Mumbai: GSK has launched a new campaign on Shingles awareness, featuring veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Pahwa, explaining the scientific link between chickenpox and Shingles. The campaign films use everyday conversations between two friends to talk about shingles and the increased susceptibility of shingles in people with diabetes.
Commenting on the campaign, Manoj Pahwa said, “I am in an age group that is susceptible to shingles, and through GSK’s shingles awareness campaigns I have understood more about this painful disease and its associated risk factors. I have faced multiple health problems and know how difficult it is to lead an active and fulfilling life when affected by infectious diseases. I am proud to be a part of this initiative to educate people about the cause of shingles and the importance of prevention. I encourage adults over 50 years, to talk to their doctors about shingles and its prevention.”
Shingles is caused by the re-activation of the virus that lies dormant in the nerves if a person has had chickenpox. People with a history of chickenpox who also have diabetes face a 40 per cent higher risk of developing shingles. High blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system, and when that happens it can increase the risk of reactivation of the chickenpox virus and emergence of shingles.
GSK patient empowerment head Vigyeta Agrawal said, “The 2023 API-Ipsos survey showed that even those who had shingles did not know the cause of this painful disease. It is essential that all people above the age of 50 years know about shingles and its prevention. We wanted to explain the science behind the cause of shingles and the link between chickenpox and shingles in a simple manner. Amitabh Bachchan has an unparalleled ability to connect with people across all demographics. We are confident that having him as the face of the campaign will help us reach and encourage more people, especially ageing adults, to talk to their doctor about shingles and its prevention.”
TheSmallBigIdea Network’s Blitzkraig co-founder and CEO Harikrishnan Pillai said, “The campaign comprises of two campaign films. One film shows two ageing friends reminiscing about school days and establishes the link between chickenpox and shingles, while the other depicts a caring bond between two friends and focuses on increased vulnerability of people with diabetes to shingles. The ‘Yeh Science Hai’ campaign urges adults above the age of 50 to talk to their doctor about shingles and its prevention. The messages that come through are clear and memorable.”
Director R. Balki commenting on the creative insight for the film said “Shingles is a disease that is misunderstood by many people. The challenge was to talk about the link between shingles and chickenpox in an easy-to-understand and engaging manner. I was instantly aligned with how TheSmallBigIdea crafted a simple and strong message. In this case, clarity, not creativity, was the need of the hour.”
The campaign films will be released across multiple platforms, including YouTube (mobile and connected TV), Google Display, Meta, select OTT platforms, Paytm, Google Pay, and various TV channels spanning multiple genres such as general entertainment channels (GEC), movies, and news in both Hindi and regional languages. Additionally, a partnership has been established with the popular television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) for this campaign.
Mumbai: &pictures is all set with the world television premiere of Chup: Revenge of the Artist a psychological thriller that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche and delves into the underbelly of the film industry. The film provides an unflinching look at the world of cinema, with reviewers becoming unwitting victims of their own harsh judgments and meeting their gruesome ends. As our city reels from these brutal acts, Inspector General Arvind Mathur, played by Sunny Deol, is entrusted with the daunting task of unmasking the serial killer responsible for these gruesome crimes. ‘Chup’ takes the audiences on a journey through the dark, sinister, and mysterious side of film reviewing, entwined with an equally chilling series of serial killings plaguing our city. As &pictures promises to keep the Full On thrill, they are all set for the world television premiere of Chup on 18 November at 9 pm
Much praised by critics and fans for its brilliant direction and acting, ‘Chup: Revenge of the Artist’ holds an IMDb rating of 7.6. R. Balki has won DadaSaheb Phalke International Film Festival award for Best Director for this movie, which features a stellar ensemble cast and potential suspects, including the immensely talented Danny, portrayed by the dashing Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer Salmaan also won his first award ever in Bollywood by winning the Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival award.He portrays a florist entangled in the twisted narrative.
Much praised by critics and fans for its brilliant direction and acting, ‘Chup: Revenge of the Artist’ holds an IMDb rating of 7.6. R. Balki has won the DadaSaheb Phalke International Film Festival award for Best Director for this movie, which features a stellar ensemble cast and potential suspects, including the immensely talented Danny, portrayed by the dashing Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer Salmaan also won his first award in Bollywood by receiving the Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival award. He portrays a florist entangled in the twisted narrative.
Nila played by Shreya Dhanwanthary, an aspiring journalist with her secrets, and finally, Dr. Zenobia played by Pooja Bhatt. The plot strongly focuses on these prime suspects and how these characters emerge in a mysterious series of events where nobody is above suspicion.
Director R. Balki, the mastermind behind “Chup,” expressed their excitement about the World Television Premiere, saying, “I am thrilled to present ‘Chup’ to a wider audience through its World Television Premiere on &pictures as this film has embraced me with the great recognition of the DadaSaheb Phalke Award (Best Director). This psychological thriller was a labor of love, aiming to challenge and captivate viewers with its intricate storyline and suspenseful narrative. With this premiere, ‘Chup’ will bring a new level of intrigue to the small screen, and I’m eager to see how it keeps audiences at the edge of their seats once again.”
Shreya Dhanwanthary said, “‘Chup’ is an incredible journey, both as an actor and as a viewer of the thrilling story it weaves. To embody the character and its complex layers, I dedicated myself to thorough research. The film’s psychological elements pushed me out of my comfort zone as an actor and added a layer of depth that’s sure to leave audiences captivated. What truly drew me to this project was the unique script and the opportunity to work with a talented team. ‘Chup’ is a thrilling journey, and I’m eager for the audience to delve into this intense cinematic experience on &pictures.”
Get ready for an intense and heart-pounding experience with this suspense & thrilling masterpiece on 18 November at 9 pm only on &Pictures.
Mumbai: For over seven decades, Filmfare has been chronicling remarkable accomplishments and milestones of the Indian Film Industry. The platform continues to lead the way in honouring cinematic and artistic brilliance. For the 69th edition of the Filmfare Awards, which is scheduled to be held on January 2024, Filmfare takes the celebrations to the Vibrant State of Gujarat. One of the core objectives of this partnership seeks to establish Gujarat as a global centre for tourism, investment, and a thriving hub for cinematic production.
The inaugural Filmmakers’ Round Table took place at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai on 11 October where the event served as a significant precursor to the Filmfare awards. Spearheaded by The Times Group managing director Vineet Jain, Filmfare played a pivotal role in fostering the growth of the Indian film industry. It achieved this by convening a distinguished panel of attendees.
Leading this high-profile gathering was the Gujarat chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, who headed a high-powered delegation from the Gujarat Government. Accompanying him was the Tourism of Gujarat minister Mulubhai Bera, as well as other key policy makers and officials from the Government of Gujarat.
The film & entertainment industry was well-represented, with prolific filmmakers such as Imtiaz Ali, Aanand L. Rai, Boney Kapoor, Om Raut, Mukesh Bhatt, R. Balki, Jayantilal Gada, Nitesh Tiwari, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nikkhil Advani, Ramesh Taurani, Madhur Bhandarkar, Apoorva Mehta, Raj & DK, Harshavardhan Kulkarni, Venky Mysore, Aparna Purohit, Anand Pandit in attendance, among others. The session was deftly moderated by the actor Kubbra Sait, who skillfully guided in-depth discussions that shed light on Gujarat’s comprehensive support systems for filmmakers.
The Round Table event underscored Gujarat’s unwavering commitment to becoming the ultimate destination for filmmaking and film production. This commitment is substantiated by their world-class infrastructure, enticing incentives, and a comprehensive cinematic policy.
Patel commented, “Our collaboration with Filmfare signifies Gujarat’s vision to be at the forefront of cinematic excellence, and this Round Table is a significant milestone towards achieving that goal. We are committed to providing the necessary infrastructure, incentives, and support to ensure that Gujarat becomes a preferred destination for filmmakers from across the world.”
Tourism of Gujarat minister Mulubhai Bera said, “Gujarat’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes have always been a source of inspiration for filmmakers. We are excited to partner with Filmfare to promote Gujarat as a thriving hub for cinematic productions. With a welcoming atmosphere, breath-taking locations, and robust support systems, Gujarat offers filmmakers a unique canvas to bring their artistic visions to life.”
Jain commented, ” The Government of Gujarat has been unwavering in its dedication to offer filmmakers the necessary support, infrastructure, and policies. We are proud to be a facilitator in bringing together the entertainment industry and a canvas like Gujarat for painting their stories on.”
MUMBAI: Last week, the union ministry of health and family welfare reached out to filmmaker R Balki to produce a public service message for the novel SarsCov2 virus. The film featured Akshay Kumar, explaining that the virus is here to stay for a while and since we can’t stop working for a longer period it’s time to resume work and lives again, but wearing a mask is necessary as it prevents us and others from the disease. In the one minute and 30 second-long video, he consistently urges people to take all precautions before stepping out while ensuring safety.
In the last three months, the government announced several rounds of lockdown, and to make people aware about the disease, it relied on the digital medium and full-page ads on national dailies. It even launched a caller tune for Covid2019 awareness alert and used radio extensively. But there was no specific campaign released by the government officials at that time.
The film’s timing coincides with Unlock 1.0 with new guidelines to restart the economy in a phased manner.
The advertisement soon became the talk of the town on social media platforms. Many people praised the ad and applauded the message but a certain section of the society condemned the timing of the ad, owing to the drastically rising cases in the metropolitan cities.
In the ad, Kumar is seen in an avatar of a village man, stepping out of home after the lockdown to start work again, but stopped by an elderly neighbour advising not to go out and remain at home as it’s still risky. Kumar then explains the reasons why work cannot be stopped and shared the vision to wear a mask and take precautionary measures to deal with the pandemic. Towards the end of the film, the elderly man accompanies him to work.
TRA founder and CEO N Chandramouli says, “An actor and a director who have been assigned an advertisement brief by the government, may have control on the creative rendition of the ad, but will not have much say on the messaging. Akshay has done several government ads before this on promoting agricultural schemes, road safety programs, among others, so promoting a government-related cause is not new to him. Whether it is right to ask people to start working with precautions or not, is a divided opinion.”
He adds, “Akshay is also no stranger to controversy and criticism, right from the #BoycottNirma campaign after his depiction of a Maratha warrior in a Nirma ad, to his Canadian citizenship, so this one is just one more added to the list.”
Samsika Marketing Consultants founder, chairman and MD Jagdeep Kapoor opines, “Ads of this nature are of an educative quality. They are highly beneficial, though boring. This ad has been made with an attempt to make it interesting with the celebrity and style and light sense of humour. Public service ads are helpful because they are like a lighthouse in turbulent times. They are a guiding light and a glimmer of hope in difficult times and viewed seriously. Such ads usually work due to relevance and the social context.”
In the past, as well, the government has used public service messaging as a key tool to aware people and reassure them. Take the example of ‘Do Boond Zindagi ki’ campaign by Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign saw massive support from the audience and encouraged people’s participation in eradicating polio from India. There are many such campaigns released by the health ministry over the years, be it HIV AIDS, tuberculosis or dengue and other many diseases.
This showcases that public service ads serve a purpose in mitigating the myths surrounded or to propagate a clear message to the audience and when such campaigns have famous superstars, the message spreads quickly and people actually follow it.
However, this time things are different. The government has decided to start working again because the the economy has come crashing and it’s important to return to normalcy with effective measures.
BENGALURU: The Advertising Club, Bangalore (Bangalore Ad Club) said through a media release that it has received a record 1,150 entries for its annual Big Bang Awards to be held on 28 September 2018 in the Garden City. The Bangalore Ad Club says that this makes it the biggest awards in a 23-year history.
“We are celebrating Big Bang this year with the theme of # For The Love Of Advertising. We believe that the shine has gone out of traditional advertising and we want, in our small way, to try and bring it back, in spite of the sweeping changes wreaked by digital. We are looking at a year-long campaign, starting with Big Bang, to celebrate some of the iconic work in the past, award the best current work and discuss and debate the future of our beloved industry,” feels Big Bang Awards chairperson Malavika Harita. Harita is the current CEO of advertising and communications company Saatchi & Saatchi Focus.
Bangalore Ad Club says that as the advertising industry continues to grow, a shift in the advertising spaces with new opportunities and newer challenges seems to be emerging. The Big Bang Awards this year has lined up exclusive interactions with ad and marketing ITCV Foods CEO Gurus Hemant Malik, Colors Viacom 18 CEO Raj Nayak, noted ad-man and film-maker R Balki, who is known for his movies Padman, Pa, Ki and Ka and many more.
The Advertising Club Bangalore in association with Ananda Vikatan Group, its multimedia partner for Big Bang Awards, in a public service initiative have introduced the ‘Issued in Public Interest’, a new category under which social messaging campaigns will be recognised by the jury. The Advertising Club received 53 creatives as entries for public service, all of which will be recognised. “When it comes to public interest, it’s a challenge to categorise which is better. While we will award one gold trophy to the winner based on the jury scores. We will feature all the entries on our website, as a goodwill gesture,” says Advertising Club Bangalore executive director Arvind Kumar.
MUMBAI: Ogilvy and Mather shined at Kyoorius Creative Awards 2016, with 17 wins across category, including a much coveted Black Elephant for their work on ‘Beauty Tips By Reshmi for clients Make Love Not Scars. The agency was closely followed at heel by BBDO India with the second most number of wins.
Early Man Films’ Ambuja Khali for Abuja Khali was the second agency to take home the prestigious Black Elephant as winners.
Black Elephants are reserved for work that represents the best of the best, work that takes risks, creates a new conversation with the audience or has a lasting impact on the industry.
Kyoorius, in association with D&AD announced and celebrated the winners of the Kyoorius Creative Awards 2016 at DOME@NSCI, in Mumbai on June 3. The third edition of Kyoorius Awards was attended by more than 1500 professionals including CEO’s, Marketing Directors, Brand Managers, Creative and Media gurus from the advertising, digital and media industries from across India were present at the event.
Looking at it category wise, 40 Blue Elephants were awarded in the Advertising category alone, with Ogilvy & Mather leading the category with 10 Blue Elephants. In the Digital category, a total of 18 Blue Eelephants were awarded where DDB Mudra led the category with 5 wins. Media category secured 10 Blue elephants with BBDO India sweeping the category with 7 wins.
A total of 1863 entries were submitted this year. Post the jury session concluded successfully by Ralph Barnett, National Creative Director, SapientNitro; R. Balki, Group Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas and Mike Florence, Head of Planning, PHD Media, 164 entries were shortlisted as winners of a baby elephant (in-book winners). Out of these 164 Baby elephant winners, 69 entries were awarded Blue Elephants across Advertising, Digital and Media categories and 2 entries were awarded the exclusive Black Elephant.
This spectacular show of Creativity was presented by Colors, powered by Hindustan Times and includes ABP News, Rishtey, Happy Finish & Kinetic as main partners.
MUMBAI: Ogilvy and Mather shined at Kyoorius Creative Awards 2016, with 17 wins across category, including a much coveted Black Elephant for their work on ‘Beauty Tips By Reshmi for clients Make Love Not Scars. The agency was closely followed at heel by BBDO India with the second most number of wins.
Early Man Films’ Ambuja Khali for Abuja Khali was the second agency to take home the prestigious Black Elephant as winners.
Black Elephants are reserved for work that represents the best of the best, work that takes risks, creates a new conversation with the audience or has a lasting impact on the industry.
Kyoorius, in association with D&AD announced and celebrated the winners of the Kyoorius Creative Awards 2016 at DOME@NSCI, in Mumbai on June 3. The third edition of Kyoorius Awards was attended by more than 1500 professionals including CEO’s, Marketing Directors, Brand Managers, Creative and Media gurus from the advertising, digital and media industries from across India were present at the event.
Looking at it category wise, 40 Blue Elephants were awarded in the Advertising category alone, with Ogilvy & Mather leading the category with 10 Blue Elephants. In the Digital category, a total of 18 Blue Eelephants were awarded where DDB Mudra led the category with 5 wins. Media category secured 10 Blue elephants with BBDO India sweeping the category with 7 wins.
A total of 1863 entries were submitted this year. Post the jury session concluded successfully by Ralph Barnett, National Creative Director, SapientNitro; R. Balki, Group Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas and Mike Florence, Head of Planning, PHD Media, 164 entries were shortlisted as winners of a baby elephant (in-book winners). Out of these 164 Baby elephant winners, 69 entries were awarded Blue Elephants across Advertising, Digital and Media categories and 2 entries were awarded the exclusive Black Elephant.
This spectacular show of Creativity was presented by Colors, powered by Hindustan Times and includes ABP News, Rishtey, Happy Finish & Kinetic as main partners.
Mumbai: Twitter taught us how to spill our hearts online in just 140 characters and now it is teaching celebrities to do the same through one on one interactions with their fans, The social media giant has finally gone public with its much awaited feature, #BlueRoom. Continuing its service of bringing fans and celebrities together, the platform has introduced Blue Room in India that allows fans to interact with their favourite celebs not only through tweets but in real life as well.
“The #BlueRoom is a special spot to host interviews, Q&As, performances and more, so you can expect to see a even more of your favourite sports stars, film and TV talent, and music artists direct from the #BlueRoom,” read twitter India’s official blog announcing the launch.
It’s here! A sneak peek of Twitter India’s #BlueRoom — stay tuned this week as we bring you @video & more…pic.twitter.com/2VrUJpEaQH
In a world which is ruled by likes, favorites and shares, it is essential for celebrities to keep their online popularity up. Blue Room also gives an opportunity to celebrities to increase their online presence and interact with their fans in a more connected way.
“Any kind of initiative is good news for celebrities as it puts them directly in accessible range of audiences, which is extremely important in this digital age. Whether it is music album launches or any kind of announcements, we see more and more celebrities choosing social media and other digital platform to relay such informations to their fans. If you are not interacting with your fans through facebook or Twitter you are losing out on a lot of fanbase,” shared popular celebrity management agency CAA Kwan founding partner Indranil Das Blah.
In terms of brand value as well, it is important for celebrities to maintain their online presence and leverage it with fan engagements. “More and more brands are looking at the digital space for marketing themselves. And therefore naturally looking out for a digital footprint to grow. It helps to have a brand ambassador who has a digital footprint in place already,” pointed out Blah.
Blue Room may have gone public only now but several actors, musicians, chefs, CEOs and sports stars have already tried out the Blue Room at twitter’s office in India. Actors Kalki Koechlin (@kalkikanmani) and Karan Tacker (@karantacker) kicked off some of the first @video Q&As in the #BlueRoom using #AskKalki and #AskKaran.
Several excited fans sent out questions to the actress, some even asking her to carry out funny challenges as well:
Look who’s joining us in the #BlueRoom very shortly! Tweet your questions to #AskKalki & @kalkikanmani will reply https://twitter.com/kalkikanmani/status/735353594875105280 …
Mumbai: Twitter taught us how to spill our hearts online in just 140 characters and now it is teaching celebrities to do the same through one on one interactions with their fans, The social media giant has finally gone public with its much awaited feature, #BlueRoom. Continuing its service of bringing fans and celebrities together, the platform has introduced Blue Room in India that allows fans to interact with their favourite celebs not only through tweets but in real life as well.
“The #BlueRoom is a special spot to host interviews, Q&As, performances and more, so you can expect to see a even more of your favourite sports stars, film and TV talent, and music artists direct from the #BlueRoom,” read twitter India’s official blog announcing the launch.
It’s here! A sneak peek of Twitter India’s #BlueRoom — stay tuned this week as we bring you @video & more…pic.twitter.com/2VrUJpEaQH
In a world which is ruled by likes, favorites and shares, it is essential for celebrities to keep their online popularity up. Blue Room also gives an opportunity to celebrities to increase their online presence and interact with their fans in a more connected way.
“Any kind of initiative is good news for celebrities as it puts them directly in accessible range of audiences, which is extremely important in this digital age. Whether it is music album launches or any kind of announcements, we see more and more celebrities choosing social media and other digital platform to relay such informations to their fans. If you are not interacting with your fans through facebook or Twitter you are losing out on a lot of fanbase,” shared popular celebrity management agency CAA Kwan founding partner Indranil Das Blah.
In terms of brand value as well, it is important for celebrities to maintain their online presence and leverage it with fan engagements. “More and more brands are looking at the digital space for marketing themselves. And therefore naturally looking out for a digital footprint to grow. It helps to have a brand ambassador who has a digital footprint in place already,” pointed out Blah.
Blue Room may have gone public only now but several actors, musicians, chefs, CEOs and sports stars have already tried out the Blue Room at twitter’s office in India. Actors Kalki Koechlin (@kalkikanmani) and Karan Tacker (@karantacker) kicked off some of the first @video Q&As in the #BlueRoom using #AskKalki and #AskKaran.
Several excited fans sent out questions to the actress, some even asking her to carry out funny challenges as well:
Look who’s joining us in the #BlueRoom very shortly! Tweet your questions to #AskKalki & @kalkikanmani will reply https://twitter.com/kalkikanmani/status/735353594875105280 …
MUMBAI: In the current state of disruption in the media and entertainment industry, two things have come forth as absolute truths — firstly, the need for brands to adapt and explore non-traditional marketing; and secondly the power of pure undiluted content.
Be it GroupM’s This Year Next Year report or the KPMG – FICCI 2016 report, pick up any recognisable marketing study, and one can tell where the M and E industry is headed with double figure digital growth rates.
Going with that idea, several brands and marketers are toeing the lines of content marketing. But few have gone ahead and taken a leap of faith with content and storytelling being the main focus.
“We are used to seeing brands sponsoring television programs. ‘Buniyaad brought to you by Colgate’ is an example. But there is nothing ‘Colgate’ in Buniyaad. Whereas in the case of long format digital videos, the kind of content brands would go for is somewhere related to the concept of the brand. The format of digital allows you to experiment a lot more at a far lesser cost,” shared MullenLowe Lintas chairman and CCO R. Balki, on why it is viable for brands to produce their own content on digital.
When asked, Balki named Leo Burnett’s campaign for Bajaj V as his favourite in the last year. At the same time, he referred to ‘Sons of Vikrant’ as a campaign, not a documentary. “Anything which is released around the bike is all part of building the brand. And that is why I say it is one of the most beautiful works I have seen recently.”
When Bajaj released its new model for the commuter segment backed by the inspiring story of INS Vikrant, the power of weaving a story as the two wheeler’s brand identity was instantly revealed when record breaking units of the bike were sold on the very first day.
But it didn’t end at that. Soon the brand launched a 16 minute video titled ‘Sons Of Vikrant’, conceptualised by its creative agency Leo Burnett, documenting the lives of the war veterans who were once aboard the warship.
Bajaj Motorcycles marketing VP Sumeet Narang said, “As we delved deeper into Vikrant and started talking to people who worked on it, we realised that there are many untold stories and memories behind the naval battleship INS Vikrant and its heroes. Since we had brought back the essence of Vikrant in the form of V, we realised that the onus was also on us to bring these stories together and share them with the nation.”
The video was launched through a gala event where the who’s who of the media and entertainment industry were invited. Amidst the glitz and glory, the anecdotes of life on INS Vikrant and war stories successfully created awe and inspired attachment around the warship. Suddenly Bajaj V wasn’t a two wheeler anymore, it was a story everyone wanted to own.
“With Sons of Vikrant, our idea was to bring out the untold stories of INS Vikrant and the war veterans and share the feeling of pride with millions,” quipped Leo Burnett south Asia CEO Saurabh Varma when asked about the concept of releasing a documentary as part of the awareness building for a product.
“To create this documentary, we met many people who were part of the war to learn their stories. The footage ran into hours, which we had to bring down to 16 minutes,” Varma added.
Though the digital platform, without the time constraint, does lend itself for more creative exploration, it isn’t necessarily the long format that is working for the brands. As per Balki, digital audience is far more ADHD than a television viewer, with little patience for the content to take shape. “If the story is very well integrated with what the brand stands for, the content will bring benefits for the brand hugely, irrespective of the length of the video.
“Fundamentally if you have a terrific piece of communication, the brand will benefit from it irrespective of the length of the video. Unless the film is very riveting people lose patience quickly. Some creatives grab on to the digital media thinking and finally they don’t have to fight with the client for the extra five seconds. I don’t think so. I feel a lot of the long forms we see are boring and could have been done shorter. If one wants to go beyond 60 secs they better have something compelling,” Balki simply stated.
While Bajaj went the non-fiction way to bring out the real emotions people had for the warship and subsequently the bike, Hector Beverages’ flagship brand Paper Boat drinks, dabbled in non-fiction recently to achieve the same.
The three and half minute video called Rizwan: The Keeper of the Gates of Heaven instantly transports the viewer into an incredible fairy tale of superhero saving the day that evokes all senses.
“Paper Boat as a brand often speaks of different tastes and smells that can trigger memories, it is an important part of our brand communication. I realised that short films and features are a great way to tell such stories,” shared Paper Boat marketing head Parvesh Debuka.
Soon Paper Boat’s agency Humour Me came up with Rizwan, written by Dhruv Sachdeva, which strongly resonated with the brand’s identity and therefore the brand went ahead with it.
It has only been five days since the film has been put up on the brand’s YouTube channel and there are already 7,00,000 plus views, with positive comments like i forgot i was watching something else and this popped up” following the video.
When asked how effective this brand communication has been compared to the traditional marketing tools, Debuka said, “It is hard to compare as the metrics are different. A brand communication is supposed to deliver a certain thing. Our 20 second spot for the Chilli Guava flavour did extremely well as well. It served the purpose of spreading awareness that we have that flavour. On the contrary Rizwan has taken our storytelling a notch higher, in terms of screenplay, the cinematic experience, in terms of animation. It is no longer creating awareness but building a bond.”
Debuka is not opposed to the idea of brands producing their own content and exploring further visibility options with it. “For starters, a video such as this when released on the digital platform, garners way more eyeballs organically than what it would take to be visible on television. But as a piece of content it can be shown on television, and even cinema theatres for that matter, but then we will have calculate distribution cost, etc.”
Going by the cost as well, a brand might come out with more in their pockets when making a video for the digital audience as opposed to putting up an ad spot on television. This window for a more ROI centric marketing is driving brands to go the content way. “Obviously when you end up making a TV commercial, you spend a little more than you would spend to make a film like Rizwan,” Debuka shared.
Given the fanfare these brand produced contents have created, more brands are likely to explore the area more extensively and start producing their own content. One can’t help but ask if that will affect the way advertising industry works.
“Agencies have to reorient themselves for the digital era. We are going to see more and more digital thinking in the works. It is no longer about marketing in digital platform but it is digital in marcom thinking. That’s a fundamental shift, and those that make this quick shift quickly and swiftly will survive. I wouldn’t say that agencies and other stakeholders in the system need to feel completely threatened by this new trend of brands making their videos. But since the industry is at a cusp of disruption now, some casualties are expected,” pointed out Vizeum India MD Shripad Kulkarni.
While there is growing enthusiasm to see more work like Paper Boat’s Rizwan and Bajaj’s Sons Of Vikrant, industry veterans are also cautioning brands against jumping the content marketing bandwagon simply out of the herd mentality. “Often we see that people absorb good content for its own sake and completely forget the brand. Therefore the story needs to be well integrated with what the brand stands for, therein the content will benefit the brand hugely,” shared Balki.
Echoing similar sentiments, Debuka added, “The primary requirement is how strongly enmeshed is your brand in the story. Whether it is told on television or digital or radio or even on the print platform. One has to ask if the brand can own that story. The content that a brand produces should be a natural extension of the brand communication. If that is not to be, then none of the mediums will work for the brand.”
