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Tag: talented

  • XYXX launches new campaign with KL Rahul

    XYXX launches new campaign with KL Rahul

    Mumbai: XYXX, India’s Premium men’s lifestyle label, launches Ultimate Undie-pendence, a new innovative campaign featuring brand ambassador and investor, KL Rahul highlighting a pervasive issue that has long been overlooked: men’s enduring discomfort with conventional cotton underwear, which has been normalized as a way of life.

    Conceptualised by Talented and produced by First December Films, the campaign portrays a dystopian world where men are physically shackled by their underwear, struggling with basic tasks due to perpetual discomfort.

    The campaign opens with KL Rahul looking perplexed at this world where men are going about their day in discomfort and are struggling at every step – be it riding a bike, lifting weights at the gym, or even being able to work. Once KL acknowledges the problem, he immediately orders XYXX TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear for all so they can experience “Undie-pendence,”. We can see men grooving and rejoicing in their newfound ‘Azaadi’ from discomfort. Backed by a soundtrack produced by Varkey exclusively for the campaign, the brand film calls is a call for Undie-pendence, a compelling term Team Talented has playfully coined to describe a state of liberation and freedom from discomfort caused by your innerwear.

    The campaign emphasizes the transformative impact and importance of comfortable underwear on one’s daily experience. XYXX TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear is the last word in comfort, enhanced with AirMax, 4-way Stretch and CloudSoft. Re-emphasizing that the superlative comfort a man will experience in his XYXX TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear will ensure he makes the switch and truly feels the underwear upgrade.

    XYXX’s initiative aims to spark conversation and shift perceptions, urging men to explore new-age, superior TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear over traditional cotton. By showcasing the stark contrast between the constrained world of traditional underwear and the freedom XYXX TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear offers, the campaign prompts men to make the switch. XYXX encourages men to leap by offering trials and samples, facilitating the transition to a more comfortable lifestyle. Through this campaign, XYXX strives to solve a prevalent yet overlooked problem, enhancing men’s everyday comfort and well-being.

    Commenting on the new brand film, XYXX chief of brand & culture Petal Gangurde said, “Your choice of underwear pretty much sets the tone for your entire day. It is a pity that most men in India even today continue to wear ill-fitting, uncomfortable basic cotton underwear.

    We had to make men sit up and take notice of how their current underwear makes them feel – stuck and shackled and that led us to this incredibly rich space of ‘Undie-pendence’. The one constant consumer feedback we have received over the years is that once someone wore an XYXX TENCEL™ Modal Micro-made underwear, they were never going back to their previous brand and with this campaign we want men to break free from  We want every man to experience that superlative difference and to truly feel unparalleled comfort and undie-pendence.

    “The idea of externalizing comfort started as a joke. No one has imagined underwear as cufflinks ever before. Not even in the weirdest parts of the internet! What started with us taking photos of underwear-tied hands from different angles to seeing it take shape on an artboard, to finally seeing hundreds of actors sport it on screen, it has been an exciting journey. This sci-fi underwear musical is an example of how the smallest thought starters reach impossible creative lengths!” – Talented creatives Devargh Mukherjee and Sohan Ray.

    “Bringing alive the feeling of relief from uncomfortable underwear had to be as exciting as externalising it with underwear cuffs. So we imagined a Nolan-esque dystopian sequence where thousands of underwear get pulled away from their hands, get sucked into the sky, and a gazillion XYXX packs rain right into their palms,” said First December Films director Shiv Parameswaran, The campaign extends beyond the film, integrating innovative outdoor ads leveraging OOH through buses and trains and on-ground activations fostering impactful extensions and engagement in a receptive environment. This will be further amplified through a pan-India BTL activation that reinforces its commitment to diverse demographics, ensuring broad visibility.

    XYXX’s latest campaign marks a groundbreaking stride in revolutionizing innerwear advertising. By shifting away from tired stereotypes and showcasing the relatable experiences of everyday individuals, XYXX invites consumers to reconsider their choice of innerwear. With a focus on comfort, quality, and style, XYXX’s innovative approach encourages people to make the switch to superior innerwear, providing a tangible u

    pgrade to their daily lives.

    Featured in this campaign, XYXX announces the addition of its cool, new Volt collection to best sellers in TENCEL Modal Micro like Illuminati, Urbane, Flux and Dualist among others. 

  • PokerBaazi launches its ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ campaign

    PokerBaazi launches its ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ campaign

    Mumbai: PokerBaazi has released its latest brand campaign, ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’. The campaign features the company’s brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor. The campaign intricately highlights how every Indian possesses innate Poker skills that are part of their day-to-day interactions and can be leveraged to become a Poker player.

    Conveying the core message ‘Jo life mein khelta hai wo Poker bhi khel sakta hai’, the ads are filmed satirically to capture how the protagonist (Shahid Kapoor) uses skills that are often used in Poker, like quick thinking, outsmarting the opponent, reading people, calculating on the go, acting under pressure and calling a bluff, during various real life situations which make people around him believe that he is a Poker player.

    Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Baazi Games founder and CEO Navkiran Singh shared, “Poker is a mind sport and through our messaging we have been able to establish the fact that like any other sport even Poker requires certain skills. In our latest campaign we are talking about a simple fact that we, as Indians, possess some of these skills which we use in our daily lives. You can use them to play Poker and at the same time playing Poker can make you get better at these life skills.”

    The campaign has been conceptualized in collaboration with the creative agency Talented. The brand films will be aired during the ongoing Indian Premier League on Jio. The campaign will also feature an exhaustive OOH presence across cities.

    PokerBaazi since its inception has been reiterating the precedence of skill and strategy when playing Poker. Recently, the company successfully hosted the 2024 edition of India’s biggest Poker series- National Poker Series India in which people from 23 states won 450 prestigious Poker medals. Recording over 80 per cent Y-o-Y growth in participation with over 2.3 Lac entries, the tournament series is a testament to the speedy growth of Poker in India. PokerBaazi’s latest brand campaign is bound to grow the category in India further.

  • Jackie Shroff, Shankar Mahadevan, and Prabhu Deva ‘seen’ like never before in MakeMyTrip’s quirky #AsliStar campaign

    Jackie Shroff, Shankar Mahadevan, and Prabhu Deva ‘seen’ like never before in MakeMyTrip’s quirky #AsliStar campaign

    Mumbai: Amidst the high-octane advertising mélange that is the IPL season, MakeMyTrip’s latest campaign truly stands out. India’s leading online travel company plays on the much-expounded benefits of ‘star power’ albeit with a twist, where the stars signed for the campaign never really show their face.

    The campaign comprises four films starring Bollywood actors – Jackie Shroff, dancer & actor Prabhu Deva, Grammy-winning singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan. Each of these personalities are so distinct in their style, voice and attitude that anyone familiar with their work will recognise them even without seeing their face. MakeMyTrip plays on this insight to showcase the platform as the ‘Asli Star’ (real hero) of the campaign, highlighting the benefits of booking hotels and homestays on the platform. Jackie dada drops Shakespeare-sque gems about maximising on life’s experiences whether on a trip or beyond; Prabhu Deva shares his love for dancing with abandon especially when your hotel room has all the amenities conducive to it; and Shankar Mahadevan sings breathlessly to cover the myriad offers available on the platform. A fourth film featuring two cricketing legends will go live later this week. Peppered into the ad films are inside jokes for the delight of true fans, and lovers of internet culture which audiences would love to keep their eyes peeled for.

    MakeMyTrip chief marketing officer and CBO – Corporate Raj Rishi Singh said, “When it comes to advertising, our goal is to keep upping the ante on the quirk-factor or the humour in our campaigns. Easily relatable situations, characters and people are brought into the fold of the brand’s communication but with a distinct MakeMyTrip edge. For this campaign too, we wanted to spotlight our fabulous hotels and homestays offerings with an equally fabulous star cast. It turns out that each of the personalities in our 4 films are real-life patrons of our platform. This information and their own distinct personal styles combined really brought our vision to fruition.”

    This creative campaign has been conceptualised by the creative agency Talented and directed by Suresh Triveni, Open Image and Radhika Produces Films. Talented creative Pearl Alex said “How bold the client, and how humble the celebrity, who hears a concept like this and says yes! Credit to co-founder & CCO P.G. Aditya for not just the creative device, but also letting no one shy away from it. We wanted to work with talent who had stories & personalities bigger than their face value, and an even bigger heart to attempt this format. All the inside jokes and ‘was that really him?’ moments in each film were intentional for rewatchability. If you’re going to see an ad umpteen times, we may as well make it fun, giving you something new to spot each time!”

    The first three films are live on television and across all social platforms. 

  • Talented launches second UI-centric film for Swiggy – Table for 2

    Talented launches second UI-centric film for Swiggy – Table for 2

    Mumbai: Last year, Swiggy and Talented supplied the internet with fuzzies during Valentine’s week with an endearing love story of Aashna and Raghav, who met through an order placed to the ‘Wrong Address’.

    In its second season, Swiggy has again released a UI-based film, but this time it is about two 60-something empty nesters, who find their love and their way back to each other, with a little help from Swiggy. In the world of right swipes and ghosting, this film focuses on an old-school love that has a track record of 40 plus years of being together.

    Swiggy VP–marketing Aparna Giridhar said, “The trend of talking to the youngest lot for Valentine’s day isn’t new. And since a few years, supporting singles during V Day has emerged as a theme. But we know there is a rise in people using Swiggy for their parents, and teaching their parents how to use it, in their absence. Convenience is a universal need. More so for this specific cohort. And so, Swiggy’s role in their life feels like the newest but the most necessary addition. And while the product story is about convenience, the product truth story is about bringing joy to love stories, no matter what age.”

    “Writing this film, of all things, has been cathartic. My maternal and paternal grandparents lost their respective partners very early on, so I never got to see the shapes and forms geriatric love can take. Had they been here, I believe this would be it – love residing not in grand gestures but in ordering an audaciously simple vegetable chopper,” said Talented creative and Table For 2’s writer Malvika Thirani.

    Talented producer Neil Mathew added, “There’s enough research on how adopting a pet has a positive impact on the mood and well-being of empty nesters. And so, the film’s ending isn’t a radical one, but a believable one. While there’s so much all of us have borrowed from our own family experiences for this, Pooja Manek and Prashant Gopalakrishnan from our team have also played the role of regional reps to make sure the story is authentic culturally too.”

    Table For 2’s director duo Rohan and Sanjana said “The love that Wrong Address received last year set the tone for this year’s love story. We knew that no matter who the protagonists are, ‘feels’ have to be our main character. Getting to further this IP with a senior story felt like just the right next step. Biggest props to our animator, Vaishnav Menon who only bettered the project with his insights. Our parents approved the film before the brand did, which says a lot about craft that’s crafted with care.”

  • Goibibo announces Kareena Kapoor Khan as brand ambassador

    Goibibo announces Kareena Kapoor Khan as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Goibibo, one of India’s leading travel brands, stands for its youth-oriented offerings and campaigns. So, when it came to choosing the new face for the brand, Goibibo went back to the recommendations made by its core audience set.  

    In a stellar illustration of two-way communication between a brand and its audience, Goibibo announces Kareena Kapoor Khan aka Bebo as its new brand ambassador. This announcement coincides with the launch of Goibibo’s new campaign – Hotels aise on Goibibo, full marks by Bebo’ – and a new adapted social media identity. The brand integrates cues from the actor’s most memorable roles and her name in real life to its own personality thereby converging the brand and the brand ambassador like never before.

     

     

    To bolster the announcement, Goibibo has also launched a new brand film that gives voice to the main character energy of every Indian traveller with Kareena’s famous ‘Poo’ as the mouthpiece. Goibibo chief marketing officer Raj Rishi Singh further explained, “We all have a main character energy to our personalities which becomes especially prominent when we are on our travel breaks. With Kareena Kapoor Khan, the brand not only gives representation to this facet of our personality but also seamlessly integrates the brand and the ambassador into a cohesive voice.  Our larger campaign speaks to the evolving expectations of Indian travellers and the increasing expectations from all operators in the space. We are hopeful that our audience will be as excited as we are for this new chapter for Goibibo.”  

    Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “It’s such a delight to be the new face of Goibibo, or should we call it ‘Goibebo’? Among all the roles I’ve played on screen, Poo has been one character that has been an all-time audience favourite, even after all these years! It’s fascinating to see how Goibibo has taken such a beloved character and infused it into their new, fun campaign. Becoming Poo again, twenty years later, was such fun and it reminded me that there’s a bit of ‘Poo’ in every Indian traveller… after all, who doesn’t want to have the best holiday! So, what are you waiting for? Because ‘Poo’ has already given her seal of approval!”

    Goibibo stands firmly committed to maintaining impeccable standards and the latest campaign speaks to this goal. Bebo’s charisma, enduring popularity and high standards perfectly align with Goibibo’s mission to make sure accommodations listed on the platform are authentic, and there is no expectation and delivery mismatch.  Whether it’s Poo, or an everyman, with Goibibo one can rest assured with ‘Bebo’s’ seal of approval.

    The film has been conceptualised by Talented and executed by Dharma 2.0.

    Founding partner Priyanka Borah and Talented founding member & creative Binaifer Dulani said, “When we uncovered that the Indian consumer wants to be treated like a main character, from the movies, when on vacation – it instantly connected the dots for us, and gave birth to Goibebo. While the Poo character is iconic and has been leveraged in different ways, the strategic soundness makes this special, and its familiarity in a new context makes it memorable.”

    Dharma 2.0 founder Punit Malhotra said, “There is an inherent stickiness to ‘goibibo’ and ‘bebo’ that will stay in the mind of the audiences. Poo is an unforgettable character, and it’s an honour to revive her quintessential sassiness, in a brand-new context to speak to the Indian masses.”

  • Priyanka Borah, Prashant Gopalakrishnan join Talented as founding partners

    Priyanka Borah, Prashant Gopalakrishnan join Talented as founding partners

    Mumbai: Talented, the independent agency founded by Gautam Reghunath & PG Aditiya.has brought onboard Dentsu Webchutney’s Priyanka Borah and Prashant Gopalakrishnan as founding partners to lead business strategy.

    In a statement, Prashant Gopalakrishnan said, “We bought into Gautam & PG’s vision of building an agency centred around talent the moment we heard about it. My experience and my gut tells me that’s what clients expect from their creative agencies too: access to the best talent in the market. Over the last few years, conversations in our industry have been circling around the looming irrelevance of agencies in the new marketing landscape.”

    He further added, “At the same time, no longer do people in advertising take pride in unnecessarily long work-days and not getting what they truly deserve either. All things considered, the agency experience itself is long overdue for a serious reimagination like Gautam often says. Talented is in many ways an experiment to bring back the love for the agency business, by trying to go about everything we do in a fresh way.”

    Gopalakrishnan joined Webchutney in 2015 after stints at Leo Burnett, Contract and Capital. He was named Dentsu Webchutney’s first ever managing partner in 2020 under then Webchutney CEO & now Talented co-founder Gautam Reghunath. “Together at Webchutney, we achieved a lot of things we never even dreamed of accomplishing. Personally, I’ve been wanting a new challenge. That, plus the chance to build something again with people we love makes this opportunity even more exciting,” Gopalakrishnan added.

    Priyanka Borah joined Dentsu Webchutney in 2017 and was last leading the agency’s business team as senior vice president. During her five years there, she helped drive work for clients including Google, Uber, Airtel, ITC, YouTube amongst others. About her new role, she said, “Working with Gautam & PG at Webchutney was a rewarding experience. And joining them now as founding partner is as great a privilege, as it is a challenge. Prashant and I are here to ensure that the business itself becomes as successful as it can be. That means structuring ourselves internally to consistently deliver great work for clients. Simultaneously, we’ve got very clear ideas & share the same dream about the kind of company that we want to build together: one that stands for creativity, transparency and respect for talent. Stay true to those principles and I know the clients will follow.”

    “In the agency business today, there are systemic barriers to a sustainable work experience for employees that need to be eradicated, so that’s an additional area of focus. We want to be an ambitious, world-class, creative company with a big heart. We want every member to be able to enjoy stimulating challenges rather than spend their times chasing deadlines and following up – the biggest bane of our younger colleagues joining advertising. There is no doubt this search for efficiency will have a positive rub-off on work and client relationships as well,” added Borah.

  • Tanishq, Talented launch new campaign to inspire moms and break stereotypes

    Tanishq, Talented launch new campaign to inspire moms and break stereotypes

    Mumbai: Tanishq has launched its latest campaign ‘The Interview’ ahead of Mother’s Day. Conceptualized by Tanishq and Talented, the two-minute slice of life film attempts to break stereotypes around maternity break and showcases an apt description of ‘Life’s Boot Camp’ through the eyes of a new mother.

    Created in partnership with Superfly Films, it strives to strike a conversation with new mothers as it shines the light upon progressive womanhood by celebrating the inherent leader in every mother. A maternity break teaches a woman to lead by instinct, and trust her own decisions, even when she often feels overwhelmed by advice received by others. It is only in this special phase of life that a woman really masters the art of time management and constant prioritization while she juggles multiple roles and responsibilities both personally and professionally.

    The film protagonist, Radhika, is a young mother and a promising candidate with charisma and a whole lot of rich experience. She is just back from her maternity break as she appears for a job interview. The interviewer is curiously surprised by the mention of ‘Life Boot Camp’ on her resume, even as she describes it beautifully just like any other job experience and the responsibilities that she might not even let go of. However, the interviewer’s decision was a little divided!

    Speaking on the launch of the film, Titan’s General Manager-Marketing, Ranjani Krishnaswamy said, “The woman of today is seeking to express herself with honesty and authenticity to confidently celebrate her realities. She’s thriving in her vulnerability while rising in her power to change her world. The brand believes these powerful stories build positive momentum in cultivating a world of equality and adding to her self-growth. This film is an ode to women who challenge set narratives and inspire many others to follow the change.”

    Titan’s Head-HR, Retail and Corporate said, “Work teams with better women representation bring high value to organizations. But this is not the only reason for Titan to embark on this journey. The purpose behind taking this step was that we thought it was innately the right thing to do. In the last three decades, we have built a foundation by increasing our gender representation across managerial levels, strengthening diversity enabling processes and building a culture of inclusivity. But we do not settle here. Titan is striving to continue improving women’s representation and create a culture where we make sure women receive all the required support from the organization in their journey as a mother with flexible and supportive policies”.

    Speaking on the film, Talented’s Founding Member and Creative Binaifer Dulani said, “Studies reveal that it will take at least 136 years to close the global gender pay gap, and one of the biggest factors for this is the lack of representation of women in senior leadership. We need more workplaces to see beyond the dominant culture and create equity for women so that they can make their comeback. There is no parallel to the thought differentiation and unique life experiences mothers bring to the table, yet they are constantly on the back foot when they want to make a comeback after a maternity break. Through this campaign, we want to inspire organisations to take affirmative action towards retaining and hiring mothers, and we want to inspire mothers to claim their maternity breaks as what it is – a boot camp in life and leadership”.

  • Now give a missed call to follow @SrBachchan

    Now give a missed call to follow @SrBachchan

    MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan is undoubtedly India’s most enigmatic, charming, talented, informed and witty superstar. With a fan following ranging from the age groups of eight to 80 the superstar is the heartthrob of millions across the country. The Shahenshah of Social media is followed by more than 13 million people across social media platforms including 6.5 million on Twitter.

    His Birthday is a date marked on many calendars across India as a day of celebration and this year is no different. As a special surprise for his fans this year as part of global integration with Twitter India and ZipDial, any mobile user in India can now follow the actor’s Twitter account @SrBachchan by simply dialling, or giving a missed call, at +91-22- 33010007.

    Now fans across India can get access to their big screen idol’s thoughts on several topics and get a peek into the latest happenings in his life. The collaboration in association with Fluence, will allow everyone across the country to follow and engage the superstar on Twitter via SMS. The service works for all mobile users in the country with any phone or any operator; moreover it’s free irrespective of whether they have a Twitter account or data-enabled phone.

    Commenting on this service, CA Media India EVP investee operations Rishi Negi said: “The madness that is associated to Bachchan has no boundaries and to this date fans are mesmerised by a mere interaction with him. On 11 October every year millions throng outside his Mumbai residence to catch a glimpse and wish the brightest shining star of the Indian film industry a Happy Birthday. This year thanks to this technology fans across the nation who don’t access Twitter will be able to connect with their idol on his big day and read his thoughts  and sentiments about his life and the world in general and on an on-going basis on their phone.”

    Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly said: “Twitter is live, conversational and public. Bachchan’s use of Twitter has for years exemplified the power of our platform’s ability to connect audiences directly with the people and organizations that interest them most. We are pleased to see ZipDial and Bachchan use the Twitter platform to extend his reach even further.”

    ZipDial founder and CEO Valerie R Wagoner said: “By using ZipDial, Asia’s leading mobile marketing platform with the simple user experience of ‘missed calls’, Bachchan can now reach the hundreds of millions of fans in India and internationally who have phones but do not yet use Twitter. Bachchan’s fans can now interact with their iconic hero on Twitter through the simple ZipDial interface of dialing. Our team members at the company are among Bachchan’s fans, so we are particularly thrilled that his ZipDial number 02233010007 reflects his suave and heroic ‘007’ persona.”