya over the last weekend and had ‘Co-Create the Future’ as its theme.

     

    The agency won the three awards in the Special Award category which aim to recognise outstanding agencies, production companies and advertisers and are compiled from the tally of AdFest Lotus Awards won during the festival.

     

    Other agencies which won awards under the category were Hakuhodo Tokyo (Direct & Promo Agency of the Year) and Illusion (Film Production House of the Year, for the second year in a row).

     

    The Advertiser of the Year was presented to Coca-Cola.

     

    AdFest president Jimmy Lam said: “This year’s Lotus winners raise the bar for the industry and are indicative of the trends to come. Over the last three days, AdFest 2014 has welcomed the region’s brightest creative talent to this year’s festival – creatives who will now go on to ‘Co-Create the Future’ together.”

     

    Founded in 1988, AdFest, an annual advertising festival celebrating and raising the standard of creativity, this year the festival aimed to bring together a group of experts that have successfully co-created with others.

     

    This year, 1,063 delegates attended AdFest from 49 cities in 28 countries.

  • Effies shortlists 243 case studies

    Effies shortlists 243 case studies

    MUMBAI: The shortlist of Effies 2013 is out. The total number of shortlists this year is 243 with Ogilvy & Mather topping the list with 43 entries for 24 categories.Next to it is Lowe Lintas with 31 shortlisted case studies.

     

    It is interesting to note that in the 13 years of its existence, Effies has received the highest ever entries this year with the tally reaching 419.

     

    The award function will be held on 15 January in Mumbai.

     

    Click here for the list.

  • DDB Mudra ropes in Rahul Mathew as creative head

    DDB Mudra ropes in Rahul Mathew as creative head

    MUMBAI: DDB Mudra West has roped in Rahul Mathew to lead the agency’s creative output.

     

    Mathew will partner DDB Mudra West president Rajiv Sabnis and work closely with the group’s chairman and CCO Sonal Dabral, who he will be reporting in to.

    Prior to this, Mathew was with McCann Erikson as the executive creative director. His career spans over 15 years wherein he has worked with some of the leading advertising networks including Ogilvy, JWT, Leo Burnett, Y&R (in Kuala Lumpur and India).

     

    Commenting on his new role, Mathew said, “Few agencies, the world over, can boast of a creative culture the likes of DDB. And to be appointed a custodian of such a celebrated culture is both exciting and frightening.  But with the talented bunch at the agency, Sonal and I hope to make DDB Mudra West one of the brightest stars in the DDB constellation.”

     

    He will be working on clients including Future Group, Volkswagen, Johnson & Johnson, Kalpataru, Hindustan Unilever, Union Bank, Marico, Emirates, Gulf Oil, Godrej, Lavasa, Arvind, Adani Group, CenturyPly, Raj Petro among others among others. Rahul will Rahul joins the DDB Mudra Group from McCann Erickson, where he was the Executive Creative Director of its highly reputed Mumbai office.

     

    DDB Mudra Group chairman & CCO Sonal Dabral said, “I’m very excited to welcome Rahul to the DDB Mudra Group family. I’ve known Rahul for a while now and have followed his career across countries and agencies, seeing him build brands and win multiple awards along the way. A new age creative thinker equally adept at traditional and nontraditional media, Rahul is just the talent to lead the creative teams in DDB Mudra West. With Andee leading the creative charge in MudraMax, Vipul in DDB Mudra South, Sambit in DDB Mudra North and now Rahul coming in to lead DDB Mudra West, we now have a formidable creative leadership in place. I’m looking forward to the teams creating some fantastic work for our clients in the coming years.”

     

    Adding to this, DDB Mudra Group West president Rajiv Sabnis said, “DDB Mudra West is the largest advertising unit of the Group, and it now needed a seasoned and talented creative partner like Rahul. With Rahul coming on board, our ability to provide creative business solutions to our clients gets a strong fillip. His experience across brands and the business success and creative recognition his work has received, are the reasons why we are welcoming him into the family today. Rahul comes across not just as a sharp professional but also a rooted person. We have had a great year in 2013 and we look to further strengthen our position in 2014 and beyond. We are hoping that Rahul will be an integral part of the journey hereon.”

     

    Mathew’s work has been awarded in many forums, both international and local. He has won over 100 awards as the writer and has guided teams to about another 100. These include prestigious awards like Cannes, One Show and Clio; and includes precious metals like Grand Prixs.

     

    In 2013, he was ranked as the eighth most awarded writer by Campaign Asia. While in 2009, Campaign Brief Asia ranked him amongst the 5 most creative people in India. And even more recently, his Western Union Billboard was ranked the most awarded outdoor by the Advertising Age & Creativity 2013 Global Awards report.

  • Ramesh Iyengar as Chair for second term at DMAi’s Hall of Fame(HoF) Selection Board

    Ramesh Iyengar as Chair for second term at DMAi’s Hall of Fame(HoF) Selection Board

    MUMBAI: DMAi, an apex not for profit, stands for the collective cause of advancing & protecting responsible data driven marketing & advertising has announced the appointment of Nita Kapoor as the Chairperson of DMAi 2014 Marketer of the Year Awards and Ramesh Iyengar as Chairperson of DMAi Hall of Fame which will take place on the sidelines of the DMAi 2014 Convention at New Delhi from 22nd to 24th January 2014.

     

    On these appointments Vatsal Asher, CEO, DMAi noted “With such stellar industry participation, the DMAi has leapfrogged from the past into the present and is poised for the future. I welcome the new chairpersons for the MoY & HoF programs to further the collective cause. With such an eminent chair & jury members, we am certain the MoY will serve as the new gold standard for marketers in the days to come. The HoF has been now established as the standard for lifetime achievement & contribution. I also wish good luck to the eligible contenders for the citation & induction”

     

    The Marketer of the Year Award is fashioned closely on the lines of the program at the global DMA. The program however has been re-modeled to serve the needs of the fraternity here. It is a joint citation for an individual & the company.

     

    This program accolade honors the achievement, innovation, and inspiring leadership of an individual & the company whose work represents the very best in data-driven marketing industry. The individual & company being considered will have exhibited corporate and social responsibility through the innovation and implementation of new products, services, processes and growth within the last 12 months.

     

    Those being considered have had a positive impact on the marketing community and excelled at connecting data and the consumer through data-driven marketing.

     

    Speaking at her appointment Nita Kapoor said, “I believe DMAi has a great idea going. I volunteered my time because recognizing and bringing forth visionaries and exhibiting their transformations have a larger impact than we assume. Responsible & sustainable marketing is the call of the times. Sharing the best practices in play can benefit the entire industry.”

     

    The jury members for the DMAi 2014 – MoY Awards now include Abhsihek Malhotra – Vice President & Partner at Booz & Co; Ambar Chowdhury – Principal at Deloitte; Arvind Wable – CEO & Executive Director at Draftfcb Ulka; Holger E. Metzger – Managing Director at TMRC Impact; Piyush Mathur – President at India for Nielsen; Rajesh Kumar – Head of Marketing, SAP Indian Sub-continent at SAP; Reena Ramachandran – Member Task Force, Performance Division at Cabinet secretariat; Sanjay Sharma – Group Creative Director at FCB Ulka; Sanjay Thapar – CEO, India at Bates and Sanjiv Kapur – Chief Marketing Officer at Citi.

     

    The DMAi Hall of Fame, now in its third year, honors Digital & Direct marketing professionals who have made outstanding career contributions to the practice, growth, and stature of the direct marketing process. It celebrates the spirit of direct & interactive marketing with innovation, collaboration, and creativity.

     

    In line with DMAi’s continuous efforts to create recognition for marketers who have made a difference in the way brands communicate with customers and raised the standards and level of professionalism in marketing. The DMAi Hall of Fame will recognize scholars, marketers, creatives and entrepreneurs who have impacted the direct & interactive industry.

     

    DMAi’s Hall of Fame is modeled along the lines of DMA Hall of Fame, the most prestigious award bestowed in the direct & interactive marketing community. DMAi Hall of Fame will felicitate lifetime achievers in two categories – living & posthumous and as many as four individuals can be inducted every year to serve as an inspiration for future generations and encourage excellence.

     

    In the past the DMAi has inducted Drayton Bird, UK, Winnifred Knight, SA, Late Vivek Basrur, R Sridhar, B S Nagesh & Ramesh Iyengar.

     

    According to Iyengar, “I have the proud distinction of being the first Indian inductee to the DMAi Hall of Fame and I am delighted to serve the DMAi & the fraternity for the second term as the chairperson of the selection board. Like the previous year this year too we have an eminent board of selectors that will bring about rightful recognition to the truly deserving.”

     

    The selection board members including Jodie Sangster, Chairperson of the IFDMA, Winnifred Knight, – Managing Director and Owner, The Marketingsite.com; Ashok Ananthraman, Ex-ITC, Aditya Atri -Loyalty and CRM Consultant; Leena Basrur – Executive Chairman, Direxions Marketing Solutions Pvt Ltd; Raj Bhatia- Managing Director, UCP Loyalty Marketing Pvt Ltd; Nabanita Chaudhri- CRM Consultant, Nespresso SA; Kayzad Hiramanek- Senior Vice president Customer service& operations, ICICI Prudential life insurance; USA; Ramesh Ratan- CEO – Bell & Howells, Director, Joyanto Mukherjee – SVKM’s Harkisan Mehta Foundation Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication; and Shankar Seetaraman.

     

    With the annual DMAi convention having expanded manifold, The DMA International ECHO Awards India edition has been retained back in Mumbai and will happen in June 2014.

     

    The nominations for MoY & HoF are both open till 8 January 2014. The jury for the MoY meets in Delhi on 18 Jan and the selection board for the HoF meets on Jan 10 at Mumbai. The new recipients & inductees will be honored at a glittering ceremony on 23 Jan 2014 at the opulent Radisson blu, Mahipalpur, Delhi on the sidelines the 3rd Annual DMAi Convention. Apart from the awards program the 3 day convention from 22nd to 24 Jan will have 100+ speakers, 164 intense sessions, 15 Dynamic Conference streams.

  • Titan’s new TVC defines the joy of gifting

    Titan’s new TVC defines the joy of gifting

    New Delhi: Titan has launched a new advertising campaign that aims to infuse warmth into the very moment a gift changes hands.

    The brand wants the buyers to look at the iconic brand, and the original owner of the gifting platform, in a brand new light. A special part of this objective was to return the brand’s ever-popular theme music to its earlier status as gifting as a warmest mnemonic. The message is supported by a wide range of watches across several collections; one for every kind of gifting moment, or relationship.
     

    The creative rendition of the brief celebrates the long-forgotten ‘Joy of Gifting’. The television commercial created by Ogilvy India showcases a playful and warm situation set in a college classroom. What initially appears to be routine mischief in an otherwise regular lecture snowballs into a heartening group effort by the students to thank their teacher. A rendition of Titan’s classic signature melody is recreated by the students in acapella form, by thumping on desks and classroom stationery, and of course their own voices. While the teacher looks on, overwhelmed by emotion, a student walks up to him and hands him a book that celebrates their memories. Upon flipping the pages, he finds in one of the pages, a sophisticated Titan watch.

    Titan Watches Global marketing head & product head Rajan Amba said, “The new TVC rekindles an emotional bond that plays an important role in shaping our lives. Gifting is as much about receiving as it is about giving, and giving freely without expectations greatly increases the joy of giving. We have brought back the Titan tune in an emotional yet contemporary manner which is bound to bring back memories among an audience of all ages.”

    Ogilvy executive chairman and national creative director Piyush Pandey, also shared his views on the commercial, “The new Titan campaign dovetails the introduction of more world class watches by Titan. The campaign explores deep human emotions associated with gifting. The first in the series is a tribute to the great Indian tradition of gurushishya.”