Tag: South Asia

India – Tasva, Indian men’s ethnic wear brand by conglomerate firm Aditya Birla Group and Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani, has launched a new campaign, aimed at encouraging men to express themselves in their true spirit, especially during their special day – their wedding. 

The campaign, which was created in collaboration with creative agency Taproot Dentsu, challenges the social code of conduct prescribed for the groom at weddings, showcasing the typical ways a groom must behave in a function such as posing for photos, standing upright and looking like a royal mannequin, being traditional in greeting his elders, and dressing a certain way that may not suit his personality.

Titled ‘Sada Mast Raho’, the film features a groom dressed up in a Tasva outfit, watching his bride perplexed and guests getting bored. Thereafter, he takes the wedding by storm by dancing and singing, discarding serious codes and rituals that surround an Indian wedding.

Tahiliani said, “The spirit of our brand, ‘the best of self’, cannot be expressed in jaded, forced portraits but must be expressed in the current possibilities – of movement, freedom, and self-expression. The film captures this in the digital age.”

Meanwhile, Titus Upputuru, Taproot Dentsu’s creative head for Gurgaon, shared that they wanted to change the conversation because the young men who have marriage on their minds aren’t suddenly turning into these very serious men. 

“It is their big day and they still want to have a good time. That’s why we wrote ‘Sada Mast Raho’. It was wonderful to partner Tarun Tahiliani. I love his sensibilities and the finesse that he has brought into the garment is pure genius,” said Upputuru.

Abhinav Kaushik, Taproot Dentsu’s head for Gurgaon, said, “With Tasva, we aim to widen their range of choices and encourage that natural self-expression and exuberance even in Indian wear. This campaign is an absolutely refreshing way to break the seriousness that comes with ethnic wear.”

India — Paytm, leading technology and financial services company, has rolled out a new campaign that centers around financial autonomy and Paytm’s convenient mobile payment platform. The digital film was done in association with Dentsu Impact and the creative agency from dentsu India.

The campaign is set amid New Year celebrations and features a common phenomenon that is often trivialized, thereby inviting the audience to challenge their perception of women and their financial dependency.

The film centers around a lady who is bought free drinks by another man in a bar, whom she approaches and pays back candidly with Paytm’s mobile payment platform. True to its message, the film closes with both parties feeling satisfied with the encounter, creating a campaign that both men and women can learn from.

Anupama Ramaswamy, national creative director & managing partner for Dentsu Impact, commented on the campaign, saying that giving it back, by paying it back makes the intent of this campaign palpable for both women and men. 

“The New Year campaign demonstrates how it pays to challenge the conventions of how we think of finance and gender. And any challenge to the traditional way of accepting things makes the brand and the message it conveys modern and aspirational, striking a chord especially with a younger generation,” shared Ramaswamy.

Last March, the e-commerce payment and fintech company also released a campaign for Women’s Day in association with Denstu Impact, titled ‘The Divide’, that highlights empowerment in financial literacy with women.

Mumbai, India – Henkel Beauty Care’s beauty brand Schwarzkopf Professional has awarded its full-funnel digital performance media duties to FoxyMoron, the full-service creative and performance agency under media company Zoo Media Network.

The mandate, which will be handled by FoxyMoron’s Mumbai office, includes handling the beauty brand’s strategic content and design across all social media platforms and performance media. 

Schwarzkopf Professional holds multiple innovative products in the hair category across coloration, care, texture, and styling. It deems to be one of the world’s leading market players in professional hair, establishing hair fashion trends.

Prachi Bali, FoxyMoron’s national head partnerships and business head of north, noted that the beauty category is one of FoxyMoron’s strongest forte.

“We look forward to working with the Schwarzkopf Professional group and using our expertise to help them achieve their business objectives,” said Bali.

Meanwhile, Shama Dalal, the head of marketing at Henkel Beauty Care India, shared that they have found an agency in FoxyMoron that is immensely passionate about the ever-evolving beauty category. 

“Being a content creation powerhouse and having a strong understanding of the high impact and emergent digital marketing trends, we are excited to take our brand to newer heights with this collaboration,” said Dalal.

Mumbai, India – IDFC Mutual Fund, finance company based in India, has launched a new investor awareness campaign themed #InvestmentMeinNoEmotion that delivers the message of disciplined investing in the face of market volatility. The campaign highlights the Balanced Advantage Fund category as a potential solution to control the behavioral dilemma. This was done in collaboration with creative agency TBWA \ India.

A Balanced Advantage Fund is a hybrid fund that invests in both debt and equity markets, adopting a dynamic asset allocation strategy that can actively rebalance the portfolio depending on the market.

The campaign composes of two short videos, titled ‘Chef’ and ‘Shiromani’, that highlights a chef and a musician, who unintentionally reveal embarrassing information about the inspiration behind their ‘talent’ while being swayed by their emotions, offering the viewer a chuckle while triggering an introspection. The campaign conveys the message of getting carried away by emotion when dealing with key professional situations. The short films are a metaphor for investing hard-earned money with too much emotion like anger, joy, agitation, and greed.

Speaking about the campaign, famous Bollywood director Sagard Ballary, who directed the films, stated that the creative team chose humor as an expression to convey the idea which always works when you have to get a point across, especially one as complicated as investing.

‘’Nobody likes to be preached to. Subtle thoughts implanted while you are laughing always works – so my challenge was to create memorable characters that everybody could relate to and situations and expressions that the viewer would identify with,’’ shared Ballary.

Meanwhile, Vishal Kapoor, CEO of IDFC Asset Management Company Limited, commented, “It is only human to be emotional, whether it is anger, joy, fear or greed. However, avoiding these can help with better investment outcomes. For many investors, the fear of missing out or the greed of supernormal returns can override sensible investment decision-making. A Balanced Advantage Fund, through its dynamic allocation to equities and debt based on market conditions, can provide stability and better risk-adjusted returns over the long term.’’

The campaign was produced by Bolt, a division of Omnicom group, to which TBWA belongs.

The #InvestmentMeinNoEmotionshort films will be rolling out across different media platforms namely television, digital and social media, as well as a series of innovative creatives through outdoor media including hoardings across 15 cities that will create additional visibility.

Bangalore, India – HiveMinds Innovative Market Solutions, the full-service digital marketing and consultancy firm by Madison World, has appointed Saurabh Tyagi, former vice president of Madison World’s media agency Madison Media, to be its new chief client officer.

Tyagi is a seasoned media professional who has over 18 years of experience across India and SEA. He has worked with brands such as Unilever, Nestle, and Titan, as well as Vodafone, among others. Tyagi also played diverse roles in Publicis and Group M, which includes media planning across offline and online, content strategy, and client servicing.

In his new role, Tyagi will be leading HiveMinds’ enterprise clients, helping to power the company’s growth in the coming years.

Commenting on his appointment, Tyagi said “I have always admired HiveMinds for their work across startups and MNCs alike. I am happy to be joining this high-energy team and look forward to delivering value to our clients.”

Meanwhile, Jyothirmayee JT, HiveMinds’ founder and CEO, believes that with Tyagi’s experience, they can now further partner with clients in thinking beyond digital marketing and work towards comprehensive marketing and growth strategy. 

“Saurabh has joined us at a time when digital transformation is at its peak in India and we’re expanding all-around – in teams, in new geographies, and in clients across industries,” said JT.

Sam Balsara, Madison World’s chairman, said, “With Saurabh’s movement, we can confidently assure our clients of delivering a holistic digital media strategy.”

Just recently, HiveMinds has announced its expansion in Delhi-NCR with a new office in Gurugram, which will be spearheaded by Mohit Grower, the head of the new north branch.

India – Boro Plus, the antiseptic cream brand under India’s skincare company Emami, has launched a new social initiative aimed at promoting self-love through the use of the newly-rolled out feature on Instagram – Instagram Reels.

The campaign, which was developed in collaboration with media agency Mad Influence, targets to promote the importance of appreciating the numerous small moments in people’s everyday lives, drawing attention to a very relevant problem faced by today’s generation – ‘self-appreciation’.

Titled ‘#EkJhappiForMe’, the campaign was kickstarted by well-known dancer and choreographer Shakti Mohan on Instagram Reels. Mohan has shared a short video about the importance of ‘self-care’ and ‘self-love’, encouraging her fans to participate in this social initiative by sharing their self-love moments on the app with the hashtag ‘#EkJhappiforme’ and the Boro Plus Social Initiative audio.

Moreover, several well-known content creators, including Roshni Walia, Vaishnavi Rao, Ishpreet Dang, and Kanika Mann, have taken part in the socially beneficial initiative.

MARKETECH APAC has reached out to Emami for a comment.

India – New Delhi’s shopping center, Select CITYWALK, has launched a new campaign that seeks to fulfill forgotten Christmas wishes and inspire people to keep believing in ‘miracles’. 

The campaign, which was conceptualized by digital agency RepIndia, celebrates the adage of “never stop believing in the magic of Christmas,” aims to ignite the spark of ‘magic’ and ‘hope’ for Select CITYWALK’s guests of all ages.

Titled ‘#MerryWishmas‘, the film features the Select CITYWALK team asking its guests what they wanted for Christmas as little children, and giving it to them as a surprise at the end of the video. The film aimed to capture the genuine warmth of surprised smiles, ending with a heartwarming message – “Make someone’s wish come true and their happiness will stay with you forever!”

Gitanjali Singh, Select CITY WALK’s vice president of marketing, commented, “This year, with our #MerryWishmas campaign, we decided to fulfill some cherished unfulfilled wishes of shoppers and our store staff and the reaction we got was truly heartwarming.”

Meanwhile, Nikhil Kashyap, RepIndia’s assistant vice president of strategy and client success, said, “I am glad we were able to assist Select CITYWALK to deliver the right experience through poignant, relatable storytelling.”

Mumbai, India – India’s sports league, VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (VIVO PKL), has appointed financial and healthcare super app, Dhani, to be its strategic timeout partner in the sporting event. This is in collaboration with sports management firm Professional Management Group (PMG) and independent media agency Madison Media Ace, who shared the announcement.

The appointment will see VIVO PKL providing customers the opportunity to take a ‘timeout’ from making full payments by dividing their payments into three parts through Dhani’s flagship financial offering ‘OneFreedom Card’. The Strategic Timeout, which is 90 seconds in length, also fits with Dhani’s proposition of providing its financial card to customers in under two minutes.

Through the partnership, the association will also help Dhani with differentiated, clutter-breaking, and strong visibility during the live matches of the PKL. The strategic timeout is taken twice in a game, at the 10th and 15th minute of the second half of the game.

Ankit Banga, Dhani’s chief marketing officer, believes that the partnership is a great fit for them, as the majority of their customers stem from the heartland and other smaller pockets of India.

“Also, it resonates fantastically with our product proposition of giving our customers a timeout from making full payments by splitting their transaction into 3 interest-free parts,” said Banga.

Vandana Ramkrishna, Madison Media Ace’s chief operating officer, said that the OneFreedom card is the first kind of a product and needed a unique way to drive benefits of the product beyond standard inventory buys. 

“We leveraged PMG’s expertise to get the STO created for the first time ever on Kabaddi for Dhani to help bring out the brand benefits seamlessly. Kabaddi as a sport, has significant unique viewers, and driving visibility through both on-air and on-ground will not only help Dhani garner incremental audiences but would also drive significant business results,” said Ramkrishna.

Melroy D’Souza, the chief operating officer of Professional Management Group, said, “Both the Vivo PKL and Dhani are only growing bigger and better, in terms of stature and popularity. We have no doubt that the relationship between these two institutions will go the same way, in the weeks and months to come.”

Mumbai, India – Madison Media, the independent media agency in India, has appointed Kumar Siddharath, former director of brand solutions at global media network Omnicom Media Group (OMG), as the new head of Mates, the agency’s entertainment unit. 

Mates focuses on brand solutions including in-film associations, celebrity associations, and other ancillary services related to entertainment, content, and branding.

With over 14 years of experience, Siddharath joins Madison Media with a multi-faceted understanding of content marketing, partnership, and strategic alliances with a sharp focus on client servicing and business development. He has also worked with companies like Endemol, UTV, Viacom 18, and Reliance Broadcast Network, as well as production houses where he has produced big shows. 

Apart from production houses, Siddharath’s exposure ranges from sectors like broadcast, films, OTT, and print, as well as events. Prior to joining Madison, he has also set up his own esports and gaming company Oreka eSports. Siddharath has also worked on brands like Daimler, Ford, HP Laptop, and Hike over the years.

Commenting on his new role, Siddharath said, “I am excited to join Madison and look forward to creating a lot of interesting brand solutions that help our premium roster of clients create magic and meet their business goals.”

Meanwhile, Vikram Sakhuja, the partner and group CEO of Madison Media & OOH, commented, “I am excited to have Siddharath join our team and provide our clients’ brands content solutions and further strengthen our Madison Media offering, all under one roof.”

In August, Madison Media has also announced the elevation of Vandana Ramkrishna to the role of chief operating officer for its business unit, Madison Media Ace, where she will be overseeing the Kolkata operations of the agency, along with her Mumbai set of businesses.

Mumbai, India – As ŠKODA AUTO India marks its 20th anniversary, the automotive brand has launched a new activation which creates one of the highest 3D projections in the country on the sheer rock-face of the Rohtang-La at 10,942 feet above sea level. 

Titled ‘Conquering the Unconquerable’, the activation takes the concept of experiential marketing, and its installation establishes its stronghold in the country by literally establishing its presence on the mighty canvas of Rohtang-La. Through this, the automotive brand is creating a legacy in India that rests on 20 years of innovation by using mesmerizing art projected on a mountain face at an altitude that almost reaches the sky. 

Zac Hollis, ŠKODA AUTO’s brand director, shared that they wanted to set a benchmark and push the boundaries to achieve something beyond imagination. 

“Conquering the Unconquerable is a campaign that is an ode to the brand’s journey and potential. A tribute to ŠKODA being a fun, dynamic, creative, and passion-driven brand,” said Hollis.

Meanwhile, Tarun Jha, ŠKODA AUTO’s head of marketing, commented that the idea of ‘Conquering the unconquerable’ was to create history by taking on the mightiest and craft a story on achieving the unimaginable. 

“With this campaign, we are truly conquering the unconquerable, alongside our partners, who have been a constant source of support and inspiration. We are confident that the beauty of this activation will touch hearts and minds across our consumer base,” said Jha.

The activation’s communications, strategy, and creatives were spearheaded by PHD Media India and Omnicom Media Group India’s content arm, OMG Content.

Monaz Todywalla, PHD Media’s chief executive officer, shared that the campaign is defined by superlative thought and augmented by superlative action that has been conceptualized on the back of the power of imagination. 

“It’s a pleasure for Team PHD to be involved in achieving a feat of this magnitude; partnering with ŠKODA AUTO India to help them Make The Leap with innovation, and we’re excited to witness the response to the eminence of creativity in play at such an impressive scale,” said Todywalla. 

Shailja Saraswati, OMG’s chief content officer, believes that great concepts spark great content, and when those concepts are translated into reality, they know that there is potential for true impact. 

“It has been an incomparable experience working on this unique activation, and we are certain that together as partners we have all conquered the unconquerable in more ways than one,” said Saraswati.