Tag: DDB Mudra

Mumbai, India – McDonald’s India (West and South), owned and operated by Westlife Foodworld Ltd., has launched its first-of-its-kind ‘EatQual 2.0’ initiative that makes McDelivery more inclusive with a new colour-blind-friendly ordering platform.

The campaign initiative aims to make food ordering more enjoyable and easy for colorblind consumers in India.

In this new initiative, McDonald’s India launched a new feature on its McDelivery app and website that uses a special algorithm to display the menu in colours that are appropriate for the user. The new feature will help colour-blind people see the real colours of the food and drinks, helping them make more informed decisions about what they want to order.

The newly updated feature can be accessed by users when they update the McDelivery app and website. Individuals who are colour blind can select from three colour enhancement options: ‘green-red’,‘red-green’, and ‘blue-yellow’

Also included in the campaign is the release of a heartwarming brand film that will give the viewers a perspective on colorblindness and explain how this feature on McDelivery will help consumers with colorblindness improve their experience of viewing their food on the McDelivery app and website before placing an order.

To ensure a wider reach of the campaign, McDonald’s India has partnered with stand-up comedian and influencer Kenny Sebastian, who also has colorblindness. They also tapped advertising company DDB Mudra, who has been present since EatQual’s inception, to strengthen this global purpose platform around inclusion.

The fast food chain’s new campaign is rooted in the idea that there are a huge number of people in India who are actually colorblind but go unnoticed. This campaign is an extension of their EatQual initiative in 2020, which aims to improve accessibility and inclusivity for people with various disabilities.

The brand launched the initiative on World Sight Day, raising awareness about the campaign through a panel discussion featuring renowned ophthalmologist Dr. Hemalini Samant, Mr. Aniruddh Kothari, a photographer who is also colorblind, and Mr. Arvind R.P., Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s India (W&S).

Speaking on the campaign, Arvind R.P., chief marketing officer at McDonald’s India (W&S), said, “We at McDonald’s are on a mission to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone, and we literally mean ‘everyone’. Born from this mission, our EatQual campaign underscores our commitment to breaking down barriers, ensuring that every customer is able to access the brand easily, feels welcome, and has a great experience every time they choose to eat with us.”

“Recognising that we ‘eat with our eyes first’ and acknowledging that colorblindness is a widespread reality, we took the initiative to make our McDelivery app and website more accessible. We hope those with colorblindness will enjoy using this new feature to see the crave-able visuals of their favourite iconic products before ordering, just like all other consumers,” he added.

Rahul Mathew, chief creative officer at DDB Mudra Group, also shared, “We’ve always believed that EatQual is more than just a campaign; it’s a journey that McDonald’s is on. With every intervention, we hope to enhance the eating experience, making it a little more equal for everyone. That’s why we work closely with the community to help us understand what they might be missing and how we can bridge that gap.”

Meanwhile, on the partnership, Kenny Sebastian said, “I feel really happy to partner with an iconic brand like McDonald’s on this initiative that makes its services more inclusive and easily accessible to colorblind people like me. I am sure the McDelivery experience will now be easier to navigate through. I look forward to using the feature to view delicious food images on the app before making my pick”.

India – Advertising company DDB Mudra has announced the appointment of Saad Khan as its president and managing partner for growth and strategy to lead the business whilst building on strategic capabilities for its operations in the West region.

Khan brings with him an experience in building strategies for brands. He previously worked as chief strategy officer at agency FCB Ulka, where he oversaw strategies in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

He has also worked with food and beverage brands such as Coca-Cola, ITC foods and Amul; consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser; automotive manufacturers Tata Motors, Honda and Volvo Cars; and industrial paint company Nerolac.

Rahul Mathew, chief creative officer at DDB Mudra Group, said that the company believes that its core to be great in creativity is built on strong thinking, and Khan will help in strengthening this belief.

This year, DDB Mudra has also appointed Menaka Menon as national strategy head and Nitin Pradhan as creative head for South.

India – Automotive brand Volkswagen in India has launched a new campaign for its newly launched sedan, ‘Virtus’, which aims to reignite the premium midsize sedan with its ‘Big by’ design, performance, safety, connectivity, convenience and comfort. 

Titled ‘Hello Goosebumps’, the film, which was conceptualised by advertising agency DDB Mudra Group, highlights the thrill and joy of driving the new Volkswagen Virtus. It also captures the core DNA of the brand of build quality, safety, and fun-to-drive experience.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s media agency, PHD India, has further elevated the launch campaign via its 360-degree incisive approach, covering all vital media channels, and crafting an effective marketing strategy. The agency was also tasked with building enthusiasm and maximising outreach amongst its target audience to amplify the launch experience of Volkswagen Virtus. 

The campaign kick-started on a high note with the ‘French Window Innovation’ in India’s top-read newspaper, The Times of India. Garnering scores of impressions across the country, this large-canvas innovation delivered high-visibility engagement that today’s audiences desire and was augmented by high-impact roadblocks on leading business and news digital publications to maximise reach and frequency. 

Moreover, the campaign was further strengthened with an influencer marketing strategy featuring India’s mega influencers like Tamanaah Bhatia, Yami Gautam, and Mrunal Thakur, amongst others, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Virtus’ tagline – ‘Hello Goosebumps!’ through their own personal and professional journeys.

Abbey Thomas, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, shared that with the launch of the new Volkswagen Virtus, their intention was to showcase the potential of the premium midsize sedan segment. 

“Our communication positioning for the Virtus ‘Hello Goosebumps’ has been rightly captured by our partner DDB Mudra Group and amplified by PHD media in reaching out to our intended consumers. The combined efforts have elevated the excitement and thrill of driving sedans paving the way for an introduction truly befitting of the Virtus,” said Thomas. 

Meanwhile, Pallavi Chakravarti, DDB Mudra’s creative head for West, commented, “This sedan looks like a dream and drives like one too. ‘Hello Goosebumps’ captures the essence of the Volkswagen Virtus in a simple, visceral campaign that every passionate driver will undoubtedly relate to.”

Monaz Todywalla, CEO at PHD Media India, noted that the partnership with Volkswagen gave them the opportunity to steer another big launch campaign to its true potential while staying true to PHD’s tradition of helping its clients make significant leaps in the marketing space. 

“Utilising key strategies across all touchpoints to maximise reach, an outcome like this always gives us the impetus to continue building impactful experiences for brands like Volkswagen and elevate their marketing strategies to be a cut above the rest,” said Todywalla.

Mumbai, India – India’s lead-free additive brand, Silvin, has launched a new campaign for its new offering ‘All-in-One Super1Pack’. This campaign, which is centred around cricket, playfully highlights the disadvantages of not having the right mix of PVC additives and how that could affect the manufacturing process.

According to Silvin, the combinations and ratios of additives like stabilisers, lubricants, impact modifiers, and processing aids are indispensable to PVC and CPVC manufacturing. Manufacturers, however, measure their own combinations, also known as self-compounding, which can be detrimental to the process. Silvin’s All-in-One Super1Pack solves this problem by providing the right combination of additives for better output.

Developed in partnership with DDB Mudra, the film draws attention to the side effects of self-compounding by showing a field full of wicketkeepers struggling to play a game of cricket. While it somewhat works, it’s not the game we all know and love because it lacks the right mix of players that perform different roles.

Jagat Chokshi, Silvin’s director, shared that the PVC/CPVC industry is highly dependent on self-compounding when it comes to additives that are crucial to the manufacturing process. 

“At Silvin, we achieve the right combination of additives through customisation and innovation, which is not only cost-effective for our clients but is also environmentally friendly,” said Chokshi.

Meanwhile, Pallavi Chakravarti, DDB Mudra’s creative head – West, commented that they strongly believe that brands are built through engaging and effective story-telling – whether they be consumer-facing or industrial in nature.

“The Silvin campaign, created by our Ahmedabad office is a prime example of us realising that belief through a light-hearted execution that lands the product benefit sharply via a metaphor that is universally understood,” said Chakravarti.

The new campaign is now live across social media and digital platforms.