Tag: Rin

  • Adman Diwan Arun Nanda, co-founder of Rediffusion, passes away

    Adman Diwan Arun Nanda, co-founder of Rediffusion, passes away

    MUMBAI: Diwan Arun Nanda, one of Indian advertising’s towering figures and co-founder of the agency Rediffusion, passed away this week in Mumbai. He was 76.

    Born in 1948, Nanda cut his teeth at Hindustan Lever after graduating as a gold medallist from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His early work included the lightning-bolt logo for Rin detergent, which seared itself into household memory.

    In 1973, with Ajit Balakrishnan and Mohammed Khan, he set up Rediffusion, thumbing his nose at the global giants then ruling the market. A coup soon came with Eveready’s transistor-battery campaign—“The chosen one”—that announced the firm’s creative muscle.

    Over the next decades Nanda steered Rediffusion into the premier league, wooing clients from telecoms to fast-moving consumer goods. His fame rested not just on catchy slogans but on fierce integrity. When a magazine failed to deliver on claims hyped in its ads, he promptly gave up the account, unwilling to mislead.

    Nanda’s reach went well beyond Madison Avenue. He advised prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s, forged a tie-up with Young & Rubicam, and sat on the boards of Air India, Eveready, Kingfisher Airlines and Yes Bank. Colleagues remember him as a demanding mentor who valued clarity and principles as much as creativity.

    “Rediffusion’s journey was a dream run,” he once said. His death marks the close of an era in Indian advertising—an era of audacity, pride in home-grown talent, and the rare refusal to compromise.

  • Rin celebrates India’s first Olympic fencer in its latest TVC

    Mumbai: Rin, one of the oldest detergent brands from the house of Hindustan Unilever has unveiled its latest commercial celebrating the rise of India’s first woman fencing champion, C.A. Bhavani Devi. Earlier in March, Devi scripted history by becoming the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics to be held in Tokyo next month.

    The TVC dwells on the Chennai-born athlete’s journey of grit and determination through the struggles to keep her sporting dreams alive. Fencing being an expensive sport, she had no access to good equipment during her initial years. The ad conceptualised by Ogilvy India showcases the sacrifices made by her parents so she never had to compromise on her training. In the one-minute-long film, Bhavani, who is the youngest of five siblings recounts how her mother pawned her jewellery when the going got tough so that she did not have to give up on her passion for fencing.

    Narrating her story, the video begins with the fencing champion addressing the viewer with a disarming question ‘Have you ever given away gold to earn gold?’ Hailing from a middle-class background and having chosen a relatively lesser-known sport of fencing, Bhavani had to endure not just financial hindrances but also gender stereotypes and jibes from society on nurturing ‘affluent ambitions’.

    The film showcases Bhavani Devi clinching the gold medal in the Sabre event at the Senior Commonwealth Fencing championship 2018 held in Canberra, Australia. In the process, Devi also became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth championship.

    The ‘Ab Waqt hai chamakne ka‘ (Now’s the time to shine) campaign concludes with her triumphant, but heartwarming declaration, “Dekho maa, main sona vapis le aayi.” (Look mom, I got your gold back).

    The film, produced by Little Lamb Films and directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji, showcases the athlete’s stubborn confidence in herself and her ability to make it big, despite humble beginnings.

    Commenting on the campaign launch, Hindustan Unilever Ltd Home Care- executive director & VP Prabha Narasimhan says, “Rin has been an integral part of Indian households for over five decades now and has stood for people who are unwilling to be defined by preset roles and have the courage to pursue their dreams, undeterred by their socio-economic backgrounds. The brand stands for supporting and celebrating the progress seeker, individuals who pursue their dreams and demonstrate courage to rescript their destiny. Through our latest campaign, ‘Ab Waqt hai chamakne ka‘, we endeavoured to showcase the glorious journey of Bhavani Devi, her mother’s sacrifices, and their collective success and in the process inspire millions of others to keep persevering in their dreams, despite the odds. The essence of our brand aligns beautifully with such extraordinary stars who have risen from ordinary lives.”

    He adds, “We salute Bhavani for her dedication and wish her good luck as she prepares to represent India in Olympics 2021.”

    Having booked her berth for the Olympics, the champion fencer is now all set to make her mark in the international event.

  • Colors Tamil’s ‘Kodeeswari’ ropes in Colgate as presenting sponsor

    Colors Tamil’s ‘Kodeeswari’ ropes in Colgate as presenting sponsor

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s Tamil general entertainment channel, Colors Tamil is all set to launch Kodeeswari starting 23 December. The show adapts the popular television game format of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire to have only female contestants with the aim of empowering women from all walks of life, and give wings to small dreams. The show has bagged Colgate as the presenting sponsor, with overall seven sponsor in their bucket. On the video-on-demand platform VOOT, the show has roped in Medlife as the online pharmacy partner while Nippon Paint has come on board as the co- powered by sponsor.

    Last week the channel has announced six sponsors coming on board of Kodeeswari- Nippon Paint, Arun Excello and RIN as powered by sponsors; Kotak Mahindra Bank as the banking partner; and Tamil Matrimony App and Helo App as special partners.

    The show will be hosted by the iconic superstar of Tamil Cinema, Radikaa Sarathkumar and in a first ever, there will be only women on the Hot Seat. Even before the launch, the show has witnessed a lot of attention from brands across categories.

    Viacom18  network sales head Mahesh Shetty says, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has been a trailblazer on television and has been loved by audiences across the world and in India. Being the first ever all-women edition, our endeavour through this show is to encourage strong willed women to challenge stereotypes and live their dreams. Kodeeswari has garnered a lot of attention and interest even before its launch, not only among viewers but also brands. The purpose of this show is so focused and powerful that we have a plethora of brands which have jumped on board across platforms. We have roped in seven sponsors for the show on Colors Tamil. For VOOT, the show has caught the attention of brands with two sponsors. We have also secured five sponsors for our international feed which will take this show to Tamil audiences in Singapore, Malaysia and USA.”

    VOOT will keep its digital viewers attuned with  various opportunities to Watch, Play Along and Win every day! With interactive offerings such as Play Along on VOOT , presented by Medlife, the users can enjoy the thrill of the game show by participating and simultaneously matching their power of knowledge with the contestants on the hot seat, and win prizes every day. Furthermore, viewers will get a chance to win Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot, sponsored by Nippon Paint.  The viewers will have to log on to VOOT to answer the question and the first person to answer will be chosen as the winner.

    For its international feed, Colors Tamil has roped in Sivanesan Company (Premier Range of Products) as the Title sponsor, while the show is being powered by Gits (Gits Foods). In addition to this, Tamil Nadu Tourism- Enchanting Tamil Nadu and GMT (GMT Jewellers) have come on board as Special Partners while Gooday Beauty Parlour has been roped in as the Grooming Partner.

    Kodeeswari will go on-air starting 23 December at 8 pm from Monday-Friday on Colors Tamil and Viacom18’s video-on-demand platform VOOT.

  • Colors Tamil ropes in six sponsors for  ‘Kodeeswari’; premiere on Dec 23

    Colors Tamil ropes in six sponsors for ‘Kodeeswari’; premiere on Dec 23

    MUMBAI: Colors Tamil and Studio Next are all set to premiere the all-women edition of ‘Kodeeswari’ from December 23 at 8 pm onwards every Monday to Friday. The show has also roped in brands like Nippon Paint, Arun Excello and RIN along with Kotak Mahindra Bank as Banking Partner and Tamil Matrimony App and Helo App as Special Partners. 

    Kodeeswari is produced by Studio Next, the production house of Sony Pictures Networks. Studio Next holds the license of the format, for all Indian languages and has produced more than 1,800 episodes of the show across nine languages.  

    “The Tamil market is an incubator for path-breaking content, be it in films, art, print or television. COLORS Tamil has, since its inception, pushed the boundary in terms of innovative content – through the stories we tell and through the way we tell them,” said  Viacom18 regional entertainment cluster head Ravish Kumar adding, “How apt a homage to the culture and ethos of this market that one of the world’s most successful format shows ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ will go in for a global first with an all-women version on COLORS Tamil. Because we at COLORS Tamil believe that hearts which beat for others, should not forget to beat for themselves.” 

    Expressing delight on putting together such a purposeful show said COLORS Tamil business head Anup Chandrasekharan, “It gives us great pleasure to put together this experiential stage that will empower women who are smart, aware and knowledgeable. We have had an overwhelming participation from the Tamil speaking women across the nation whose life stories are heroic in their own unique way. While the format of the game remains unchanged, our endeavour is to encourage strong-willed women to challenge stereotypes and emerge victorious. We are happy to have on-boarded the indomitable superstar Radikaa Sarathkumar in this journey who will multitask as a host, a friend and a guide.”

    The popular television game format will see host Radikaa Sarathkumar quiz contestants on the Hot Seat 15 questions with prize money ranging from ₹1000 to ₹1 crore. If a contestant successfully answers all 15 questions correctly, she will be awarded a prize money of Rs 1 crore. During the play the contestants get to take 4 help-lines namely, 50-50, Audience Poll, Ask the Expert and Flip to survive through the game.

    Radikaa Sarathkumar who has over 300 films across several languages to her credit said on hosting a distinctive concept like Kodeeswari, “The thought of making an ordinary woman a ‘Kodeeswari’ is extremely gratifying. Forty years back when I had made my debut, I too had dreams in my heart and small desires which grew over the years which I fulfilled with my work and I can see the same vision in each of these contestants.
    And I am glad that this platform is there for them to take a huge leap in fulfilling their dreams and desires.”

    On this occasion, Studio Next head Indranil Chakraborty said, “This year Studio Next is completely in charge of this iconic show across the languages, making Tamil the 6th launch for the year 2019. While the game has been evolving through the years, this is the first time we are going to have an all women contestant show in Kodeeswari. This season will give all the women a great opportunity to take the front seat and drive their
    dreams forward with their knowledge.”

    COLORS Tamil viewers can now download the VOOT app and Watch, Play Along and Win every day! This time around VOOT – India’s 2nd biggest premium AVOD platform, gives the digital audiences a chance to not only win Gold Coins everyday with “Watch and Play Kodeeswari on VOOT” but also gives them a shot at reaching the Kodeeswari Hotseat – a real time opportunity for highly engaged fans to reach the Hot Seat via VOOT’s interactivity gameplay. Upping the entertainment experience further for the digital natives, VOOT will also bring to life exclusive videos showcasing the contestants stories.

    Leaving no stone unturned for the promotion of the show, COLORS Tamil has designed a 360-degree marketing and promotional campaign with touchpoints across On-ground, Outdoor, Radio, Print, Cross channel and Digital.

  • Q1-2016: HUL y-o-y marketing spends up 22%

    Q1-2016: HUL y-o-y marketing spends up 22%

    BENGALURU:  Indian FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Limited’s (HUL) Advertisement and Promotions expense (marketing spends, ASP) in Q1-2016 (quarter ended 30 June, 2015) was 22.1 per cent more at Rs 1153.39 crore (14.2 per cent of Total Income from operations or TIO, approximately $181.4 million) than the Rs 944.88 crore (12.2 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 12.2 per cent more than the Rs 1027.89 crore (13.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

    Note: (1) 100 lakh = 100,00,000 = 1 crore = 10 million.

    (2) All figures in this report are standalone figures filed by the company. The trends are based on the numbers submitted by the company or picked up from the company’s website. For performance of HUL’s various product lines please refer to the attached earnings release for Q1-2016.

    (3) The US dollar figures are approximately based on a conversion rate of 1US$ = Rs 63.57.The converted numbers have been rounded off.

    HUL chairman Harish Manwani said, “In a subdued market environment, the business delivered another quarter of healthy volume led growth and strong improvement in operating margin. We are particularly pleased with the stepped up momentum in personal products and the sustained double digit performance in packaged foods. With the near term outlook largely dependent on pickup in rural markets and commodity costs expected to remain benign with little or no price growth across select categories, our focus will be to drive market development and simultaneously deliver cost efficiencies to sustain profitable volume led growth.”

    Advertising and Sales Promotion trends

    As a matter of fact, HUL’s ASP in Q1-2016 is the highest during a 13 quarter period starting Q1-2013 until Q1-2016, both in terms of percentage of TIO and in absolute rupees. During the period under consideration in this report, ASP in absolute rupee spends shows a marked linear increasing trend, while ASP in percentage of TIO terms shows a slight linear increasing trend, though more marked than until the previous quarter. The company’s lowest ASP was in Q2-2013 at Rs 768.98 crore  (12.2 per cent of TIO) in absolute rupee spends during the period under consideration, while the lowest in terms of percentage of TIO was in Q4-2014 at 11.8 per cent of TIO (Rs 840.34 crore). Please refer to Fig A below.

    If the company follows the trends of the past three fiscals, at least one or more quarter in FY-2016 will see higher ASP in terms of absolute rupees than Q1-2016.

    HUL Revenue and PAT

    HUL reported five per cent growth in TIO in Q1-2016 at Rs 8105.13 crore as compared to the Rs 7716.34 crore in Q1-2015 and reported 5.6 per cent growth as compared to the Rs 7094.01 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The company’s TIO shows a linear increasing trend as indicated by the broken blue trend line in Fig B below. TIO in Q1-2016 is the highest reported by the company during the 13 quarter period under consideration in this report.

    HUL’s PAT in Q1-2016 was almost flat (higher by 0.2 per cent) at Rs 1059.14 crore (13.1 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 1056.85 crore (13.7 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding quarter of last year and was four per cent more than the Rs 1018.08 crore (13.3 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015. During the period under consideration, HUL’s highest PAT was in Q1-2013 at Rs 1331.19 crore (20.9 per cent of TIO), both in terms of absolute rupees and in percentage of TIO. While PAT in absolute rupees shows a linear increasing trend as indicated by the broken pink trend line in Fig B below, while in terms of percentage of TIO, the linear trend is declining as indicated by the broken yellow line below.

    HUL Speak: Category and brand growth 

    HUL says that during Q1-2016, its domestic consumer business grew at five per cent, with six per cent underlying volume growth. The growth in the quarter was impacted by the phasing out of excise duty incentives and price de-growth, as the benefit of lower commodity costs was passed on to consumers.

    Soaps and Detergents

    In Skin Cleansing, the performance was driven by the premium segment, with Dove and Lifebuoy Handwash delivering strong growth.

    In Laundry, Surf maintained its strong volume led growth momentum with broad based double digit growth. Rin did well on the bars portfolio, while Comfort Fabric Conditioners delivered another quarter of high growth on sustained market development.

    In Household Care, Vim delivered double digit volume growth, driven by the tubs and liquids formats.

    The quarter witnessed further price deflation across these categories given benign input costs.

    Personal Products

    Skin Care delivered broad based volume led growth across Fair and Lovely, Pond’s, Lakme and Vaseline. Fair and Lovely saw an encouraging response to the newly launched BB cream. Pond’s performance was led by premium skin lightening and facewash while Lakme’s growth was buoyed by CC Cream, Perfect Radiance and new innovations.

    Hair Care maintained its strong volume led growth momentum. Dove growth accelerated further, while Clinic Plus, Sunsilk and TRESemmé continued to deliver robust growth.

    In Oral Care, Close Up grew in double digit, supported by impactful market activation. In Pepsodent, the Gum Care and Clove & Salt variants continued to do well, with the latter been extended nationally during the quarter.

    In Colour Cosmetics, Lakme sustained its strong innovation led performance across the core, Absolute and 9 to 5 ranges.

    Beverages

    Tea delivered double digit growth with healthy volumes, led by Red Label and another strong quarter on Lipton Green Tea. In Coffee, Bru Gold sustained its robust growth momentum.

    Packaged Foods

    Market development continues to be the key driver of growth in this segment says HUL. Kissan delivered one of its strongest quarters as growth accelerated across both ketchups and jams. Knorr grew despite a sharp market slowdown in the quarter, led by instant soups. Ice creams registered double digit growth, driven by sharper in-market execution on Kwality Walls and the extension of Magnum to new cities.

    Water

    Pureit sustained its growth ahead of a slowing durables market, with premium devices delivering another quarter of double digit growth. The category performance continued to be led by modern trade, ecommerce and Perfect Stores

    Click here to read the unaudited financial statement