ITV

Tag: Roopak Saluja

  • Jack in the Box Worldwide and Tidal7 merge to form J7

    Jack in the Box Worldwide and Tidal7 merge to form J7

    MUMBAI:  Independent agencies Jack in the Box Worldwide and Tidal7 have sealed a merger, creating a new entity called J7 that aspires to be a “future-ready” marketing powerhouse. The combined agency will pool strengths in creative storytelling, branding, data intelligence and technology-led marketing to deliver integrated solutions for clients in India and beyond.

    Jack in the Box Worldwide, founded by Roopak Saluja, has built its reputation on social media campaigns, design and consumer research. Tidal7, launched by Venkat Mallik, carved out its niche with data-driven branding, digital analytics and multi-channel creative services. Together, the two outfits aim to position J7 as a partner that can blend cultural insight with measurable business outcomes.

    “This is a major inflection point in Jack in the Box Worldwide’s trajectory,” said Saluja, who will continue as founder and chairman. “By joining forces with Tidal7, we are enhancing our culture of creativity with world-class data intelligence and strategic depth. J7 is not just a new name — it is a manifestation of our shared commitment to solving our clients’ most complex challenges.”

    Mallik, who becomes J7’s founder and chief executive, underlined the agency’s growth ambitions: “We have always believed that the most powerful marketing solutions emerge when brand thinking, creativity and data intelligence work hand-in-hand. With J7, that belief takes on a new dimension. The aim is not just to create campaigns but to build growth ecosystems for clients, empower teams with advanced tools and lead in an AI-driven future.”

    J7 will place particular emphasis on AI-led innovation, new media formats and tech-integrated tools. Plans are under way to expand service offerings, develop industry-specific solutions and pursue growth both within India and overseas.

    Team J7

    The leadership bench will include Farhatnaz Ansari as managing partner, Sivaram Subramaniam as executive creative director and Vikram Srivastava as director of data and strategy. Both agencies’ existing clients will continue to be served without disruption, now aligned under the J7 vision.

    By marrying Jack in the Box Worldwide’s creative flair with Tidal7’s analytical rigour, J7 is betting that the next era of advertising belongs to agencies that can move as fast as technology — and as imaginatively as culture.

  • Jack In The Box Worldwide begins new era in content marketing with creative commerce

    Jack In The Box Worldwide begins new era in content marketing with creative commerce

    MUMBAI: The 120 Media Collective, an independent communications, and content groups, has made two major announcements. Jack in the Box Worldwide has launched a new business model that enables creative commerce for its clients and elevates Axon Alex and Rishi Sen to managing partners of the agency with Roopak Saluja moving into the role of Chairman.

    Changing the course on conventional digital advertising to go beyond traditional content marketing, JITB announced a new business model focused on delivering compelling content for its clients through a performance-based system, backed by analytics and data.

    To this effect, the agency also announced a new operational structure, which will be a first-of-its-kind in the industry. The new structure will see the merging of strategy and creative operations led by Axon, a seasoned planner with 12+ years of experience working across some of the best agency networks including Tribal DDB Worldwide and BBH. Through his career, he’s worked on world-renowned brands including RedBull, Axe, Magnum Ice cream, McDonalds, Idea Cellular and Tata Motors. Rishi Sen, who in 2018, had donned the hat of Chief of Staff at The 120 Media Collective, will now spearhead JITB’s complete client portfolio followed by Performance and Technology. Rishi also brings with him 11+ years of experience ranging from creating robust growth strategies and managing business operations to building technology-backed customer experience modules and corporate alliances.

    Commenting on the developments, The 120 Media Collective founder and chairman Roopak Saluja said, “When you’re navigating the flux of rapid digital evolution, honesty demands the occasional reworking of one’s vision and ensuing structure. Our recent journey of self-reflection revealed to us that while we claimed to be the antithesis to the incumbent agency model, our structure had begun to resemble that of a traditional agency. But now with our new data-backed business model, we move even closer to our holy grail of delivering measurable business impact for our clients. I’m super excited about this new chapter and the fact that Axe and Rishi are the ones leading it. They have sharp intellect and acumen, are extremely driven, complement each other perfectly and know exactly how to galvanize a team.”

    Jack in the Box Worldwide managing partner Axon Alex comments, “It’s an exciting time to be at Jack In The BoxWorldWide. I began my love affair with the internet as a web designer in the late 90s and doing strategic planning for over a decade helped me hone the important skill of understanding why audiences should care about what we do. Today as more ‘advertising’ is being shunned in favour of ad -blockers and better content coming from the creators and publishers on different social platforms I relish the challenge of translating ‘Unadvertising’ which is our agency DNA towards creating content that builds those genuine connections once again in ways that lead to building measurable value for brands.”

    Jack in the Box WorldWide managing partner Rishi Sen said, “Having spent over half a decade with JITB and The 120 Media Collective, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best creative professionals in the industry, while creating some award-winning campaigns along the way. As content consumption increases at an exponential rate, the need for content marketing is more than ever. Axon and I, with our combined expertise, have established a model that challenges traditional advertising practices. For the first time, we’ll be able to effectively drive commerce directly through content and start tracking ROI that goes way beyond just reach and engagement. Jack in the Box has always adapted its model to the ever-evolving digital landscape and I strongly believe that this sets us apart from almost any agency outfit I can think of.”

  • BANG BANG launches new avatar

    BANG BANG launches new avatar

    MUMBAI: Launched in 2006 by Roopak Saluja, BANG BANG disrupted the Indian commercials production industry by introducing international directorial talent to the market. Additionally, BANG BANG was also the first to introduce standard global processes like detailed transparent costing, etc.

    With an initial focus on visual storytelling, BANG BANG cornered the beauty and automotive advertising market by significantly raising the bar for production values in Indian advertising. Subsequently, it expanded its repertoire by serving as a home for iconic Indian directors like Dibakar Banerjee.

    Over the years, BANG BANG has produced iconic spots for brands like IKEA, Google, Pepsi, L’Oréal, Sony, Unilever, Indigo, Netflix and dozens of others with Ogilvy, JWT, Lowe Lintas, Dentsu Taproot, Wieden + Kennedy, BBH and many other agency partners.

    BANG BANG launched its new avatar earlier this year, working with Dentsu India on a mammoth production to deliver IKEA’s iconic India launch campaign, being rolled out across media over the coming months.

    To announce its #Production2020 mission and evolution, BANG BANG released this high-octane video last week across social media channels.

    BANG BANG founder and managing director and group CEO of The 120 Media Collective Roopak Saluja said, “It’s hard to overstate the extent of flux our industry has seen in recent years. But wait, there’s more coming. The world needs a recalibrated production model to cater to the needs of 2020. We at BANG BANG have been ramping up to this reality for years and are delivering it here and now in 2018, with commercials at the core but augmented capabilities, backed by a vast body of work, across content, photography, digital, interactive, gaming and more. The one constant is storytelling but there are now a thousand ways to get there.”

  • Tight deadlines holding Indian agencies back: Roopak Saluja, The 120 Media Collective

    Tight deadlines holding Indian agencies back: Roopak Saluja, The 120 Media Collective

    MUMBAI: Who can forget the catchy viral sensational song – Why This Kolaveri Di – from a few years ago? It might seem like just a song that went viral but the reality is far from that. The song has an interesting story.

    It was back in 2011 when Jack in the Box Worldwide, the digital agency brand of The 120 Media Collective, helmed by Roopak Saluja got a call from Sony Music to help them control the damage that was done when their upcoming movie, 3’s song had been leaked from the recording studio. That’s when a new viral marketing strategy was born.

    Soon enough, Jack in the Box Worldwide , Sony Music’s digital Agency of Record, decided to create an ‘official video’ of the song. Within 24 hours, the video was shot and humorously sub-titled, 12 hours after that the action began on social and 48 hours later, it was trending on Twitter.  The song to date has over 156 million views on YouTube.

    Why are we telling you this story though? Well, because it was Roopak Saluja and his team, who utilised the power of digital when Facebook and Twitter were still experiencing their nascent days in India.

    A former DJ, media businessman, an angel investor, owner of a record label in Europe, and an actor in few movies, Saluja has seen it all. While he originally wanted to become a writer, Saluja worked for six years in Y&R (Young and Rubicam) in Budapest and Ogilvy & Mather in Paris.

    Featured in Campaign India’s A-List of the Most Influential People in India’s advertising, media & marketing industry between 2010-2014, Saluja is founder and chief executive officer of The 120 Media Collective – a communications and content group comprising subsidiaries, Jack in the Box Worldwide, Sniper, Bang Bang Films and Sooperfly.

    Today, the agency handles digital and content marketing mandates for Unilever, PepsiCo, Reckitt Benckiser, Amazon, Novartis, Aditya Birla Group, Loreal, Indigo, Budweiser, IKEA and the Taj Group among others. It has been 12 years since he started his entrepreneurial journey in the advertising and media industry in India and a lot has changed ever since. While he was one of the earliest entrants in digital marketing, today we have over 150+ digital agencies in India. The challenges are shortcomings are more than ever before.

    Indiantelevision.com spoke to Saluja to understand the agency model, Indian creativity, use of technology by 2020 and more.

    You have always maintained that Jack In The Box is ‘premium priced’. Isn’t is hard for you to get clients in that scenario or are clients actually willing to spend that kind of an amount?

    Yes, we are premium in our pricing and that is because we know we deserve it for what we bring to the table. We do discuss the pricing before we start working for the client. And it is actually not about the size as not everyone has the appetite for it (big budget). It’s not always the big advertisers that spend a lot, there are also some smaller startups who are trying to build the brand and they will over invest.

    Larger clients today are reconsidering their investments and want to consolidate their spends in fewer agencies rather than having 10 different agencies on board doing 10 different things. Do you see that as a challenge?

    I think 10-15 years ago, getting marquee clients was considered good for an agency’s reputation and it was something everyone could brag about. Today, it has become hard for agencies to make money with large clients due to the rise of procurement. We had a large client that paid us well back in the day for the work we did for them but now they have changed their pricing value and pay us peanuts for the same kind of work.

    How do you view the work that comes out of India as compared to the rest of the world? Although we are getting there, so far we clearly aren’t winning a lot of awards at international film festivals.

    I think we definitely are getting there. The work that came out of India at Cannes this year was better than last year. What happens at Cannes usually is that you tend to support your home country’s work but when an Indian work comes up, the Indian jury is never happy with it. I don’t know if it’s the jealousy or what, but you won’t find Indians supporting a fellow Indian’s work.

    What is holding us back in terms of creativity?

    The biggest difference and what’s holding us back is not money and budget. Obviously, clients expect moon and stars for peanuts but it’s more importantly about time. What we Indian agencies get four weeks for, they (international agencies) get 14 weeks. In India, agencies are put under a lot of pressure to finish the creative under a tight deadline. When the pressure is put on agencies, that pressure is in turn put on the production team to finish off the final product soon. This results in a substandard quality of creative.

    Moving forward, do you think artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other technologies will become indispensable in ads, say 5 years from now?

    Use of technology will change the way we advertise now but the basics will still remain the same. Jack in the Box or digital agencies, in general, will no longer be called a ‘digital’ agency by 2020. Someone once said to me, “Digital marketing is dead, long live digital marketing!” Going forward, digital marketing will just be a way of advertising.

    What do you think will be the game changers for A&M in 2019?

    It will be a mix of technology and data. My brother has a PhD in AI and he laughs about what we call AI in our industry. I intend to deliver better business results with the technology. Content for business impact is really important for us. Everyone is looking at the effectiveness of budget and its accountability.

    Finally, what next for 120 Media Collective and what next for Roopak Saluja?

    I want 120 to be the most effective company in the marketing space. I want it to be effective, not the best, not most creative. When I say effective, I mean in terms of business results. I say company and not agency because the ability to do and deliver the results will not come only from agencies.  Who knows we may not even be an agency anymore as agency implies that you are a part of the advertising world. I don’t think this holy grail belongs to the advertising industry anymore. Accenture and other technology companies are going into play as marketing and technology start to converge and technology companies will have as much of a claim over those marketing budgets as agencies.

  • The 120 Media Collective announces top management changes

    The 120 Media Collective announces top management changes

    MUMBAI: Roopak Saluja’s  The 120 Media Collective, one of India’s most impactful digitally oriented agencies, has today announced senior level promotions within the organisation.

    Jack in the Box Worldwide president Kaizad Pardiwalla has been elevated to president and COO. Pardiwalla brings with him 24 years of experience in the advertising world and has been with The Leo Burnett Group, where he ran Orchard India; Lowe Lintas; Grey and Ogilvy, where he headed OgilvyOne nationally.  In addition to leading the content and communication group’s agency business, he will now oversee its integrated digital video content offering, as well as the scaling up of its content marketing and platforms client base.

    The 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja said, “As The 120 Media Collective moves into its next phase of growth, where creating content for business impact is our holy grail, it is imperative to allocate responsibility and build accountability across the group. Kaizad has been an exemplary partner to me and has led JITB to new heights since he came on board in 2016. Rishi and Praveen have proven their ability to inspire teams and get stuff done, allowing us to deliver the level of output that has come to be expected of us over time. This year has already been one of great momentum for 120MC, with new client acquisitions across financial services, healthcare and our traditional stronghold, FMCG. We have set lofty goals for ourselves for 2020 and these developments will take us a few steps closer in achieving them.”

    Integrated Operations associate director Rishi Sen has been promoted to chief of staff at The 120 Media Collective. Aside from leading traffic and internal operations, his new role entails working closely with Saluja and Pardiwalla to manage growth and innovation, strategic partnerships and corporate communications. Sen comes with 11 years of experience in media, events and advertising and has been at The 120 Media Collective for four years.

    Associate creative director Praveen Nair has been promoted to creative director, Jack in the Box Worldwide. Prior to JITB, Nair helmed the creative teams at Isobar and Grey Digital. Through his career, he has worked on multiple award winning campaigns on brands like Bournvita, Volkswagen and Tata Motors, to name a few. He will now lead JITB’s copy and social media teams, driving excellence across all of its clients.

  • Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Kaizad Pardiwalla as president

    Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Kaizad Pardiwalla as president

    MUMBAI: Integrated communications agency, Jack in the Box Worldwide, a part of The 120 Media Collective, has appointed Kaizad Pardiwalla as president, with the aim to lead its ambitious growth strategy. Kaizad, who joins from Orchard Advertising, where he was Chief Operating Officer. He will report to The 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja.

    An industry veteran, Kaizad started his career with Lowe Lintas and went on to hold leadership positions with Ogilvy & Mather, where he was National Head of OgilvyOne India, before joining Grey as Branch Head – Mumbai and subsequently moving to Orchard. In his career spanning over two decades, Kaizad has worked with brands such as Amazon, Wipro, Viacom 18, American Express, Cadbury, CISCO, Unilever, The Economist, Fiat, Ferrero and Vodafone, amongst others.

    Saluja commented on Kaizad’s appointment saying, “As Jack in the Box enters its next phase of growth as an integrated communications agency for the digital era, there’s a vital need for leadership with experience and stature; someone who can marshal all that we have at our disposal and beyond in terms of talent and technology to provide real business impact for our clients. Kaizad belongs to a rare breed of professionals, who couple a proven track record with the agility that’s integral to success in our business today and tomorrow. And I’m super excited to have him as a key partner in The 120 Media Collective’s quest for impact across the South/South-East Asia region.”

    On his new appointment, Kaizad said, “Today digital has become crucial for every brand to stay relevant. Jack in the Box Worldwide, with its digital first approach is a leader when it comes to assisting brands strike a chord with their target audience. I’m really excited to lead this extremely creative and talented team at Jack in the Box. We are here to provide business solutions for brands backed by strong ideas and insights into consumer behaviour. The vision is to create path breaking ideas that are media agnostic and which deliver results for our clients in the marketplace. With content and platforms coming into their own, these are very exciting times for us at JITB and there will be a lot to watch out for!”

  • Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Kaizad Pardiwalla as president

    Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Kaizad Pardiwalla as president

    MUMBAI: Integrated communications agency, Jack in the Box Worldwide, a part of The 120 Media Collective, has appointed Kaizad Pardiwalla as president, with the aim to lead its ambitious growth strategy. Kaizad, who joins from Orchard Advertising, where he was Chief Operating Officer. He will report to The 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja.

    An industry veteran, Kaizad started his career with Lowe Lintas and went on to hold leadership positions with Ogilvy & Mather, where he was National Head of OgilvyOne India, before joining Grey as Branch Head – Mumbai and subsequently moving to Orchard. In his career spanning over two decades, Kaizad has worked with brands such as Amazon, Wipro, Viacom 18, American Express, Cadbury, CISCO, Unilever, The Economist, Fiat, Ferrero and Vodafone, amongst others.

    Saluja commented on Kaizad’s appointment saying, “As Jack in the Box enters its next phase of growth as an integrated communications agency for the digital era, there’s a vital need for leadership with experience and stature; someone who can marshal all that we have at our disposal and beyond in terms of talent and technology to provide real business impact for our clients. Kaizad belongs to a rare breed of professionals, who couple a proven track record with the agility that’s integral to success in our business today and tomorrow. And I’m super excited to have him as a key partner in The 120 Media Collective’s quest for impact across the South/South-East Asia region.”

    On his new appointment, Kaizad said, “Today digital has become crucial for every brand to stay relevant. Jack in the Box Worldwide, with its digital first approach is a leader when it comes to assisting brands strike a chord with their target audience. I’m really excited to lead this extremely creative and talented team at Jack in the Box. We are here to provide business solutions for brands backed by strong ideas and insights into consumer behaviour. The vision is to create path breaking ideas that are media agnostic and which deliver results for our clients in the marketplace. With content and platforms coming into their own, these are very exciting times for us at JITB and there will be a lot to watch out for!”

  • Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Abinandan Bose as creative director

    Jack in the Box Worldwide appoints Abinandan Bose as creative director

    MUMBAI: Integrated communications agency, Jack in the Box Worldwide, has strengthened its creative offering with the appointment of Abinandan Bose as the creative director. Bose will manage and oversee the copy, design and social media teams, and will report to the soon to be announced president of Jack in the Box Worldwide.

    Bose brings with him almost 12 years of rich experience from his previous stints at JWT, MRM//McCann and Adfactors PR. Over the years, he has been instrumental in conceptualizing and delivering on creative mandates for brands such as AEGON Religare, Reid & Taylor, Zoom TV, Smirnoff, ITC, Taj Luxury, SBI, and Goa Tourism to name a few.

    The 120 Media Collective CEO Roopak Saluja said, “Abinandan joins Jack in the Box Worldwide at a point in our evolution where we need someone of his calibre and experience to take our creative product to the next level as an integrated communications agency for 2020. I’m personally very excited about what he brings to the party. Watch this space for more in the weeks ahead.”

    “In the clutter of digital agencies and integrated solution providers, it is a breathtaking opportunity to be appointed as a curator of a clear vision and a highly energetic creative culture. I am excited to be a part of this idea called Jack in the Box. Also, the talented bunch at JITB, gives me confidence that we can shine through as one of the brightest stars in the beautiful world of advertising,” Bose added.