Media Dossier

Home , Bhopal Badshahs, Karan Malhotra, Punit Malhotra, Rajpal Yadav, Tarun Mansukhani

MEDIA DOSSIER

Period Covered: February, 2012

Subject: Monthly Media Dossier

Medium Appeared in: Print & Online

For internal circulation only

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 1 of 82

PERCEPT AND INDUSTRY NEWS

Percept Limited Pg 03

ENTERTAINMENT

Percept Pictures Pg 08

Percept Sports and Entertainment - Percept S & E – Corp _____ - Percept ICE Pg 24 - Percept Entertainment Pg 26 - Percept Sports Pg 38 - Percept Art _____ - Percept Talent Pg 42 - P9 Integrated Pg 43 - Spark Entertainment _____ - Percept IP _____

Bollywood Corporation _____

MEDIA Allied Media Pg 45 Percept Out Of Home Pg 47 PK Online _____ Percept Activ Pg 48

COMMUNICATIONS Advertising Percept/H Pg 49 MASH Advertising _____ IBD India Pg 57 Percept Gulf _____ H & H Communication _____ Hakuhodo Percept Pg 60

Public Relations Percept Profile India Pg 64

IMC PERSPECTRUM _____

INDUSTRY & COMPETITOR NEWS Pg 66

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 2 of 82

PERCEPT LIMITED

Nobody wanted to hire me Source: The Franchising World, Date: February 2012 issue

************** Is this needed, at all? Source: Mid-day.com, Date: February 25, 2012

While the city is abuzz with the latest news about Saif Ali Khan and a South African businessman, Iqbal Sharma's fight at Taj Mahal hotel recently, it is interesting what kind of reaction this altercation has evoked. While followers may be cleaved into the for-Saif, against-Saif camps, there are the skeptics who believe this may be a publicity stunt for Saif's forthcoming movie, Agent Vinod. While this may sound incredulous, it shows the trust deficit created by the huge hype and the publicity-ke-liye-kuch-bhi-karega tendency these days. All guns blazing: Saif Ali Khan (r) and director Peter Heinz on the sets of Agent Vinod. The film is all set to release soon. In Bollywood today, if the box-office is King, then marketing is the Queen. The big bucks as they flow into promotional tours, ad campaigns, corporate tie-ups and television appearances sometimes add up to more than the budget of the film that is being promoted. As Hema Malini recently realised. The Dream Girl went through a nightmare situation when she had to complete, promote and release her daughter Esha Deol's film Tell Me Oh Khuda. Shudders Hema, "I had no idea marketing a film had become so expensive. Our budget for promotion and marketing was just not enough. We found ourselves at a loss no matter how hard we tried. I feel nowadays marketing a film is becoming a battle, in fact it is a bigger battle than completing a film. In Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 3 of 82

my heyday, we did a film, and then forgot about it. Very often I didn't even know when my film was released. Today, you can't afford to be oblivious. You have to be right up there hardselling your product." That's exactly what Shah Rukh Khan did with his much hyped, a lot of people within the industry say over-hyped, Ra.One. The marketing blitzkrieg left nothing to chance. Ra.One had to click. Compulsory: Producer Harry Baweja who last made Love Story 2050 to launch his son Harman in 2008, is yet to survive the stunning budgetary blow dealt by the film's failure. Harry Baweja thinks marketing is a must. But it can't sell a bad product to the public. Says Baweja, "Today marketing has become more important than making a film! You make a good film and it goes to waste if no one comes to see it. At the same time, no matter how much marketing one does one has to make a good film to make it work. But yes, even a not-so-good film can scrape through with good marketing. Hence, to secure one's investment the magic mantra is marketing. Money spent and the awareness created about a film is proportionate to the cost of the film's production. The more expensive the film is, the more number of prints are needed to rake in collections, so more awareness is needed and therefore more money spent on marketing. Ra.One did just that. It spent on marketing what was required." Experts: Subhash Ghai has a theory on why marketing has become a cyclonic ritual during the release of every film. "The number of marketing experts in our film industry is ten times more than content writers. Their voice thunders louder than the products. Dabangg, 3 Idiots and Bodyguard were advertised for their content rather than the stars promoting the films everywhere." Ghai feels the film industry needs to create a balance between the product and the expectations built around it. "Over-promotion by stars can kill a reasonably good product. On release, audiences rush in and feel cheated if a bad product is aggressively promoted. That's the initial draw. But true success of a movie is measured on Monday and Tuesday. In the 1980s and '90s Tuesday's afternoon show was the true barometer of a film's success."

Saturation: Mahesh Bhatt too agrees that the opening weekend is all-decisive. "In a landscape saturated with entertainment product marketing is crucial. The opening weekend is the be-all for films the world over. If you over- promise and under-deliver you're bound to end up with egg on your face." Bhatt feels marketing has benefited Ra.One. "In spite of an orchestrated smear campaign, it has managed to hold its own." Producer Bunty Walia who suffered a serious financial setback with his film Lamhaa, feels marketing is about intelligent marketing. "That's what you need to lure audiences into theatres. How much a producer dedicates to marketing is an individual decision. To each his own!" Promise: Entertainment analyst and Chairperson of Reliance Entertainment, Amit Khanna believes marketing is really important for a movie. "However Indian film producers tend to waste money by trying to impress each other rather than target their target-audience. Most star appearances on television are of no help. Over-promotion rather than clever marketing is the norm here." Former UTV executive and now co-owner of the newly-formed film company Phantom, Vikas Behl feels marketing is a necessary evil. "You aren't just competing with other films. You're also competing with everything and everyone who is screaming including your wife. Marketing is a promise that needs to be heard, believed and delivered. Over commitment and non-delivery are unpardonable." Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited feels stars are getting snarled in the myth that hype leads to big openings. "In the process, content is getting marginalised and audiences are shortchanged. Market investments are increasing because of the over- competitive over-saturated Friday releases. There is no defining capping on expenditure. Tactical marketing and distribution are important." Ramesh Taurani of Tips feels marketing is compulsory. "We release in all centres on the same day. A film never suffers due to excessive marketing. It suffers only when the content is a letdown." Sustain: Ramesh's brother, producer Kumar Taurani cites the example of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. "Despite its impressive cast it didn't become hot until a few days before release when they came out with a new strategy of city-to-city promotion. Marketing takes lot of time and is a huge burden on those who are involved in it." Money: Producer-director Vipul Shah feels there aren't enough theatres for all films and hence the need to take the money and run. "Every film gets, at best, a two-week run. A film has to do its 80 per cent business in those two weeks. Better marketing therefore ensures better collections." Trade analyst Komal Nahata feels marketing is very important. "Marketing ensures good footfalls during the first weekend. A whole lot of money is spent on marketing because long runs are out. The first weekend decides a film's fate." Learn: Filmmaker and industry spokesperson Ashoke Pandit offers a unique way out of the marketing extravagance that has overtaken Bollywood's releases. "The promotion of films should be done exactly the way it's done in the South where there is a ceiling according to which the producers can't spent more than a particular amount Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 4 of 82

on a film. In Mumbai, the enormous amount spent on promotions has made it very difficult for small budget films to match up to the marketing levels, and, hence they suffer." Pandit cites the example of a small-budget hit that clicked without hype. "I remember Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3 released without a single poster and also without a single promo on television, but the film was a hit. If a film has to run it will run only on content. Seeing so much about the film on television two months prior to release of the film the audience feels that they have already seen the film." Excessive marketing has yielded an inflated marketing price for smaller films. Says Pandit, "Looking at the desperation of producers the television channels and print media have increased their rates so much that it has become very difficult for the producers. So much of promotion also raises a question in the minds of people as to why a producer is talking so much about his film. It could mean there is something wrong in the film and his insecurity is making him promote the film. To control marketing strategies the film association and unions should come forward and plan a strategy." Going overboard or releasing quietly, the filmmakers need to know where one should draw the line.

*************** BCCI to seek new bids for home series Source: Mint, Date: February 28, 2012

India’s cricket board is in the process of seeking bids for broadcast rights for cricket matches played by India at home after controversially having scrapped, in December, an existing deal with Nimbus Communications Ltd for not paying its dues. The move comes even as the Indian cricket team’s performance has plunged in recent tours to England and Australia, and experts say that and fatigue from an overdose of cricket could make it unattractive to bid the Rs.31.5 crore a match that Nimbus was paying the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Nimbus, which signed a four- year deal with BCCI in October 2009, couldn’t make the economics of the business work, largely on account of the high amount it had promised to pay per match, falling TV ratings for cricket matches, and the consequent decline in ad rates. A top BCCI official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the document seeking bids was being prepared and should be out in a week’s time. The apex cricket body is believed to have offered Nimbus Communications a settlement in its dispute over broadcast rights for cricket in India, according to a report on sports website www.espncricinfo.com. Nimbus and BCCI are sparring over the termination and the treatment of a Rs.2,000 crore bank guarantee submitted by the former to the latter. The official said no home series matches had yet been allotted to Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd (MSM), the television broadcaster that is said to be launching a new sports channel. The next home series will be held in August-September against New Zealand. The bids involve all bilateral cricket tour matches played in India, and do not cover tournaments organized by the International Cricket Council or those that are part of BCCI’s Twenty20 league, the Indian Premier League (IPL). In its letter to BCCI dated 22 February, sports broadcaster ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd said it was concerned about media reports suggesting that MSM’s new sports channel will telecast the home matches.

“We hope the said report is merely speculative, and no such deal has actually been agreed by BCCI without the matter being discussed with other market players in general, and BCCI’s broadcast partners such as ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) in particular,” Anurag Dahiya, ESPN senior vice-president (corporate development and cricket rights), said in an email to Sanjay Jagdale, BCCI’s honorary secretary. “We seek your kind confirmation that no such deal has yet been agreed (upon),” said the mail, which Mint has reviewed. In the email, ESS also expressed its interest in bidding for the rights to telecast cricket played at home. “We are very hopeful that similar to the past, the rights will be awarded in an open and transparent manner such that all interested parties are given an equal opportunity to compete,” it said. “We would like to hereby formally confirm that ESS is interested in BCCI’s media rights, and would welcome an opportunity to engage in any commercial processes aimed at licensing the same.” Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer at BCCI, declined to comment. An ESPN spokesperson also declined to comment. An executive at MSM, which telecasts the IPL on MAX, said it is also keen on the domestic rights and denied media reports claiming it had already been given these by BCCI. “But yes, we do plan to launch a sports channel immediately after the Indian Premier League,” added this person, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to speak to the media. “We will be interested in any tender that BCCI floats and we will be interested in bidding for the media rights.” Rohit Gupta, president of MSM, Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 5 of 82

said both the new channel and the home series telecast rights were confidential matters. A sports management executive said that irrespective of who gets the deal, BCCI may have to settle for less. Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer of KWAN Entertainment and Marketing Solutions Pvt. Ltd, said the rate (paid by Nimbus) was steep, especially given the recent poor form of the Indian team.

According to media buyers, cricket ratings have fallen 10-15% year-on-year. Blah added that this was one reason for Nimbus’ financial problems. Even “the average rating for IPL has also dipped from the first few seasons”, he said. Given all this, MSM could find it unviable to launch a sports channel, Blah added. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Ltd, who has dealt with BCCI in the past, said there is a case for a “price correction”. “In the recent past, sponsors have backed out of important cricket events. BCCI had to come to the negotiating table to hold on to Sahara as the Indian team sponsor,” he said. “The fact that sponsors are not lining up to associate with cricket has to be recognized. The cricket body should also account for the fact that some players from the existing team will move out and some instability will continue till a young, new team is in place by 2014.” Another sports management executive said that recovering Rs.31.5 crore a match isn’t easy. “While the high-profile series between India and Pakistan or Australia attract advertisers, there are other games that do not break-even,” added this person, who did not want to be identified. A second sports management executive, who also didn’t want to be named, pointed to a recent development as a variable that could make the business model work, even at Rs.31.5 crore a match. This person claimed that the government’s move to digitize cable networks (this increases addressability) would increase subscription revenue for each match to Rs.10 crore. That will mean raising only Rs.21.5 crore from advertising to break-even. Media buyers say advertisers spent around Rs.3,000 crore on advertising during and sponsorship of cricket broadcasts last year.

************* Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd presents "Go for Gold" campaign Source: Newspolitan.com, Pearlriseentertainment.blogspot.in, Date: February 4, 2012

Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd today announced the prestigious relay torch run for the "Go for Gold" relay campaign. The torch run campaign which will commence from Kashmir will culminated in Kanyakumari on May 27th 2012. Last year, the 'Go for Gold' campaign was announced in Mumbai amidst much fan fare. The objective was to pledge the country’s support for athletes who will attempt to put India on the world map in the forthcoming Olympics. The torch was unveiled by Shree Ajay Maken, Honorable Sports Minister of India, Mr. Sandeep Jajodia, Executive Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd, Mr Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Ltd, Mr. Kapil Dev former Indian cricket team captain & Brig. P.K.M. Raja deputy chef-de-mission, Indian Olympics. The torch relay run will be flagged off on 10th February 2012 from Jammu & Srinagar and will travel 50 cities including Patiala/Chandigarh, Jaipur, Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Kolkata, Shillong, Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chennai, and Kanyakumari under the auspices of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The run will be joined by local & prominent athletes in its impressive journey. The torch will return back to New Delhi on 30th May.. People from every local centre that the torch travels will be appealed through various multimedia campaigns to join the relay. Go for Gold merchandise will be distributed along the journey. The element of participation is the main purpose of this esteemed relay. Prominent celebrities will also join the relay at specific strategic points in this journey of the torch from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Monnet Ispat & Energy through this initiative will highlight the incredible potential Olympic sports holds for an emerging economic powerhouse like India. For the country that has the youngest population in the world and constantly aims to make a mark on the global map, what better platform than the Olympics to offer the youth an aspiration to be on the global sporting arena. Mr. Sandeep Jajodia, over a discussion with Mr. Shailendra Singh, expressed his desire to support and promote Indian Olympic Sport. This subtle conversation over coffee was converted and created into a mammoth communication plan by Percept. "Go For Gold" will be rolled out in a phased manner where awareness will be created through a series of events.

Mr. Sandeep Jajodia, EVC & MD, Monnet Group said, "It definitely is a very novel way to get together the whole country for a social / noble cause. This will help as a major morale booster for our Olympian squad to give their very best in the Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 6 of 82

forthcoming Olympics. Monnet as a corporate has always believed in supporting Indian sports in a very major way. Going forward we definitely would look forward to continue our alliance with various sports of our country in a very prominent way. We understand there are several people across the country who want to show their support for athletes, but they do not know how to. This is an opportunity for them to come together and run for a cause. ‘Go for Gold’ campaign is spread across the country to create maximum support from every corner of the country. Our athletes have already put India on the World map, this is our way to show support and encourage them to attain further glory." Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Ltd we are extremely proud that Percept carried forward the thought and vision of Mr. Sandeep Jajodia of supporting Indian Sport and created this unique platform "Go for Gold" ; a movement of global magnitude. This truly is a great opportunity wherein the whole nation will be united through the power of sport. Ajay Maken, Honorary Sports Minister in support of the ‘Go for Gold’ campaign said, "It is a great initiative by a corporate like Monnet to come out in favor of the athletic contingent for the London Olympics and arrange for a nationwide campaign for them. It is a great motivation for our young athletes to know that the entire nation is backing them as they go in search of glory for the tricolor." Monnet Ispat & Energy Limited has associated itself with the Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) by becoming the official team and kit sponsors of the Indian Boxing Team for a period of 3 years starting from 2010.The support extended has been collectively acknowledged by the Federation and boxers alike as a silent driving force behind the stellar performances of the boxers. Infact, these achievements have prompted the IBF in further extending the commercial partnership with Monnet Group till 2017 so as to ensure a solid platform for the future of the sport in the country.

************** Rohit Gopakumar appointed VP, South Asia for BBC Advertising Source: Bestmediainfo.com, Date: Feb 16, 2012

He moves from Percept Intellectual Properties where he was COO, and prior to that was with Aidem Ventures. BBC Worldwide has appointed Rohit Gopakumar as Vice-President, South Asia for BBC Advertising. He joins BBC from Percept Intellectual Properties where he was COO since September 2011. Prior to Percept, Gopakumar was with Aidem Ventures in the capacity of Director and Executive VP and spearheaded multiple projects, client businesses and partnerships. Based in Mumbai, Gopakumar is responsible for generating local and international sales revenues for BBC’s TV and online products including BBC World News, BBC.com, mobile, LonelyPlanet.com, Worldwide Channels and Global Brands. While primarily responsible for India, his geographic responsibility also includes Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As the business head for all advertising revenue in South Asia, Gopakumar leads a team of 25 News & Entertainment sales staff in three offices across India, and manages the existing portfolio of products as well as advices on strategic new business opportunities in the News & Entertainment category in the region. Additionally, he will develop strategic alliances with clients, agencies and partners to grow revenues and establish BBC World News and BBC.com as a preferred media partner for Indian corporations and government agencies targeting global audiences in key international markets. Sunita Rajan, Senior VP, Asia of BBC advertising, said, “We are very excited to have Rohit join BBC Advertising in India. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will enable us to shift into the next stage of growth for BBC Worldwide’s businesses in South Asia.” Gopakumar has over 17 years of experience in the media industry including at The Times of India, Star TV, NDTV Media and Aidem Ventures.

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Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 7 of 82

ENTERTAINMENT

PERCEPT PICTURES

Percept Pictures to release film without title Source: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Date: February 1, 2012

Percept Pictures to release film without title: Percept Pictures, in its bid to promote young differential talent, has picked up the work of two youngsters Yash Dave and Allison Patel, who have come to them with "found footage". Since the visual is unusual in format making one wonder if this footage is real or not, Percept Pictures has come up with a novel concept. The film will have no title. It is merely called '?' Says Yusuf Shaikh, Head - Distribution, Acquisition and IPR, Percept Pictures, "The film is an enigma... it is for us, footage found. Hence, we decided to simply let it be what it is... a Question Mark." The first look of the film will be unveiled at Simpuls, the popular Symbiosis College fest, thereby having a direct connect with the target youth segment.

*********** A questionable film Source: Mumbai Mirror, Date: February 1, 2012

**************** Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 8 of 82

Percept Pictures' ‘super’ strategy Source: Dnaindia.com, Date: February 8, 2012

Long after Kannada actor-director Upendra splashed a hand symbol across one of his film’s posters and asked the audience to name the film, based on their interpretation of the symbol, Percept Pictures is treading the same route for one of their upcoming Hindi releases. While Kannada audience titled Uppi’s film Super, we will have to wait till February 17 to find out what the Hindi film that comes with a question mark (?) symbol will be called. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Pictures, explains why they chose to publicise the film by attaching it with just a symbol. “The footage is very intriguing, given that the film is based on the unknown. The situations in the film are sure to leave you with many questions and hence we thought of this novel concept.” But tell him that despite their claims, they are not the first ones to chance upon this idea and he is quick to add, “It is then encouraging to hear that such a concept has worked in the favour of a Kannada film. We hope for a similar response.” Behind the film — that falls under the found footage genre — are two youngsters Yash Dave and Allison Patel.“ There has been a lot of curiosity around the film ever since a part of it was leaked on the Internet,” says Yash.

So far over nine lakh viewers have viewed the video that has been titled Simran Possessed. A video, Jesus will save Simran Possessed, has also been hosted in response. “It was this kind of public interest and their motto to constantly encourage young talents that urged Percept to promote our film,” adds Yash. The film centres around seven students who set out to shoot their film project but land themselves in deep trouble instead. It runs for one and a half hours, and has been made in Telugu and Tamil as well. As part of their promotion, Percept will be holding a special screening for couples on Valentine’s Day. The ‘Scary Valentine’ couple tickets can be yours for the price of one.Log onto www.foundfootage.in for more details. Name game: Much before the Percept venture, a Kannada film that came with a question mark symbol had been announced. People were asked to interpret the symbol and give a title in this case too, however the project fell through.There have been other instances where Kannada audience have been asked to name films. If Upendra gave a hand symbol and asked his fans to name one of his films based on their interpretation of the symbol, there were film makers who had asked people to figure out a title from a set of jumbled letters. In another instance, fans were asked to give a title taking cue form a photograph that was accompanied with a set of blurred letters.

************** World’s first film without a title soon Source: Asianage.com, Date: February 1, 2012

As far as film titles go, this one is certainly right up there. No questions asked! The Percept Picture Company is currently working on a film, merely titled “?”. And that’s not all: The film will also feature footage “found” by two youngsters, Yash Dave and Allison Patel. The visuals are unusual in nature. What the film contains is an enigma for us too. Because everything is shrouded in mystery, the film has just been titled ‘?’, says Yusuf Shaikh, Head of Distribution, acquisition and IPR at Percept. hey have put up some footage on social networking websites, and the video has got itself quite a following. In the two weeks since it was uploaded on YouTube, it has 1,66,716 hits, no small figure. “A violent manifestation, a terrifying tape,” blogs 18-year-old Khushboo Khanna. The video, titled Simran Possessed, just about lets people into the paranormal nature of what the movie might contain. All of which becomes even more real when you consider the footage is said to be “real”, as captured on camera by Yash and Allison.

************** Percept Pictures to release film without title Source: Bollywoodhungama.com, Date: February 2, 2012

visual is unusual in format making one wonder if this footage is real or not, Percept Pictures has come up with a novel concept. The film will have no title. It is merely called '?' Says Yusuf Shaikh, Head - Distribution, Acquisition and IPR, Percept Pictures, "The film is an enigma... it is for us, footage found. Hence, we decided to simply let it be what it is... a Question Mark." The first look of the film will be unveiled at Simpuls, the popular Symbiosis College fest, thereby having a direct connect with the target youth segment.

*********** Percept Pictures to release globe’s first film without a title Source: Bollywood-4u.com, Date: February 1, 2012 Source: Punjabnewsline.com, Celebritystir.com, 123tamilforum.com, Bollywoodtadkaa.wordpress.com, Indian4ever.com, Date: February 2, 2012

Percept Pictures, in its bid to promote young differential talent, has picked up the work of two youngsters Yash Dave and Allison Patel, who have come to them with “found footage”. Since the visual is unusual in format making one wonder if this footage is real or reel, Percept Pictures has come up with a novel concept. The film will have no title. It is merely called ‘ ?’ Interestingly, a part of ? footage, a youtube video on a young girl ‘Simran Possessed’ is already making so much waves on the youtube in just 14 days... it has over 1,66,716 hits so far, no easy figure. What is interesting is that the video that has been posted from India has even Chinese followers. There are others who run a parallel video to this stating Jesus will save Simran possessed! “A violent manifestation, a terrifying tape,” blogs Khushboo Khanna, an 18-year-old student who wants to find out who Simran really is. But more than that what Khushboo really wants to find out is, “what happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control? What happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control?”Another youngster Karthik Srinivasan posts on twitter, terming Simran as “a Jap horror influence!!” Zaid makes his point too, “all you horror freaks this video is the baap of all! Must watch! Please post some more videos,” he avers. “I I got ‘The Ring’ (movie) feeling, she’ll come out of computer screen!,” echoes Jasmin.”I really sympathize with Simran, I connected with her the minute the video started! I hope this is for real...!,” gushes Rakshanda. “What happens when fear possesses your soul.” questions Megha Sravan.

Paranormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure. Why this growing fascination with the Supernatural, the afterlife, the paranormal, and even the extraterrestrial? What you see is what you believe in. And this fascination for the paranormal is if you ask me, simply normal. “Especially In India, each one of us has grown up hearing ‘real’ stories of super natural and paranormal happenings” “ In the Interiors of India the belief for these happenings and ‘Don’t mess with the supernatural’ cannot be questioned!! No one tries to find logic with the paranormal here though the questions always remain unanswered!” With Percept Pictures taking up footage found, giving it a silver screen visibility and letting it be the first unnamed film across the globe with the ?, paranormal as the new normal, looks like it is here to stay, real or reel!

*********** Percept Pictures to release globe’s first film without a title Source: Goonj.co.in, Date: February 3, 2012

Khushboo Khanna, an 18-year-old student who wants to find out who Simran really is. But more than that what Khushboo really wants to find out is, “what happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control? What happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control?”Another youngster Karthik Srinivasan posts on twitter, terming Simran as “a Jap horror influence!!” Zaid makes his point too, “all you horror freaks this video is the baap of all! Must watch! Please post some more videos,” he avers. “I I got ‘The Ring’ (movie) feeling, she’ll come out of computer screen!,” echoes Jasmin.”I really sympathize with Simran, I connected with her the minute the video started! I hope this is for real...!,” gushes Rakshanda. “What happens when fear possesses your soul.” questions Megha Sravan.

*********** Percept Pictures to release globe's first film without title! Source: Bollywoodtrade.com, Koimoi.com, Date: February 6, 2012

Percept Pictures, in its bid to promote young differential talent, has picked up the work of two youngsters Yash Dave and Allison Patel, who have come to them with “found footage”. Since the visual is unusual in format making one wonder if this footage is real or reel, Percept Pictures has come up with a novel concept. The film will have no title. It is merely called? Says Yusuf Shaikh, Head – Distribution, Acquisition and IPR, Percept Pictures, “the film is an enigma... it is for us, footage found. Hence, we decided to simply let it be what it is... a Question Mark.” The first look of the film will be unveiled at Simpuls, the popular Symbiosis College fest, thereby having a direct connect with the target youth segment. Interestingly, a part of? footage, a youtube video on a young girl ‘Simran Possessed’ is already making so much waves on the youtube in just 14 days... it has over 1,66,716 hits so far, no easy figure. What is interesting is that the video that has been posted from India has even Chinese followers. There are others who run a parallel video to this stating Jesus will save Simran possessed! “The reason we chose to give these youngsters a platform was because of the way their footage is catching on with the youngsters.” “A violent manifestation, a terrifying tape,” blogs Khushboo Khanna, an 18-year-old student who wants to find out who Simran really is. But more than that what Khushboo really wants to find out is, “what happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control? What happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul? Who possesses the power to control?”Another youngster Karthik Srinivasan posts on twitter, terming Simran as “a Jap horror influence!!” Priyanka says, “This reminds me of paranormal activity, I love this video, post a few video’s more please.” While Anuj’s thoughts seem warped. “Userooooo, this is real footege..?? shit man! Love possessed people… simran looks hawt!”

Zaid makes his point too, “all you horror freaks this video is the baap of all! Must watch! Please post some more videos,” he avers. “I got ‘The Ring’ (movie) feeling, she’ll come out of computer screen!,” echoes Jasmin.”I really sympathize with Simran, I connected with her the minute the video started! I hope this is for real...!,” gushes Rakshanda. “What happens when fear possesses your soul,” questions Megha Sravan. These are but a few of the innumerable comments online, each capturing a mood of its own, nevertheless indicating that there is a viewership for a horror segment, real or unreal. Considering the interest in a simple possessed video which has followers only growing in numbers, comments that keep going up, facebook pages and blogs on paranormal taking their base from Simran Possessed, looks like paranormal is the in-thing today... and the ? by Percept Pictures takes this belief a step further. Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 11 of 82

Paranormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure. Why this growing fascination with the Supernatural, the afterlife, the paranormal, and even the extraterrestrial? Shaikh reasons, he chose the film paranormal is working with the people even if in small realistic doses, “Many have grown up with a study diet of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, Harry Potter, X-Files. From Ghost Hunters, Americas Haunted Places, Medium, Ghost Whisperers, Paranormal State, and so and so on, the global television is flooded by the paranormal. What you see is what you believe in. And this fascination for the paranormal is if you ask me, simply normal. “Especially In India, each one of us has grown up hearing ‘real’ stories of super natural and paranormal happenings” “ In the Interiors of India the belief for these happenings and ‘Don’t mess with the supernatural’ cannot be questioned!! No one tries to find logic with the paranormal here though the questions always remain unanswered!” With Percept Pictures taking up footage found, giving it a silver screen visibility and letting it be the first unnamed film across the globe with the ?, paranormal as the new normal, looks like it is here to stay, real or reel!

************** Percept Pictures to Release Bollywood Found Footage Film Entitled ? Source: Dreadcentral.com, Date: February 12, 2012

Not since Prince changed his name to that symbol thing have we been so flummoxed as to what to call something. In an attempt to keep the mystery surrounding a new found footage picture at a high, Indian film company Percept Pictures has decided to call its new film ?. It seems the creators of the film, Yash Dave and Allison Patel, have a real overseas Blair Witch on their hands as you can see by the trailer below (they even have the snotty, runny nose close-up crying scene. And did I not hear the distinctive whining sound effect from the beginning of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre at the start of that trailer? Someone please verify that for me!) ? looks quite intriguing and you can check it out online as it will be released on YouTube on February 17. Thanks to Dread Central reader and our man on the street, Avery G, for the heads up. Synopsis: On November 10, 2010, a group of seven BMM students went to a place to shoot their final year project film. Few days later, their families received a sms stating that they were in serious trouble and needed help urgently. When the authorities reached the spot, they only found a hand-held camera. What happened with them was captured in that camera. The film is a compilation of actual footage was captured in real time; it has been compiled to duration of 1 hour 30 minutes with the visuals and sounds for public viewing.

************** Percept Pictures Present New Hindi Untitled Movie Source: Dailymotion.com, Date: February 10, 2012

Coverage Link: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xok6zz_percept-pictures-present-new-hindi-untitile-movies-star-cast- interview_fun

************** Percept Pictures to release world's first film without title Source: Indiantelevision.com, Date: February 18, 2012

Perhaps for the first time, a film is to be released in the country without a title – and since no suitable title could be given, it is being simply marketed as '?'. Percept Pictures has picked up the work of two youngsters, Yash Dave and Allison Patel, who have come to them with "found footage", in its bid to promote young differential talent. The film will be released as '?'since the visual is unusual in format, making one wonder if this footage is real or reel. According to Percept Picture Company distribution, acquisition and IPR head Yusuf Shaikh, the film is "an enigma... it is for us, footage found. Hence, we decided to simply let it be what it is... a Question Mark!" The first look of the film will be unveiled at Simpuls, the popular Symbiosis College fest, thereby having a direct connect with the target youth segment. Interestingly, a part of '?'footage, a YouTube video on a young girl 'Simran Possessed', has already become quite Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 12 of 82

popular in just 14 days: it has over 1,66,716 hits so far. The video that has been posted from India even has Chinese followers. There are others who run a parallel video to this stating Jesus will save Simran possessed. "A violent manifestation, a terrifying tape," says a blogger who wants to find out who Simran really is. But the blogger also wants to know what happens when someone takes over your mind, body and soul.

*************** Scary Valentine and Feb 17 release for Percept Pictures' ? Source: Ibnlive.in.com, Date: February 4, 2012 Source: Musicmaza.com, Filmudyogse.blogspot.in, Date: February 5, 2012

Percept Pictures is coming up with a film titled “?” (a question mark) on 17th February2012. On 10th November 2010, a group of seven BMM students went to a place to shoot their final year project film. Few days later, their families received a sms stating that they were in serious trouble and needed help urgently. When the authorities reached the spot, they only found a hand-held camera. What happened with them was captured in that camera. The film is a compilation of actual footage was captured in real time; it has been compiled to duration of 1 hour 30 minutes with the visuals and sounds for public viewing. One clip leaked from the footage has generated a huge response by the youth on you tube. A whopping 10lakh people have seen the clip in a matter of one week. Don’t believe it right!! Then please check http://www.youtube.com/trippletakemp. And now it is a matter of intrigue for people and even the industry to see the footage but Percept Pictures prefers to let it remain exclusive. In fact, Nagesh Kukunoor was the first to get sneak preview of the film and his reactions were, "I was so caught up in the film... it was so gripping and involving!" While Kukunoor loved to get spooked, Percept Pictures is now planning to organize with shows on Valentine’s Day (14th February evening/ night show) as ‘Scary Valentine’ couple tickets at price of one ticket!!

****************** Yet another rip-off? Source: Mid Day, Date: February 6, 2012

An Indian film based on a group of students who disappeared after going out to shoot for a film project sounds suspiciously similar to the 1999 cult Hollywood flick The Blairwitch Project (TBP). The makers of the desi film? That is all set to release this Valentine's Day incidentally are not denying that the basic premise of both the films are quite similar. But it most definitely isn't an official remake. Says producer Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd, "I will be honoured if this film is being compared to The Blairwitch Project because that was a fantastic film. However having said that you must know that all supernatural films have a linear plot, but that does not mean it's the same film." It's definitely not the first time a Hindi film seems too closely 'inspired' by an international film. However, at a time when producers are looking at official remakes, to avoid copyright issues, the makers of ? (Yes, that's the name of the film) rather nonchalantly declares it as an original attempt. Adds Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd, "I grew up in a village where we have had unnatural experiences. But that's the basic plot in any horror film. Apart from that there is absolutely no similarity between these two films. In fact ? is very Indian in its core and a lot funnier than any horror film you would have seen." Yet another similarity: Interestingly as per the premise, both films have been shot on a basic handy-cam.

****************** Too much of a co-incidence for '?' and 'The Unwanted'? Source: Midday.com, Date: February 9, 2012

Coincidences are commonplace in Bollywood. But this one almost takes the cake. Two films with the exact same plot are all set to release just weeks away from each other. Percept's film ? and a movie named The Unwanted by Bonn creative cinemas have the same storyline in their posters, and even the posters don't look too different from each other. Both the films are based on a bunch of college kids who head towards a forest to shoot a project film and never return. In fact the films' taglines match too. Says director of The Unwanted Jitendra Kheterpal, "I was very surprised to see the Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 13 of 82

posters of ? and what the film claims to be. It does sound exactly like my film, but I'm sure the plotline will be quite different." Strangely, this film was initially called The Untitled, which is now being used as the term to refer to Percept's film. Adds Kheterpal, "When I read about their film, I brought it up with the CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes' Association) only so that everyone is in the loop." Both the films were conceptualised in 2010 and the shooting was completed in 2011. However The Unwanted launched their website 15 days before the publicity for ? began. Says producer Shailendra Singh, "I think we are just happy trying to release our film." ? will release on February 14 while The Unwanted will release in March. Did you know? Both the films seem inspired from the cult thriller The Blair Witch Project as reported in HitList on February 6.

************** Unveiling of the first look of ? Source: HT- Cafe, Date: February 9, 2012

************* When Nagesh Kukunoor got spooked! Source: Yahoo.com, Date: February 9, 2012

Director Nagesh Kukunoor seems to have developed a love for the paranormal. He was was recently the privileged first to get a sneak preview of Percept Pictures, first untitled film, ? (a question mark), post a first look unveiling. ‘?’ slated for a February 17 release, traces the life of a group of seven BMM students, who on 10th November 2010, went to a place to shoot their final year project film. Few days later, their families received an sms stating that they were in serious trouble and needed help urgently. When the authorities reached the spot, they only found a hand-held camera. What happened with them was captured in that camera. The film is a compilation of actual footage was captured in real time; it has been compiled to duration of 1 hour 30 minutes with the visuals and sounds for public viewing. One clip leaked from the footage has generated a huge response by the youth on you tube. A whopping 10 lakh people have seen the clip in a matter of one week. Don’t believe it right!! Then please check http://www.youtube.com/trippletakemp.

Percept Pictures is now planning to organize with shows on Valentine’s Day (14th February evening/ night show) as ‘Scary Valentine’ couple tickets at price of one ticket!! Yours is not to question. Yours to walk into the theatre with your Valentine and enjoy a spooky evening... If you miss it, there is always a spooky Feb 17 to catch up on? the globe’s first untitled film, an enigma for the audiences.

************** A real touch to horror movies Source: The Times of India, Date: February 17, 2012

Percept Picture Company's "?: A Real Life Experience" is the first film in Hindi cinema to actually boast of a 'found footage' that demonstrates a real-life horror encounter captured on the spur of the moment. The movie marks the debut of director duo Yash-Allison. Yash said, "Found footage is a genre that has been active since the early 1970's. There have been films made under this genre, mostly in Spain, Italy and the US. This is India's first feature film in this space. It is an encouraging move especially for budding filmmakers, who can capture a story and approach studios like us to present their content." Allison added, "Found footage opens up a new avenue of creative expression and commercial exposition for the youth in this country. We know it takes a lot to be different and to release experimental content, and this is our endeavour to support new talent in our film industry." "?: A Real Life Experience" belongs to the thriller-horror genre. The movie captures the journey of seven friends, who are out to make a movie, but mysteriously become untraceable. "What happened on the shoot and where did they all disappear is a pertinent question, thus we have the question mark in the title," says Yash. Nagesh Kukunoor who attended the screening of "?" recently said, "The film scared me off my pants. This is for the first time that I watched this kind of a horror film in India."

***************************** When Nagesh Kukunoor got spooked! Source: Punjabnewsline.com, Date: February 8, 2012

And now it is a matter of intrigue for people and even the industry to see the footage but Percept Pictures prefers to let it remain exclusive. In fact, Nagesh Kukunoor, after being the first director to get sneak preview of the film reacted very excitedly praising the young directors for their novel idea and Percept for having faith in young talent, "I simply love the concept and the treatment. I was so caught up in the film... it was so gripping and involving!" Besides directors Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept, Allison Patel and Yash Dave, Yusuf M Shaikh, Head - Distribution, Acquisition and IPR Management, Percept Pictures were part of the viewing with Kukunoor. While Kukunoor loved to get spooked, Percept Pictures is now planning to organize with shows on Valentine’s Day (14th February evening/ night show) as ‘Scary Valentine’ couple tickets at price of one ticket!! Yours is not to question. Yours to walk into the theatre with your Valentine and enjoy a spooky evening... If you miss it, there is always a spooky Feb 17 to catch up on? the globe’s first untitled film, an enigma for the audiences.

**************

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 15 of 82

Friday release: Can '?' take Bollywood horror a notch up? Source: Ibnlive.in, Date: February 17, 2012

‘?’ - A movie without a name or as it has ironically come to be called –‘ Question Mark’; grabbed the attention of the movie goers with their jarring trailer. The horror buffs have seen the ‘Blair Witches’, the ‘Paranormal’ activities and the ‘grudges’. For a movie that seems to want to grab attention with an unconventional title and a ‘lets-reveal-nothing’ poster – the question is – What’s new? The first look released on YouTube soared high on the hits it received and a movie that boasts of no starry cast, is all set to take on the Bollywood horror genre. The trailer invariably gives a very ‘Blair Witch Project’ feel and the modus operandi of the ‘found footage’ is not entirely new to Bollywood. ‘Ragini MMS’ and Dibakar Banerjee’s stunning ‘Love Sex Aur Dhokha’ has already experimented with this space. Can we possibly expect ‘?’ to do anything different? Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited hopes to hit the scores in the ‘found footage’ space for it not been utilized to its hilt in Bollywood. He made it clear that the movie has nothing to do with ‘The Blair Witch Project’. For Singh – inspirations can be galore – but it is all about giving something new through a real and a subtle narrative style in ‘?’. According to Singh, all horror movies have the same plot – but what will work for ‘?’ is the premise and the circumstance. The main idea behind such a venture is multi pronged. The whole footage has been filmed on a Canon HD camera and one that anyone can afford. Thus, as Singh puts it – “If a common man has a story to tell, he can pick up a camera and say it.” No god fathers and no stars were required to get the directors – Yash and Allison - the break they needed.

Good news for loads of wannabe film-makers. The movie was left without a name on purpose for the story revolves around the search for the unknown. Unfortunately for the directors and the production house – the movie has come to be known as ‘Question Mark’ – there possibly cannot be another way to talk about a movie without a name. So while the potential audience may consider such an attempt rather pretentious – the obscurity just may be the right curiosity generator that could pull in the people to the theatres. Bollywood has graduated from its B grade horror flicks to the slick and the aptly scary. Horror is not a new genre for Bollywood – but a lot remains to be done in the space. While the cast and crew are hoping to score on the ‘realism’ front – Bollywood’s (potentially) third attempt at dealing with ‘Blair Witch’ or ‘Paranormal Activity’ type ‘found footage’ may lose ground for not offering anything startling and new. The film hits the screens on Friday 17th in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Whether ‘?’ will mange to thrill or fall flat – one must survive the weekend to know.

****************** Percept Pictures’ Scary Valentine? Source: Goonj.co.in, Date: February 18, 2012

On 10th November 2010, a group of seven BMM students went to a place to shoot their final year project film. Few days later, their families received an sms stating that they were in serious trouble and needed help urgently. When the authorities reached the spot, they only found a hand-held camera. What happened with them was captured in that camera. The film is a compilation of actual footage was captured in real time; it has been compiled to duration of 1 hour 30 minutes with the visuals and sounds for public viewing. And now it is a matter of intrigue for people and even the industry to see the footage but Percept Pictures prefers to let it remain exclusive. In fact, Nagesh Kukunoor was the first to get sneak preview of the film and his reactions were, "I was so caught up in the film... it was so gripping and involving!" Keeping in mind the spirit of the film and the spirit of Valentine and the Feb 17 release, Percept Pictures organized a ‘Scary Valentine’ show at Cinemax, Versova, Andheri (W). Over 100 couples turned up to get spooked along with celebrities of the likes of Sangram Singh, Payal Rohatgi, Mudasir Ali, Vipul Roy, Gary Richardson with his women Mad Horses team of Palak Shukla and Venus Chadda, designer Sabina Khan and Rajesh Tandon among others. It was a fun-filled Valentine’s Day that promised a differential entertainment for the adventurous couples.....Percept Pictures’ ? release on February 17.

*************** Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 16 of 82

Percept Pictures Untitled Film Screening Source: Mastione.com, Date: February 20, 2012 Source: Hamaraphotos.com, Indiancinemagallery.com, Hindi.way2movies.com, Indiaglitz.com, Bharatstudent.com, Maharashtratimes.indiatimes.com Date: February 16, 2012 Source: India-forums.com, Filmsofindia.com, Movietalkies.com, Supergoodmovies.com, Date: February 25, 2012 Source: Topnews.in, Date: February 24, 2012 Source: Way2movies.com, Indicine.com, Spiritzandmore.com, Buntybubly.com, Date: February 29, 2012

Coverage Links: http://www.mastione.com/payal-rohatgi-at-percept-pictures-untitled-film/ http://hamaraphotos.com/photo_-665321.html http://www.indiancinemagallery.com/Gallery2/v/Bollywood/events/Percept+Pictures+Untitled+Film+Screening/ http://hindi.way2movies.com/pics_hindi/Screening-Of-Percept-Pictures-5-150530.html http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/events/32445.html http://www.bharatstudent.com/cafebharat/event_photos_2-Hindi-Events-Percept_Pictures_Untitled_Film_Screening- photo-galleries-1,8,13925.php http://photogallery.maharashtratimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11895792.cms http://www.india-forums.com/event/4373-screening-of-percept-pictures-untitled-film.htm http://www.filmsofindia.com/photo-gallery.php?id=1612 http://www.movietalkies.com/pictures/celebrity-events/1697/celebs-at-percept-screening http://www.supergoodmovies.com/14/40089/bollywood/events-gallery/screening-of-percept-pictures-untitled-film-gallery- image http://www.topnews.in/manav-gohil-percept-pictures-untitled-film-screening-2359938 http://hindi.way2movies.com/pics_hindi/Screening%20Of%20Percept%20Pictures-5-150530.html http://www.indicine.com/photogallery/bollywood/events/percept-film-screening/58717-12-small.jpg.html http://www.spiritzandmore.com/my-spiritz/photos/viewalbum?aid=1594 http://www.buntybubly.com/event-gallery/782/percept-film-screening

*************** Karan Johar’s ‘Dharma Factory’ Comes of Age Source: Indiawest.com, Date: Feb 14, 2012

Ram Gopal Varma, for a while, had called his banner “The Factory,” candidly admitting to what he had become as a film producer. Today, independent banners like Yash Raj Films, Mukta Arts when it had first gone public (as in shares) and corporates like UTV, Eros, Percept are still known to be filmmaking factories. Rakesh Roshan, at the time of “Krrish,” had sardonically told India-West that Filmkraft does not intend to be one.Ever since Yash Johar passed away, Karan Johar has also become one of the multiple producers. This year, within two weeks (January 26 and February 10, he has had two releases, “Agneepath,” the only hit of the year so far, and “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu,” which despite a weekend collection lesser than “Players,” is expected to be a profit-earner because of the controlled budgets. And as of now, Karan has a record nine films coming up, though only a couple are in active production (as in shooting or fixed schedules). The first film is Karan’s own, “Student of the Year,” his first directorial venture without Shah Rukh Khan, which introduces three newcomers on screen – Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. This Malhotra is not to be confused with the director he launched of the same name.

After this, the other films happening are Rensil D’Silva’s next starring Emraan Hashmi, Ayan Mukerji’s “Jawani Deewani” with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Punit Malhotra’s next (no longer starring Shahid Kapoor though, because of date issues), the re-launch of director Ruchi Narain (of “Kal”Yesterday And Tomorrow”), Sonam Nair’s directorial debut, a co-production with Ekta Kapoor to be directed by Akshay Roy, a film starring Hrithik Roshan whose Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 17 of 82

details are yet to be finalized and a co-production with Sajid Nadiadwala that is the official adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s “Three Mistakes Of My Life.”Encouraged by the response to both his latest films, Johar says he will continue to launch new directors. The list so far includes Nikhil Advani (“Kal Ho Naa Ho”, his only success to date), Soham Shah (“Kaal”), Tarun Mansukhani (“Dostana”, its sequel is not happening as of now), Ayan Mukerji (“Wake Up Sid!”), Siddharth Malhotra (“We Are Family”), Punit Malhotra (“I Hate Luv Storys”), Karan Malhotra (“Agneepath”) and Shakun Batra (“Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu”).Buoyed by the success of these two films, Johar is no longer the insecure filmmaker who wanted lucky mascots like Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji, his close buddies, in his films, even if in cameos. On the contrary, the industry looks upon him as a mentor to new talents. And it is one of the best-kept secrets of the industry that things are no longer hunky-dory between Shah Rukh Khan and him. On the other hand, the huge success of “Agneepath” vis-à-vis the fates of “KANK” and “MNIK” has shown Karan that lip-sync songs (at which he wanted to ‘puke’ if he had to shoot one, pre-“MNIK”) and desi content has taught him vital lessons.

*************** Malamaal Weekly 2 to take off mid-Feb Source: Screen, Date: Feb 17, 2012 issue

*************** Percept’s new comedy, directed by Priyadarshan, goes on floor Source: Page3bollywood.com, Date: February 19, 2012 Source: Entertainment.oneindia.in, Glamsham.com, Filmyboxoffice.com, Koimoi.com, Indiawest.com, Apunkachoice.com, Desi-radio.com, Imdb.com, Iwtestsite.com, Desirulez.net, Date: February 21, 2012

Percept Pictures comic juggernaut loaded with top notch talented actors hits the floor; shoot begins in Wahi. The calm of Wahi was not disturbed by the sound of shoot. It was a calm and cordial atmosphere on the sets of Percept Pictures’ latest comic caper, directed by Priyadarshan. Shailendra Singh listened with great interest as director Priyadarshan seemed at ease, sitting in a sugarcane field, discussing the scene with Nana Patekar and Shreyas Talpade. It has taken more than a year to set the film up and move it to the shoot level. When quizzed, Shailendra Sing, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited said, “We wanted to look beyond the star culture, to look at a league of extraordinary gentlemen, extraordinary actors, who would bring their own flavour and add value to the script. Co-ordinating their dates were no easy task.” True. For, the film that is helmed by Priyadarshan, stars Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Shreyas Talpade, Asrani and Shakti Kapoor among others and is set in real settings. Nana Patekar is excited to be part of a Priyan film. “We had planned so many films, but it feels too good when one film happens. More than anything else, I love to act and leave the rest to my director. That is what happens with Priyan,” enthuses Nana. For Shreyas, it is a “double whammy. I am excited in working with Priyan Sir and Nana ji,” says Shreyas. “And when Shailendra Singh called me and told me I was in,” I couldn’t control my excitement.” Priyan is very excited about the fact that actors of the league of Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Shakti Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav are coming together with Shreyas Talpade. “I am looking forward to their combined histrionics creating celluloid magic,” confesses the maker. Tucking into pakoras, dhoklas and some hot pav bhaji, the entire unit is working with great enthusiasm in the lap

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 18 of 82

of nature in the banks of a river, with all actors chilling out between in plastic chairs in the sugarcane fields, with Nana’s infectious laughter cutting through the air, as Priyan answers our query of Nana’s romantic lead with “the only person Nana can be romantic with me in this film is me. He is a director’s actor. He doesn’t need a woman.” Touche!

************** Emraan Hashmi completes late Shamin Desai's movie Source: Bollywoodji.com, Metromasti.com, Date: February 23, 2012 Source: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com, India-forums.com, Businessofcinema.com, Imdb.com, Totalbollywoodmasala.blogspot.in, Desi-radio.com, Topics.treehugger.com, Date: February 22, 2012 Source: Bollywoodhungama.com, Date: February 21, 2012

By going out of his way to complete the late Shamin Desai's incomplete film on the media rush in Rush (earlier entitled Raftaar 24x7) Emraan Hashmi has won over the producers Percept Pictures for a lifetime. A source close to the project says, "Let's face it. Emraan Hashmi is the film's selling point. During the time when Rush was first started and it was titled Raftaar 24x7 to now when it's finally completed Emraan's stock has risen dramatically. We counted on Emraan to carry the film forward and he didn't let us down. He went out of his way to accommodate our film, shot three extra songs with us." On Tuesday after Emraan finished completing the last song for Rush, a romantic number with Sagarika Ghatge in Goa,to show his appreciation for Emraan's support the producer Shailendra Singh of Percept presented the star with a special trophy of appreciation. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited said, “Yes, we did present Emraan with a trophy after our last day's shooting of Rush. He has gone out of his way to accommodate the film, purely out of sentimental reasons. We all wanted Shamin Desai's dream to come true. Emraan was really shy about accepting the trophy. He felt he was not worthy of it. But we disagree."

******************** Percept-Priyan comic caper chooses league of extraordinary gentlemen! Source: Indianshowbusiness.com, Republicofindia.collected.info, Date: February 21, 2012

********************

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 19 of 82

Hitman Hashmi's star ratings shoot up Source: Pinkvilla.com, Date: February 23, 2012

Emraan Hashmi who’s proved time and again that he isn’t far from the big league of actors given his stupendous success at the box office ,is now up on his star rating quotient with the recent string of hits added to this track record. A turning point in his career ,Milan Luthria’s Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai brought the actor critical acclaim apart from raking in the moolah at the box office. The actor then followed that up with by Madhur Bhandarkar’s comedy Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji, which he then topped with the blockbuster Balaji’s The Dirty Picture. Moving away from the stereotype he’s normally associated with ,Emraan Hashmi is fast gaining respectability in the industry and is now being considered for roles that score high on family ratings. Confirms acclaimed critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh “Emraan’s films with Milan and Madhur have earned him the respectability from the industry that was missing till now and he’s finally crossing over to the A-listers side. His commercial value has shot up for sure,”. Things are looking up like never before for Hitman Hashmi who has an enviable list of films lined up this year starting with Jannat 2, Dibaker Banerjee’s Shanghai ,Percept Pictures’ Rush and Raaz 3. Says a source “Emraan has never consciously made an effort to do certain kinds of films.But had managed to give his 100percent to any project he undertook. He is finally coming into his own from the serial –kissing and bad boy tag that he is normally associated with and is now doing films that will tap his true potential as an actor”.

*************** Percept’s new comedy, directed by Priyadarshan, goes on floor Source: Indusladies.com, Date: February 23, 2012

Percept Pictures comic juggernaut which is loaded with top notch talented actors, has hit the floor on Feb 17 and is being shot in Wahi. The calm of Wahi was not disturbed by the sound of shoot. It was a calm and cordial atmosphere on the sets of Percept Pictures’ latest comic caper, directed by Priyadarshan. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited listened with great interest as director Priyadarshan seemed at ease, sitting in a sugarcane field, discussing the scene with Nana Patekar and Shreyas Talpade. It has taken more than a year to set the film up and move it to the shoot level. When quizzed, Mr. Singh said, “We wanted to look beyond the star culture, to look at a league of extraordinary gentlemen, extraordinary actors, who would bring their own flavour and add value to the script. Co-ordinating their dates was no easy task.” For the film Malamaal Weekly 2, stars Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Rajpal Yadav, Shreyas Talpade, Asrani and Shakti Kapoor among others and is set in real settings. Nana Patekar is excited to be part of a Priyan film. “We had planned so many films, but it feels to good when one film happens. More than anything else, I love to act and leave the rest to my director. That is what happens with Priyan,” enthuses Nana. For Shreyas Talpade, it is a double whammy. The Bollywood actor says, "I am excited in working with Priyan Sir and Nana ji. And when Shailendra Singh called me and told me I was in: I couldn’t control my excitement.” Tucking into pakoras, dhoklas and some hot pav bhaji, the entire unit is working with great enthusiasm in the lap of nature in the banks of a river, with all actors chilling out between in plastic chairs in the sugarcane fields, with Nana’s infectious laughter cutting through the air, as Priyan answers our query of Nana’s romantic lead with “the only person Nana can be romantic with me in this film is me. He is a director’s actor. He doesn’t need a woman.” Touche!

************* Emraan Hashmi star ratings shoot up Source: Indiaglitz.com, Date: February 24, 2012

he’s normally associated with ,Emraan Hashmi is fast gaining respectability in the industry and is now being considered for roles that score high on family ratings. Confirms acclaimed critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh “Emraan’s films with Milan and Madhur have earned him the respectability from the industry that was missing till now and he’s finally crossing over to the A-listers side. His commercial value has shot up for sure,”. Things are looking up like never before for Hitman Hashmi who has an enviable list of films lined up this year starting with Jannat 2, Dibaker Banerjee’s Shanghai ,Percept Pictures’ Rush and Raaz 3. Says a source “Emraan has never consciously made an effort to do certain kinds of films.But had managed to give his 100percent to any project he undertook. He is finally coming into his own from the serial –kissing and bad boy tag that he is normally associated with and is now doing films that will tap his true potential as an actor”.

*************** Percept & Viacom 18 come together for Sunburn - The Movie Source: Ibnlive.in.com, Zeenews.india.com, Indianexpress.com, Hindustantimes.com, Dnaindia.com, Yahoo.com, Bollywoodhungama.com, Rollingstoneindia.com, Indiantelevision.com, Soundbox.co.in, Glamsham.com, Bestmediainfo.com, Apunkachoice.com, Taaza.com, Features.rr.com, Cinecurry.com, Mastipak.com, Prokerala.com, Bollywoodji.com, Bollywoodchaska.com, Newspolitan.com, Imdb.com, Samachar.com, Sify.com, Bollywoodtrade.com, Headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com, Date: February 29, 2012

Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Percept Pictures have come together to announce the unique to 'Sunburn' into Sunburn - The Movie. To be produced and creatively mentored by Phantom Films and its ace director Anurag Kashyap, Sunburn - The Movie is a film shot entirely at the festival - real time! While Sunburn's music has always been the festival's mainstay, the film's music is all set to raise the bar as well, with the super talented Amit Trivedi set to take the Sunburn experience several notches higher! In its fifth year, Sunburn has been ranked amongst the world's top 10 music festivals, making it an unprecedented achievement for any branded experience in India. Speaking about this Mr. Shailendra Singh - Jt. MD, Percept Limited & Inceptor of Sunburn, says, "Sunburn is a global dance music festival - SUNBURN fans go beyond the ones who have attended the festival. Fans have relished the experience and we thought of enhancing the same through cinema. With likeminded partners Viacom 18 and Phantom, we want take this to the next level." Further Mr. Vikram Malhotra - COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures says, "Sunburn is by far the biggest cult event in the country. The way this brand has grown over the last 4 years is extraordinary. We are delighted to partner with Percept and Phantom to extend this power brand into an exhilarating cinematic experience, making it the first festival film in the world." From Phantom Films Mr. Vikas Bahl says, "Apart from being a world class music fest, Sunburn also is a great platform to get real life stories. We are happy to join hands with Percept and Viacom 18 for making a film around the festival and launching 7 New Directors. It is rare to find one platform from where so many different stories can emerge while music is the passion that holds them together."

**************** Percept Pictures presents a trophy to Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi Source: Network2media.com, Date: February 29, 2012

Percept Pictures’ upcoming movie ‘Rush’ has completed the final shoot schedule in Goa on February 21, 2012. To complete the late director Shamin Desai’s dream as soon as possible, Emraan Hashmi has been shooting day and night for the leftover tracks of the film, despite of being unwell. The actor also went to the extent of adjusting his dates to complete the film. Over-whelmed with the actor’s commitment, dedication and passion towards the movie ‘Rush’, Percept Pictures presented a trophy to Emraan Hashmi on the last day of the shoot on being a real superstar. Mr. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited said, "Yes, we did present Emraan with a trophy after our last day's shooting of 'Rush'. He has gone out of his way to accommodate the film, purely out of sentimental reasons. We all wanted Shamin Desai's dream to come true. Emraan was really shy about accepting the trophy. He felt he was not worthy of it. But we disagree."

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**************** Sunburn, now on the big screen Source: Mid Day, Date: February 28, 2012

************* Untitled Source: Box Office India, Date: Feb 2012 issue

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Screening Of Percept Pictures Question Mark film Source: Apnaindia.com, Date: February 28, 2012

Coverage Link: http://apnaindia.com/entertainment/event/bollywood/screening-of-percept-pictures-question-mark-film- 3831.html?page=1

************* Launch of Sunburn – The Movie Source: Boxofficeindia.co.in, Date: February 29, 2012

****************

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PERCEPT SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PERCEPT ICE

Percept ICE conceptualizes activities for a slew of accounts Source: Silobreaker.com, Gelfuelfireplacefireplace.com, Mycelebrity.com, Date: February 2, 2012

Percept ICE, a Strategic Business Unit of Percept Sports & Entertainment, bid farewell to the year gone by with a feeling of happiness and excitement. Percept ICE’s flawless strategies, hard-work and dedication helped them win a slew of accounts in the last month of the 2011. Percept ICE strategically planned and executed the activities for 16 clients in the month of December 2011. Their impressively implemented strategies gained them accolades from clients & masses. Percept ICE executed the activities for the following clients: Colgate, Filmfare, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (IFFI), Lakme, Panasonic India, Mercedes Benz, Google, Birla Sun Life Insurance, Lenovo, Indian Navy, Aegon Religare, Bridgestone, ATC Tyres, Pitbull Concert and India Today.

Commenting on the success of the launch event, Nazneen Karimi – Business Head, Percept ICE said, “It’s been a very fulfilling month for the entire team. The team has really worked hard to acquire and retain the bouquet of clients that we now have.” Highlights of the awe-inspiring activities for some of the clients :

International Film Festival of India (IFFI) - Percept ICE with its landmark entry into the IFFI 2011 has made the first entry of PDM into the array of government events. The 42nd International Film Festival Of India kicked off the ten-day extravaganza with Shah Rukh Khan at Ravindra Bhavan auditorium in Margao, Goa on November 23, 2011. More than 300 films played across eight screens, bringing home the agony and ecstasy of life around the world. The chief guest for the opening ceremony was Mr Shahrukh Khan while for the closing ceremony Chief guest was Mr Surya. IFFI was attended by renowned film personalities from India and across the globe including Madhuri Dixit, Frieda Pinto, David Dhawan, Luc Besson, Bertrand Tavernier to name a few…

Colgate – Attractive Colgate Fresh Kiosk was set up at Sunburn 2011, Goa. Percept ICE strikingly set up interactive screen medium, connected through internet, where one registers and gets tagged while getting the photographs clicked. To make it more exciting, the clicked photographs were uploaded directly on the Facebook wall of the person who registered. Around 60 lakh people read comments, tagged and fan the Colgate Plax page on Facebook.

Filmfare – Percept ICE managed Filmfare’s multi-city press conferences to announce their title sponsors. Bollywood Superstars Imran Khan, Asin attended these press conferences held at Hotel Metropolitan - Delhi, The Leela Palace - Bangalore & Marriot -Mumbai respectively.

Panasonic – Percept ICE went that extra mile to promote awareness of Panasonic in an eco-friendly way at Sunburn 2011. Two eco-friendly tunnels were created at the entrance & exit of Flea market in Ground A, Candolim Beach, Goa. By creatively setting-up 30-feet tunnel, of natural leaves & ferns, the message of ‘Go Green’ was successfully promoted.

Hindustan Unilever – HUL organized a meet for its Branch Managers, Sales Team and Senior Management at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. The objective of the meet was to discuss the result of the last campaign - ‘Paanch Ka Punch’ where the sales team had to achieve 5000 crore as a sales target, to reward the achievers and to launch the campaign for the year 2012. Percept Sports & Entertainment creatively made a special audio visual to unveil the new campaign ‘6 Ghumake’ - where the new target is to achieve 6000 crore in 2012. The big hit of the event was a live performance from Sonu Nigam. The whole event was creatively planned and executed within a short span of 10 days. Percept ICE’s out of the box thinking and flawless execution definitely assisted HUL in encouraging the teams to achieve the set target.

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Google – Google’s aim was to increase awareness of Google+. Keeping white as the theme color, the activities ranged from free Wi-Fi at the lounge with Ipads on display for browsing to activities at the other locations spread out over the 2 grounds. Percept ICE innovatively created an ambience that encouraged people to have fun and be themselves. Guests were encouraged to do whatever they felt like from miming to dancing to acting and the photos and videos were immediately uploaded on Facebook & Youtube. Over 5000 straw hats with customized G+ badges were distributed for free. 2 DJ walls were set up, 1 in each ground, for the people to vote for their favorite stage. This information was regularly updated and posted on Google+ page for Sunburn. Finally the highlight was the slush counter that distributed close to 20,000 free slushes over the 3 days of the Sunburn festival. Percept ICE’s ability to understand the clients’ target group helped them in creating a lively atmosphere throughout the event & ultimately meeting clients’ objectives through all these activities.

Lakme – Percept ICE strategically set-up Lakme Sunset Lounge at Sunburn 2011 by using the brand colors, giving it a vibrant look and feel. It had yellow bean bags, sun beds, customised fruit centre tables & a bar which served free customised fruit mock tails to everyone. Lakme lounge also functioned as an experiential zone, wherein the visitors were pampered with free face & hand massages using Lakme products as per the skin type. Lakme fruit Blast face wash & Lakme Sunexpert sunscreen were used for the experiences. Lakme girls dressed in vibrant costumes invited people to write their New Year resolutions on the Resolution Wall. People were provided with whacky props like wigs, hats, Chinese fans etc to pose against the Resolution Wall, instant photographs were given out in customised Lakme photo-jackets. Percept ICE’s flawless planning, seamless execution and ability to understand client’s target group assisted them in winning these accounts and meeting clients’ objectives.

***************** Private Events at Blue frog Source: Experiential Marketing, Date: February 4, 2012 Issue

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PERCEPT ENTERTAINMENT

Sunburn 2011 Source: Experiential Marketing, Date: February 4, 2012 Issue

************* Vocal Trance Source: The Indian Express, Date: February 11, 2012

*************

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DJ Dash Berlin to perform in Mumbai Source: Hindustantimes.com, Date: February 11, 2012

Electronic dance music junkies can look forward to a different and a whole new experience at this gig today evening. “It’s inspiring to play outside in the fresh air, under the stars. Arenas can hold a larger audience, usually with a lot more energy, which is always fun. It gives us more liberty to play with visuals, lights and lasers which completes the whole experience,” says DJ Dash Berlin, who will be performing at the Turf Lawns, Mahalaxmi Race Course today. In December last year, DJ Avicii had performed at a similar gig in Goa. Dash, who plays progressive trance, feels that India is opening up to becoming a hot destination for EDM fests. “India is growing tremendously in terms of music. It has such a large, young population. I think they are craving the language-less tunes and beats that international artists are dropping. India is making a mark as a music travel destination,” says he. Currently ranking as worlds no 8 DJ in DJMag’s ratings and having won several awards in the past, ask him what it takes to maintain his position and he replies, “It has been an unbelievable journey. I’m constantly giving my hundred percent to my albums, along with experimenting and innovating. I like to describe my sound as an uplifting, emotive, epic audio painting,” admits Dash, who just released a track, World falls apart… , where he has collaborated with singer Jonathan Mendelsohn. “He is one of the most incredible vocalists that I know. We’re very proud of the track, and are getting great feedback it. I am working on some more interesting tracks at the moment, but you’ll have to stay tuned to find out more about them,” says he, adding that he is also looking forward to meeting Indian artistes, “That’s part of the reason that I am very excited to come and play in India! It’s such a vibrant music scene and I am absolutely looking forward to meeting Indian artistes and producers on this tour.”

************* DJ on the arena Source: Mid-day.com, Date: February 8, 2012

The Sunburn fever is over but the hangover remains. And this time, it even takes centrestage. From the organisers of one of the biggest music festivals in the country, we have the latest trend on the clubbing scene -- the arena experience. Arena gigs will feature DJs spinning hip-shaking tracks on a console placed right at the centre of the venue. DJs will have a 360 degree view of how receptive the audience is and music enthusiasts will also find the DJs more approachable thanks to this concept. "Sunburn is all about dancing under palm trees with your feet stomping on the sun-baked sand," says Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited.

In an endeavor to bring this outdoor experience to India, outdoor arena gigs are lined up across the country with DJ Dash Berlin, ranked 8th among the top DJs of the world, performing in Pune tomorrow at Mi A Mi. The festival combines the latest technology with natural surroundings to create a truly magical clubbing experience. "When you come to Planet Sunburn, you leave your world behind. The lights, lasers and visuals will help you forget your mundane existence. We invest in the latest technology and technological innovators to amaze and entertain our fans," says Singh.

He believes that Pune's audiences are maturing and opting to listen to good music for a wholesome experience. "The availability of fantastic venues across the city encourages the partying scene in Pune. Sunburn has a lot of fans in the city, and we promise to take the clubbing experience here to a whole new level with the Sunburn arena," claims Singh. The Sunburn Arena Gig is set to tour Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai from February 9 to 12. On February 9: At Mi A Mi, Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre, Senapati Bapat Road.

****************** Mind the Dash Source: Mumbai Mirror, Date: February 11, 2012

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************* Delhi gets 'Dash'-ed at the Sunburn Arena 2012 tour Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 11, 2012

Dash Berlin performed his second arena gig in Delhi on the Sunburn Arena tour of India at Rockman's – The Nightclub in Delhi last night. It was quite a smashing event with thousands of screaming fans and happy, smiling clubbers. The night was hosted by DJ Rummy and the supporting set was by Lost Stories. Dash Berlin performed some of his powerful numbers like 'World Falls Apart', 'Better Half of Me', 'Till the Sky Falls Down', 'Waiting' & 'Man on the Run' that sent the crowd into a frenzy. It was a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where all music fans came together in a single stroke of the hour and grooved at the high octane performance. Speaking about his visit to India the hottest name in electronic music space, DJ Dash Berlin said, "Great crowds are what an artist craves for, and the Sunburn arena promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and I am looking forward to my performances in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru from Feb 9-12." Sunburn Arena 2012 brings the Dash Berlin India tour. The four cities who will witness his India tour include Feb 9: Miami, Pune – 9pm onwards, Feb 10: Rockmans Night club – Delhi, Feb 11: Polo Club, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mumbai – 5pm onwards and Feb 12: E-Zone – Bengaluru.

Percept India brought down the concept of Arena gigs to India for the first time in a special Sunburn tour. An arena is usually a crowd capacity of a large audience, depending on structure of the Arena. The versatile venue had an intimate feel where all visitors were treated to fantastic stage views allowing them to enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience. As it such a huge area it gives room for a lot of creativity production and technology wise, with lasers, lights, sound, stage which gave the audiences the ultimate music and entertainment experience. Arena gigs happen all around the world and cities like London, Prague, Amsterdam are famous for such events. Popular EDM artists like Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyke, David Guetta are some of the biggest DJ's who travel all around the world for such gigs. The

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Four-City Tour is presented by Central in association with Gitanjali. The Mumbai Event is in association with the Royal Western Indian Turf Club (RWITC).

************** Sound proof Source: Thestatesman.net, Date: February 10, 2012

For Bhupenda: Shaan, Kailash Kher and Shankar Mahadevan are paying tribute to Bhupen Hazarika with the song Bhupen Hazarika. The track is produced by award-winning music director/producer and a popular name in the advertising industry Vicckey Goswami. The song has been released on Universal Music. Rabbi returns: Universal Music has signed on the versatile Rabbi Shergill for his latest album 3. Known for his deep, insightful, stirring lyrics and urban- Sufi music, Rabbi is back after five years with a new studio album, which releases later this month.

Mix & match: DJ Dash Berlin, rated the Best European DJ at the IDMA’s and the winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 Award for ‘Highest New Entry’, is all set to tour India. Dash Berlin, known for his spell-binding performance at some of the world’s biggest festivals now takes over Sunburn Arena Gigs. Classical Moves: Indian classical artiste Prabal Bhattacharya wants to add another feather to his cap by touring the US and Canada, besides performing with Mr Madhaban (Nashville, Tennessee) in Chennai. Bhattacharya received talim from Sandip Ghosh (senior scholar, ITC Sangeet Research Academy) and is under the tutelage of Pandit Samaresh Chowdhury for the last 15 years. The young vocalist has already participated in a number of concerts ~ Narendrapur Sangeet Sanmellan, Navrang Sangeet Sanmellan, Bandish Sangeet Sanmellan, Salt Lake Music Circle, Chandigarh Music Festival, India Habitat Centre (2007 and 2010), Raag Ranjani, etc.

************* A dash of good music Source: Deccanherald.com, Date: February 15, 2012

The crowd could hardly be contained hours before the performance and the place donned the look that is typical of trance pubs complete with the lights and projections. The idea was to give different cities a taste of the famed dance music festival ‘Sunburn’, held outside of Goa. Dash Berlin, formerly known as Jeffrey Sutorius, arrived a tad late but was excited about his second trip to the City. “Most things in the City look quite the same from what I saw last time. I can see a lot of new developments though,” says Dash Berlin. ‘Dash Berlin’ initially started out as a dance music collective by DJ and producer Jeffrey Sutorius who came with no more than passion for the genre and a will that could take him from working in record stores all the way to being the one producing them. “The story of my association with dance music is a long one. I first got influenced by my sister who was a party dancer. I started collecting dance music and got to work at a record store. I got some breaks here and there and soon became friends with some music producers,” says Dash. “Then I got my first big break and soon everybody was asking after me,” he adds. With hits like ‘The Sky Falls Down’, ‘Waiting’ and the recent album ‘The New Daylight’, Dash Berlin has been associated with many big names in the industry across genres including the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Annie Lenox and ‘Vengaboys’. He has experimented with styles but admits he sees a future in dance music alone. On the cards is a movie story, a new single and a new album which is almost complete. “My new album is almost finished and due for release soon. Following this will be an album tour. The album is all about dance and I am fortunate to have been associated with all the people I did through it,” he says talking about his album. Also associated with remixes over the years, he says every remix holds a special place in his heart but he has his favourites. Talking about the one track that he knew should be made into a remix the very first time he heard it, he says, “‘Not Giving Up On Love’ by Armin Van Buuren is one such track. It has played on every dance floor I have ever been to”. On his second visit to town, his expectations seem to have risen and he feels the City is becoming prepared for dance music. “The crowd in the City is very impressive. There are lots of people having a good time. I think Bangalore is ready now,” he says. ************* Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 29 of 82

Make a Dash for It Source: Indianexpress.com, Date: February 9, 2012

In high school, he became a fan of electronic music. Today, the world is a fan of his music. Jeffrey Sutorius, frontman of progressive-trance project Dash Berlin, is on an India tour for Sunburn Arena. Pune is his destination today. "India is growing tremendously in terms of music, in all genres actually. India has such a large, young population. As they get tuned in, and wired up, I think they are craving the language-less tunes and beats that international artists are dropping," he says. In his late teens, Dash Berlin (he prefers going by the project name) worked in a record store and became a collector of vinyl trance music. "My father has influenced and inspired my rhythmic sound a lot since he was a jazz band drummer. My sister too contributed as she would get a lot of cassettes home as she was a party dancer. But, my DJ-ing is mostly self-taught," he says. He started mixing and producing his own music and in early 2006 he performed in the Dutch underground music scene. "Within a year, I teamed up with my fellow producers and close friends Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn to form Dash Berlin, with me as the frontman," he says.

The word Berlin in his artist name is an ode to the metropolis and "her engaging, urban landscape, where I have seen more than a million people dancing on the streets, in the spirit of an ever-evolving Europe," he says. Dash Berlin shot to prominence with his 2007 hit ‘Till the Sky Falls Down’. The single won him a deal with Armin van Buuren’s record label Armada. In fact, Van Burren was so impressed by the single that he included it in the third chapter of his acclaimed album ‘Universal Religion’. “It was an important step in my career. It created the right amount of buzz about the project,” the DJ says. At his gig today, he will dish out his most popular singles. "I just released the mix ‘World Falls Apart’ with one of the most incredible vocalists that I know, Jonathan Mendelsohn. We’re very proud of the track and are getting great feedback. I am working on some more interesting tracks at the moment, but you’ll have to stay tuned to find out more," he adds. (Dash Berlin will perform at Mi-A-Mi, Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre, today)

************* World No 8 DJ Dash Berlin to take over Sunburn Arena Gigs Source: Soundbox.co.in, Date: February 10, 2012

DJ Dash Berlin, rated the Best European DJ at the IDMA’s and the winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 Award for Highest New Entry and placed at #8 in the world, is all set to take forward the new concept by Percept India called Arena Gigs. In his three city tour that begins with Pune on Feb 9, followed by Delhi on Feb 10, Mumbai on Feb 11 and Bengaluru on Feb 12, Dash Berlin, known for his performance at some of the worlds biggest festivals including the Electric Daisy Festival in Las Vegas, A State Of Trance 500 in Buenos Aires, Eurofest in Mexico City, Mayday in Minsk and the Sunrise Festival in Kołobrzeg promises music lovers a taste of some really amazing high octane performance. The four cities who will witness his India tour include Feb 9: Miami , Pune – 9pm onwards, Feb 10: Rockmans Night club – Delhi, Feb 11: Polo Club, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mumbai – 5pm onwards and Feb 12: E-Zone – Bengaluru. “Fans can expect a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where in a single stroke of the hour, once can groove to some amazing music, with neon light performances and the crowd going insane, a la Sunburn style,” said Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd. Speaking about his visit to India the hottest name in electronic music space, DJ Dash Berlin said, “Great crowds are what an artist craves for, and the Sunburn arena promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and I am looking forward to my performances in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru from Feb 9-12.” Percept India brought down the concept of Arena gigs to India for the first time in a special Sunburn tour. The Four-City Tour is presented by Central in association with Gitanjali. The Mumbai Event is in association with the Royal Western Indian Turf Club (RWITC).

************* A rocking show Source: Indianexpress.com, Date: February 9, 2012

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Bigger concerts, better names and larger audience — Infected Mushroom, Opeth, Anoushka Shankar, Dash Berlin, David Guetta and Lamb of God — these are the bands that have performed or will be showcasing in the country this year. International bands performing in the city is nothing new. But these acts have triggered an onslaught of interesting and entertaining chain of ‘pre party’ events in the city. This weekend saw big acts like DJ Nasha, Tuhin Mehta, Arjun Vagale and Nucleya perform in the city as a part of the Invasion pre party for David Guetta, who will perform on March 11 in Bengaluru. Prior to this event, there were a few pre party gigs organised by Overture before the Summer Storm Festival, which was headlined by Opeth. These pre party events are embraced not just by enthusiastic music aficionados but by local artistes as well. “The best thing about these parties is that people across the country can pick up tickets for the big event from a single party,” says event organiser, Shylesh Jain, who has organised many such events in the city. “The artistes who perform at such parties are carefully picked. We want to create a general awareness about the event and the artiste. For the upcoming Guetta event, we have picked DJ Jasmeet, as he plays good house,” he explains. Of course, we’ve witnessed quite a few Sunburn pre parties in the city, with the latest being a performance by DJ Dash Berlin. “Sunburn is all about dancing under palm trees with your feet stomping on the sun- baked sand. In an endeavour to bring this outdoor experience to the city, outdoor arena gigs were lined up across the country with DJ Dash Berlin,” says Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited.

From a tribute concert to guest performances — pre parties are being held to get the city geared up for the big day. But, these shows have also given local talent a good breakthrough. Bands and musicians get to perform at bigger venues and to a larger audience. “It is not just about promoting an event. It’s more like a celebration. It’s a positive trend and it definitely benefits artistes. From our last Opeth pre party gig, we’ve garnered new fans and the show was great,” says Amrit Rao of Live Banned. Musicians also opt for such events to aid and support organisers. “We want to support new companies, especially those who’re really enthusiastic about what people like us do,” he adds. * ARJUN VAGALE: Pre party events: A great platform to promote an event and to spread awareness about the artiste. Local talents give a feel and understanding of the kind of music people are going to experience on the big day. It’s a new concept in India but it’s soon catching up. Going solo: Has helped us (members of Jalebee Cartel) discover our own sound and explore new styles. I experiment more with house and techno now, something I wanted to from a long time. It’s more underground, not commercial — it’s like creating a new space — something that’s real and personal. Upcoming EDM artistes in India: Praveen Achari from Bengaluru, Kini Rao from Mumbai and Dheeraj Sareen from Delhi. Your calendar: The Future Music Festival in March followed by the Summer European tour and performance at my favourite haunt, Germany. Maybe even San Francisco this year! TUHIN MEHTA AKA BRUTE FORCE: Pre party concept: It’s a good way to get the buzz out in the market. People get insight into what the event is all about and what to expect. Local talents get to be in the spotlight and can associate themselves with big international artistes. Current projects: Right now I’m trying desperately to juggle my calendar and travel schedule! Somewhere towards the end of the year, there will be releases of new productions as well. Best gig this year: The Storm Festival, it was surreal. You had to be there to understand just how good it was! Your favoruite EDM artiste in India: I’d have to say Arjun Vagale. EDM and Bengaluru: Musically it’s always improving! I do hope that the rest of the situation improves soon in the city.

************* DJ Dash Berlin to take over Sunburn Arena Gigs in India Source: Radioandmusic.com, Date: February 9, 2012

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Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Limited said, “Fans can expect a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where in a single stroke of the hour, once can groove to some amazing music, with neon light performances and the crowd going insane, a la Sunburn style.” Artistes like Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyke and David Guetta are some of the top DJ’s who are popular for such gigs.

************* When DJ Berlin scorched Turf Club with Sunburn Arena gig! Source: Journalisttoday.com, Date: February 11, 2012

DJ Dash Berlin, rated the 'Best European DJ' at the IDMA's and the winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 Award for 'Highest New Entry' and placed at #8 in the world, is all set to took forward the new concept by Percept India called Arena Gigs with Shailendra Singh, Jt MD, Percept at Turf Club when he set the arena afire with his music. The opening was by 16- year-old DJ sensation Shaan Singh and Rushabh Joshi of Lost Stories.Dash Berlin, who has performed in global festivals including the Electric Daisy Festival in Las Vegas, A State Of Trance 500 in Buenos Aires, Eurofest in Mexico City, Mayday in Minsk and the Sunrise Festival in Kołobrzeg gave music lovers a taste of some really amazing high octane performance, proving that he is the god of vocal trance.“DJ Berlin Fans got a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where in a single stroke of the hour, once can groove to some amazing music, with neon light performances and the crowd going insane, a la Sunburn style,” said Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Limited. Speaking about his visit to India the hottest name in electronic music space, DJ Dash Berlinsaid, “Great crowds are what an artist craves for, and the Sunburn arena promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and it was a great feeling to see the crowd at Turf Club. I am looking forward to more.

”Percept India brought down the concept of Arena gigs to India for the first time in a special Sunburn tour. An Arena is usually a crowd capacity of a large audience, depending on structure of the Arena. The versatile venue had an intimate feel where all visitors were treated to fantastic stage views allowing them to enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience. As it such a huge area it gives room for a lot of creativity production and technologywise, with lasers, lights, sound, stage which gave the audiences the ultimate music and entertainment experience. Arena gigs happen all around the world and cities like London, Prague, Amsterdam are famous for such events. Popular EDM artists like Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyke, David Guetta are some of the biggest DJs who travel all around the world for such gigs.The Four-City Tour is presented by Central in association with Gitanjali. The Mumbai Event is in association with the Royal Western Indian Turf Club (RWITC).Sunburn is a 3-Day Electronic Dance Music Festival held in Goa, India. Inaugurated in 2007, Sunburn is a synergy of music, entertainment, sports, food, shopping and lifestyle that attracts music tourism in Goa. In the past four years of existence, Sunburn has brought together renowned Indian and International DJs to entertain crowds of thousands over a three day period in the last week of December. With a variety of experiences to choose from, Sunburn caters to a wide Indian and International audience and highlights India as a Dance Festival destination to the world.

************* A dash of good music Source: senemp3.com, Date: February 15, 2012

and got to work at a record store. I got some breaks here and there and soon became friends with some music producers,” says Dash. “Then I got my first big break and soon everybody was asking after me,” he adds. With hits like ‘The Sky Falls Down’, ‘Waiting’ and the recent album ‘The New Daylight’, Dash Berlin has been associated with many big names in the industry across genres including the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Annie Lenox and ‘Vengaboys’.

He has experimented with styles but admits he sees a future in dance music alone. On the cards is a movie story, a new single and a new album which is almost complete. “My new album is almost finished and due for release soon. Following this will be an album tour. The album is all about dance and I am fortunate to have been associated with all the people I did through it,” he says talking about his album. Also associated with remixes over the years, he says every remix holds a special place in his heart but he has his favourites. Talking about the one track that he knew should be made into a remix the very first time he heard it, he says, “‘Not Giving Up On Love’ by Armin Van Buuren is one such track. It has played on every dance floor I have ever been to”. On his second visit to town, his expectations seem to have risen and he feels the City is becoming prepared for dance music. “The crowd in the City is very impressive. There are lots of people having a good time. I think Bangalore is ready now,” he says.

************* Sunburn Arena Source: Allevents.in, Date: February 12, 2012

Coverage Link: http://allevents.in/Bangalore/Sunburn-Arena-ft-DJ-Producer-DASH-BERLIN-World--8- TICKETS:9986031426/149251308525318

************* World No 8 DJ Dash Berlin to take over Sunburn Arena Gigs in India from Feb 9-12 in Pune, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru Source: Dumkhum.com, Date: February 9, 2012

DJ Dash Berlin, rated the ‘Best European DJ’ at the IDMA’s and the winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 Award for ‘Highest New Entry’ and placed at #8 in the world, is all set to take forward the new concept by Percept India called Arena Gigs. In his three city tour that begins with Pune on Feb 9, followed by Delhi on Feb 10, Mumbai on Feb 11 and Bengaluru on Feb 12, Dash Berlin, known for his spell-binding performance at some of the worlds biggest festivals including the Electric Daisy Festival in Las Vegas, A State Of Trance 500 in Buenos Aires, Eurofest in Mexico City, Mayday in Minsk and the Sunrise Festival in Kołobrzeg promises music lovers a taste of some really amazing high octane performance. Dash Berlin we can surely call him the god of vocal trance. The man has made big progress in a very short span of time. He was bought into the EDM family by none other than Armin Van Buuren when his massive hit Till the Sky Fall Down was featured on Armin’s Universal Religion chapter. The track became one of the most memorable, global anthems that year and introduced a new line of trance with big happy drops. After this in 2009 Dash started his own label Aropa under which he released the massive bomb Man on the Run with Cerf, Mitiska and Jaren. Soon after this came the high energy vocal track Waiting with Emma Hewitt. the track waiting won an IDMA award for the Best High Energy Track and in the same year his tracks Man on the run and waiting were nominated in the Best Trance track category. October 2009 marked the global release of his first album The New Daylight featuring the above three tracks with some top notch tunes like Ten miles and Wired. The more we say about dash’s tracks, the less it is as they are filled with such profund beauty. Tracklist: http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-new-daylight/id335941919

In 2010, he made an entry in the Dj magazine top 100 Djs chart at a whopping #15 and won the Dj magazine’s award for highest new entry. In 2011 Dash gave us some more big tracks like Disarm yourself, Earth hour and Better half of me . All of these were a global hit with better half of me featuring in Top 20 tunes of ASOT 2011. This massive talent moved up 7 places in 2011′s Dj magazine poll to #8 . We haven’t even talked about his remixes yet and Dash Berlin is one man who does not need more introductions. The four lucky cities who will witness the vocal trance master’s India Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 33 of 82

Tour include Feb 9: Miami , Pune – 9pm onwards, Feb 10: Rockmans Night club – Delhi, Feb 11: Polo Club, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mumbai – 5pm onwards and Feb 12: E-Zone – Bengaluru. “Fans can expect a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where in a single stroke of the hour, once can groove to some amazing music, with neon light performances and the crowd going insane, a la Sunburn style,” said Shailendra Singh, Jt MD, Percept. Speaking about his visit to India the hottest name in electronic music space, DJ Dash Berlin said, “Great crowds are what an artist craves for, and the Sunburn arena promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and I am looking forward to my performances in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru from Feb 9-12.”

Percept India brought down the concept of Arena gigs to India for the first time in a special Sunburn tour. An Arena is usually a crowd capacity of a large audience, depending on structure of the Arena. The versatile venue had an intimate feel where all visitors were treated to fantastic stage views allowing them to enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience. As it such a huge area it gives room for a lot of creativity production and technology wise, with lasers, lights, sound, stage which gave the audiences the ultimate music and entertainment experience. Arena gigs happen all around the world and cities like London, Prague, Amsterdam are famous for such events. Popular EDM artists like Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyke, David Guetta are some of the biggest DJs who travel all around the world for such gigs. The Four-City Tour is presented by Central in association with Gitanjali. The Mumbai Event is in association with the Royal Western Indian Turf Club (RWITC). Sunburn is a 3-Day Electronic Dance Music Festival held in Goa, India. Inaugurated in 2007, Sunburn is a synergy of music, entertainment, sports, food, shopping and lifestyle that attracts music tourism in Goa. In the past four years of existence, Sunburn has brought together renowned Indian and International DJs to entertain crowds of thousands over a three day period in the last week of December. With a variety of experiences to choose from, Sunburn caters to a wide Indian and International audience and highlights India as a Dance Festival destination to the world.

************* DJ Dash Berlin to take over Sunburn Arena Gigs in India Source: Indiagigalert.com, Date: February 9, 2012

DJ Dash Berlin is all set to take over the ‘Sunburn Arena Gigs’ with a four-city tour in the country for the first time. The tour will be held from 9-12 February in Pune followed by Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru respectively. Speaking on the India Tour, DJ Dash Berlin said, “Great crowds are what an artistes craves for, and the Sunburn arena promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and I am looking forward to my performances in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru from Feb 9-12.” Last year the concept of arena gigs were introduced by Percept in India as a part of special Sunburn tour which featured EDM artiste Avicci. The arena gigs gives artistes an opportunity to create ultimate music and entertainment experience with the help of technology like lasers, lights, sound and stage. Percept Joint MD Shailendra Singh said, “Fans can expect a phenomenal evening with eclectic mixes where in a single stroke of the hour, once can groove to some amazing music, with neon light performances and the crowd going insane, a la Sunburn style.” Artistes like Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyke and David Guetta are some of the top DJ’s who are popular for such gigs.

************* Playing their song Source: Business.outlookindia.com, Date: February 1, 2012

The 75,000 people who headed to Candolim Beach in December were not there for the sand or surf. What had drawn them to Goa was Sunburn, the annual electronic dance music festival that has its roots in Goan trance. Seven stages and over 90 artistes kept the music going at the three-day party on the beach, with a line up that included Infected Mushroom and DJs Axwell and Funkagenda. But it was not fun in the sun for everybody at Sunburn. There were entire teams of people hard at work and, no, we are not talking of the event organisers. Brands such as Absolut, Lenovo, Gitanjali, Canon and Lakmé were busy working the crowds to connect with potential and existing customers. While Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 34 of 82

Lakmé found the perfect opportunity to test its new range of sun protection products, Canon India was persuading revellers to shoot pictures with its cameras to extend the brand’s ‘cherish every moment’ positioning. Lenovo invited amateur DJs to use its software to submit song entries online. The winning entry got a chance to perform at Sunburn and in the subsequent ‘hangover’ tours. It is not only Sunburn. As demand for live, youth-oriented music festivals picks up across India, they are increasingly showing up on the radars of consumer brands and advertisers. Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd, which organises the Sunburn Festival, explains the reason behind the popularity of such gigs. “Anyone can go to the music store, buy the latest album and listen to it. Events like Sunburn are places to experience the music, and the creative energy that it inspires,” he says.

Of course, they are nowhere close to the scale and popularity of a Glastonbury or the Lollapalooza, but events like the Storm Festival featuring alternative music at Coorg, rock and trance music festival Escape by the Lake at Naukuchiatal near Nainital, and the NH7 Weekender at Pune are quickly building a local fan following. Sunburn’s 75,000 aside, over 25,000 people attended the second round of the Bacardi NH7 festival, in 2011, while nearly 13,000 people have ‘liked’ the Storm Festival 2012 page on Facebook, even before the event happens (scheduled for January 20 and 21, 2012). Which explains why brand managers are in a great rush to book their places at these events. While Bacardi is the title sponsor of the NH7 festival, Mahindra & Mahindra attaches its prefix to the Mumbai Blues festival, and Red Bull has the eponymous Red Bull Bedroom Jam for amateur bands. Meanwhile, Karnataka Tourism, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Peter England and Vladivar vodka have hitched their wagons to the two-day musical camp-out at Coorg. “Music is the easiest way to connect to the youth today. It reflects their moods, attitude and lifestyle. Any company that manages to establish a musical connect automatically becomes cool and hip,” says Pankaj Raj Kumar, national head of Jagran Solutions, a below-the-line branding firm that counts brands like Nokia, Wrigley’s and Bacardi among its clients. Such events also provide the perfect opportunity to connect with the right kind of customers. More than half of India’s population is under 25 and youth music events are typically attended by urban elite in the 18-35 age group — and that’s the holy grail for most consumer brands in the country. “Today’s youth ask for the latest gadgets, are willing to pay more for extra features and are willing to indulge and take time out for their passions,” says Canon India senior vice president Alok Bhardwaj. Music-related events, Canon has found, help the company create a youth-oriented image — and that has to be good for sales. Lenovo thinks similarly. “Our association with Sunburn will help us establish a strong connect with the youth, our core target audience,” says Shailendra Katyal, the company’s marketing director.

The social network: Live events help companies break through the brand clutter and, thanks to the popularity of social networking sites, it has become easier for event organisers and people who want to participate in such activities to come together more easily. For instance, Bacardi India has a “Like it Live” page on Facebook that allows people to vote for the artist they would like to see performing in person. Based on the number of votes, in December, it brought Romanian singer-songwriter Alexandra Stan to perform at Mumbai’s Hard Rock Café (HRC), to a packed audience. “Consumers are experimentative with music. This attitude has helped us push our creativity too"—Arvind krishnan, Director, marketing, Bacardi India. Nokia also turned to social networks when it decided to create flash mobs to promote its latest phone, Lumia. Random people were brought together at malls across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to dance on a pre-decided song. “Increasingly, road shows or having a van stand outside a college is not enough. This is where the flash mob idea came in. It is getting us great visibility, and online mentions have exploded. We want to be a cool, hip, young brand and the idea of flash mobs have clearly worked,” says Viral Oza, marketing director at Nokia. Connecting with potential customers is just half the story. More importantly, live events engage the customer and gets them personally involved in the brand — and that helps in creating stickiness. “Mass media advertising tends to be ‘one- way’ communication, while the sponsorship of an event allows dialogue, experience and, finally, trial,” says Kiran Khalap, founder of brand consultancy Chlorophyll. He points out that these engagements lead to creation of brand ambassadors and tribes who create a larger family of brand lovers through ‘word of mouth’. “This is possible only when a brand gets involved in an event as opposed to just using advertising,” adds Khalap.

That is exactly what Pepsi did at the NH7 Weekender, when it sponsored a new stage called Pepsi Dub Station that was dedicated to sounds like dubstep dance, drum and bass and reggae, which are considered the future of dance Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 35 of 82

music internationally. It was a targeted association and fit perfectly with Pepsi’s youth-oriented brand positioning. Points out Sandeep Singh Arora, executive vice-president, marketing (cola), PepsiCo India, “This association reflects our strategy of creating new trends, reflecting youth passions and giving voice to the youth’s point of view.” Globally, live music festivals are considered to be a multi-billion dollar industry. Events like the Coachella Valley music and art festival in Southern California (which has unannounced performances from top hip-hop artists like Kanye West), Roskilde in Denmark, Sound Wave in Perth and T in the Park in Scotland are some of the oldest and biggest music festivals, which see staggering crowds of up to a quarter of a million. Not surprisingly, they invite massive corporate interest. At Roskilde 2011, for instance, brands like Tuborg, Bosch, Lays, Microsoft, Converse, Diesel, Nikon and Tetrapak were associated with the event. Others like Coachella and T in the Park have Heineken beer, H&M, Play Station, Red Bull and BBC regularly associating with them. Live music events in India have a long way to go. They have not raised that level of interest — yet. But Deepinder Goyal, founder CEO of zomato.com, an online event information, restaurant guide and ticketing platform, says there is a rising demand for such events. “More than 2 million people visit our event information pages every month and the majority is looking out for such events,” he says. As it turns out, companies, too, are seeking similar opportunities.

************** So hot it’s burnin’ Source: Mumbai Mirror, Date: February 29, 2012

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Of Epic Proportions Source: The Times of India – Hyderabad Times, Date: February 27, 2012

The wedding of Bollineni Krishnaiah’s daughter Aishwarya with Venkatram Chowdhury, was by far the biggest wedding that the city has seen this year, yet. Political heavyweights, business gurus and dignitaries graced the opulent shaadi that was held in an arena in Shamshabad on Saturday night. It was a wedding of epic proportions and guests were in awe of the massive mandap and decor that was done up around the asthalakshmi theme. Guests couldn’t stop raving about the massive chandeliers with idols of goddesses that were lit up by numerous diyas. The newlyweds posed for snaps with guests and a series of enthralling acts including a Bharatanatyam performance by dancer Shobana, kept everyone entertained. Krishnaiah and wife Sujata, along with Mandava Prabhakar Rao and wife Asha Priya, played gracious hosts. The celebrations aren’t over yet. The couple is yet to host receptions in several cities in the country in the next few days.

SNAPSHOTS FROM AN OPULENT WEDDING HELD ON SATURDAY

Chandrababu Naidu, newlyweds Venkatram and Aishwarya with Bhuvaneswari

************* Bust the big guns Source: Deccanchronicle.com, Date: February 24, 2012

*Everyone admires Stephen Ravindra for his anti-drug tirade but by catching the real tiny fish like DJ Yogi and the likes, except for some publicity in the media, nothing really changes. Catch the big guns involved — like they are doing with drunken driving. Nobody is spared; a minister’s son, millionaires’ kids... are all booked if caught. So much so, no rich kid wants to risk driving at night, they are all using chauffeurs. *Ninety per cent of Tollywood does drugs, and a top hero’s home has the best collection,” said a pub owner. Likewise every pub-goer knows who those high society folks doing drugs are, so surely the cops too know. Why isn’t Stephen Ravindra busting them? *Couldn’t recognise actor Nagarjuna at a recent wedding. He looked so washed out. While his admirers said, “It was the new look he’s sporting for the Sai Baba role he’s playing”, methinks without make-up, even filmstars look ordinary like anyone of us.

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*The latest item number in town are RV and N. Both are divorcees, so it’s really no stigma if they are seeing each other. But you know how our city is — love to gossip in hush hush tones. Recently, at B&C, this duo was seen together, so suddenly all the gossip mills have become quiet, since they are being open about it. *The FLO ladies are such wannabes. They were so excited at the thought of meeting Shashi Tharoor and his wife Sunanda, that many of them came dressed like they were attending a wedding. Some took pictures standing with them, like fans do with public personalities! And check many of their FB updates — they are all going gaga over Tharoor. He mesmerised everyone with his exemplary speech!!!!; a true charmer!... Uff! * Chit chat: Aporva Gupta and Tulika Khemani, two former students of HPS are doing very well for themselves. Tulika, who is an MBA from Harvard, is shining in the corporate world, whereas Apoorva, who was a topper in school and college, has replaced Deepika Mehta as the hot yoga teacher in town. * Pat on the back: Bollineni Krishnaiah and his wife are such sports. At the sangeet ceremony of their daughter’s wedding, despite belonging to an older generation, both very sportingly danced when Shamik Davar called them on to the stage. This couple, despite being loaded, keeps a low profile. Their daughter’s wedding is being celebrated very lavishly, but not a word from the couple showing off about it.

**************** Big, fat weddings Source: Deccanchronicle.com, Date: February 17, 2012 Source: Wn.com, Date: February 16, 2012

* All eyes are on Bollineni Krishnaiah’s daughter’s wedding, slated for the end of this month. Many lavish functions have been lined up and will be taking place at the GMR Arena. * Another political wedding, early March, is that of minister Raghuveera Reddy’s daughter. She’s marrying a Chennai businessman Suresh Reddy’s son. It’s these weddings that draw the maximum number of high-profile guests as everyone wants to have access to politicians. * Padma Rajgopal is spotted at many events, especially if they have some connection to her home-town. She’s ready to support them. Her pals say this is just the beginning, “Padma will soon join politics.” * One businessmen, S, who invested in the Emaar villas without any clue about the shady deals the promoters- government officials indulged in, had gifted the property to his wife. When the CBI was questioning her, she asked them, “Will we get our investment/or villa back or is it as good as gone?” Apparently, the CBI officer told her it’s a good investment and she can rest assured about their property. Talking of CBI, we hear Vijay Sai Reddy’s daughter is missing her dad a lot. But she and her mother Sunanda are confident that he will come out blemish-free as they believe he is above board. Unlike many who like to be left alone during such tough times, the Reddys though are open to visitors and don’t mind the fact that they have people coming to find out how they are doing, almost every day. * Anju Poddar almost lost her bag at a book reading event in a city hotel. After the session she was seen frantically searching for it, only to realise minutes later that someone had picked it up mistaking it to be their own. All’s well that ends well! Everybody, including Anju, had a good laugh by the end. Pat on the back: Actresses Shriya Saran and Priyamani decided to skip the final CCL after-party because the last time they were there a few gossips were talking about how merry they were. So the girls decided not to give rumour- mongers a chance to gossip about them, by simply avoiding the party. They went home after the match and called it a night. Chit chat: Srimani Rao, daughter of MP K.S. Rao, is believed to have tied up with The Oberoi Group for a 7 star hotel she’s planning to come up with in her property on the city outskirts. This is the topic of conversation everywhere: How Srimani has a shrewd business sense, had invested very wisely in real estate and today she has struck gold.

************* PERCEPT SPORTS Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 38 of 82

Fight Night Coverage Source: Dainik Bhaskar, Navbharat, Patrika, The Hitavda City, Date: February 06, 2012 Source: Raipur Chronicle, Patrika, Date: February 05, 2012

Dainik Bhaskar Navbharat The Hitavada City

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Patrika

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Dainik Bhaskar Raipur Chronicle

Raipur Chronicle The Hitavada City

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PERCEPT TALENT

JICM students undergo Live Project Source: Educationsun.com, Date: February 1, 2012

JCM Students have gone for a month long live project in the industry as part of their curriculum. Students were selected with some of the leading companies /Agencies of the country. The students got trained with Future group, Ogilvy PR worldwide, Madison India, Percept Talent Management and many more. Prof. (Dr.) Manish Verma Director, JICM, said the “Live Project is a part of their curriculum and offers the opportunity to acquire work experience and to meet the professional development requirements of their degree”. He asserts that “Live project is basically a specializations project to give students practical exposure of their learning in their one and half years. A live project gives the students experience of working within the constraints, requirements and deadlines of the industry, before their final placements. It allows the student to assist industry professionals and see in reality how the entire company/agency functions”. Aarti Kadam, student PGDM-C said: Being a brand management student I got a life time opportunity to work with a big name like Future group. I got retail exposure which was always my area of interest and in this one month’s time the experience that I have gained from here would remain with me always. I am now looking forward for my final placements in retail sector. Gousiya Khan, student PGDM-C said: Internship at Ogilvy PR worldwide gave me a life changing experience. Initially I thought PR is only about maintaining the image of a Brand or Person, but here in Ogilvy I realized that it is also about ‘Creating’ that image. I was over whelmed to see brand name like British Petroleum, Dove and CFA in my live projects’. This experience helped me to understand how class room theories can be applied in an agency and also certain things that can be learned only inside that environment. Rahul Singh, student PGDM-C said: I had a great learning experience working with Madison Rural division and a brand like Reebok. I realised the untapped market while I was doing the training and development of villagers, preparing a real communication strategy and setting up selling and distribution channels. Shraddha Sonavane, student PGDM-C said: The live project at Percept Talent Management has not only given me a very different experience but has also been great learning of practical knowledge of agencies. Live project strikes the right balance in providing exposure with the interested area of work. The students joined companies on 2nd Jan across India.

************** Bollywood star power Source: SPC Magazine, Date: February 2012 Issue

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P9 INTEGRATED

Emami ties up with upcoming film '3' for brand placement in 'Kolaveri Di' song Source: Economictimes.indiatimes.com, Date: February 10, 2012

Now, it's Emami's turn to sing "Why this kolaveri di". The Kolkata-based FMCG maker's Himani Navratna hair oil will have its place in front of the camera when the viral hit song is shown in Tamil film '3', its CEO Krishna Mohan said. Dhanush, the actor-producer of the movie and lyricist-singer of the song, confirmed that a number of national and local brands have tied up for product placement during the song sequence. "Yes, brands have tied up for in-song placement, but I can't disclose the details," he told ET. A person familiar with the development said other brands tied up for the song include luxury carmaker Audi, mobile service provider Aircel and Chennai-based consumer durables retailer Vasant & Co. 'Kolaveri di' has become a national rage with more than 42-million hits on YouTube, over 2.5-million ringtone downloads and 3.5-million video downloads since its digital release on November 16 last year. For Emami, it will be the first product placement in a Tamil movie. The maker of Zandu Balm pain reliever rub and BoroPlus anti- septic cream has had its brands present in some Bollywood super hits such as "Munni badnaam hui". "The tie-up will give extra mileage to Emami products (in the south Indian market)," Mohan said, adding that Navratna oil with its tagline ' Thanda thanda cool cool' makes a perfect connect with the song. "From Kolaveri di to coolaveri di," he said. Navratna oil-a Rs 450-crore brand that is already endorsed by top South Indian actors such as Suriya, Junior NTR, Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu-has more than 65% share of the Indian cooling hair oil market, estimated at close to Rs 700 crore. While Emami dominates the cooling hair oil category in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, its volume share in the overall hair oil segment in the two states are 14% and 18%, respectively.

BEACH SONG, STREET SONG: Arun Pradheep, CEO-director of Brand Workx, an experiential marketing firm that helped Emami seal the deal for "Kolaveri di", said the song was recently filmed in a set made to replicate the crowded shopping street of Chennai's Marina beach. "The sequence is such that the hero, played by Dhanush, does a choreographed step in front of the Emami stall while we show a lot of consumers buying Navratna oil," says Pradheep. He said the placement was planned according to the lyrics and the mood (hero's heartbreak for heroine, played by Shruti Hassan). Association with top Bollywood actors and product placement in songs and movies has been Emami's hallmark marketing strategy for years. While 'Munni Badnaam Hui' helped push Zandu Balm sales in 2010, Emami funded the entire cost of a Bhojpuri film song last year which had a mention of Himani Navratna Extra Thanda hair oil. Pritie S Jadhav, Chief Operating Officer of P9 Integrated, the in-film marketing agency of Percept Group, said brands use films as a medium to gain higher return on investment as compared to conventional advertising. If it was the lubricant brand Mobil displayed prominently in the Kishore Kumar-starrer chartbuster "Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi movie in 1965, yellow Rajdoot motorcycle became famous when lover boy Rishi Kapoor rode it in 1973 superhit Bobby. Jadhav, however, warns that this strategy will benefit a brand only if it is seamlessly integrated with the script. "Otherwise the work will look forced and jarred."

************* 9 Integrated creates magic with Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu and Everyuth Golden Glow Source: Adgully.com, Bollywoodtadkaa.wordpress.com, Date: February 7, 2012

P9 maters co-promotional deals with bollywood, with their latest being the movie Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu starring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan is slated for a pre-Valentine release on February 10, 2012. The association is a perfect marriage of a female centric brand with a movie starring a youth icon and one of the most sought after actress-Kareena Kapoor. Through the campaign, the brand is benefiting by getting the actors as implied endorser for their product. With Brands and Bollywood , constantly on the lookout to connect with the customers with innovative concepts which are favourable for all , a 25 sec TVC was produced by P9 Integrated to give out the brand message. This TVC was aired on a mix of GEC’s, music channels and news channels. The TVC highlights the USP of the brand-a unique opportunity to attain glowing skin in 15 minutes and also stresses on the primary ingredients of the product and the benefits its offers Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 43 of 82

thereby.P9 Integrated also executed the planning and buying of media for the campaign. Pritie Jadhav, COO, P9 Integrated says “P9’s effort has always been to generate a perfect coalition for the brands with the movies. The idea to make an association work is to connect to the right type of audience. The film presented with an opportunity to connect with Zydus Cadila’s leading brand Everyuth Golden Glow Peel Off, hence to engage the consumers we opted for a co- branded approach.”

************* Emami ties up with upcoming film '3' for brand placement in 'Kolaveri Di' song Source: The Times of India, Date: Feb 15, 2012

Now, it's Emami's turn to sing "Why this kolaveri di". The Kolkata-based FMCG maker's Himani Navratna hair oil will have its place in front of the camera when the viral hit song is shown in Tamil film '3', its CEO Krishna Mohan said. Dhanush, the actor-producer of the movie and lyricist-singer of the song, confirmed that a number of national and local brands have tied up for product placement during the song sequence. "Yes, brands have tied up for in-song placement, but I can't disclose the details," he told ET. A person familiar with the development said other brands tied up for the song include luxury carmaker Audi, mobile service provider Aircel and Chennai-based consumer durables retailer Vasant & Co. 'Kolaveri di' has become a national rage with more than 42-million hits on YouTube, over 2.5- million ringtone downloads and 3.5-million video downloads since its digital release on November 16 last year. For Emami, it will be the first product placement in a Tamil movie. The maker of Zandu Balm pain reliever rub and BoroPlus anti-septic cream has had its brands present in some Bollywoodsuper hits such as "Munni badnaam hui". Navratna oil- a Rs 450-crore brand that is already endorsed by top South Indian actors such as Suriya, Junior NTR, Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu-has more than 65% share of the Indian cooling hair oil market, estimated at close to Rs 700 crore. While Emami dominates the cooling hair oil category in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, its volume share in the overall hair oil segment in the two states are 14% and 18%, respectively.

BEACH SONG, STREET SONG Arun Pradheep, CEO-director of Brand Workx, an experiential marketing firm that helped Emami seal the deal for "Kolaveri di", said the song was recently filmed in a set made to replicate the crowded shopping street of Chennai's Marina beach. "The sequence is such that the hero, played by Dhanush, does a choreographed step in front of the Emami stall while we show a lot of consumers buying Navratna oil," says Pradheep. He said the placement was planned according to the lyrics and the mood (hero's heartbreak for heroine, played by Shruti Hassan). Association with top Bollywood actors and product placement in songs and movies has been Emami's hallmark marketing strategy for years. While 'Munni Badnaam Hui' helped push Zandu Balm sales in 2010, Emami funded the entire cost of a Bhojpuri film song last year which had a mention of Himani Navratna Extra Thanda hair oil.

Pritie Jadhav, Chief Operating Officer of P9 Integrated, the in-film marketing agency of Percept Group, said brands use films as a medium to gain higher return on investment as compared to conventional advertising. If it was the lubricant brand Mobil displayed prominently in the Kishore Kumar-starrer chartbuster " Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi movie in 1965, yellow Rajdoot motorcycle became famous when lover boy Rishi Kapoor rode it in 1973 superhit Bobby. Jadhav, however, warns that this strategy will benefit a brand only if it is seamlessly integrated with the script. "Otherwise the work will look forced and jarred."

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MEDIA

ALLIED MEDIA

Dialogue with Shripad Kulkarni, CEO, Allied Media Networks Pvt. Ltd Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 3, 2012

Coverage Link: http://www.exchange4media.com/Dialouge/InterView.aspx?ID=570

****************** Dentsu Marcom to handle Canon campaigns Source: Afaqs.com, Indiantelevision.com, Date: February 10, 2012

Dentsu Marcom will handle Canon India campaigns for 2012. The digital imaging company has two creative agencies on its roster, namely Dentsu Marcom and Percept/H. While Percept/H managed the campaigns in 2011, this year it will be managed by Dentsu. The annual media and marketing spends are estimated to be in the range of Rs 20-25 crore. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs!. While the print campaigns for the year will be managed by Allied Media, the business for Canon India's digital cameras is still under review. The entire creative account of Canon moved from Rediffusion-Y&R to Dentsu Marcom in 2004, while only a part of the media business moved from The Media Edge (TME) to Dentsu. Percept/H started working with Canon in 2007. The same year, it executed a print campaign titled 'Leaf' for Canon Pixma Printers. In 2007, Canon divided its media business between Dentsu and Allied Media Integrated Communications, the media arm of the Percept Group. Incorporated in 1997, Canon India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Canon Singapore. The company has offices spread across seven cities in India. Some of the products offered by the company include digital copiers, multi-functional peripherals, fax machines, inkjet and laser printers, scanners, all-in-ones, digital cameras, digital camcorders, dye sub photo printers and multimedia projectors, semiconductors, card printers, and cable ID printers. Canon India has also forayed into the retail space with the launch of its exclusive brand retail store, Canon Image Square. In January, Canon India announced the appointment of Kazutada Kobayashi as its new president and CEO. Kobayashi replaced Kensaku Konishi, who took on his new role as the CEO of Canon Singapore, after his tenure as president and CEO at Canon India for five years.

************* London 2012 Olympics: Corporates like Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel flock to hockey on rising public interest Source: Economictimes.indiatimes.com, Date: February 28, 2012

Indian marketers are joining the 'Chak de India' brigade going to London Olympics. A day after the Indian hockey team qualified for the Olympics in spectacular style, advertisers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone plan to associate with the team and the event while Coca-Cola and Samsung may look to cash in on their official partnerships for the event, say people involved in their media buying plans. Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes that will be spread over five months starting March. This amount is several times more than Rs5-7 crore that Doordarshan had raked in during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but experts say three factors will help ESPN Star Sports reach its revenue target. These are, Indian cricket team's disastrous performance in recent times that has pushed the sport's television viewership to new lows; the fact that the Olympics is being shown on a private channel for the first time, leading to aggressive marketing of the event; and, a strong revival in interest in hockey and other sports. The hockey team qualifier has changed things. Many companies are now seeing the Olympics as an opportunity to cash in on their global partnerships," says Navin Khemka, senior vice-president at media buying firm Zenith Optimedia, which buys media for Reckitt Benckiser. ADVERTISERS GAME FOR LONDON : ESPN Software Executive VP Sanjay Kailash says there is significant interest among Indian brands to advertise on the Olympics. "With the Indian team

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qualifying for hockey, the interest and buzz around the Olympics among Indian viewers and advertisers will only increase," he says. ESPN Star Sports plans to rope in eight partners for the event. Consumer electronics giant Samsung is an official partner of the Indian delegation to the London Olympics while dairy products brand Amul on Monday announced a deal to sponsor the Indian contingent. "The hockey team's performance has added muscle to our sponsorship plans," says RS Sodhi, managing director of Amul brand owner Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which will provide Rs1 crore for athletes qualified for the London Olympics.

A Samsung spokeswoman said the company is yet to work out the specifics of its Olympics campaign. The firm is supporting training expenses of six players. Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, the title sponsor for the Olympics qualifying tournament concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, is also expected to pick up broadcasting spots. Others such as telecom services providers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone too have evinced interest in associating with the Indian team, either on ground or on television, say media planners. Sahara Group, which renewed its fiveyear sponsorship deal with Hockey India earlier this month, too may pitch in. CRICKET'S LOSS HELPS : In a strange turn of the wheel of fortune, the Indian hockey team, by merely qualifying for an event it has missed only once since the country's Independence, has stolen the limelight from the national cricket team that won the World Cup less than a year ago. Television rating points for India's ongoing series in Australia have plunged to less than 2, now that India has lost all the Test matches and is almost certain to finish last in the three-nation one-day international tournament. The downturn started in England last year, when the Indian team lost all its matches and meekly surrendered its top ranking in Tests to the host country. Yet, ESPN Star is expected to have earned about Rs300 crore in advertising revenues from the three-month Indian tour to Australia. "Family viewership for cricket has dropped and rates are now out of reach of certain brands," says Shripad Kulkarni, Chief Executive Officer of Allied Media, part of sports entertainment company Percept.

*************** Pomotional strategy for WSH Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 29, 2012

Nimbus is always associated with sports and now its taking it to the next level with the campaigning and telecast of World Series Hockey from February 29, which is a joint initiative with Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). Suniel Shetty is the brand ambassador of the campaign and is featuring all over the television, print and internet to promote the national game. So, why hockey? It looks like hockey is going to be the new‘cricket’. Sorbojeet Chatterjee, V P, Marketing, Neo Sports explained, “Hockey is the only sports after cricket that has a national fan following. We have never had a chance to watching primetime hockey.” Plus research had thrown up the fact that in India, “there’s a need for a strong second sports and hockey fits in”. And as for the promotional campaign he elaborated,” It is an aggressive campaign that will create fantastic awareness for the brand.” There is a lot of print, both national and regional, TV (close to 20 – 22 channels - Hindi/English movies, news, infotainment), radio, outdoor , below-the-line. “There’s a Hockey Outreach Programme that will travel to many cities, engaging hockey players. Some 30,000 kids are to be coached - on a long- term basis. To create a ‘hockey experience’ for them,” he added. In fact the total spends are in the region of 35 cr in a span of 3 to 4 months. Surbhi C Murthy, Associated VP, Allied Media felt that “This could have been done earlier, I wish and I hope this will work very well as we need an alternative game to watch from cricket, People are getting curious about hockey as we have got the ticket to London but it will also depends how its happening” Talking further she said “It should be on a regular basis but it will take some time may be three or five years but if they perform well audience will take interest because at the end of the day it’s our national game.” The tournament is based on a similar format of Indian Premier League and various teams had been formed. There are eight teams in the tournament Karnataka Lions, Delhi Wizards, Chennai Cheetahs, Pune Strykers, Mumbai Marines, Chandigarh Comets, Bhopal Badshahs and Sher- e-Punjab. The series will end on April 2, just before the Indian premiere league will start i.e. April 4.

***************

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MSM to bring back Movers and Shakers for SAB TV Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 29, 2012

After a gap of 10 years, Multi Screen Media has decided to bring back its star anchor Shekhar Suman and a second season of the popular celebrity chat show, Movers and Shakers. This time, however, the show will be aired on MSM's second general entertainment channel (GEC), SAB TV, instead of its flagship channel, Sony Entertainment Television. From March 12, SAB TV will broadcast the second season of Movers and Shakers from Monday through Friday at the 10.30 pm slot. Meanwhile, the channel's existing 10.30 pm property, FIR, will be shifted to the 11 pm slot, while Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (currently at 11 pm) will be shifted to 11.30 pm. Anooj Kapoor, executive vice-president and business head, SAB TV, says, "Currently, FIR, which is more male-skewed at the 10.30 pm band, gets us approximately 1.5 TVRs. With Movers and Shakers replacing it, we believe that the slot will eventually bring in increased TVRs, also because the audiences at that hour are quite similar to that of FIR." "Meanwhile, Taarak Mehta's (about 2 TVR at 11 pm) shift to the 11.30 pm slot will build the slot, thereby upping the overall viewership of the channel," he adds. Quite like KBC's comeback on Sony, the new edition of Movers and Shakers, too, will retain its original format, with a few new innovations. Initially, the show will run for 120 episodes and depending on its performance, it may be extended in the content line up. So, will the strategy work? Media experts believe that since Movers and Shakers is already an established property, with a few refreshed changes, it can become a winning formula for the channel. "If the show is able to increase the male viewership in the slot even as the TVR remains stable, the property will have the potential to help ask double the ad rate as against what SAB TV currently demands for the slot," says Navin Khemka, managing partner, ZenithOptimedia India. According to industry estimates, SAB TV demands anywhere between Rs 20,000- 25,000 per 10 second slot during primetime. P M Balakrishna, Chief Operating Officer, Allied Media says that while the show will not redefine the programming of the channel, it will surely create a better slot viewership. "However, it will also depend upon the kind of innovations that are made to the show and the celebrities who are invited to it," he opines. For the record, the first version of Movers and Shakers with Shekhar Suman was launched in 1997 and ran for 800 episodes before it came to an end in 2001.

*************** PERCEPT OUT OF HOME

Dialogue with Sanjay Pareek, President, Percept Out Of Home Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 7, 2012

Coverage Link: http://www.exchange4media.com/Ooh/InterView.aspx?ID=49

************** Percept OOH executes on-ground campaign to promote Tata Indigo eCS Source: Eventfaqs.com, Date: February 29, 2012 Source: Afaqs.com, Bestmediainfo.com, Date: February 28, 2012

To promote the USP of the Tata Indigo eCS, Percept Out-of-Home (OOH) managed an on-ground activity to communicate to the end consumer that the car gives an average of 25 km per litre, thus making it ‘India's Most Fuel Efficient Sedan'. The activation was conducted on Feb. 24 at the HP petrol pump, Bandra, Mumbai. To amplify the same, the agency distributed one litre mineral water bottles to around 150 four-wheeler owners driving into the pump. Percept OOOH designed a creative on the bottles, which read ‘Paani Khatham Hoga Fuel Nahi - India's Most Fuel Efficient Sedan'. Commenting on the activation, Sudipta Suri, A3 product group, Tata Motors said: "The Indigo eCS, which at 25kmpl gives the best fuel efficiency among sedans in India, got its main message across to customer in an effective manner through this activity." Rajneesh Bahl, Head-Outdoor, Percept OOH added: "These days, out of home advertising endeavours to reach beyond distant billboards and bus backs. The idea was to trumpet the billboard message in person through customer touch points like petrol pumps. We have been associated with Tata Motors for the Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 47 of 82

past one and a half years executing events for various brands under its hat." Percept plans to execute the activation at many other petrol pumps in Mumbai, and then expanding to major metros and tier 1 and 2 cities.

**************** PERCEPT ACTIV

Percept Activ handles the audio launch of ‘3’ at Chennai Source: Eventfaqs.com, Adgully.com, Date: February 1, 2012

Percept Activ, the Strategic Business Unit of Percept Sports & Entertainment, recently planned and executed the music launch of the much awaited Tamil movie ‘3’ at St. George’s School ground, Chennai on December 23, 2011. The music launch witnessed galaxy of stars descending at the venue along with actor Dhanush in his new avatar of a singer. The event, which was hosted by VJ Siva Karthik and RJ Adhavan, was attended by over 2500 students from colleges in and around Chennai, forming the majority of the invitees at the venue. In keeping with the ambience of a rock show, Percept Activ creatively gave the whole atmosphere a rustic look. Set against the backdrop of LED walls, Dhanush, the lead actor of the movie and the ‘Kolaveri’ star, took center stage for a live performance. The song ‘Why This Kolavari Di’, which instantly became viral on social networking sites for its quirky Tanglish (Tamil-English) lyrics, rocked the audiences throughout the evening. This time, the audio launch of the movie ‘3’ was innovatively done by choosing 6 lucky fans from the audience who came up on stage with the entire cast of the movie and launched the music. Commenting on the successful execution of the event, Sameer Sethi, Business Head – South, Percept Sports & Entertainment said, “3 was a multi agency pitch, which was turned around by Percept within 6 days. We were instrumental with not only the ideation of the launch but also to set the logistics and venue in place.” Elaborated Sanjay Shukla, Chief Operating Officer, Percept Activ, “In the last three months, it’s the second time we were doing a movie audio launch, following the music launch of ‘7aam’ of Superstar Surya. We had very little time to create a befitting launch pad of the much hyped track Kolaveri Di. Not only did we manage the venue and the logistics, we comprehensively put together an effective buzz plan to ensure maximum participation within the short span. Experiential marketing is diversifying as an independent and possibly the most effective communication medium today. Whether it’s a product or a film, given our bandwidth, at Percept Activ we ensure to get the right message to the right set of target group at the right time.” Percept Activ’s flawless planning & execution undeniably made the music launch of the upcoming Tamil movie ‘3’ a grand success.

**************

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COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING

PERCEPT/H

Percept/H creates a new TVC for Good Morning International Tea Source: Bestmediainfo.com, Date: February 6, 2012

There is a fresh air about the new Good Morning International Tea tvc, unlike the hackneyed images of tea commercials showing happy families with hundreds of cups of tea being served, and tea pickers plodding away in the tea gardens with their large picking baskets on their backs. Good Morning International Tea sells at a premium to Wagh Bakri, the flagship brand in the Wagh Bakri Group which is a company of passionate tea makers for many generations. Good Morning International Tea is a blend of premium Assam and some of the best international tea gardens with inclusion of long leaves which is high aroma and flavour. Percept/H, seeing the potential in the brand name, has followed the path of modern brands where the positioning flows straight from the name, e.g. Close-up, Head and Shoulders etc. The new TVC is a lovely morning scene of a couple making their morning cuppa in smooth dance in synchronized movements. The sensuality between the dancing couple is matched with the making of the tea. The metaphor of a good morning is matched when the couple takes their first sip opening their eyes to a nice sunny morning. The production values lift the communication. The music is a mix of tango and salsa with that hip swaying liquid feel.

Ryan Menezes, CCO, Percept/H, says, “Everybody wants to wake up to a good morning. Which is why the couple in the film wake up only when they sip the tea. Good Morning International Tea is not an ordinary tea, it's made with a lot of passion, and we wanted to portray that same passion in the tea making ritual shown in the film.” Prabhakar Mundkur, CEO, Percept/H who has handled the tea category globally for more than 8 years says, "It’s one of the best tea commercials I have been associated with. I am very proud.” Commenting on the commercial, Parag Desai, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing says he was enamoured with the idea even when the script was shown to him and goes on to say '“I felt that this would be a perfect showcase for Good Morning International Tea, one of our most premium blends. Just watching the film will give the audience a sense of how great the tea is – and make them want to not just try it but also make it! “ The film is made by Bang Bang Films, produced by Natasha Malhotra and directed by Siddarth Sikand.

**************** Percept/H creates a new TVC for Good Morning International Tea Source: Adgully.com, Medianewsline.com, Date: February 6, 2012

Percept/H, seeing the potential in the brand name, has followed the path of modern brands where the positioning flows straight from the name, e.g. Close-up, Head and Shoulders etc. The new TVC is a lovely morning scene of a couple making their morning cuppa in smooth dance in synchronized movements. The sensuality between the dancing couple is matched with the making of the tea. The metaphor of a good morning is matched when the couple takes their first sip opening their eyes to a nice sunny morning. The production values lift the communication. The music is a mix of tango and salsa with that hip swaying liquid feel.

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Ryan Menezes, CCO, Percept/H, says: “Everybody wants to wake up to a good morning. Which is why the couple in the film wake up only when they sip the tea. Good Morning International Tea is not an ordinary tea, it’s made with a lot of passion, and we wanted to portray that same passion in the tea making ritual shown in the film.”

Prabhakar Mundkur, CEO, Percept/H who has handled the tea category globally for more than 8 years says, “It’s one of the best tea commercials I have been associated with. I am very proud.”

Commenting on the commercial, Parag Desai, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing, Good Morning International Tea, says he was enamoured with the idea even when the script was shown to him and goes on to say ‘“I felt that this would be a perfect showcase for Good Morning International Tea, one of our most premium blends. Just watching the film will give the audience a sense of how great the tea is – and make them want to not just try it but also make it! “ The film is made by Bang Bang Films, produced by Natasha Malhotra and directed by Siddarth Sikand.

************** Percept/H’s fresh take for Good Morning Intl Tea Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 8, 2012 Source: Indiantelevision.com, Network2media.com, Date: February 11, 2012

The new TVC for Good Morning International Tea breaks away from the usual images of tea commercials showing happy families with hundreds of cups of tea being served, and tea pickers plodding away in the tea gardens with their large picking baskets on their backs. Good Morning International Tea sells at a premium to Wagh Bakri, the flagship brand in the Wagh Bakri Group. Percept/H, seeing the potential in the brand name, has followed the path of modern brands where the positioning flows straight from the name, for example, Close-Up, Head & Shoulders, etc. The new TVC depicts a lovely morning scene of a couple making their morning cuppa in smooth, synchronised dance movements. The metaphor of a good morning is matched when the couple takes their first sip, opening their eyes to a nice, sunny morning. The production values lift the communication. The music is a mix of Tango and Salsa.

Ryan Menezes, CCO, Percept/H, said, “Everybody wants to wake up to a good morning. Which is why the couple in the film wake up only when they sip the tea. Good Morning International Tea is not an ordinary tea, it is made with a lot of passion, and we wanted to portray that same passion in the tea making ritual shown in the film.” Prabhakar Mundkur, CEO, Percept/H, who has handled the tea category globally for more than eight years, added here, “It is one of the best tea commercials I have been associated with. I am very proud.” Commenting on the commercial, Parag Desai, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, admitted that he was enamoured with the idea even when the script was shown to him. He added, “I felt that this would be a perfect showcase for Good Morning International Tea, one of our most premium blends.”

The film has been made by Bang Bang Films, produced by Natasha Malhotra and directed by Siddarth Sikand.

************** Percept/H creates a new TVC for Good Morning International Tea Source: Tvscompare.com, Date: February 13, 2012

of modern brands where the positioning flows straight from the name, e.g. Close-up, Head and Shoulders etc. The new TVC is a lovely morning scene of a couple making their morning cuppa in smooth dance in synchronized movements. The sensuality between the dancing couple is matched with the making of the tea. The metaphor of a good morning is matched when the couple takes their first sip opening their eyes to a nice sunny morning. The production values lift the communication. The music is a mix of tango and salsa with that hip swaying liquid feel.

Ryan Menezes, CCO, Percept/H, says: "Everybody wants to wake up to a good morning. Which is why the couple in the film wake up only when they sip the tea. Good Morning International Tea is not an ordinary tea, it's made with a lot of passion, and we wanted to portray that same passion in the tea making ritual shown in the film." Prabhakar Mundkur, CEO, Percept/H who has handled the tea category globally for more than 8 years says "It's one of the best tea commercials I have been associated with. I am very proud." Commenting on the commercial, Parag Desai, Executive Director -- Sales and Marketing says he was enamoured with the idea even when the script was shown to him and goes on to say '"I felt that this would be a perfect showcase for Good Morning International Tea, one of our most premium blends. Just watching the film will give the audience a sense of how great the tea is -- and make them want to not just try it but also make it! " The film is made by Bang Bang Films, produced by Natasha Malhotra and directed by Siddarth Sikand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ptH0OTrx1g

************** Percept/H creates a new TVC for Good Morning International Tea Source: Indiaeveryday.in, Date: February 14, 2012

Good Morning International Tea sells at a premium to Wagh Bakri, the flagship brand in the Wagh Bakri Group which is a company of passionate tea makers for many generations. Good Morning International Tea is a blend of premium Assam and some of the best international tea gardens with inclusion of long leaves which is high aroma and flavour.

Percept H, seeing the potential in the brand name, has followed the path of modern brands where the positioning flows straight from the name, e.g. Close-up, Head and Shoulders etc. The new TVC is a lovely morning scene of a couple making their morning cuppa in smooth dance in synchronized movements. The sensuality between the dancing couple is matched with the making of the tea. The metaphor of a good morning is matched when the couple takes their first sip opening their eyes to a nice sunny morning. The production values lift the communication. The music is a mix of tango and salsa with that hip swaying liquid feel. Ryan Menezes, CCO, Percept/H, says: "Everybody wants to wake up to a good morning. Which is why the couple in the film wake up only when they sip the tea. Good Morning International Tea is not an ordinary tea, it's made with a lot of passion, and we wanted to portray that same passion in the tea making ritual shown in the film." Prabhakar Mundkur, CEO, Percept/H who has handled the tea category globally for more than 8 years says "It's one of the best tea commercials I have been associated with. I am very proud." Commenting on the commercial, Parag Desai, Executive Director -- Sales and Marketing says he was enamoured with the idea even when the script was shown to him and goes on to say '"I felt that this would be a perfect showcase for Good Morning International Tea, one of our most premium blends. Just watching the film will give the audience a sense of how great the tea is -- and make them want to not just try it but also make it! " The film is made by Bang Bang Films, produced by Natasha Malhotra and directed by Siddarth Sikand. http://www.indiaeveryday.in/video/p/percepth-creates-a-new-tvc-for-good-morning-international-tea/0ptH0OTrx1g.htm ***************

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 51 of 82

Good Morning Tea "Dance" Source: Unmissabletv.co.uk, date: February 21, 2012

*************** ONGC initiates creative pitch Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 27, 2012

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has initiated a creative pitch to empanel several agencies on its creative roster. It is learnt that a few prominent advertising agencies have already been invited to make presentations. Sources close to the development inform afaqs! that the invitations were faxed by the ONGC authorities a few days ago. The pitch presentations will be held in Delhi, where the company is headquartered. Typically, every two to three years, ONGC reviews the agencies on its creative roster. In 2010, it had conducted a multi-agency pitch, at the end of which R K Swamy BBDO, Lowe, Grey Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi and Percept/H were empanelled. At the time, the account was split amongst these agencies such that R K Swamy BBDO, Lowe and Grey Worldwide were given the responsibilities for Tier 1 regions, while Saatchi & Saatchi and Percept/H were given the creative duties for Tier 2 areas. Prior to this empanelment, the roster included Rediffusion-Y&R, Grey Worldwide, R K Swamy BBDO and Bates. These agencies were empanelled in November 2007. Earlier, Grey Worldwide and R K Swamy BBDO were in charge of the brand's creative duties. Both agencies were brought on board in 2004. A year later, Grey was awarded the mandate for ONGC's retail outlets.

*************** Maaza: Mango mazaa, round the year Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 7, 2012

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The new campaign for Coca-Cola's mango-based drink Maaza focusses on the idea that things that people desire and love the most should be accessible to them, anytime and anywhere. Conceptualised by Leo Burnett, the television commercial, titled 'Har mausam aam', focusses on how fruit-sellers and vendors engaged in selling mangoes seek alternate employment opportunities (ranging from astrology to dentistry) during off season. With Maaza, consumers can now experience the taste of mango in all seasons. This also provides an employment opportunity to the vendors, who can sell Maaza throughout the year, along with real mangoes during summer. This proposition is further stressed with the tagline Maaza - 'Har mausam aam'. According to Andriy Avramenko, vice-president, juice business, Coca-Cola India, Indians often passionately debate the experience of having a mango, and it is the experience that they crave more than the taste. "Over the years, we have relished different varieties of mangoes. The latest campaign for Maaza is designed to give all mango lovers the choice to enjoy the superlative taste experience of the delicious fruit all through the year, with a new variety -- Maaza, the 'Har mausam aam', he says. "The thought is to strengthen brand Maaza's strong association with the mango in a very entertaining and engaging manner," adds Avramenko. K V Sridhar, national creative director, Leo Burnett, explains, "Whether it is 'Bina guthali walla aam' (seedless mango) and 'Aam ki pyaas bujhaye', to 'Jaldi kya hai', Maaza has always been positioned as an alternative for people who love mangoes and are ready to do anything for it. The new tagline, 'Har mausam aam', combines all earlier thoughts and re-positions Maaza as the natural answer to the problem of being unable to consume mangoes once the summer season gets over." In addition to a television campaign, Coca-Cola plans to roll out a range of initiatives including out of home (OOH), point of sale merchandise, and on-ground activations across key markets.

Striking the right chord: The television campaign draws mixed reviews from industry professionals. While most agree that 'Har mausam aam' is the right idea for the brand, they add that the idea could have been brought alive in a more interesting way. Ryan Menezes, Chief Creative Officer, Percept/H, says, "The ad has a promising start, but ends with a whimper -- with a standard product endorsement style that shows a kid on top of a mango tree mouthing the line. The TVC is, however, well produced and cast. 'Har mausam aam' is a strong platform, which could have probably been exploited better from the viewpoint of the consumer, rather than the mango sellers, though Maaza has been down that path before." Meraj Hasan, vice-president, strategic planning, Everest Brand Solutions, calls the idea strategically correct on the insight about Indians missing the mango season, and round the year consumption cues. "Moreover, the mango sellers' side of the story has been executed well, with a good cast, which further makes it entertaining. Over all, the idea of the commercial works and is also a welcome departure from the last 'wannabe commercial' Jaldi kya hai," he adds.

************** Wagh Bakri appoints Saints and Warriors for Mili Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 8, 2012

Packaged tea brand Wagh Bakri has appointed Saints and Warriors as its creative agency for its second brand Mili. The business will be managed from the agency's Mumbai office. Confirming the news to afaqs!, Parag Desai, executive director, sales and marketing, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, says that he liked the strategy and the creative approach that Saints and Warriors presented. "Mili is a popular brand in north India, and we are planning for a national footprint." A campaign will be launched in a month's time. It will involve a mix of ATL and BTL activities. Speaking about the brand Mili, Desai says it is an ideal packaged tea brand for those who otherwise prefer loose tea. "Also, in India, we are witnessing a change in the pattern of tea consumption. People are slowly moving from buying loose tea, to opt for packaged tea. We want to make the most of this shift in preference. We have big plans for the brand," adds Desai. Mudra managed the creative mandate for the Mili brand a few years back, after which it moved to Hanmer MSL's Creative+, the last agency to work on this business. Wagh Bakri has Triton Communications and Percept/H on its roster. In 2009, Percept/H bagged the creative duties for Wagh Bakri's Good Morning Tea & Tea Bags. The spends for the marketing and promotion of the Mili brand for this financial year are yet to be finalised. Desai explains that they will be in sync with the creative strategy. Wagh Bakri had earlier expressed its intention to appoint a creative agency for its Tea Lounge offering. The company had launched the Tea Lounge, a first of its kind in Delhi, with an intention to expand Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 53 of 82

its footprints in the northern part of India. But, the hunt for the agency is still on, although several Delhi-based creative agencies have made their presentations. Wagh Bakri Tea Group is a premium tea group, in existence since 1892. It has a production base near Ahmedabad. The company enjoys a market presence in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, and Hyderabad, and has recently forayed into Chhattisgarh.

************** Dentsu Marcom to handle Canon campaigns Source: Afaqs.com, Indiantelevision.com, Date: February 10, 2012

************* Ad-men juggle jingles with rock riffs Source: HT- Cafe, Date: February 9, 2012

************* Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 54 of 82

UP poll campaigns get expert push Source: The Financial Express, Date: February 13, 2012

Umeed ki cycle, Jawab hum denge, Sochiye jara, Humne to soch liya, Humne jo kaha woh kar dikhaya, Na ugahi, na goondayi, na brashtachar, hum denge saaf suthri sarkar. These are not just ad lines proclaiming the political stand of various parties in Uttar Pradesh these days, but strongly thought-out war strategies intended to kill—the opposition in this case. Political campaigns are down to some hard, backroom tactics that can rival the heat of corporate boardrooms. The experts have been brought in to grip the mind of not only traditional voters, but also the young, tech savvy voters. Be it employing advertisement gurus and spin doctors for sleek, hard-hitting ad capsules, or getting scriptwriters to pen strategies, hiring PR agencies for publicity campaigns and image makeovers or tapping cyber space, the fight here is to get the maximum votes. After all, har ek vote zaroori hota hai. The Congress, which perhaps has the largest stake in UP, has hired top-notch ad agency Percept to handle its UP election campaign. The result is a series of print and electronic ads, all having different punch lines. The party kickstarted its campaign with Utho, Jaago, Badlo (Rise, Awaken and Change) and later went on to the Jawab Hum Denge line (the Congress will give a befitting reply). Commenting on the campaign focusing on Rahul Gandhi, film star and Congress MP from Firozabad, Raj Babbar, who is also the chairman of the UP Congress media committee, says this entire election campaign is based on Rahul Gandhi. “The reason why our ad campaign is most effective is that it has sincerity. The credibility of Rahul is unchallenged. He has a clean image and is going all out to connect with the weaker sections and people on the street. He has the vision for a healthy and development-oriented UP and is the right face to bring about change.” In response to Congress’ Sochiye jara, the BJP’s spin doctors have coined the ad Humne to soch liya, which tries to punch holes in the Congress camp, which has been going all out against the ‘India Shining’ campaign of the NDA regime. Says Sushil Pundit of The Hive, which has been in charge of the BJP election campaigns since 1998, “We have models to showcase what we are promising. Gujarat, MP, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are examples of our good work. What does the Congress have to show as its high point — the monumental corruption unleashed by it at the Centre?”

Talking about the campaign, he says another punchline of the party is Na ugahi, na goondayi, na brashtachar, hum denge saaf suthri sarkar, which hits out at all three adversaries. We are not promising the moon in our ads... just plain and simple good governance,” adds Pandit. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, has based out an election campaign on the shoulders of its youth leader, Akhilesh Yadav and is aided by a team of professionals known as Team Akhilesh. The tag line goes, Vikas ki Ganga bahane ko, Ab brashtachar hatane ko, Kranti Rath par ho savaar, Nikal pada hai Samajwad (In order to usher in development and eradicate corruption, Samajwad has hit the roads atop the Kranti Rath). Talking to FE, a member of Team Akhilesh, said while the party has hired Mumbai-based production house Arkash for doing the audio-visual campaign for the party, the print campaign is being done by a team led by Akhilesh himself, and Goldmine is the releasing agency. “Bhaiya (Akhilesh) is running his own ad campaign. You won't believe it, but the punch line Nikal pada hai... has been taken by Bhaiya (Akhilesh) from his Facebook wall. Someone has written it on his wall and he liked it so much that he lifted it for the campaign.” Talking about the visual ad film Musafir, which is a 80-second poem written and narrated by Bollywood scriptwriter Nilesh Mishra, Arjun Sablok, creative head of Arkash, says the brief was very clear from Akhilesh: ‘Pan out and find what is perceived to be lacking in UP and base a campaign on it’. “ The Musafir ad is what the SP imagines UP will be,” he says, adding that the phrase Umeed ki Cycle has also been coined by Nilesh after his interaction with Akhilesh. Word has it that BSP, too, has hired a PR agency for an image makeover, but no one in the party is willing to admit it. A party functionary said the party's ads were all in-house products and that no big-ticket agency has been engaged. “There is no reason for us to make cosmetic ads. It is their (rivals) promise versus our delivery. We are converting government decisions into ad films and print ads. We do not need to hire professional PR agencies,” he says, adding that all the ads have been commissioned to a local ad agency, Isha, on a low-cost basis. But Mayawati's campaign does endeavour to lift her out of the confines of a Dalit leader. There is an obvious attempt to repackage Mayawati to attract other sections of voters, particularly the youth. The image of an iron lady who wants only clean people around her has been deliberately perpetuated, as it was felt that without it, she would stand no chance,” says a senior journalist. “Instant ads and counter-ads are being coined with the

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 55 of 82

sole aim of cutting each others' base. And apart from the usual TV clips, social networking sites, SMSs, e-mails are the new weapons of publicity,” he sums up.

************* Yatra.com entrusts McCann with creative biz Source: Mxmindia.com, Date: February 1, 2012

On the appointment of McCann, Pratik Mazumder Head Marketing & Strategic Relations at Yatra Online Pvt Ltd said,” Yatra and TBWA have decided to part ways, the helped us present ourselves as a ticketing brand and position us but now we felt the need of a bigger agency hence decided to call for a pitch. There was Ogilvy, Percept/H, Maccann and TBWA involved in the process and we decided to get MacCann on board.” Sources close to the development have confirmed to MxM India have confirmed that there is also a media pitch happening for the online travel company. Before TBWA, Yatra.com had appointed Rediffusion Y&R as its creative agency in 2009; while Leo Burnett was the official agency in 2007. The online travel company entered the market in August 2006. It had initially appointed Everest Brand Solutions as its creative agency, and Mudra’s media agency, Optimum Media Solutions (which was re-christened Mudra Connext), handled its media duties. Yatra Online Pvt Ltd. is a travel company providing information, pricing, availability and booking facility for air travel, hotels, buses and car rentals across 5,000 large cities and small rural areas around the globe. It acts as a complete tour planner for travellers and is a one-stop shop for every travel need.

**************** Imagemakers bring spin in poll tales of political parties Source: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Date: February 26, 2012

In an era when blaring loudspeakers and omnipresent posters have become history, electioneering is like instant coffee. And new battlefields are airwaves and print. So, almost all major political parties have hired image makers who can drive their messages home in ten seconds or thereabouts available in advertisement campaigns. It isn't surprising then that with two more phases yet to go, collective expenditure on the pollrelated campaigns, according to a conservative estimate, has already breached the Rs 200 crore mark. If the Samajwadi Party's cycle is racing past the BSP's elephant in a highly visible TV commercial, the Congress is relying on the pull of musical notes and Sukhwinder Singh's voice to drive home the message of Utho, Jaago, Badlo. Viewers believe that the 10 second commercials are far more potent campaigners than hours-long, high-powered speeches. Within the Congress camp, planning ahead of the assembly elections started early. With many a political fate, including that of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, teetering precariously on UP results, party managers have not taken any chance. For their ad campaigns, Congress has returned to the three trusted agencies - Percept, JWT and Crayon -that looked after their publicity in the 2009 general elections. Creative inputs for the big-ticket UP campaign, however, have also come from film star and Congress MP from Firozabad, Raj Babbar, along with party general secretary Digvijay Singh. Though the 2009 Jai Ho war cry still remains, in 2012, `Utho Jaago, Badlo' has been given a Rahul-centric spin, with the focus on his vision for UP's development. Penned by Mumbaibased poet Pt Kiran Mishra, and sung by Sukhwinder, the attempt is to awaken the masses against the prevailing poor governance. There's even provision for feedback and monitoring. Rahul's special media team keeps tabs, collecting inputs from the party cadre as well as target audiences. Despite the efficient mechanism, though, not everyone is happy.

A UP Congress leader, said: ```Utho, Jago, Badlo' does not have the same resonance that 'Jai Ho' did. Besides, with as many as 175 tickets being distributed to non-cadre people this year, this change, if it comes, will be rather unsettling for many party old-timers.'' Intra-party dissent notwithstanding, ad campaigns this year are all about building an emotional connect. Inside the rival Samajwadi camp as well, poll managers, primary among them state president Akhilesh Yadav, has been on his toes. Roping in a relatively unknown Arkash Entertainment in Mumbai, SP has chosen to convey its message simply - in a 15-second video footage of a cyclist overtaking an elephant. Yadav said: ``Apart from the core 'Ummed Ki Cycle' message, we have also sought creative help for ads that talk about the unemployment allowances Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 56 of 82

that SP has promised and delivered. Our spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary and I have worked closely with the agency over this.'' Bharatiya Janata Party has not been outdone either. Strategising for the UP polls as early as in November, the party planned a host of ad campaigns for print, electronic and social media formats. The BJP even roped in veteran writer Kamlesh Pandey for its 'UP ka haal kahey UP waala', along with lesser-known ad agency IBroad7 for other creative spots. National president Nitin Gadkari and senior leaders Arun Jaitley and poet-author Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, in fact, played key roles in designing the ad concepts before the professional agencies implemented the ideas. National executive member, BJP, Nalin Kohli, said: ``Both Gadkari and Naqvi have often gone through campaign content at 2am and made invaluable changes. Jaitley, a formidable media manager, has also helped.'' Though its core content will remain the same, the BJP is now also looking at last-minute, phasewise changes. "Our print campaigns are likely to address areaspecific issues. Sugarcane farmers, for instance have been targeted specifically,'' Kohli said. Poll campaigns have assumed an important role for the BSP campaign process as well.

*************** IBD INDIA

IBD India strengthens creative team Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 1, 2012

Integrated Brand Development (IBD India) a Percept Hakuhodo company, has added the twin team of Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan as Associate Creative Directors. Joining from Ogilvy, where both were Creative Controllers, the duo will be based out of IBD’s office in Gurgaon. The mandate for Dixit and Nagabhushan would be to strengthen and put the creative team under Jai Singh and Akash Sharma, Senior Creative Directors, IBD India, into what they call as, creative overdrive. “With both of them joining the growing team, IBD India will fortify its creative output and you can be assured of some more out-of-the box solutions for our clients,” SAID Srikant Rath, Senior Vice President, IBD India.

Sharing his thoughts on joining IBD, Dixit said, “I am really excited to join IBD India and work on internationally recognised brands like Panasonic and a host of others. I am looking forward to doing work that is relevant to my target audiences and win recognition of award juries as well. We are an ambitious bunch here, hungry to do good work.” Dixit comes to IBD India with more than seven years’ experience in both ATL and BTL spaces. Prior to this, he had worked with Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Dentsu in various capacities. He has worked on brands like LG (Home Appliance & Home Entertainment, FPDs), Sprite, Honda, Wild Stone Park Avenue, Religare and so on. Talking about the new appointment, Nagabhushan said, “It is going to be both an interesting and challenging time in IBD. It is an exciting place with an enthusiastic bunch of people who believe in doing great creative work. What’s more, the client mix offers you great opportunity to do good work.” Nagabhushan has over six years’ experience in advertising and has handled brands like LG, Nestle, Frito Lay’s, Maruti Suzuki, Dabur, Honda, and Havell’s, to name a few.

*************** Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan join IBD as Associate Creative Directors Source: Medianewsline.com, Date: February 1, 2012

spaces. Prior to this, he worked in Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Dentsu in various capacities. He has worked on brands like LG (Home Appliance & Home Entertainment, FPDs), Sprite, Honda, Wild Stone Park Avenue, Religare etc.

Speaking about his new agency Kartik says, “I am really excited to join IBD India and work on internationally recognised brands like Panasonic and a host of others. I am looking forward to doing work that is relevant to my target audiences and win recognition of award juries as well. We are an ambitious bunch here hungry to do good work.” Kartik is an avid reader and likes to watch movies and listen to music in his leisure time. His expertise in various areas of brand building campaigns will definitely help IBD India reach to greater heights. Soumya (Sam) has to his credit over 6 years of advertising experience seeing actions on brands Like LG, Nestle, Frito Lay’s, Maruti Suzuki, Dabur, Honda, Havell’s etc. to name a few. On his new assignment at IBD, Sam says, “It’s going to be both an interesting and challenging time in IBD. IBD is an exciting place with an enthusiastic bunch of people believing in doing great creative work. What’s more, the client mix offers you great opportunity to do good work.” Soumya in his spare time indulges himself with travelling, watching movies and graphic designing.

************** IBD India strengthens creative team Source: Yahoo.com, Network2media.com, Bestmediainfo.com, Date: February 2, 2012

***************** Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan join IBD as Associate Creative Directors Source: Campaignindia.in, Silobreaker.com, Wholistichealthtoday.com, Date: February 2, 2012

************** Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan join IBD as Associate Creative Directors Source: Adgully.com, Indiantelevision.com, Date: February 1, 2012

IBD India or Integrated Brand Development a Hakuhodo Percept company, has added the twin team of Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan – Sam as he is called in the fraternity as Associate Creative Director(s). Both of them will be based out of IBD’s office in Gurgaon. IBD as you are aware has been in the news lately, picking up businesses- Pure Home+ Living, Iinstinct Deodorants, Shlipa Cosmetics, Saks Salons, Radius Infratel and more! Buoyant with recent business acquisitions, the agency which believes its creative as its cutting edge product is set for an exciting growth phase. The mandate for Kartik and Sam would be to strengthen and put the creatives team under the Jai Singh and Akash Sharma, the two senior creative honchos of Gurgaon into what they call- overdrive. “With both of them joining the growing team, IBD India will fortify its creative output and you can be assured of some more out-of-the box solutions for our clients” adds Srikant Rath, Senior Vice President. Kartikeya has more than 7 experiences in both ATL and BTL spaces. Prior to this, he worked in Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Dentsu in various capacities. He has worked on brands like LG (Home Appliance & Home Entertainment, FPDs), Sprite, Honda, Wild Stone Park Avenue, Religare etc. Speaking about his new agency Kartik says, “I am really excited to join IBD India and work on internationally recognised brands like Panasonic and a host of others. I am looking forward to doing work that is relevant to my target audiences and win recognition of award juries as well. We are an ambitious bunch here hungry to do good work.” Kartik is an avid reader and likes to watch movies and listen to music in his leisure time. His expertise in various areas of brand building campaigns will definitely help IBD India reach to greater heights. Soumya (Sam) has to his credit over 6 years of advertising experience seeing actions on brands Like LG, Nestle, Frito Lay’s, Maruti Suzuki, Dabur, Honda, Havell’s etc. to name a few. On his new assignment at IBD, Sam says, “It’s going to be both an interesting and challenging time in IBD. IBD is an exciting place with an enthusiastic bunch of people believing in doing great creative work. What’s more, the client mix offers you great opportunity to do good work.” Soumya in his spare time indulges himself with travelling, watching movies and graphic designing.

************** Kartikeya Dixit and Soumya Nagabhushan join IBD as Associate Creative Directors Source: Gzbtob.com, Date: February 4, 2012

phase. The mandate for Kartik and Sam would be to strengthen and put the creatives team under the Jai Singh and Akash Sharma, the two senior creative honchos of Gurgaon into what they call- overdrive. “With both of them joining the growing team, IBD India will fortify its creative output and you can be assured of some more out-of-the box solutions for our clients” adds Srikant Rath, Senior Vice President. Kartikeya has more than 7 experiences in both ATL and BTL spaces. Prior to this, he worked in Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Dentsu in various capacities. He has worked on brands like LG (Home Appliance & Home Entertainment, FPDs), Sprite, Honda, Wild Stone Park Avenue, Religare etc.

************** HAKUHODO PERCEPT

Selling a sale Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 3, 2012

It is not often that your spouse or your parents feel proud of you and talk fondly of gifts received from you. The new campaign from Shoppers Stop that promotes the 'End of Season Sale', highlights the love of dear ones, such as that of a father or a wife, thanks to the gifts bought for them from the sale. Conceptualised by Contract Advertising, the two television commercials titled 'Dad' and 'Wife', show a father talk of his son, and a wife talk about her husband, rather fondly. In the end, however, it is revealed that both are actually happy about the clothes and accessories such as jewellery that they have received, which have been bought from Shoppers Stop's End of Season Sale. The commercials, which have been launched only on YouTube, are being promoted through a Facebook page, and Twitter. The retail brand claims to have a fan following of 1.9 lakh followers on Facebook. Vinay Bhatia, customer care associate and senior vice-president, marketing and loyalty, Shoppers Stop, explains, "All commercials of Shoppers Stop have a particular language that is tongue-in-cheek. Every commercial has a positive twist in the end, and that is what makes the TVCs work." Talking about the company's decision to refrain from television advertising, Bhatia says, "Both Facebook and Twitter are pull-base mediums, and that works for us. Rather than spending heavily on television, online helps us target consumers in a better manner." "A sale is a sale is a sale. Right? Wrong!!! And, the easiest thing to do is just show a bunch of merchandise and say -- up to 51 per cent off. No intelligence required to decode that, is there? Except that only a million other sales presented by other brands are doing precisely that. Now, how do we present the Shoppers Stop Sale as being special? And, that it makes the customers feel special?" asks Raj Nair, regional creative director, Mumbai and South, Contract Advertising. He adds, "If we look at consumer behaviour, a sale is a convenient time to buy because things are priced better. But, communicating a mere price off was never going to make anyone bite the bait because there is just no differentiation from a million other sales that are out there. So, we hit upon the creative idea/insight of gifting your loved ones stuff you buy from the sale. (While they may think that you truly love them with your thoughtful gesture of the gift, the truth is you got it at a sale.) A refreshing, humorous take on presenting yet another sale. It's an insider joke in which you let the viewer in at the expense of the recipient." The retail outlet has further launched an augmented reality application to promote the sale. With the help of this app, readers can activate an AR (augmented reality) set-up in which they can view certain 'secret offers'.

Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 60 of 82

Establish a connect: The ad film gets a positive feedback from advertising professionals, and the humour works for the brand, as well as for the commercials. According to Shiveshwar Raj Singh, group creative director, Draftfcb Ulka, Shoppers Stop's advertising has always been smart and witty. "These commercials continue to uphold that tradition. Understated and elegant. However, the problem with using dry wit and irony in today's predominantly slapstick and dumbed-down landscape is that not everybody gets it. And, of those who do, unless the humour is sharp and biting, it elicits little more than a fleeting smile," says Singh. He remarks, "My other quibble is with the casting, or rather, the miscasting of the two characters. They are diabetically sweet and gentle souls, definitely not the ones you will want to be mean to. It's nice overall, but could have been better." Vivek Dutta, Business Director and National Planning Head, Hakuhodo Percept, notes, "It definitely beats the run-of-the-mill sale commercials. The monologue and the anti-climax is a nice way to create intrigue about something as boring as 'Sale'. I liked the fact that it targeted the user, rather than the purchaser. Finally, it's great to see that the client accepted and respected the fact that its consumer is evolved enough to appreciate a slight tongue-in-cheek humour."

*********** Want to sell your agency? Get Niche Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 3, 2012

Nitika Kochhar, a renowned name in the recruitment space in the media Industry has launched her new venture called Niche Consultants, to facilitate Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, strategic tie-ups, technical associations and collaborations between companies operating in the entire media gamut, including advertising, PR, media planning and buying, outdoor, digital, events, direct marketing and other verticals. With cut-throat competition, and shrinking margins, it has become difficult for smaller agencies to scale up inspite of having great talent and capabilities. To overcome the challenges, agencies are looking for tie-ups for growth and increased billings. With her new venture, Kochhar hopes to facilitate just that. “Our endeavour would be to facilitate the right kind of partnerships in this space. With our experience of more than two decades in this industry, we have trustworthy relationship with all our clients and are sure to be of immense support to them and take forward their businesses,” she said. Talking about the possibilities in the business, Kochhar said that the opportunities are huge and Niche already has two projects in hand. “One of our clients is a reputed advertising agency established over 21 years ago with current capitalised billing of over Rs 150 million. The business is up for sale as promoters have diversified into other sectors. Our second client has also been in business for more than a decade. They are open to partnerships, alliances, tie-ups or a complete sell out.” Off late, there's been a lot of news about strategic tie-ups as clients demand one-point solutions. As the trend catches pace in India, many foreign eyes are also looking out for the right partners in India. For the record, Niche was instrumental in the Percept – Hakuhodo Joint Venture too.

*********** Hakuhodo Percept, Draftfcb Ulka, Dentsu, Karmatech, GroupM, NewsX, OMD march ahead in Delhi Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 7, 2012

Coverage Link: http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=32979_Amar+Ujala+AMCL+2012:+Times+Internet+Hakuhodo+Percept+Dra ftfcb+Ulka+Dentsu+Karmatech+GroupM+NewsX+OMD+march+ahead+in+Delhi

************** RK Swamy BBDO wins Suzuki Motorcycles new motorcycle brand Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 16, 2012

Suzuki Motorcycles has entrusted the creative duties of its soon-to-be-launched motorcycle brand to RK Swamy BBDO after presentations amongst its empanelled agencies. The other agencies that had taken part in the presentations were Hakuhodo Percept and Capital Advertising.RK Swamy BBDO will be handling the launch campaign for the new Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 61 of 82

brand.Brand Serve is the media agency for all the Suzuki Motorcycles brands. Confirming the development to exchange4media, Anu Anamika, Head of Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycles, said, “We are planning to launch the new motorcycle brand in the market soon, We had called our empanelled agencies to present, following which we have decided to award the business to RK Swamy BBDO.” It may be noted that RK Swamy BBDO is already handling the rest of Suzuki Motorcycles’ two-wheeler brands, which include Access 125 Suzuki scooters, Zeus, Heat 125, Sling Shot, JS150, Intruder, and the Bandit range.The name of the new bike and the launch date couldn’t be ascertained at the time of filing this repo

**************** JWT loses Sony to Hakuhodo Percept Source: The Times Of India, Date: February 23, 2012

*************** Sony won over by creative pitch of Hakuhodo Percept Source: The Hindu Business Line, Date: February 23, 2012

*************** Sony India appoints Hakuhodo Percept as its new creative agency Source: Chuckaschultz.com, Date: February 23, 2012

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Source: Economictimes.indiatimes.com, Exchange4media.com, Campaignindia.in, Moneycontrol.com, Bestmediainfo.com, Afaqs.com, Msn.com, Adgully.com, Indiantelevision.com, Adclubbombay.com, Tablettrail.com, Contractlawreviews.com, Impactonnet.com, Samachar.com, Stockviz.biz, Onespot.com, Article.wn.com, Magnaglobal.com, Worlds-luxury-guide.com, Date: February 22, 2012

Sony India has decided on its creative agency. After a closely competed pitch process that included eight agencies, the electronics major has handed over its entire creative mandate to Hakuhodo Percept. The business is pegged at over Rs 100 crore. The incumbent on the account is JWT India. The pitch process that began in November 2011 saw agencies such as JWT, Lowe Lintas, Contract, Dentsu, Law & Kenneth, BBDO and Hakuhodo Percept participate in the pitch. And Meanwhile is the creative agency from the UK that was also competing for the business. The pitch was for Sony’s entire product portfolio. On awarding the account to Hakuhodo Percept, Ryusuke Fukushima, Deputy General Manager, Marketing Communication, Sony India, said, “We wanted to revisit our creative mandate and partner with a firm which demonstrated the immersive Sony experience and showcased its DNA comprising essence, promise and purpose. Hakuhodo Percept’s understanding of this industry, their skill in going beyond the brief and the ability to translate consumer insights into unique media touch points, made us choose them as our creative partner for a unified Sony approach.” For the record, Sony India is one of the largest players in consumer electronics and IT products segment. Some of Sony India’s brands, in highly competitive categories include Bravia, Vaio, Cybershot, Handicam and Walkman. Fukushima further said, “At Sony, we don’t simply create products; we create real experiences and emotions. Imagination is at the core of our brand, and with each and every communication of Sony, we aim to inspire and unlock the power of imagination of our audiences.” In 2011, Sony invested upwards of Rs 150 crore in a 360-degree multimedia campaign ‘The Rebirth. LED TV’. This included ATL & BTL activities such as television and print commercials, online, PR, outdoor and shop-front. Sony also introduced its tablets Sony tablet P and Sony tablet S in the Indian market, announcing an advertising spend of Rs 10 crore for promotion of its tablets last year. The total advertising spends of Sony India in the last financial year stood at Rs 360 crore.

********************* Sony India appoints Hakuhodo Percept as its creative agency Source: Mediavataar.com, Metal-hq.com, Mirren.org, Findlaw.com, Worldofdth.com, Infonary.com, Date: February 23, 2012 Source: Brightwire.com, Rangdeindia.jp, Date: February 27, 2012

Sony India, the consumer electronics and IT products major, has appointed Hakuhodo Percept as its creative AOR (agency of record). The incumbent on the account was JWT. The pitch process that began in November, 2011 saw participation from agencies such as JWT India, Lowe Lintas, Contract, Dentsu India, Law & Kenneth, BBDO India and Hakuhodo Percept. The size of the business is estimated to be more than Rs 100 crore. Ryusuke Fukushima, deputy general manager, marketing communication, Sony India, says, "At Sony, we don't simply create products; we create real experiences and emotions. Imagination is at the core of our brand, and with each and every communication of Sony, we aim to inspire and unlock the power of imagination of our audiences." Fukushima adds that they wanted to revisit the creative mandate for Sony India and partner with a firm which demonstrates the immersive Sony experience and showcases its DNA comprising of essence, promise and purpose. "Hakuhodo Percept's understanding of this industry, its skill in going beyond the brief and the ability to translate consumer insights into unique media touch points made us choose it as our creative partner for a unified Sony approach." In November 2011, as a part of a regular annual process, Sony India started reviewing the creative duties for its entire product portfolio. Some of Sony India's brands include Bravia, Vaio, Cybershot, Handicam and Walkman.

************* Sabuj Sengupta bids adieu to Dentsu Creative Impact Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 29, 2012

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Sabuj Sengupta, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Creative Impact has put in his papers at the agency and is currently serving his notice period. Sabuj was heading the creative at the agency. The news has been confirmed to exchange4media from confidential industry sources. When contacted, Sabuj refused to comment on the development or share details on his plans further. He joined the agency in July last year from JWT India where he was Associate Vice President and Senior Creative Director. Sources also informed that Dentsu Creative Impact has not yet finalized who will take on the position of the creative head after Sengupta’s exit. Sabuj has worked with leading agencies like JWT, Conract and Bates prior to joining Dentsu Creative Impact. At JWT he handled accounts like Sony, Pepsi, Hero Honda etc. As per Industry grapevine, Sabuj is on his way to Percept. It may be noted that the entire creative duties for Sony India has recently moved from JWT to Hakuhodo Percept.

**************** PERCEPT PROFILE

The focus will be to add value and get more volumes: Rahat Beri Source: Mxmindia.com, Date: February 20, 2012

Coverage Link: http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/02/pr-channel-the-focus-will-be-to-add-value-and-get-more-volumes- rahat-beri/

************* Percept Profile bags Red Mango PR mandate Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 9, 2012

Percept Profile has bagged the PR mandate of the popular all natural non-fat frozen yoghurt brand – Red Mango. Red Mango, the frozen yogurt and smoothies’ chain in U.S.A, has already been established as a healthy food option in many countries. It offers 100% natural, non-fat & low fat, kosher and gluten-free frozen yogurts fortified with pro-biotic and is vying to create a niche for healthy food in the Indian food and beverage industry. Percept Profile will plan and execute a 360º PR activities for Red Mango, thus positioning it as the game-changer product offering in the Indian market. On bagging the PR duties of Red Mango, Rahat Beri, COO, Percept Profile said, “It’s a matter of immense pleasure & pride that we will be associated with the India launch of Red Mango which is expanding its footprints in the field of Food and Beverage in the country. Adding a unique touch to product offerings, Red Mango caters to today’s diet conscious consumer who wants to eat well & stay well. We will definitely help Red Mango touch more consumers with our cutting edge PR activities and initiatives.” Rahul Kumar, India Head, Red Mango said, “We are extremely happy to have Percept Profile on our board & it will positively have an effect on our growing Indian footprint. Keeping the track record of excellent performance in mind, we finalized Percept Profile as the agency which will help us in creating a positive awareness of the brand in the country.”

************** Percept Profile bags Red Mango PR mandate Source: Medianewsline.com, Date: February 8, 2012

consumer who wants to eat well & stay well. We will definitely help Red Mango touch more consumers with our cutting edge PR activities and initiatives.” Rahul Kumar, India Head, Red Mango said, “We are extremely happy to have Percept Profile on our board & it will positively have an effect on our growing Indian footprint. Keeping the track record of excellent performance in mind, we finalized Percept Profile as the agency which will help us in creating a positive awareness of the brand in the country.”

************** Percept Profile bags Red Mango PR mandate Source: Silobreaker.com, Date: February 12, 2012

**************

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INDUSTRY NEWS

R K Swamy BBDO wins creative duties for SRMB's steel business Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 1, 2012 Issue

R K Swamy BBDO has recently bagged the creative duties for SRMB Srijan, a Kolkata-based family-run steel enterprise. The agency's Kolkata branch will handle this account. The incumbent creative agency on the SRMB business is Lowe Lintas. Apparently, though the SRMB authorities selected R K Swamy BBDO after evaluating a creative presentation made by the agency, there was no full-fledged multi-agency pitch that took place before the account moved. The company spokesperson has confirmed the news to afaqs!. He further informs that the upcoming campaign will be a multimedia one including TV, print and outdoor channels. It is learnt that R K Swamy BBDO is set to roll out some innovative advertising/marketing campaigns for the brand, and has been briefed to focus on "marketing steel differently" such that the brand stands out. Several new product launches from the SRMB stable are on the cards, so the agency will work on the launch campaigns for these as well. Former cricketer Kapil Dev is the brand ambassador for SRMB Srijan. The media mandate (that is, the planning and buying duties) for the account lies with Madison. SRMB Srijan is part of the SRMB Group that was incorporated back in 1951 by the late Radha Kishan Beriwala, and currently owns four units in Bengal. SRMB Srijan is the group's flagship company, and was founded following the merger of SRMB Udyog Limited (SUL) and SRMB Srijan, in 2007. The company works in tandem with all the key infrastructural operators across the country. Its product portfolio comprises thermo mechanically treated bars, (TMT bars) as well as sectional products including rolled steel extrusions such as beams, channels, and angles.

*************** Coal India empanels four agencies; retains DDB Mudra and Sobhagya Advertising Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 1, 2012 Issue

Public sector giant Coal India Limited (CIL) has wrapped up its creative pitch. The company has empanelled four agencies. These include R K Swamy BBDO, DDB Mudra, Inter Publicity, and Sobhagya Advertising. Of these, Sobhagya Advertising and DDB Mudra were part of CIL's previous roster, along with Grey and Ogilvy India. Industry sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs!. The pitch was initiated a few weeks ago and was conducted in Kolkata, where the company has its headquarters. In all, 28 agencies approached CIL for the pitch, of which 14 were deemed fit to make presentations. The final decision on empanelment was based on the presentations made by these 14 agencies. As per industry estimates, the account size is pegged at Rs 10 crore. Founded in November 1975, CIL is a holding company, with seven wholly-owned coal producing subsidiary companies in the country, and one mine planning and consultancy company. The company's goals include identification of coal reserves, detailed exploration of the same, and then working on the design, implementation and optimising of operations for coal extraction in its mines. The producing companies include: Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Sanctoria, West Bengal, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Ranchi, Jharkhand, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), Nagpur, Maharashtra, Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), Sambalpur, Orissa. Coal India Africana Limitada, Mozambique, is an overseas producing company and the consultancy company is Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), Ranchi, Jharkhand. North Eastern Coalfields (NEC) is a small coal producing unit operating in Margherita, Assam, under the direct operational control of CIL. Coal India's major consumers are the power and steel sectors, besides manufacturers of cement, fertilisers, brick kilns, and other small scale industries.

*************** Arms Communications wins creative business of Groversons Group Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 2, 2012

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The Groversons Group has handed over its creative business to Arms Communications. The win is followed by a pitch process that began in August 2011 in the Capital, in which about four Delhi-based agencies participated. Confirming the news, Achal Bhutani, director, marketing, Groversons Group, tells afaqs!, "We liked Arms Communications' team effort and the ideas that it presented." Groversons was established in India in 1953 by Chaman Lal Grover. It manufactures ladies undergarments in woven, knitted, and hosiery fabric. Some of the brands from the group include Paris Beauty, Miss-t, Poem, Sparsh, and Sunaina. Groversons' flagship brand is Paris Beauty, which is targeted at the age group of 35 years and above. Its premium quality products are marketed under the brand name Paris Beauty Premium, while the Miss-t brand targets the youth. "The company is looking forward to target the younger segment, and it liked the strategy and creative ideas that we presented," says Reet Ahluwalia, chairman, Arms Communications. The group plans to use TV, print, digital, and below the line (BTL) activities to spread awareness about its brands. The estimated spend on the media for this financial year is slated to be in the range of Rs 7-8 crore. The campaign will begin by April 2012. This is the second win in a month for Arms Communications. Recently, Luminous Power Technologies appointed Arms Communications for its new home electrical division.

************** National Payments Corporation of India invites creative and media pitches Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 2, 2012

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has called for creative and media pitches to empanel multiple agencies for the parent brand (NPCI), as well as for its RuPay Card scheme. The pitch process is underway in Mumbai. An NPCI official, on conditions of anonymity, says, "We are looking for agencies to provide creative assistance or services for the parent brand, its products such as RuPay Card and other communications, in addition to consultation for marketing strategy." As part of the brief, agencies have been asked to prepare a complete strategy, ranging from development of creative ideas to production for all communication channels, including broadcast media such as television, radio, print, internet, and mobile phones. Agencies are also required to provide concepts for pamphlets, leaflets, brochures, posters, hand-outs, banners, hoardings and display panels. The organisation also plans to promote the brand through cinema, sports and endorsements, apart from various outreach programmes like street plays and direct mailers. NPCI plans to launch its campaigns in Hindi, English and other local languages. Therefore, agencies are required to have local language experts proficient in regional languages and dialects. The NPCI is promoted by 10 banks under the aegis of the Indian Banks Association, with majority shareholding by public sector banks. The 10 promoter banks include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank, and HSBC. In March, 2011, after almost two years of planning, the NPCI finalised the proposed unique India Card, which will be a domestic alternative to the global real-time payment processing firms like Visa and MasterCard. The organisation had appointed Ernst & Young (E&Y) to develop and roll out the entire architecture, including the design and software for RuPay Card. The organisation intends to launch the RuPay Card by the end of the current fiscal year.

************** Rediffusion-Y&R wins creative duties of Lafarge India Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 3, 2012

Rediffusion-Y&R has won the creative duties of cement brand Lafarge India. The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch that saw participation from other agencies such as Ogilvy India and BMB Madison. Ogilvy was the incumbent on the business. Madhumita Basu, senior vice-president, marketing, Lafarge India, in an official communiqué, says, "It's a challenging environment for the cement industry. We look forward to Rediffusion-Y&R bring in fresh ideas and market understanding that can help Lafarge India reach new heights." As part of its mandate, the agency will conceptualise ideas, create a communication strategy, and develop modules, designs and work plans to help Lafarge India enhance its communication. D Rajappa, president, Rediffusion-Y&R, says, "We look forward to build Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 67 of 82

and develop the brand further in India and partner the company to achieve its marketing goals." TME-MPG Combine, the media arm of Rediffusion-Y&R, continues to handle the media duties for the cement brand. For the record, Lafarge is one of the leading brands in Eastern India and has three products, Lafarge Concreto, Lafarge Duraguard, and Lafarge PSC. The company also offers guidance to home builders through the Lafarge Home Building Centre.

*********** Mudra West expands its mandate within Lonely Planet Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 3, 2012

Lonely Planet (LP) has handed over the creative mandate for its travel guide books business to Mudra West. There is no incumbent agency as the LP Guide Book is yet to be launched in India. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs! Recall that in the month of January, afaqs! reported Lonely Planet's hunt for a creative partner for its travel guidebooks offering. Now, after the win, Mudra West's immediate mandate will include work on the launch campaign for the official foray of Lonely Planet's travel books in India. Mudra West also handles the creative duties for Lonely Planet's travel magazine business in India for over two years now. Along with Lonely Planet travel books and magazines, the agency even handles the creative duties for four brands under the Worldwide Media umbrella. The magazines managed by Mudra West include GoodFood magazine, TopGear, Filmfare, and Femina. The mandate for GoodFood magazine was awarded to Mudra West in October 2011, and the creative duty for TopGear was awarded to the agency in early May. The agency looks after the creative duties for Filmfare, and Femina since 2009. Founded by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, the Lonely Planet brand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BBC Worldwide. It has distributed English language guides in India since the 1980s, and these guides have primarily been purchased by expatriates and inbound travellers. But, the Indian travel market is growing rapidly, and LP sees an opportunity to speak directly to Indian audiences by producing travel guides for Indians, written by Indians. Hence, the development of the Indian guides will now take place locally through the establishment of an Indian Lonely Planet publishing capability. With this, LP India intends to launch both international and domestic guides.

*********** Mindshare wins media mandate for SPRRG Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 6, 2012

The Tamil Nadu-based real-estate developer SPRRG has handed over its media duties to Mindshare. The business will be managed from the agency's Chennai office. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs!. The size of the business and the approximate spends on media could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. SPRRG is engaged in the acquisition and development of residential and commercial properties, besides executing turnkey infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu. The group was founded in 1972 by Prithviraj S Kawad. It branched out into real-estate in 2005, and has a flagship development called Osian Heights in central Chennai. Mindshare witnessed some key changes in its leadership earlier in the year. M Parthasarathy (also known as Maps) was given the responsibility to head the client leadership team, while Alok Sinha's mandate was to oversee strategy, based on the thought process 'no-line' across India. Sandeep Pandey will spearhead consulting and intelligence, which involves analytics and modelling for better ROMI (return on marketing investment). Towards the end of 2011, Mindshare promoted R Gowthaman as chief client officer, an international role, and Ravi Rao was appointed leader, Mindshare South Asia. The GroupM-promoted media planning and buying agency had also beefed up its southern operations by roping in Kavitha Srinivasan as partner, client leadership.

****************** LMG, Lowe Lintas bag Kerala-based Jayalakshmi Silks Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 6, 2012

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The Kochi-based readymade textile retailer Jayalakshmi Silks, has assigned its media mandate to Lintas Media Group, while the creative duties have moved to Lowe Lintas India. Prior to this development, the account was handled by Kerala-based local agencies. While Media Expressions was the incumbent on the media duties, the creative was handled by Team One. Jayalakshmi Silks confirmed the ad spends to be in the range of Rs 20-25 crore. Currently present, mainly in Kerala, the retailer has stores for wedding saris and outfits in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode as well. It plans to open a 1 lakh square feet store in Trichur in April, its largest outlet so far. With expansion plans on the cards, including plans to launch in Coimbatore, Bengaluru, and Chennai by 2013, the 1947-founded company felt the need for a larger creative and media set up, that can handle the scale of operations, as opposed to local boutiques handling the account, as was the case earlier. Govind Kamath, Managing Partner, Jayalakshmi Silks, says, "The retail market in Kerala is extremely vibrant, especially in the textile and jewellery categories. We have been growing and expanding at a healthy pace. In order to help us in the expansion process we need large, credible, partners with an international pedigree. Lintas Media Group and Lowe Lintas fit the profile perfectly." Kamath further adds that LMG is familiar with the retail industry, and with a pan-India presence, the creative and media agencies will help chart out the company's growth curve. The media mix will be led by television primarily, with commercials on Kerala-based TV channels. This will be followed by aggressive outdoor and press, particularly in the outdoor-heavy Kochi market. Suresh Balakrishna, who heads the LMG agency overseeing this, says, "Vidya Nandakumar has just taken over as the head of the Kochi office, and we have won Jayalakshmi Silks. Along with Manappuram, which is an existing account in Kochi for us, we are now aggressive players in the Kerala market."

****************** Law & Kenneth walks away with ING Life Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 7, 2012

The financial services company ING has brought on board Law & Kenneth as the creative agency for its life insurance arm, ING Life. Although this is a win for the agency's Bengaluru office, the Mumbai team will handle the account. As per industry estimates, the total media spend on the account is in the range of Rs 18-20 crore. However, this doesn't include spends on events and promotions. The win is the result of a closely-fought multi-agency pitch process held in Bengaluru. The objective of the pitch was to find a strategic partner, which could provide valuable planning prowess and consumer insights. Rediffusion-Y&R was the incumbent on the business. The agency recently bagged another financial services account, SBI Mutual Fund. The brand essence of ING Life is 'Experience the joy of fulfilling your responsibility'. This essence was captured through the brand's 'Mera Farz' statement, developed in 2007. The statement positioned the brand as one that helps its customers fulfil the responsibility of being 'the provider' for their families. This was conveyed through Rediffusion's ad campaign in 2008, which portrayed how some key milestones in life, such as marriage, birth of a child, and children's higher education and retirement bring happiness, along with unexpected financial worries. The communication stressed that ING Life Insurance can help consumers overcome these burdens and fulfil their responsibilities towards their families.

JWT Bengaluru has handled the creative mandate for this account in the recent past; the agency won the account in April 2008. It may be recalled that in November 2008, the agency created a commercial for ING Bank that marked the brand's very first official campaign in India. The communication was based on the insight of friendship, and served to position the bank as a friend who makes life easy for its customers. Prior to 2008, the creative mandate for ING Bank (earlier known as ING Vysya Bank) was with Rediffusion. Everest Brand Solutions has earlier worked on the creative duties of ING Vysya Mutual Funds (the memorable 'Expect the Unexpected' ad campaign was broken by the agency in February 2005), prior to which, Saatchi & Saatchi Mumbai handled the business. ING currently operates through three businesses in India, namely, ING Life Insurance, ING Vysya Bank, and ING Investment Management. Headquartered in Bengaluru, ING Life India is an integral part of the ING Group. ING Life India entered the private life insurance industry in India in September 2001.

************** Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 69 of 82

DDB India pockets creative duties of Nirmal Lifestyle Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 8, 2012

DDB India has won the creative duties of the Mumbai-based property developer Nirmal Lifestyle. The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch based on its understanding of the real-estate business. The size of the business is said to be in the range of Rs 25-30 crore. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs! on conditions of anonymity. Both the company spokesperson and the agency remained unavailable for comments at the time of filing this report. Earlier, the creative duties were handled by Euro RSCG. Euro's contract with the company ended on January 31. The Mumbai-based media agency Gracious handles the media duties. Nirmal Lifestyle develops real-estate properties ranging from malls to residence complexes such as City of Joy, Nirmal Galaxy, Kalpnagri, Nirmal Nagar, Amethyst and Blue Diamond at Mulund. Among its proposed projects are townships in areas such as Dombivali and Kalyan in Mumbai, apart from Pune and Indore. Other planned projects include two hotels under the name Sofitel (with 200 and 250 rooms, respectively), and a hotel by the name of Novotel (with 250 rooms). It also plans to build a service apartment, Grand Mercure Residence, with 180 units.

************** Noshe Group bags the advertising mandate for dainikbhaskar.com Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 6, 2012

India’s largest Hindi website, dainikbhaskar.com, has appointed Noshe Group as its advertising agency. Noshe Group will be responsible for strengthening the dainikbhaskar.com brand via its advertising know-how. Noshe will focus on aiding dainikbhaskar.com to extend the brand by promoting it’s one of kind features and garner the much deserved acclaim. According to sources, Noshe Group’s brilliant creative ideas and swift turnaround time are the main reasons that abetted dainikbhaskar.com in the agency selection process. Catering to a plethora of clients over the years has not only helped the Noshe team in prompt servicing but also in meeting goals on the set deadlines. Commenting on the win, Asheesh Sethi, President, Noshe Group said, “We identify with dainikbhaskar.com’s advertising fundamentals and at Noshe, our consistent effort is to offer and put in action achievable, effectual and imaginative solutions in the least turnaround time.” He further added, “We go all out & build a loyal, enduring and honest affiliation with our patrons. We believe in high business ethics and less frills & more substance. We are confident of being an integral part of the brand’s growth story and help the brand scale new heights in gaining more hits.”

************** Scarecrow launches design division Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 9, 2012

On the occasion of its second anniversary, Scarecrow Communications has launched its design division Scarecrow Designs, with an aim to provide exclusive design solutions to its clients. The design division will be headed by Kapil Tammal, design director. Tammal says, "Scarecrow Designs is not a conventional design house. Design for communication is what my team will focus on. Certain brands need to be looked at from a design perspective. So, along with the routine advertising ideas, the team will wear a designer's hat and think of 'designs' as and when needed." The division plans to produce its own graphic content by bringing aboard in-house designers, as well as budding talent from the design schools to create merchandise that includes T-shirts, bags and accessories, which will be showcased at the Scarecrow Art Gallery and also on www.scarecrowdesigns.net. Manish Bhatt, founder-director, Scarecrow Communications, elaborates on the reason for launching the design division. "Under Scarecrow Communications, we provide overall advertising solutions, but as we work we have realised the growing demand for pure design-led jobs, starting from brand manuals to corporate and brand identity, and packaging." Due to the retail boom, the mall culture and the entry of international lifestyle brands in India, design has become imperative. Bhatt adds that several national and international brands avoid spending on full-fledged above the line campaigns due to media costs, but they can't

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avoid spending on creating a look, feel, and imagery for the brand. "Clients specifically seek design-led communication solutions. To fulfil these needs, we thought to have our own design division," Bhatt remarks.

************** Dentsu Media wins media mandate for Indo-Nissin Foods Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 10, 2012

Denstu India Group's media agency Denstu Media has been awarded with the complete media planning and buying responsibilities of Indo-Nissin Foods, which include the brands Top Ramen and Cup Noodles. Indo Nissin Foods is the Indian subsidiary of the Japan-based Nissin Foods Holdings. Approximate spends by the client in the financial year 2012 are expected to be in the range from Rs 15-25 crore. The Group's Bengaluru branch will manage the media mandate. Prior to Denstu Media, the account was handled by Madison Media. Denstu Communications handles the creative mandate for the brand. Commenting on the win, Divya Gupta, CEO, Denstu Media, says, "The client liked the thought process and our way of work at Dentsu Media, based on which the account was awarded." For the record, the Dentsu India Group comprises three independent, full-service advertising agencies - Dentsu Communications, Dentsu Marcom, and Dentsu Creative Impact, Dentsu Media, and Dentsu Digital.

************* CavinKare scouts for creative partner for upcoming henna brand Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 13, 2012

FMCG conglomerate CavinKare is currently scouting for a creative partner for an upcoming haircare product. According to industry sources, this soon-to-be-launched brand is a henna (mehndi) product that is likely to be marketed under the name 'Nyle Henna', implying that the offering is an extension of the company's existing brand Nyle, best known for its shampoo range. While refusing to verify the brand name, the company spokesperson has confirmed the pitch news to afaqs!. The spokesperson has also shared that the product will be available in powdered form. The recently-initiated pitch is currently underway in Mumbai, and so far, around two-to-three agencies have been invited and briefed. It is learnt that these agencies include the company's existing roster agencies, which handle the creative duties for products across the company's portfolio. The first round of presentations, expected to be a blend of creative, as well as strategic inputs, will take place in the last week of this month. The selected agency will be required to work on the launch campaign for the brand. According to market sources, the product is expected to be launched in April, this year. It will be a mass brand that will target women, particularly housewives, in the 28-30 years age bracket. In the recent past, CavinKare has appointed several creative agencies across its brands. In June 2011, afaqs! reported that Cartwheel Creative had won the creative duties for Nyle shampoo. The agency was awarded the mandate after a multi-agency pitch process. Prior to Cartwheel, the creative duties for Nyle were with Bates. Curry-Nation currently handles the mandate for three CavinKare brands including Fairever (the flagship product in its fairness creams category), and the deodorants Spinz, and Hi5. The agency was awarded the duties in May last year. Around March last year, Saints & Warriors was given the duties for Garden Namkeens, CavinKare's traditional snacks range. A few months later, the agency was also handed the duties for the company's non-traditional finger foods business. MEC is the media agency on the CavinKare account.

************** Jagran Prakashan to buy out NaiDunia Media Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 13, 2012

According to sources close to the development, Jagran Prakashan (JPL), the publishers of the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, will buy out 100 per cent stake in the Madhya Pradesh-based NaiDunia Media. The size of the deal could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. As per sources, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is carrying out the audit of NaiDunia Media for JPL. The deal will be officially signed, on February 16/17. It will be a complete takeover of all Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 71 of 82

properties of NaiDunia Media, including the Hindi dailies NaiDunia and NavDunia. This will be the second major takeover for JPL in recent years. The first one was the buyout of Mid-Day Infomedia in May 2010, for a deal estimated to be worth Rs 175 crore. For the record, NaiDunia was established by freedom fighters Babu Labhchand Chhajlani and Shri Basantilal Sethia in 1947, before Independence. In April 2008, NaiDunia News & Network changed its name to NaiDunia Media. In 2008, NaiDunia Media launched its second Hindi daily from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, titled NavDunia. NaiDunia Media has a presence in 11 states, and has 14 publication centres.

************** Sify consolidates its creative business with TBWA Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 14, 2012

Chennai-based Sify Technologies, a player in enterprise and consumer internet services in India, has decided to consolidate its creative business with TBWA. The agency's Chennai branch will handle the business. Until recently, the creative mandate for the account was shared between the Chennai branches of TBWA and Ogilvy India. The entire creative mandate, including its corporate account, consumer business, enterprise business and software business, will now lie with TBWA. The agency spokesperson confirms the news to afaqs!. It is learnt that the agency is scheduled to sign its new agreement with the brand sometime this week. Sources claim that before moving its entire creative account to TBWA, the authorities were contemplating on calling for a full-fledged pitch, but decided against it. OMD is the media planning and buying agency on the account. In 2008, Sify Technologies revamped its corporate identity and unveiled a new logo and the tagline, 'Keeping You Ahead'. An integrated, end-to-end e-solutions provider in India, Sify designs and develops a host of customised e-commerce and network connectivity solutions. The company's corporate services include connectivity services, voice services, hosting services, application services and system integration. Head- quartered in Chennai, it has offices in the US, UK, Dubai and Singapore.

************* M&C Saatchi bags creative mandate for W Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 14, 2012

M&C Saatchi has bagged the creative mandate for W, the apparel brand for women. It won the account following a multi-agency pitch. Rediffusion-Y&R was the incumbent on the business. In an official communiqué, Anjali Nayar, CEO, M&C Saatchi, says, "It is a great start to the year. With retail growing at this pace, we see a lot of scope to do some interesting work together." W is a part of TCNS Clothing, which manufactures and retails garments for Indian women. TCNS Clothing is promoted by O S Pasricha and A S Pasricha, who have been in the textiles and clothing business since 1972. W is present in 40 cities across the country through 100 exclusive stores. Apart from the exclusive brand outlets, it is also available through various other retail formats like multi-brand outlets and shop-in-shops. Anant Daga, CEO, TCNS Clothing Company, says, "We found in M&C Saatchi a partner which has the strategy, market analysis and creative expression figured out just right for W. The Indian women's wear market is large, unorganised and untapped. Being a leading women's wear brand, W is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity and with M&C Saatchi, we look towards achieving greater successes for the brand."

************* Limca scouts for a ‘fresh’ creative partner Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 14, 2012

Limca, the ‘Lime’ n ‘Lemoni’ flavoured drink from Coca-Cola, is on the lookout for a creative partner. The pitch is currently underway in Delhi. The incumbent on the account is Ogilvy & Mather. Though no official confirmations could be obtained at the time of filing this report, sources close to the development have confirmed the news to exchange4media. Sources informed that the brand was now looking at some unique and fresh thoughts on the brand to make it stand out in the cluttered lime drinks space. It may be recalled that the brand had launched a campaign in April Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 72 of 82

last year, changing its tagline from ‘Doobo taazgi mein’ to ‘Do pal taazgi’. The campaign was created by Ogilvy & Mather. The agency also handles Sprite and Fanta brands from the Coca-Cola stable.

************* National Geographic Announces Innovative Outdoor Campaign Source: Radioandmusic.com, Date: February 15, 2012

Big turns mega as National Geographic Channel rolls out its innovative outdoor campaign for its special programming line-up, MEGA FEBRUARY. The channel reputed for its innovative outdoor campaigns has now got everyone talking about their out-of- box 3D hoardings at key locations like the Bandra flyover, the Ashram flyover and Modi mill flyover in Delhi.From hoardings of massive sized bricks, trowels, nuts and screws that bring to life unimaginable constructions, the campaign brings alive the expression that size does matter’ and that if it’s mega, it’s on National Geographic Channel. Besides outdoor, the channel’s theme for February is being extensively promoted though on-air promos and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.All through Mega February, Nat Geo will bring to its viewers all things of colossal magnitude. Mega Marvel, the special line-up of programming between 9.30 pm to 11.30 pm will showcase animals, structures and wonders of mammoth proportions with series like How Big Can it Get; introducing viewers to extraordinarily large and deadly animals of our planet, Outback Wrangler with famed animal expert Matt Wright, brand new episodes of Megafactories and Big Bigger Biggest, taking viewers on a quest to explore some of biggest man-made structures on earth.The outdoor campaign executed by Mindshare is one of the many interesting campaigns that the channel has undertaken to create a buzz among viewers. Besides theme based programs every month, the channels look is striking and energetic, catering to a young India’s love for all that is enormous and fascinating.

Speaking about the initiative and the new series, Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President Marketing for NGC Network India & FOX International Channels said, “Mega February brings to our viewers the epic wonders of our world, so for its outdoor campaign we decided to appreciate these mega marvels and the basic tools used to create them. At National Geographic Channel, we bring programs that stimulate young India’s love for all that is larger than life and also ensure that our marketing initiatives are equally innovative to fuel curiosity for the same.”

************************************* M&C Saatchi bags creative mandate for W Source: Mediaworldbuzz, Date: February 15, 2012

The year began on a winning note for M&C Saatchi, Gurgaon when the agency bagged the creative duties for W – an Indian ready- to-wear brand for women, following a multi-agency pitch. The advancement was confirmed by Anjali Nayar, CEO, M&C Saatchi – “It was a great start to the year. And we are excited about having added W to our portfolio. With retail growing at this pace, we see a lot of scope to do some interesting work together.”Rupin Jayal, Head - Strategy & Planning, M& C Saatchi added, “W is a brand that is unique in representing the aspirations and identity of contemporary Indian women. With its blend of international influences framed within Indian silhouettes W has the potential of becoming an iconic brand.”

W, a part of TCNS Clothing Pvt. Ltd., designs, manufactures and retails fashionable garments for the Indian women. W is the pioneer in introducing the concept of ‘Mix n Match’ in retail and has long been known for its fits and exotic inspirations. W is present in 40 cities across the country with 100 exclusive stores. Apart from the Exclusive Brand Outlets, W is also available through various other retail formats like Multi-Brand Outlets and Shop-In-Shops. Anant Daga, CEO, TCNS Clothing Company Pvt. Ltd. said, “We were impressed by M&C Saatchi’s in-depth understanding of the category and the consumer. From strategy to market analysis and the creative expression, the Agency had it all figured out just right for W.”Back in the agency, there is excitement, and celebration all around. The team is thrilled to begin the New Year on such a positive note. Commenting on this advancement, Richa Sinha, Executive Creative Director, M&C Saatchi, said, “We are happy to have got W as it is a brand that’s close to our heart. What makes W so special is the fact that the brand truly embodies the true spirit of the modern Indian woman and doesn’t believe in slotting women in their clichéd roles.”

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************************** Dentsu Media wins Indo-Nissin Foods’ media mandate Source: Mediaworldbuzz.com, Date: February 15, 2012

Dentsu has been awarded the media duties for Indo-Nissin Foods, the Indian subsidiary of Japan based Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd - the innovator and pioneer of the instant ramen noodle and cup noodle category. The account will be managed out of Bangalore. Dentsu Media has been charged with the complete media planning and buying responsibilities from Indo-Nissin Foods, including the brands Top Ramen and Cup Noodles. This development comes close on the heels of the revamp of its flagship brand, Top Ramen, and its bid to increase market share in the growing instant noodles category in India. Concurrently, Dentsu Communications handles the creative duties for Indo-Nissin Foods out of Bangalore. Commenting on the choice of Dentsu Media, Mr. MNVV Prasad, GM Sales and Marketing, Indo-Nissin Foods said, “Dentsu Communications has been handling our creative duties for the last one year, and have done a good job for us so far from a creative point of view. The category has witnessed a few major trends in the recent years and going ahead we feel that we could gain an advantage from a marketing standpoint by synergizing our creative and media together”. The media strategy and planning presented was very well received by our team at Nissin and gave us a fresh perspective. Therefore Dentsu was the obvious choice, and we hope for a great future using this synergy”. Ms. Divya Gupta, CEO, Dentsu Media said, “As we see it, true effectiveness of brand communication happens by harnessing collective media synergies, seamlessly, in real time. The consumer does not put channels in silos, she seamlessly moves from one to another in experiencing the brand.”Commenting specifically about the win, Ms Gupta said, “We are thankful to Indo- Nissin for recognizing our capabilities and awarding us this mandate. We look forward to partnering Indo-Nissin, using engagement metrics to blend and deploy channels, in our efforts to support their India objective, every which way!”Dentsu Media India is part of Dentsu Media global network. The company has an armory of proprietary tools and database such as Valcon, ContactPoint Management and D-VAST, among others. This enables it to provide fully integrated, communication-without-lines solutions to clients to help them gather leadership in a cluttered market place.

************************** Universal Music initiates talent hunt with PTC Punjabi Source: Mediaworldbuzz.com, Date: February 13, 2012

Universal Music India has announced a talent hunt in association with PTC Punjabi to encourage young artistes to showcase their talent. The winner of the campaign will get a chance to record a song with reggae singer Apache Indian. The entrants can participate by sending their own recordings in physical format.The collaborative song will be released physically and digitally on Universal Music India.Apache Indian said, "I have always enjoyed working with artists from around the world and from various genres of music. I believe collaboration represents a fusion of sounds, language, culture as well as introducing artists to different markets. This could be the break you are waiting for! Let's record a great song together and introduce your voice to the world! I am very excited about the collaboration contest!"Universal Music India VP– marketing Sunil D’Sa said, "We believe there is immense vocal talent across Northern India and with this campaign, we aim to find that one voice that will be elevated to the level of stardom as he / she will get an opportunity to collaborate with a legend as Apache Indian. And partnering with PTC for this campaign was our obvious choice as both Universal Music as well as PTC strongly believe in giving local talent a platform to excel. This is one of the many such path-breaking and creative platforms that we intend to roll out with our presence in the Northern market."

********** Upcoming online shopping portal Rock.in looks for creative and media agencies Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 20, 2012

Soon-to-be-launched online shopping portal Rock.in has initiated a creative and media pitch in Mumbai. The development is in sync with the brand's aggressive plans to target the online fashion retail space in India. Announcing the pitch, Pradeep Mahindroo, head, marketing, Rock.in, tells afaqs!, "We have very aggressive growth plans, we aren't scared of risk, and we look forward to finding partners, in all spheres, who can match us in our desire and deliver through professional capabilities." Rock.in will be launched in March. Mahindroo shares that the advertising spends for Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 74 of 82

the brand are in the range of Rs 10-15 crore. The brand aims to position itself as a portal for exclusive and luxury brands. With exclusive tie ups with more than 130 top international fashion labels, Rock.in plans to showcase exclusive merchandise (including apparel and accessories) for men, women and children. The core target audience for the brand will include individuals from metros and mini-metros belonging to SEC A+, A and B. Promoted by Suraj Sharma and Aashish Puri, the site is backed by prominent investors from Europe.

************* Cox & Kings is looking for a creative partner Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 21, 2012

Cox & Kings is looking for a creative partner in Mumbai. Saatchi & Saatchi is incumbent on the account. It has been working with Cox & Kings since 2007. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to afaqs!. The approximate media spend for the financial year is estimated at Rs 20 crore. According to industry sources, Saatchi & Saatchi decided to part ways with the client due to unknown reasons. It has provided Cox & Kings with a notice period and will work with the travel company till the end of March. In 2007, Saatchi & Saatchi bagged the creative duties for Cox & Kings' outbound business. The business then comprised of products such as Duniya Dekho (world tours) and the NRI business. With this development, the business for the company was divided between Saatchi & Saatchi and Law & Kenneth. Prior to this, the entire portfolio of Cox & Kings was advertised by Law & Kenneth. The agency had bagged the business in 2006. After the division of the creative mandate, Law & Kenneth's mandate was to work for the company's inbound business, which included Bharat Dekho (India tours) and Ezeego1, the travel portal. Later, the entire creative business was consolidated with Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2004, WPP Group-agency rmg david had won the creative duties of package tour operator Cox & Kings following a long-drawn pitch process. For the record, Cox & Kings is one of the world's longest established travel companies; it organises high-quality group tours, private journeys and tailor made itineraries to many of the world's most fascinating regions. It has several packages for both inbound and outbound tourists.

************* HT launches Noida-focused edition Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 21, 2012

Hindustan Times has renewed its Noida focus with increased local coverage for residents of Noida and Greater Noida. The Noida Special, which was launched on February 21, will soon start off with a special series on what Noida should be proud of. It will be followed by a survey on Noida-specific civic issues on February 24. An official statement from HT Media Ltd said, “The Noida Special reinforces HT’s commitment to local readers.” Speaking on the development, Sanjoy Narayan, Editor-in-Chief, Hindustan Times, said, “Hindustan Times has been the voice of Delhi for the last 87 years. With the city’s expansion into Gurgaon and Noida, we have gone hyper-local and tried to give our readers a flavour of the entire national capital region. The renewed focus on Noida is a step towards helping the city realise its potential.” Meanwhile, as part of this effort, Hindustan Times has also launched its Noida First initiative, aimed at helping Noida truly embody its promise of a ‘City of Hope’. The editorial team at HT has lined up a series of articles that will explore the various facets of Noida. In addition, the paper has planned cultural events across the city in the month of March. Shantanu Bhanja, VP - Marketing, HT Media Ltd, stated, “Noida is today a world-class city. It has top-notch educational institutes, leading MNCs, a thriving film city and outstanding infrastructure. Hindustan Times’ increased Noida focus bears testimony to the growth the city has witnessed. Our Noida-focused approach, in which we will take up news stories and issues that matter to the resident of Noida, will benefit both readers and advertisers.”

************* Patrika expands in Chhattisgarh with Raigarh edition Source: Exchange4media.com, Date: February 21, 2012

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Hindi daily Patrika has expanded its reach in central India with presence in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, from February 18, 2012 onwards. With this, Patrika Group now has 30 editions spread across seven states. Patrika’s Raigarh edition will be all colour with 20 pages and out of which four pages will be dedicated to these regions. With this, people of Raigarh and Dharamjaypur will be able to read the late night coverage of their region as well. Commenting on Patrika’s entry in Raigarh, Sauarbh Bhandari, AGM Marketing, Patrika Group, said, “With entry in such a potential place, we will definitely be able to add value to our advertisers too, who want to target the industrial belts of this region.” Raigarh is a major industrial belt of Chhattisgarh with majority of the state’s power and steel plants situated in this area, thus providing a major chunk of the readers. According to BR Singh, GM Circulations, Patrika Group, “Patrika is the only newspaper to start from Raigarh. This will cover Dharamjaygarh also. We have been observing that the people of these places always feel neglected in terms of raising their voice. Recently, due to certain policies of the Government, majority of the farmers’ lands were acquired by the Government. Even after all efforts, the media available in these regions did not raise a voice, hence, Patrika decided to give voice to the people.” Girraj Sharma is the State Editor - Chhattisgarh, Patrika. It may be recalled that in January 2012, Patrika had got the support of the Indian Newspaper Society, which condemned the attempts of the Government of Chhattisgarh to intimidate Patrika, reportedly to suppress reportage about Chief Minister of the state and his relatives. Meanwhile, Patrika continues to show strong growth in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Recently, in Madhya Pradesh, Patrika emerged as the fastest growing paper with readership close to the No. 1 player in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur cities as per the IRS 2011 Q3 figures.

*************** WSH ropes in Suniel Shetty as brand ambassador Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 22, 2012

To promote the inaugural edition of World Series Hockey (WSH), the sport property has roped in Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty as brand ambassador. Shetty will be a part of the marketing campaign which will involve television, print, digital and various on-ground activations. Promotions for the series, which is scheduled to begin on February 29, will start from today and will continue till April 2 (when the series ends). Sorbojeet Chatterjee, vice-president, marketing, Neo Sports Broadcast, says, "Traditionally, hockey as a sport hasn't seen much promotion in this country. WSH has changed that with an aggressive marketing campaign across multiple touch points. There exists a need gap for a strong second sport in India and hockey, with its pan-national following, is the only sport that fits the bill. Sunil Shetty is a passionate sports enthusiast and has endorsed the Indian hockey team earlier, along with active participation across sports. He is indeed an ideal choice. Besides, the action hero is a natural fit for our 'Hai Dum?' campaign." In the past, Shetty, in collaboration with Dhanraj Pillay and R R Patil, promoted hockey in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district. Interestingly, Shetty is also the mentor for the Bengaluru franchisee, Karnataka Lions. "World Series Hockey is an idea whose time has come. Hockey is an important sport that has brought glory to India on numerous occasions at the Olympics, and the time has come for us to recognise and support the sport through a world class league featuring all the global champions," remarks Shetty. The inaugural edition of WSH, which is a joint endeavour between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sport, comprises of eight teams - Karnataka Lions, Delhi Wizards, Chennai Cheetahs, Pune Strykers, Mumbai Marines, Chandigarh Comets, Bhopal Badshahs and Sher-e-Punjab. The teams are owned by corporates like Wizcraft, Zentrum Group, Jubilee Granites, SRF Group, Sai Grace Sports and Events and Chennai Sports Organisers. Overall, 59 matches will be played in the tournament. Nimbus Sports' channel Neo Sports owns the telecast rights for the tournament.

************** Mankind Pharma hunts for a creative partner Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 22, 2012

Mankind Pharma has called for a creative pitch for two of its brands - Kaloree 1 (sugar sweetener) and Manforce (condom). The size of the account is said to be about Rs 20 crore. Confirming the development to afaqs!, a senior executive on condition of anonymity says, "We are looking to relaunch both the sugar sweetener brand, Kaloree 1 as Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 76 of 82

well the condom brand, Manforce. The idea is to give the sugar sweetener brand the much required push in the category and further strengthen Manforce's position in the condom category." In April 2011, the company had announced its intention to finalise a creative agency for Kaloree 1. However, the plan was later shelved. Currently, the creative for the brand is managed by an in-house creative team. The last television commercial for the brand was made in 2008 and featured former cricketer Wasim Akram. Akram was diagnosed with diabetes at the peak of his career. The pharmaceutical company had assigned the creative duties of Manforce to McCann Erickson in April 2011, following a multi-agency pitch. At the same time, McCann was also awarded the creative duties for two more brands - Addiction (men's deodorant) and Gas-o-fast (digestive tablet). The company launched Manforce in 2001. Prachar Communications handles the media duties for all Mankind Pharma's brands. For the record, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, Mankind was established in 1995. In 2010, the company decided to enter the over- the-counter (OTC) category and launched various products including pregnancy test kits, oral contraceptive pills, sanitary napkins, condoms and adhesive bandages.

************** WaterHealth India initiates creative pitch Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 23, 2012

Hyderabad-based WaterHealth India, a social enterprise in the community water space, has initiated a creative pitch. The main objective of this effort is to bring on board a creative partner to help develop the right positioning statement for the company's mineral water offering, Dr. Water. The overall advertising spends are around Rs 10 crore. Arup Bansal, head, marketing, WaterHealth International, confirms the development to afaqs!. A few days ago, the authorities sought initial proposals, comprising mainly the scope of work and financial details, from agencies. Based on this, five agencies have been shortlisted and are required to make presentations soon. These agencies hail from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The WaterHealth authorities are yet to finalise the location of the pitch presentations, although there is a skew towards Hyderabad. Moreover, the panel that will judge the presentations is still in the process of being finalised. This panel is likely to include an external authority, in addition to the company heads. There is no separate pitch for a media agency. However, the selected creative agency will be expected to be equipped with a media buying arm. Bansal informs afaqs! that though a 360-degree marketing campaign is on the cards, the communication is more likely to exploit interactive media channels than mass media platforms. The target audience mainly comprises individuals in rural Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka, where the company has set up numerous water purification centres known as WaterHealth Centers. "Individuals belonging to our rural communities tend to perceive water as a commodity rather than as a product or brand," says Bansal, explaining the importance of finding a creative agency that can work on positioning the brand to modify this perception. The participating agencies will be evaluated on both their creative as well as strategic prowess. WaterHealth International is a US-based company that provides innovative business solutions in places plagued with the lack of safe, clean and affordable water. The company specialises in water purification, consumer service, rural marketing and social entrepreneurship. It provides de- centralised, scalable, safe and affordable water solutions to underserved communities throughout the world. WaterHealth India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of WaterHealth International Inc. Besides India, the parent company has operations in Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines.

******************** Telecom fiasco: Ad industry cautious; not panicky Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 23, 2012

The telecom industry has been going through an upheaval in the recent past. The latest one is the cancellation of 2G licenses for many players. afaqs! speaks to both the parties concerned - brand owners and agencies - to find out their take on the situation. The Indian telecom industry has been hit by another fireball - this time it's the cancellation of 122 2G licenses. So much so, the existence of certain companies and brands is under question. As of now, there is no clarity on what lies in store in the future - both near and far. It's immediate : The advertising industry is certainly Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 77 of 82

concerned about the whole fiasco, though the feeling that afaqs! could gauge was that the industry is equally scared and cautious, but not panicky as of now. The fear of losing business may come in later, but the immediate worry for many agencies is to recover old dues in case these companies shut shop. An agency head handling a prominent telecom account says on grounds of anonymity, "Yes, it is a grave cause for concern for agencies handling these brands. Though one knows at an intellectual level that the government will do something about this since the country's credibility is at stake, a certain level of risk cannot be denied." So, what can be done to combat this situation? "We just have to be patient and restore confidence in the consumers, on behalf of our clients who're in trouble. That's our role as agencies," he adds. While agencies at large have reason to worry, the situation may not be all that bad because very few of these players are present only in the telecom sector and often, the same agency is in-charge of the creative duties for all the businesses for a particular client. Thus, the affected telecom brands will try their best to retain their respective relationships with their agencies, for the sake of their businesses in other sectors beyond telecom. As Nikhil Rangnekar, chief executive officer, media and analytics, Spatial Access, puts it, "It will be a greater cause for concern for those agencies that are handling just the telecom part of a particular client's business or if the client does not operate in segments beyond telecom." Indian telecom players spend about Rs 1,200 crore on print and television every year. Telecom is also one of the large spenders on OOH (out of home) and the spend on this medium also accounts for another Rs 600 crore. A senior media planner from a leading media agency feels that media owners will be adversely affected, particularly OOH players. "Outdoor media owners in small towns and semi-urban areas - places where the affected operators advertised heavily - are the ones who will be hit badly due to the exit of smaller players," he says.

In the near future: So how will the telecom industry shape up? Will it continue to be one of the top three advertising categories or will it squeeze its media spends drastically? A senior agency head says, "Many international players affected with the cancellation of licenses may even consider exiting the country. It's very unlikely that these companies will continue to advertise so aggressively." However, market experts also like to believe that the affected brands will need to advertise even more to retain the consumers' confidence. However, this may not hold true. According to a marketing head of a large telecom company, which has lost a couple of its licenses, aggressive advertising at this stage may harm the brand equity. "The point is to convince customers that it's business as usual. Going out of the way to convey, 'We're ok' may just backfire," he says. Instead, he is of the opinion that companies should show aggression at the product level, with more discounts and offers to retain customers. In the given scenario, if a few players exit the market, it would mean that many customers will be up for grabs. The entire fiasco may also force many consumers to abandon their existing service provider. In such a scenario, the players which are completely unaffected, such as Airtel and Vodafone, will go for aggressive acquisition, implying aggressive advertising. Mahesh Uppal, an independent telecom analyst, likes to differ. "The bigger players anyway have nation-wide licenses. Those affected by license cancellations are largely low income and low margin customers, who typically have multiple SIMs, not all of which belong to companies that are losing their licenses. So, there is little incentive for the existing companies to pursue these customers aggressively, especially since, unlike before, having more customers will not entitle one to an increased spectrum," he says. Telecom analyst Kunal Bajaj, director, Analysys Mason concludes that going forward, the existing players need to focus on value generation for their customers and on remaining the primary SIM.

******************** MSM scouts for creative partner for forthcoming sports channel Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 24, 2012

Multi Screen Media (MSM) is on the lookout for a creative partner for its forthcoming sports channel. The multi-agency pitch is currently underway in Mumbai. The development has been confirmed to afaqs! on condition of anonymity. In 2009, the network had announced its intention to launch a sports and a music channel. While it has already launched the music channel under the brand name Sony Mix, with the positioning, 'Dekho Suno Gungunao', the network has been postponing the launch of the sports channel. Earlier, N P Singh, chief operating officer, MSM had stated that with the launch of the sports channel, the network will shift one of its prime sporting properties, the Indian Premier League (IPL), to the sports channel. In addition to IPL, the network owns the broadcast rights for other sport properties such as Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 78 of 82

the New Zealand cricket series and the Football Association Challenge Cup. Earlier known as SET India, the subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Television in India, MSM is the owner of channels such as Sony and SET Max, SAB TV, Sony Pix and Sony Mix.

************* Vizeum appointed media consultant for BSA Hercules Chennai Cycling Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 24, 2012

CRX Sports Ventures, the organiser and promoter of BSA Hercules Chennai Cycling 2012, has roped in Vizeum as the media consultant for the event. The business will be handled by Vizeum's Chennai office under the leadership of E M Sreeneelakandhan, General Manager, South, Vizeum. The event is scheduled to be held on February 26. CRX Sports is a sports event management company with its area of expertise in cycling. Confirming the news, Rohit Kuttappa, Managing Director, CRX Sports, says, "We have had a running relationship with Vizeum through our association with T I Cycles, a Vizeum client. Its thinking ability and contributions always impressed us. When we needed professional inputs to help us with BSA Hercules Chennai Cycling 2012, we knew we didn't need to go beyond Vizeum. We are delighted that Vizeum shares our excitement in the area of cycling. I believe its MD is a passionate cyclist himself." S Yesudas, Managing Director, Indian sub-continent, Vizeum, says, "I have pleasure in inviting CRX Sports Ventures into the Aegis Media family. We sincerely thank the client management for their faith in us. This once again comes as a fitting tribute to the Vizeum way of contributions to clients' businesses." This is the third win for Vizeum in this year. A few days ago, the agency was awarded the media mandate of Ricoh India, a leading player in the area of imaging solutions. In January 2012, the sports and entertainment company Topps India brought on board Vizeum to handle its media mandate in the country.

************* Luminous appoints Arms Communications for its home electrical business Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 1, 2012

Luminous Power Technologies has appointed Arms Communications for its new home electrical division. The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch that took place in Delhi and saw participation from several agencies including Meridian, which is the incumbent on the account. Interestingly, Arms Communications had collaborated with Yang Communications for the pitch. Saints & Warrior's second agency helped Arms Communication to present valuable creative options to the client. Together, the two agencies presented a creative strategy to Luminous. After the win, Arms Communications and Yang Communications will together service the client. However, the work contract will lie with Arms Communications. Reet Ahluwalia, chairman, Arms Communications, claims that this is the first time that such a collaboration has taken place, where two agencies pool their resources to present to a client. Ahluwalia says that to leverage Luminous' exciting brand equity, and achieve high visibility will be the focus for the home electrical division, which will be launched under the Luminous brand. The offering will include switches, fans, cables, and wires. The media mix will include the use of print, TV, and outdoor, and a plethora of below the line (BTL) activities. The total spends on media and promotional activities is estimated to be in the range of Rs 20-25 crore for the year. Alliance Marketing and Advertising takes care of the media planning and buying duties for Luminous.

On choosing Arms Communication, Sridip Banerjee, deputy general manager, marketing tells afaqs! "Arms Communication came across as an agency which can provide strategic inputs to the overall marketing approach. It was quite evident through their presentations and the detailed discussion which spanned several meetings that there are synergies in the way both the parties want to promote brand Luminous and an understanding was reached in terms of overall creative duties as well as day to day conduct." Sachin Tendulkar, who was signed on as brand ambassador of Luminous Power, will also promote the offering of the home electrical division. For the record, in 2010, Luminous had appointed Meridian to handle its creative function. Arms Crestra was managing the creative duties for Luminous Power Technologies before Meridian. Founded in 1988, Luminous Power Technologies manufactures power products for Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 79 of 82

home and commercial applications. The company's group portfolio includes power backup, industrial batteries, renewable and alternate energy solutions such as solar, wind and hybrid solutions, infrastructure solutions for IT and telecom, diesel generator sets and home electrical products. In May 2011, French electrical group Schneider Electric, acquired 74 per cent of Indian manufacturer Luminous for Rs 1,400 crore.

**************** Honda Motorcycle scouts for a creative partner Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 27, 2012

Two-wheeler company Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has called for a creative pitch for two of its brands. While the CB Shine is an existing brand, Dream Yuga is a new 100 CC commuter bike unveiled last year at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi. The Dream Yuga, targeted at the mass segment, will be launched this year. The pitch process, which is in the initial stage, is currently underway in Delhi. Industry sources have confirmed the development to afaqs! on condition of anonymity. Currently, Dentsu Marcom handles the duties for the CB Shine. Honda Motorcycle launched its first mass bike, Dream D, in 1949. Since then, the company has launched many models of Dream across the globe. This is the first time that it will introduce brand Dream in India. This is the second time in the last few months that a creative pitch has been called by the company. In December 2011, the company had called for a pitch for its bike brand CBR and scooter, Dio. While the creative duties for Dio were won by Grey, Dentsu Marcom retained the business for CBR. Japan-based Honda mainly operates in India through three business divisions - Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (two- wheelers division), Honda Siel Cars India (manufacture of four-wheelers) and Honda Siel Power Products (manufacture of the entire range of power products).

*************** SEBI looks for creative agencies Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 27, 2012

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the apex body which works towards protecting the interests of investors in securities and also promotes the development of the market through appropriate regulations, is looking to empanel creative agencies in Mumbai. The empanelment will be for a period of two years. SEBI intends to spend Rs 10-15 crore on media per financial year. A spokesperson of SEBI has confirmed the news to afaqs!. SEBI plans to create educational and awareness campaigns for investors and its creative agency will be expected to play a role in this endeavour. The expression of interest invitation will be up soon on the SEBI website for interested creative agencies. Although the pitch is still in its nascent stage, a few Mumbai-based creative agencies are known to have already made presentations to SEBI officials. In September 2011, SEBI had invited interested agencies to present their creative ideas. It aimed to empanel advertising agencies and had invited applications to be submitted to SEBI's Delhi office. This time, fresh applications are to be submitted to SEBI's Investor Awareness Division, Office of Investor Assistance and Education, Mumbai, before March 16.

*************** Onads Communications to handle JW Marriott's creative business Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 27, 2012

Luxury five star hotel chain JW Marriott has decided to award its creative mandate to Onads Communications, the advertising agency launched by Jignesh Maniar in 2008. The agency will handle this account from its Mumbai office. The development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was initiated in Mumbai towards the end of 2011. While the ad spends for the upcoming campaign could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, it is learnt that it will exploit media platforms such as print, outdoor and radio. The advertising will primarily include local communication and contact programmes with the brand's customers and clients. JW Marriott belongs to the parent company, Marriott International. The chain is a well-known brand across the globe and has hotels at places such as Shanghai, Phuket, Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 80 of 82

London, Dubai, Cairo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. In Mumbai, JW Marriott is located at Juhu, a plush suburban location. Recently, Marriott International was in the news on afaqs! for having launched a mobile application for iPhone and Android devices for the Indian market. The objective was to simplify travel for time-crunched travellers. The free app allows users to avail details of nearby hotels, book rooms, and check their upcoming reservations. In the past, the creative duties for the account have been handled by IB&W Communication.

*************** Pulp Strategy Communications wins digital mandate for Barista Lavazza Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 28, 2012

Pulp Strategy Communications has won the digital media and activation mandate for the Italian coffee major, Barista Lavazza. The business will be managed by the agency's Delhi office. The win comes after a multi-agency pitch, in which several Delhi-based agencies had participated. The agency's mandate includes overseeing the brand's digital and social media strategy. It also includes media buying and planning across all digital and interactive channels. Strategic planning for activation at retail is also a part of the business. Ecstatic about the new win, Ambika Sharma, managing director and CEO, Pulp Strategy Communications, says, "Being chosen as the digital AOR (agency of record) by Lavazza India is a matter of honour and pride for us at Pulp Strategy. Lavazza India has big plans towards quality and leadership position in the café business in India and we are excited to partner it to fulfil that goal." Sharma feels that the agency's biggest strength is a talented team and a holistic integrated approach, which understands the sensibilities of the brand as well as the nuances of retail and social media. Pulp Strategy Communications is a full service digital, interactive marketing and communications agency specialising in the consumer interactive and experiential marketing space, providing customised and measurable solutions to address specific brand marketing objectives via consumer connect modules. Its business verticals include brand activation, MICE, retail, rural marketing, consulting, digital and social media. The company's business network spans Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai in India, with international associate offices in the UK, Australia, USA, Thailand, Singapore and the UAE. In December 2011, Lavazza appointed Law & Kenneth as its strategic and creative solutions agency in India.

************* DDB Worldwide to establish global creative centre in Shanghai Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 28, 2012

DDB Worldwide has announced the transfer of Amir Kassaei, its Chief Creative Officer, who will establish DDB's global creative centre in Shanghai to reinforce DDB's efforts in the Asian region. The company claims to be the first global Madison Avenue agency to have moved its creative headquarters to China. Kassaei is currently based in New York and has worked on major global brands such as Allianz, Apple, Adidas, Bosch, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Nike, Reebok and Volkswagen. This move comes soon after the relocation of John Zeigler, chairman and CEO, DDB Group Asia Pacific, India and Japan, to Singapore in December, 2011; and Patrick Rona, former president of Europe, West Asia and Africa, Tribal DDB Worldwide and chief digital officer, DDB Group EMEA, to Tribal DDB Asia Pacific as its new president and chief digital officer for DDB Group Asia Pacific, who also moved to Singapore in January. In an official communiqué about setting up DDB's global creative centre in Asia, Zeigler says, "World class brands are moving here and we will give them the world class creatives they have become accustomed to." Kassaei was appointed as chief creative officer of DDB Worldwide in February, 2011. In 2003, he joined DDB as chief creative officer and associate partner, DDB Germany, where he helped reshape the agency in a short span. Under Kassaei's leadership, DDB Germany has been ranked as the most awarded German agency in The Gunn Report. During his tenure at DDB Germany, he founded and established Tribal DDB Germany as a modern, multi-channel agency. He was also the youngest DDB chief creative officer in Europe. Born in Iran, raised in Austria and educated in France, Kassaei settled in Germany in 1997. He has held various roles at agencies such as TBWA, Barci & Partner and Springer & Jacoby, ranging from account manager, strategic planner to art director and designer. At Springer & Jacoby, he joined as copywriter and moved up to the post of creative director and finally, to executive creative director for the global Mercedes-Benz account. He was named The Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 81 of 82

Big Won Report's 'Top Chief Creative Officer' in 2009, and has been selected as one amongst The Big Won's 'Top 3 Chief Creative Officers' for each of the last three years. DDB Group Asia Pacific now has three core regional hubs at Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Chuck Brymer, CEO, DDB Worldwide, says, "This is one of the most significant moves we have made in the history of DDB. The world as we know it is changing and our industry's growth market is now without doubt the Asian region. Move over New York, London and Paris. Hello Shanghai, Mumbai, Singapore. With this in mind, there's no better time to set up our creative powerhouse in China."

************* Kings XI Punjab appoints Saints & Warriors as creative agency Source: Afaqs.com, Date: February 29, 2012

Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab has appointed Saints & Warriors as its creative AOR (agency of record). There was no pitch for the business. In fact, the agency approached the IPL team with its creative idea, which the team management liked. The incumbent on the account is Fisheye Communication. Confirming the news to afaqs!, Colonel Arvinder Singh, chief operating officer, Kings XI Punjab, says, "We did not call for a pitch. The agency called and requested for an hour to present its thoughts on the business. The team flew down from Mumbai to surprise us on their understanding of our business and the creative expressions they brought to the table." He refused to divulge any details on the marketing strategy, saying that it will be decided in the days to come. The media mix for this season of IPL for the team will focus on digital and social media to a great extent, along with TV, print, radio, outdoor and on-ground activation. The spend on the media could not be ascertained as it tends to be complex for the teams, taking barters into consideration. Delighted about the new win, Sartaj Jaffri, senior vice-president and branch head, Mumbai, Saints & Warriors, says, "We are always on the lookout for brands ready for some clutter-breaking work. The team proactively developed a well thought communication strategy for the coming IPL season for Kings XI Punjab, which was instantly appreciated by the client." This is one of the many wins that the agency's Mumbai branch has witnessed in the past one year, including Fiat Motors, Big FM's new positioning and Wagh Bakri's Mili. Jaffri attributes the Kings XI Punjab win to Kshitij Salve, group head, creative, Saints & Warriors. Speaking about the creative strategy for the team, Salve says, "We have been watching IPL for the last four years and every team claimed to wreak mayhem in one way or another in their communication -'tod denge', 'hila denge' and 'maar dalenge'. That didn't appeal to me as a creative person. T20 is fun and entertainment and we saw an opportunity in that zone. Our campaign will be a celebration of that aspect." For the record, Kings XI Punjab represents the city of Chandigarh in the Indian Premier League.

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Monthly Media Dossier February 2012 Page 82 of 82