January 16-31, 2017 Volume 5, Issue 15 `100 13 DIGITAL VIDEO MASTERS TVF’s Arunabh Kumar (left) won the vdonxt Person of the Year Award - New Media while All India Bakchod (Gursimran Khamba, centre, and Tanmay Bhat) won the vdonxt Person of the Year - Content Creator award at India’s largest convention on the rapidly growing digital video space. Subscriber copy not for resale editorial This fortnight... Volume 5, Issue 15 his publication recently decided to revive an old section called ‘Who’s That’, EDITOR Sreekant Khandekar T a section in which we used to profile the rising stars, on and off screen, in the PUBLISHER January 16-31, 2017 Volume 5, Issue 15 `100 advertising and media industry. A few days back, we made a list of people we could Prasanna Singh kick-start ‘Who’s That - 2.0’ with, and I was amazed to see that eight out of the top EXECUTIVE EDITOR ten names were from the online video business. Actors, scriptwriters, content creators, Ashwini Gangal platform heads… what have you. Evidently, the online video space is where all the ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sunit Roy action lies. PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE Andrias Kisku Over the past 14 months, we’ve published some memorable cover stories around 13 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES professionals from this promising industry, including a detailed piece on All India Shubham Garg DIGITAL VIDEO MASTERS 81301 66777 (M) TVF’s Arunabh Kumar (left) won the vdonxt Person of the Year Award - New Bakchod, and an in-depth interview with The Viral Fever’s Arunabh Kumar. Also Media while All India Bakchod (Gursimran Khamba, centre, and Tanmay Bhat) won the vdonxt Person of the Year - Content Creator award at India’s Apoorv Kulshrestha largest convention on the rapidly growing digital video space. on the list is an interview with YouTube India’s Satya Raghavan. In hindsight, the Subscriber copy not for resale Subscriber copy not 9873824700 (M) dots are easy to join, aren’t they? Noida Nikhil Jhunjhunwala 9833371393 (M) A few days back, AIB (comprising Gursimran Khamba, Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Mumbai Joshi and Ashish Shakya) and Arunabh Kumar – who started the webseries culture [email protected] in India and has worked with over 100 brands since – swept the digital video awards MARKETING OFFICE at the first edition of vdonxt asia, a two-day convention on the business of online video. B&B Genesis, A 12/13, Ground Floor, Sector - 16 If one had any doubt whether an entire event dedicated to the online video business is Noida - 201301 worth it, their victory is all the validation one needs, isn’t it? MUMBAI 302, Makani Center, 3rd Floor, Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), In the days ahead, these masters of digital video are keen to change the ethics in Mumbai - 400050 the content business and make a conscious effort to market themselves differently. For SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Arunabh, it’s important that people stop associating TVF with just comedy content, [email protected] something they moved beyond well over two years back. For AIB, it’s important to Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and change the perception that their content cannot survive without the crutch of cuss words. Printed and published by Prasanna Singh, at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Here’s a shared goal – both parties want their respective brands, AIB and TVF, to Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, stand for more than the ‘founding faces’. While that’s very well, we’re delighted to put New Delhi-110 063. these very faces on the cover this issue. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Private Limited B-61, Sector 67, Noida (U.P.), 201301 Ashwini Gangal [email protected] CONTENTS 4 10 IMPERIAL BLUE Women can’t be Men It would seem that women cannot write the best Imperial Blue films. 20 8 12 PARACHUTE Well-oiled Message A bittersweet ‘sibling story’ replaces vanity shots of glossy COCA-COLA SAMSUNG MAX HEALTHCARE hair being flipped and flung Sibling Revelry Looking at it Differently Building Trust about in abandon. This hair- Coke adapts the international The brand’s new campaign How does a healthcare brand oil brand has a new story. ‘#BrotherlyLove’ ad. has clocked 41 million views. get around trust issues. afaqs! Reporter, January 16-31, 2 0 1 7 3 advertising PARACHUTE Well-oiled Message A bittersweet ‘sibling hair oil ad is a risky move. story’ replaces vanity Samit Sinha, managing partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, shots of glossy hair says, “In the clutter of advertising being flipped and flung. messages, following category clichés is the biggest risk of all, so to that A look at Marico’s extent I feel taking a bold departure #MagicOfWarmth is a good decision.” He adds, “Having said that, I think film for Parachute while a bit long, the commercial does Advansed Hot Oil. manage to evoke empathy with its intended audience by showing what By Suraj Ramnath a real girl’s real hair looks like in real situations.” hen it comes to hair oil Sunila Karir, founder and creative brands promoting their partner, Boing!, a Mumbai based Wproducts, the narrative creative agency, says, Parachute, as is pretty predictable. A mother- a brand, no longer needs to tell daughter equation where the former me about healthy, lustrous locks. is massaging her daughter’s hair with Even my grand-mom can testify that. oil and suddenly she has the most Showing long, silky, lustrous hair beautiful and shiny hair any girl can as visuals in an ad for the brand have. If not that, it’s a rough and shabby head of hair that is suddenly transformed into a luscious mane The film has been with just a normal oil massage. In its recently launched digital conceptualised by film, Parachute Advansed Hot McCann, produced Oil hasn’t done any of the aforementioned things. Rather, the by Green Grass ad film focuses on a brother-sister’s rough relationship — as rough as the Film and directed sister’s hair. This, some may say, is a bold move for a hair oil brand to by Anaam Mishra. make. Bold because there’s no visual would just be stating the obvious. evidence of the product transforming Therefore, it is a welcome change her hair into a smooth, silky mane to see a category leader move away that reflects light. At the end of the from these (not-so-necessary-for-it) ad, when the brother sees his sister advertising clichés. The way I see it, cry because of him, he goes to her this is a bold and a welcome change to room to pacify her and gives her a see the leader not treat its consumers ‘champi’ (oil massage). The ad is set as intellectually challenged.” in winter, in a visibly cold place; this Talking about the execution, makes the seasonal marketing push Karir says, “A hot oil massage has for this product evident. “The story could been used as a de-stressor since time The film has been conceptualised “The film takes immemorial, and the brand has used by McCann, produced by Green a leap from the have been stronger this insight effectively in the film. The Grass Film and directed by Anaam if they didn’t story effectively builds up the stress Mishra. Madison handles the digital functional ‘dry hair’ and the angst, welling up within the duties for the brand. The final, problem to ‘dry introduce the sister against her sibling. The stress as possibly tweaked, version of this film boyfriend angle at well as the angst is dissipated in the end will be released soon, learns afaqs!. relationships’.” by her brother, by giving her the hot oil Talking about the product and ANURADHA the end.” massage, using the one hair oil which campaign, Anuradha Aggarwal, chief GGARWAL SUNILA KARIR we all use, i.e. Parachute Hair Oil.” marketing officer, Marico says, “The A She adds, “In addition, as we all product, Parachute Advansed Hot know, ‘touch’ is a powerful method Oil, is a self-warming oil that works of oiling at a more personal, deeper already very strongly associated with of conveying warmth and love and the on intense dryness — a phenomenon level with the digital audiences.” its benefits on hair, making it easier film combines this well with the brand that maximises in winters. This She adds, “The film takes a for the narrative to stay true to the attributes of Parachute Hot Hair Oil. campaign is split into two parts — the leap from the functional ‘dry hair’ concept — ‘#MagicOfWarmth’.” I just feel the story could have been functional aspects delivered through problem to ‘dry relationships’ in life, stronger if they didn’t introduce the celebrity-led static communication which too can be easily repaired EXPERTS SPEAK boyfriend angle at the end and stuck and the film designed to connect with the ‘#MagicOfWarmth’. The We asked our brand experts if to the brother and sister story only. ” n the ‘#MagicOfWarmth’ and the act mother brand Parachute Advansed is showing a girl with shabby hair in a [email protected] 4 afaqs! Reporter, January 16-31, 2 0 1 7 digital ONLINE VIDEO PLAYERS Not Just Kidding... What platforms, content creators and media planners had to say about the business of kids’ content on digital platforms. By Anirban Roy Choudhury ome announced a standalone app, while some added “If you see the Sspecialised offerings to enhance global markets, all their portfolio but what is most important is to see that all of the players have one online video platforms are ‘seriously single app where kidding’. Why? Toddlers can’t swipe their cards to subscribe nor can they they have multiple buy a product over the counter.