April 16-30, 2018 Volume 6, Issue 21 `100

INTERVIEW / PAYTM 6 20

HAIER Mocking Rivals Haier’s new ad takes a dig at the competition. 8

NAVIN TALREJA Of Passionate Pursuits The former O&M hand lives and breathes acting. JASKARAN SINGH KAPANY 12 VP, MARKETING, PAYTM

SHANKAR NATH SR VP, PAYTM COCA-COLA What’s in a Name? Coke’s bid to reach more “CRICKET IS consumers gathers steam.

TATA TEA ALMOST A Constant Conversations 10 SCARECROW M&C SAATCHI A New Beginning 17 MEDIUM FOR US” BBC What does marketing mean in a tech-led company such A Rechristening 18 as Paytm? The company’s marketing bosses explain. MOST VIEWED ADS Ads of the Fortnight 28 eol

This fortnight... Volume 6, Issue 21 wo years back, when I interviewed Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm, EDITOR Sreekant Khandekar T he said something that really stayed with me – for him, the proverbial moment PUBLISHER April 16-30, 2018 Volume 6, Issue 21 `100 of truth is when a person, mobile in hand, poised to make an online transaction, Sreekant Khandekar

INTERVIEW / PAYTM 6 has to choose between the cash on delivery, plastic money and mobile wallet options. EXECUTIVE EDITOR 20 Everything that leads up to this moment, is, in Vijay’s book, “marketing”. Well put, Ashwini Gangal

HAIER Mocking Rivals ASSOCIATE EDITOR Haier’s new ad takes a dig isn’t it? at the competition. Sunit Roy 8 PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE So this time around, we decided to interview Vijay’s top two marketing men Andrias Kisku

NAVIN TALREJA Of Passionate Pursuits Shankar Nath and Jaskaran Singh Kapany. The idea was to understand what The former O&M hand lives and breathes acting. ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES JASKARAN SINGH Shubham Garg KAPANY 12 going to market with a mobile-led tech product like Paytm really means. What keeps VP, MARKETING, PAYTM them excited, alert and challenged? What are their biggest worries and apprehensions? 81301 66777 (M) SHANKAR NATH SR VP, PAYTM Apoorv Kulshrestha COCA-COLA What’s in a Name? Which of the brand’s key verticals – mobile wallet, e-commerce, payments bank – do Coke’s bid to reach more 9873824700 (M) “CRICKET IS consumers gathers steam. SCARECROW M&C SAATCHI they spend most of their time on? What’s it like working for someone who recently Noida ALMOST A A New Beginning 17 BBC A Rechristening 18 made it to Forbes’ list of billionaires? Okay, scratch that last bit. (But it’s true!) Nikhil Jhunjhunwala MEDIUM FOR US” TATA TEA What does marketing mean in a tech-led company such Constant Conversations 25 as Paytm? The company’s marketing bosses explain. MOST VIEWED ADS 9833371393 (M) Ads of the Fortnight 28 Mumbai Personally, one of my favourite things about Paytm is the way the brand has [email protected] managed to penetrate the lower socio-economic segments of the population – the way MARKETING OFFICE small-scale, local vendors have taken to the product in a big way. I can’t help but B 3, Ground Floor, Sector 4, Noida -201301 Uttar Pradesh smile each time I notice the trademark blue and white ‘Paytm Accepted Here’ poster (Vijay fussed over the colour scheme for months before okaying this combination, by MUMBAI 302, Makani Center, 3rd Floor, the way) hanging or stuck on the cart or ‘thela’ of a roadside pani puri wala, nariyal Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), pani wala or some such street food vendor. We asked Shankar and Jaskaran what Mumbai - 400050 they’re doing to connect with this set of loyalists. SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES [email protected] We had a good time putting this interview together this issue. Sit back, relax Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and and enjoy the words of the marketing bosses of this piping hot brand that began as Printed and published by an online payments platform and is now poised to become a wealth management Sreekant Khandekar, at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, platform. Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063.

Printed at Artz and Printz 208 DSIDC Sheds, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi - 110020

Cover Photograph Ashwini Gangal Sushil Kumar [email protected] CONTENTS

23 GOAFEST 2018 Annual Party The festival was about awards, Baba Ramdev and an unknown entity - Early Man Film.

16 14 18 JESSICA WALSH Creating Visual 19 Language An interview with Jessica Walsh, partner, Sagmeister MAKE AWESOME ADS FEVICOL FLUX@THE GLITCH & Walsh. Walsh talks about her experience of working on Going Maad Sticking to Humour State of Flux? brand Frooti and with Nadia Profiling the founders of Make Pidilite’s first ad for Fevicol The digital agency launches a Chauhan. Awesome Ads. Ezee Spray. new content division.

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 5 e HAIER Mocking its Rivals Haier’s new film takes a dig at rivals Voltas, Godrej and Bluestar. By Suraj Ramnath

ome and kitchen appliances brand Haier has launched a Hrather humorous campaign for its air conditioner that comes with self-clean, inverter technology. The ad has been conceptualised by Zero:Zero Creative Solutions and produced by Taxi Films. The ad starts with a man in a maroon shirt that could easily make you imagine Murthy from rival Voltas’ ad. But no! It is just a similar character that speaks like him. Mid- sentence he sneezes and a doctor and nurse magically pop into the room and say ‘Thanda hai par ganda hai yeh’. This scene is followed by an Einstein-esque character trying to explaining something ‘intelligent’ before he also comes down with an affliction which once again brings on the doctor and his compatriot the nurse, who repeats their apparent “catchphrase” before leaving. The pattern follows suit into a bedroom with a couple in bed, ready to call it a night, when the ‘good’ doctor and ACs that spew out unclean air. So, the competition when it could have nurse pop in yet again, dishing out Haier actually holds a mirror to these been used to dramatise this unique the same gyaan. The ad ends with the consumers who are suffering, but product benefit. Why spend your doctor saying, ‘Yeh thanda hai...’ and haven’t realised that the cause of their money to remind the TG about the the nurse completes the phrase with, suffering are other ACs which are competitors’ brands? Also, why have ‘... aur changa hai’. Each scene clearly ‘thanda’ but also ‘ganda’.” a ‘doctor and nurse’ who look like depicts an AC unit in the background The brand’s core target audience comics to communicate your product and ends with Haier’s new model in is primarily men in the age group of superiority? Are we to believe them the room with the doctor and nurse. 24-45, living in metros and tier one or take them lightly... like, say, in the Through this new TVC, Haier has and tier two towns, who are exposed good old Sprite commercials?” taken a jibe at Voltas, Godrej NXW to AC brands and are in the process Mathew adds, “I might be wrong and Blue Star. of taking a considered opinion on the here, but this looks like a case for Haier’s new TVC is an example right brand as the Indian summers ASCI, where the spokesperson for of ambush marketing. But, Kumar heat up. Haier points to the competition and Subramaniam, partner, Zero:Zero With regard to what they were says ‘ganda hai’.” “We believe that Creative Solutions, tells afaqs! Reporter that they don’t believe in The brand’s core target audience is primarily all good marketing ambush marketing. “We believe all is based on a good marketing is based on a product men in the age group of 24-45. truth. The new ad for Haier Self mindful about when making Sunila Karir, founder and creative product truth.” Clean AC works because it blows the this ad, Subramaniam says, “We partner, Boing!, says, “To take on KUMAR whistle on a dirty secret - that most were mindful of the fact that the brands like Godrej, Blue Star and ACs cool, but blow out dirty air. And consumers should be educated about Voltas, Haier needed to have come SUBRAMANIAM Haier’s product truth is a technology the secret harm that ACs are doing up with a communication far more that solves this issue.” to their health, but we wanted to do powerful, even if it was ambush The reader would have noticed that it without fear-mongering and with marketing. I personally think that for this ad because she believes neither Murthy’s look-alike in the new Haier a chuckle.” afaqs! Reporter asked ambush marketing, the strategy has to of the targeted ads are really iconic ad is much easier to recognise than the experts about the execution and be very clever and the communication or memorable. She adds, “In the the Einstein and couple shown in the if the ambush marketing effort has intelligent. Haier had a wonderful past, we have seen some wonderful last scene. So, afaqs! Reporter asked worked? proposition which was that of dust campaigns in which brands have Subramaniam if there is a danger of Robby Mathew, chief creative and dirt coming through your ac taken on one another head-on in a jokes being lost if consumers couldn’t officer, FCB Interface, says, “I in the summer. It could have been clever and intelligent manner. Case in understand that Haier is mocking understand that self-cleaning presented in a much better manner, point being - ‘Nothing official about rival brands. technology is a patented innovation maybe even without resorting to it i.e. Coca Cola vs Pepsi.’ And also He replies, “Over the years, the from Haier. But the ad does a total ambush marketing.” the Apple vs Microsoft campaigns joke has been played on consumers disservice to it. More than 80 per cent Karir is not sure if the normal which are spot on.” n who have been paying top bucks for of the time is spent running down consumer will get the humour in [email protected]

6 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8

e NAVIN TALREJA Of Passionate Pursuits The owner of The Womb talks about his passion for acting - live theatre and more. By Suraj Ramnath

few days ago, afaqs! Reporter time between The Womb and live being produced by the BBC.” received an invitation from theatre? He says, “Timewise, I finish Talreja is also planning to direct ANavin Talreja, founding my work at The Womb and start his own play soon. About that he partner of ad agency The Womb, rehearsing at the night... I am at says, “I am considering directing a to attend a play that he is part of; rehearsals till 1 am. I sleep at 2 am play which should open in October we remembered that he has also and then wake up in the morning and if not October, then definitely acted in his own ad — ‘Kya chal raha and come to the office. Although by January because it is a play that hai, Fogg chal raha hai’. So, afaqs! opportunities are many, I’m not sure requires a child actor (14-15-year- Reporter decided to have a chat with about getting into full time acting. I old) and therefore, that actor is the him about his passion for acting... have to balance The Womb and my lead in the play... hence it would something he’s gradually easing into acting life on the side. As long as the need more time.” as a parallel career. balance is maintained, I should be afaqs! Reporter asked Talreja Talreja (46) was born and brought open to any opportunity, but if the to compare acting and ad making up in Chennai and started acting balance gets tilted towards acting, at from the point of view of audience in theatre at the age of 10 (fifth this point, I don’t know if I can fully reactions. He answers, “Acting in a standard) when he was studying at commit myself.” play is instant gratification. Either SBOA school. Driven by a passion “I have to balance Talking about his new play, they love you or hate you. There is a for acting, he continued its pursuit The Womb and my Talreja says, “We are starting a new huge difference between theatre and with different theatre groups, play which will open at St. Andrews advertising. I am sitting in a living all through his graduation days acting life on the Auditorium, Bandra, Mumbai on room and watching an ad on TV, so (Vaishnav College). Navin has an May 12. ‘Women on Trial’ is another I am not paying anything - to that MMS degree in marketing from side. As long as the Mumbai University. balance is maintained, At present, Talreja is working for a live Post that, Talreja worked with I should be open to RK Swamy/BBDO - Chennai, for theatre group named ‘Making Noise’. two years and O&M for three years any opportunity.” and then joined a British company play we are doing on May 24 at extent, I am less cynical and critical in Dubai - TDA DDB - in May 1999 NAVIN TALREJA National Centre for the Performing about the ads that I am watching. But and worked with them for six years Arts (NCPA). So the calendar is when you go to a play or a movie, during which time, he tells us, his pretty much full until January 2019.” you pay money, so people are paying live theatre acting took a backseat. an ad for State Bank of India (O&M), afaqs! Reporter asked Talreja if he `300-1000 for the ticket, thus, they He came to Mumbai in April Kamasutra (O&M) and an anti-piracy plans to get into movies. He smiles and are critical.” 2005 and joined O&M again as vice film for Percept Picture Company, says, “I just auditioned for a Netflix He goes on, “They don’t care if president - account management. directed by Rensil D’Silva. I also acted show. I am waiting for a response. you are in a serial or movie. If you are Later, he joined Yes Bank as CMO in a breast cancer awareness ad for I did a movie a few years back with on stage and are asked to pay `1000, for a period of seven months, before Bridgestone...” he says, “... those are Rensil D’Silva - ‘Kurbaan’, starring then you better perform for them. coming back to O&M where he easier to do as you have an audition Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali To that extent, it is very different. stayed for the next seven years. “A for a day and shoot for another day Khan. Unfortunately, the track got Critical evaluation is higher in theatre lot of work continued to happen and and, if required, you go and dub. So, cut from the movie. Besides that, I as compared to advertising.” I had no time for the theatre. The the work gets done within 24 hours. did a small movie with Naseeruddin Talking about his future plans on theatre requires time. But there was a That’s how I kept my acting alive.” Shah called ‘Chaalis Chauraasi’; those the acting front, Talreja says, “If and period of six months where I created In September 2015, Talreja and were all small parts. I am personally when I am done with The Womb, time for myself and I worked on a Kawal Shoor his founding partner, open to any platform to express my ideally I won’t work; I would be play named ‘Mouse Trap’ in 2010- launched their creative agency The acting skills and today, there are many acting full time. I might do some 2011.” Womb. Currently, Talreja is working options like ALTBalaji, Hotstar, consulting here and there, but that Subsequently, Talreja kept his for a live theatre group named Amazon Prime Video, Netflix... with is another three-five years down the “acting fire” alive through ads. “I acted ‘Making Noise’. various webseries happening. The line.” n in my Fogg ad. Prior to that, I acted in So how does Talreja manage his show I auditioned for on Netflix is [email protected]

8 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8

e TATA TEA Constant Conversations afaqs! Reporter talks to Sushant Dash, the man who wrote the first creative brief for ‘Jaago Re’ over a decade back. By Ashwini Gangal

n an advertising landscape replete brief was – the need to appeal to the with purpose-led messages, we youth, “not directly, but through the Igo back to Tata Tea, one of the grammar, language and storytelling poster-boys of this kind of marketing. aspects of our communication.” afaqs! Reporter spoke to Sushant Why? “Because there was a feeling Dash, regional president – India and at that point in time that tea was Middle East, Tata Global Beverages, losing its relevance... while people the man who wrote the first creative continued to drink tea twice a day, brief for ‘Jaago Re’ over a decade back. in terms of imagery and perception it The first ‘Jaago Re’ advert broke was becoming a little fuddy-duddy...” in 2007; in it, a young boy questioned he admits. the credentials of a haughty politician. Zeroing in on the line ‘Jaago Re’ The release was strategically timed to was fairly easy, in that there were precede the 2009 General Elections. no other catchphrases or lines that their voice online,” he says. gap,” says Dash referring to the long The phrase ‘Jaago Re’ was born almost got picked instead. No, none Cause-led marketing comes with advertising hiatus ‘Jaago Re’ took out of not a communication, but of that. “They (the agency Mullen its dos and don’ts. About the latter, between 2014 and 2017, during which a business, need – to optimise the Lintas) came back with the script, Dash says, “The brand shouldn’t time he flirted with the idea of doing brand’s media spend. “The starting directly. I remember it was on a call be condescending. Don’t lecture away with this ‘advertising franchise’. point,” says Dash, who has been in with Balki (former group chairman, consumers. The tone and manner About the break, Dash says, “2016 the Tata family for 17 years, “was MullenLowe Lintas Group) and of the communication shouldn’t be is when we should have done another the need to consolidate our media Amer (Jaleel, present day chairman preachy.” That’s one of the things he ad, after the ‘Power of 49’ campaign in monies and get higher ROI on our and chief creative officer, Mullen attributes the campaign’s longevity to. 2014 (election time). But we noticed media spends. So, one of things we Lintas)...” The very first campaign took up that every second brand was talking decided to do for this was – look at a “Jaago Re was a way for us to corruption as a cause. “We did debate about some or the other social cause, new brand strategy...” take the higher moral ground and a lot about which cause to take,” whether there was merit to it or not... Up until that point, each of the re-position the brand. When you he shares, adding, “We researched, when that happens, the consumer Tata Tea brands – Tata Tea Premium, make a statement like this, which is tried to find out what’s relevant, looks at all of it with cynicism. Hence, Tata Tea Gold and Tata Tea Agni – somewhat over the top, in a sense... we debated, had second thoughts, we asked ourselves, ‘Is it time for us to were individual brands, advertised well, all brands cannot make it. One discussed whether we’re treading on ditch ‘Jaago Re’ and look at something separately. “We wanted to create and can make it because one is a Tata grounds that are not politically right... else for an emotional connect?’” advertise ‘Tata Tea’ as the mother brand. A local brand can’t,” Dash but our campaigns are about self- But the line stuck on. How so? brand and each of these as product says, about the idea of moving from realisation. It becomes controversial “We realised that ‘Jaago Re’ still had a variants,” recalls the Bangalore-based ‘tea that wakes you up’ to ‘tea that if a brand says the system or a certain lot of resonance with the consumer... executive. The logic: “Regardless stirs an awakening’. He and his team section of society is bad...” but it required a ‘refresh’, including of the variant, what the consumer saw it as an instant differentiator in In 2007, when the ‘politician ad’ the grammar of storytelling.” That’s buys into is the mother brand. So, what led to Jaago Re 2.0 last February; we separated the emotional and Since 2007, every two years or so there’s the new ‘pre-activism’ campaign line transactional advertising. That also went ‘Alarm bajne se pehle Jaago Re’. saves you media monies.” been a big ‘Jaago Re’ campaign. Does the frequency of the ads What was the communication a competitive category full of local, was launched, the team’s research depend more on the social activism challenge? Well, the team needed regional and national players. ‘Jaago revealed that a lot of youngsters aspect than on marketing realities? a line that straddled both the Re’ ad films have no product shots don’t vote due to issues relating to And is that okay – for a brand’s premium (“the Gold consumer in them. the whole registration process — communication to be more cause - belongs to South Mumbai, South By the way, the deep voice you many have no permanent address/ than business-led? Answers Dash, “I Delhi”) and the non-premium (“the hear at the end of the ads — “Har documents. Dash et al worked believe advertising is not just about Agni consumer is from rural UP, subah sirf utho mat, Jaago Re” — is with the Election Commission and solving a business problem. You need Pratapgarh”) ends of the market. Amer’s, a little birdie tells afaqs! MapmyIndia to simplify and digitise to be in constant conversation with “We wanted people from both Reporter. the registration process. They got six your consumer. ‘Jaago Re’ helps us ends to see the commercial and With the basic phrase in mind, lakh people registered in 2008. do that... I might not be doing big think ‘Yeh mera wala Tata Tea hai’... when the team started brain- Since 2007, every two years or so campaigns all the time, but there are that was the creative challenge. We storming further, they realised that there’s been a big ‘Jaago Re’ campaign. other ways to communicate – through needed an insight that could cut a lot of people feel strongly about “Everything has a shelf life. Have we your pack, on-ground, digital... also, through pop strata, demographics various social causes. “Also, that was debated whether there’s a time to the ‘Jaago Re’ site is always active; I and psychographics,” explains Dash. the time social media was coming re-look it? The answer is yes. That’s post on it every single day.” n The other clause he added to the up in a big way, people were finding one of the reasons for the three year [email protected]

10 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8

e COCA-COLA What’s in a Name? After PepsiCo, Coca-Cola explores ‘bromance’ in its new ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. By Sankalp Dikshit

S-based carbonated soft United States, United Kingdom and While the campaign idea is an drink company Coca- South Africa, among others. In its extension of a global one, the ad UCola has pushed its global varying renditions, the Coca-Cola treatment of portraying brotherly marketing campaign — ‘Share a bottle has seen the names of people, love also seems familiar. If you Coke’ — to the Indian shores. The countries, sports teams and now the recall, only recently, rival brand multinational company has marked title of family members; after all, PepsiCo came up with a new ad the beginning of this initiative by it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to film featuring the cast of Bollywood releasing a 40-second video featuring figure out that for us Indians, family movie, ‘Fukrey’. That ad also hinges Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin. comes first! on themes of brotherhood. So, In its desi-avatar the ‘Share a The campaign was originally given the circumstances at hand, we Coke’ campaign partially de-brands conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather were forced to wonder — what the Coca-Cola bottle by replacing and it also yielded substantial gains could the reason be behind the the brand name with words such for the agency as well, particularly similar backdrop of ‘bhai-bhai’ in as ‘Bhai’, ‘Didi’, ‘Ma’, and ‘Papa’, when it came to creative awards. two of the country’s biggest cola- among others, on one side of However, for the India chapter, the brands’ ad films? the label. The move is intended to ad film has been crafted by McCann “What ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ did almost establish a personal connect with Worldgroup India. “It is certainly not 10 years ago to the world of movies consumers. an ad that I would is being played out by brands now,” The campaign, though new to the THE ‘ADVERTISING’ says Naresh Gupta, managing partner Indian market, dates back to 2011 LITMUS TEST want to see a and chief strategy officer, Bang in when it was originally launched in Shifting focus to the advertising hundred times or the Middle. He elaborates, “Though Australia in its original format. Coca- bit and dissecting the newly-released PepsiCo did the bromance-kind of Cola did not go for relationship short ad, afaqs! Reporter puts the one that I think ad first, I think Coca-Cola has done will become one of it the right way. It’s exactly what The campaign de-brands the Coke bottle by two young friends will talk about. I Coca-Cola’s most only hope this is not a one-off and replacing the brand name with words like ‘Bhai’, memorable ads,” we will see a series of these ads in the ‘Didi’, ‘Ma’, and ‘Papa’, on one side of the label. coming months.” ASHOK LALLA Interestingly, Lalla has an titles; instead, it compiled a list of video under the ‘expert scanner’. “I observation to make: “As marketers the most popular people’s names in personally enjoyed the ad; loved the and advertising media people, we the country. The idea was to reach local adaptation,” was the first reaction is Coca-Cola’s form of a sharing often tend to overanalyse stuff out to a then-new target audience — of GroupM’s newly-acquired agency, economy.” and try hard to find ‘meaning’ in teens and young adults. Interestingly, The Glitch’s co-founder and creative However, Ashok Lalla, digital every action.” according to a Coca-Cola report, 50 chief, Rohit Raj. business advisor, is not impressed. Lalla even speculates that the per cent of Australian teens and young Raj goes on to appreciate the “...it is certainly not an ad that I resemblance is a matter of chance. adults had not tasted Coca-Cola until manner with which the brand has would want to see a hundred times “...the male casting of the PepsiCo the launch of this campaign. introduced the campaign to Indian or one that I think will become ad is probably just a coincidence and The campaign worked in favour audiences. He adds, “From an adman one of Coca-Cola’s most memorable works for the script,” states Lalla. of the brand to the extent that it was perspective, I like that it is also ads,” is how Lalla puts it. Raj notes that the positioning credited for increasing Coca-Cola’s layered in Coca-Cola’s philosophy He points out that the brand’s of the ‘bromance’ could be due to sales figure for the first time in a record of sharing. Beyond just showing intention seems to be towards the common target audience these 10-year period, back in 2011. And the new offering, they also show triggering purchase. “This is just brands share. “This is a common just like how Coca-Cola famously a good use case. If I saw a pack another dimension of ‘Share a Coke’ theme which both brands decided rips off its own international ads with with a relationship I associate with and a fresh creative expression using to exploit considering they are a region-specific cast, the ‘Share a somebody then there are chances various relationships. Coca-Cola talking to the younger lot who believe Coke’ campaign was also replicated that I will pick it up for them, thus probably hopes for a sales uptake in this more.” n in over 70 countries including the encouraging users to buy more. This through this campaign,” he adds. [email protected]

12 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8

e FEVICOL Sticking to Humour Pidilite releases first TVC for its Fevicol Ezee Spray. afaqs! Reporter spoke to the brand team about the effort. By Sankalp Dikshit bare-chested guy pouring deodorant bottles on him to Aimpress the neighbourhood heart-throb is the stuff snooze- worthy ads are made of. But can the same be said when an unattractive middle-aged carpenter works his way up to the heart of a model simply by spraying Fevicol? Pidilite’s Fevicol has recently released a TVC for its Ezee Spray variant. For the uninitiated, Ezee Spray is a spray-on adhesive for most importantly wraps it all up in lakdi’ joke seemed a bit forced. pasting laminates. Interestingly, less than half a minute. As it turns Having said that, it all depends on while the product has been present out, that significant element is not who this is targeting. Maybe it works in the market for five years, the brand the storyboard or crisp dialogues, for the audience it is meant for, has released its first TVC only now. it is, in fact, casting. “It is always albeit barely.” Nawaz however, labels Vivek Sharma, chief marketing challenging to get the right cast for the ad as “quite different” when officer, Pidilite Industries, says, Fevicol,” is how Verma puts it. compared to other Fevicol ads. “The objective behind releasing it Speaking about how the idea was The makers intended the ad to now is that the product displays the cracked Verma says, “It was cracked communicate the product features, various usages such as convenience in a jamming session while discussing but Nawaz believes that the ad is of use, increased speed of pasting the brief and it was Piyush Pandey unable to move the needle much. and reduced setting time to our who cracked the idea.” Pandey is “The ad seems to get lost in the end-users. This will result in faster the current executive chairman and whole play between different types of completion of work. As Fevicol has creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, spray. Fevicol has almost always been done in the past, the Ezee Spray TVC South Asia. about showing the efficacy of the communicates the technological A few weeks ago, Fevicol released product which is missing here and superiority of the company in its another ad for its ‘Marine’ variant “The Ezee Spray I have to take the voice-over’s word TVC communicates for how good the product really is,” The short, 30-second video has been crafted adds Nawaz. the technological Vaidya takes note of the agency’s and conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, India. casting efforts and says, “Excellent superiority of the casting for the carpenter!” He further own humorous way.” and it was set in the backdrop of the company in its own adds, “The TVC didn’t have a very Sharma tells afaqs! Reporter that Kerala backwaters. Unlike Fevicol difficult job to do - it just had to the idea was to ensure brand and Marine’s ads or for that matter, all humorous way.” say that Fevicol is available in a product recall. “For years Fevicol previous Fevicol ads which have a IVEK HARMA spray. And as you’ve come to expect has been known for its innovative rustic texture, Ezee Spray’s ad has V S from Fevicol advertising, it did so product profile and Ezee Spray is an urban feel to it. We couldn’t help in an irreverent and unexpected yet another testimony to this legacy. but wonder if this shift has anything way, poking fun at a category that The main idea was to showcase the to do with a change in the target THE VERDICT everyone finds a little ridiculous.” application of Ezee Spray in an eye- audience for this particular product? The ad hinges on the wordplay Amyn Ghadiali, group director, catching manner so it stays with Sharma tells afaqs! Reporter, “The for ‘ladki’ and ‘lakdi’; but does the brand communication, Gozoop, feels consumers for the longest time.” target group for all the products brand get it right? Nilesh Vaidya, that the ad is “... sticky, funny and The short, 30-second video has remains the same — the woodworker director, Workship Communications, surely surprises viewers.” He adds, been crafted and conceptualised by community. To make the product is impressed. He says, “We’ve all “While this might be the first TVC the brand’s agency on record, Ogilvy even better, we keep experimenting played on these words, but someone for Ezee Spray, it is really impressive & Mather, India. afaqs! Reporter got with ideas and are always open to finally managed to do something that they have retained the brand in touch with Vivek Verma, senior trying out different approaches to useful with the pun! This one will personality which is humour and vice-president at Ogilvy & Mather, our communication.” definitely be remembered. I enjoyed exaggeration. The simple, easy to India, to understand the toughest part Verma supports Sharma’s watching it!” understand ads with humour that of developing an ad film which not claim and shares, “The brief was Ishrath Nawaz, executive creative sticks (pun intended), are the most only takes care of the hygiene factor very simple: We have Fevicol in a director, Publicis India, disagrees difficult to crack and craft. I think the while disclosing crucial product spray format; it’s going to help the and says, “Unfortunately, I think the ad does the job.” n details but it engages audiences and carpenters do their work faster.” narrative is a bit staid. The ‘ladki- [email protected]

14 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8

e MAKE AWESOME ADS Going MAAD afaqs!Reporter profiled Aditya Jaishankar and Sunder Raman, founders of MAAD. By Suraj Ramnath

ecently, when we heard that McCann Worldgroup RIndia’s ex-south planning head, Aditya Jaishankar (43), joined Make Awesome Ads (MAAD) as co-founder, we decided to speak to him and the founder, Sunder Raman (41) to understand what’s MAAD all about. According to them MAAD is not a creative or digital agency. “We are the largest user-generated/ co-creation platform”, says Sunder. MAAD, which is based out of Bengaluru, was launched on September 28, 2017. It is an app that gives anybody and everybody with a creative mindset, the opportunity to come to the platform and submit their scripts for a registration fee for `150 per quarter, users can submit up to three ad scripts in total (`50 each). And what do they get in return? Well, when MAAD takes these scripts to a client and gets an approval, the writer gets rewarded anywhere between Raman (L) and Jaishankar: two to tango `5000-7000, depending on the size of the project, once the ad is made. crisis. So, we wanted the people to Aditya, says, “One fine day I got in real stories being created for a It is not only the scriptwriter but a know that Yippee is absolutely cool a call from Sunder and he started brand. While we have scriptwriters production house, cinematographer and safe and got consumers on board the conversation with, ‘I have an on board, a lot of them are actual and actor who can also register for and shot the film.” interesting model...’ and asked consumers of the brand who are the same amount. Post ITC, MAAD worked with why he and I couldn’t just create creating the ads. For example, in Interestingly, the man who Coca-Cola for its Sprite campaign. something like it. So I got into this. one of our Sprite videos, we have founded MAAD has got no “Back then, we didn’t even have a He was randomly looking for people got a girl to speak about the role advertising experience behind him. pricing model. Only after the Coca- on LinkedIn, from the advertising Sprite can play in her life, which is So, how did Sunder think about Cola campaign happened, Aditya circle and came across my profile and about the first day of college where entering advertising? came in,” says Sunder. called me. Then we had a long chat people are confused about what they Sunder says, “If you see the Prior to MAAD, Sunder was and I thought about it and I found should wear and the way they should website, there is a dog which is a Shih working with a company named that this was superb. Before coming portray themselves. So, that moment Tzu and that’s what we have at home. GoKrazee after his 22 years of corporate to Mumbai, I was working with of truth was amplified by a consumer His name is Ozzie. My wife and I like industry experience. But Sunder McCann Bengaluru for three years through a video. It came across as to do voiceovers, so I become Ozzie’s wasn’t satisfied; he felt he wasn’t and back then one of my friends was authentic. The TVC for Sprite is voice and my wife asks things like about ‘no gyaan’, but this one is the ‘why don’t you want to eat chicken?’ Currently, MAAD has clients such as India story of the dilemma of what to wear And I would reply in Ozzie’s voice on the first day of college, which is that the chicken is horrible and do Today Group, Coca-Cola Sprite and Nestlé. very real.” such funny things quite often. One helping the brand grow. He adds, “It with Argee Urban Bloom. He gave Talking about MAAD’s goal, day, during this session, my wife was coming up to nothing and that’s me this project and I thought we Aditya says, “The goal is to push turned around and said, ‘You know where my wife gave me the idea and it could use this model for it. Sunder the envelope on co-creation and it what, you should be doing ads for a struck me that there are opportunities and I met after some of these projects happens with consumers. We still dog-oriented product’. That’s when here. Then I did my research and were created. We were in touch have a benchmark on quality. We it hit me; there are a lot of creative it struck that there is nothing like through mails. The moment we did want the ideal blend of authenticity people out there in this world. Why this and there is no competitor to this project we realised what the of stories and yet the quality of that is advertising restricted to a digital compare to. This is a unique business possibilities are.” story should have high-end impact. media agency or a creative agency? model. We can’t be compared to a Currently, MAAD has clients We want to be the most trusted The size of the agency is fine, but creative or digital agency. After Aditya such as SoPro, Taste for Life, India source when it comes to the voice of why isn’t it democratised? And that’s came in, we decided to get everyone Today Group, Coca-Cola Sprite and the consumers. We want to become when I said I see something over onto one platform; like a production Nestlé among others. the No 1 authentic consumer here. So, when we started, we decided house, social media professionals, Sunder clearly says, “We are platform for brands.” to let the consumer start creating ads scriptwriters, cinematographers, and not fighting with the digital media Sunder tells afaqs! Reporter that for brands. We thus launched with an directors and let them drive your agencies. We are neither a digital nor MAAD is planning to raise the next app and left it to the consumers. The campaign.” an advertising agency.” round of investment and it will be first client was ITC. We did an ad for Talking about him coming Talking about the ads that MAAD profitable by the end of 2018. n Yippee Noodles during the noodle on-board as co-founder of MAAD, makes, Aditya says, “We believe [email protected]

16 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 e SCARECROW M&C SAATCHI A New Beginning M&C Saatchi acquires Scarecrow Communications. By News Bureau carecrow Communications has been acquired by the Sinternational network, M&C Saatchi. The agency will now be called Scarecrow M&C Saatchi. Scarecrow will retain its own identity. It will operate with full creative freedom, exactly the way it used to. However, as expected, there will be an integration with the global financial processes and compliance practices. The eight-year-old Scarecrow was part of the new wave of independent agencies in India that bloomed about 10 years ago but was able to achieve profitability and scale, in a relatively short period on the strength of its campaigns for Quikr, &pictures, Religare, Baby & Me (L to R): Maurice, Bhatt and MacLennan - on a new partnership and Arunava Sengupta) of Scarecrow, (Nestle), FunFoods (Dr. Oetker), say, “We are very happy with this Kohinoor (McCormick), Haier, Saatchi philosophy that nothing is entrepreneurial spirit have been the partnership. It’s no secret that in the DBS, Edelweiss, Danone B’lue, impossible. And an individual acting key to M&C Saatchi outperforming past few years, we have had many Wagh Bakri, Rasna, Living Foodz, alone or almost single-handed can the market. They are what clients suitors. But after meeting Moray Vivel and Fiama Di Wills (ITC), make, what seems highly improbable, both want and need.” MacLennan, David Kershaw and Only Vimal, DNA, Rupa, Spykar, in fact happen. This is why, to welcome He adds, “It was relatively easy to Jeremy Sinclair in London, we were Hungama and more. Scarecrow to identify India as a clear that M&C Saatchi is the perfect Currently the agency has brands the federation key market, it was partner for Scarecrow. Why? Because on board across categories including of like-minded, more challenging they have entrepreneurship in their Viacom 18, Capital First, Emami, like-thinking to find the blood. The culture of M&C Saatchi, Future Generali, Zee Learn, Alcon entrepreneurs, right talent. In that sprung from the personalities of Novartis, SebaMed (USV Pharma), that is the M&C Scarecrow, we the brothers themselves – irreverence, Lactalis, Radio City, VTP, Mahindra, Saatchi network, is have found this low tolerance for jargon, challenging Business Standard, arthimpact, a most important and wish them all the established order and the history Anchor Panasonic, Reliance Capital occasion for the company and for me. the best.” of many larger-than-life campaigns – and more. I’m sure Scarecrow M&C Saatchi will Richard Morewood, CEO, M&C are qualities we identify with. Also, Lord Maurice, founder, Saatchi, develop into the jewel in our crown Saatchi, says, “We’re delighted to they have fantastic capabilities in says, “When I look at Scarecrow’s story and this is a historic start for a great welcome Scarecrow as partners sport, entertainment and mobile – over the last eight years and what has new partnership.” into the M&C Saatchi Asia group. which are personal interest areas. been achieved, of course, it reminds Moray MacLennan, Worldwide Manish, Raghu, Arunava and the And yes, they are great people. We me of the story of M&C Saatchi itself. CEO, M&C Saatchi, says, “Our whole team will add fantastic strategic are confident that Scarecrow and its It’s a story of hard work, determination strategy is simple, find top talent in and creative strength in India and employees will gain from this move, and dedication. What they have key markets and give it the freedom, across the whole region.” in terms of training, opportunities achieved is truly remarkable. They responsibility and backing to flourish. In a joint statement, the three and exposure to new areas.” n are the embodiment of the founding Brutal Simplicity of Thought and an founders (Raghu Bhat, Manish Bhatt [email protected]

2400/- 2016/-(inclusive taxes). 4 00/- 3495/-(inclusive taxes).

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 17 l FLUX@THE GLITCH State of Flux? Saransh Agarwal elevated to lead content strategy and business for Flux. By News Bureau

litch, a digital creative agency (an independent brand Varun Duggirala Gunder GroupM), launched Flux@The Glitch, a specialised new age content division. Flux is a content development and production hub that works in a unique structure built for the modern creation needs of brands around the world. Saransh Agarwal is being elevated to lead content strategy and business for Flux. He will report to Varun Duggirala, content chief - The Glitch. Flux@The Glitch will have two distinct verticals to service the content requirements of clients. Creator Lab will be an unique incubator for content creators, brands and platform partners or in short, Tinder for branded content. Content Tushar Vyas Studio & Hub will focus on the long value chain, and we have used that a powerful term requirements for brands who learning to come up with an effective meeting point have an ‘always on’ approach towards yet fluid system that works for brands, between the GroupM Agencies to deliver effective content. This can range from micro consumers, creators and platforms. consumer and engaging content solution for our content, especially for e-commerce The beauty of a fluid model is that and the brand clients across GroupM in India and models, to long form content that is it will always be in Flux because the across diverse beyond.” driven by data and insights. Over the last 8+ years The Glitch Speaking on the launch, Duggirala has been one of the first movers in says, “Over the last eight years, we Flux@The Glitch will have two distinct verticals the Digital Branded Content space have always relied on a core brand to service the content requirements of clients. and has created successful branded insight driven strategy to build brands content campaigns across a vast array across platforms and consumers. It world of content changes every day.” touchpoints - this brings in a unique of clients encompassing FMCG, is this very thought process that has Tushar Vyas, chief strategy layer augmenting GroupM’s capability Entertainment & OTT, auto amongst helped us create effective branded officer - GroupM adds, “Flux will in consumer insight, planning and other categories. n content as a core part of a brand’s be empowering brands by providing activation. Flux will work closely with [email protected]

owned IP. BBC GROUP Tim Davie, chief executive officer - BBC Studios and Mark Linsey, chief creative officer - BBC Studios officially assumed their new roles and unveiled the organisation’s new vision, pur- A Rechristening pose and strategy. Davie says, “BBC Studios exists to inspire The launch heralds a new chapter for the BBC’s content creation audiences globally, strengthening the BBC and exploitation activities. By News Bureau financially and creatively, working with the very best British talent. Bringing together the UK’s he newly-created BBC Studios (a most awarded production business, a world- commercial subsidiary of the BBC class content sales business, our unique portfolio TGroup) was officially launched recently, of brands, and a network of premium indie part- heralding a new chapter for the BBC’s content ners, BBC Studios has what it takes to create and creation and exploitation activities. BBC export quality British programmes in this new Worldwide has been rebranded as BBC Studios. age of content.” The formation of BBC Studios was officially Linsey adds, “...For me, it’s all about BBC announced on April 3, 2018. Studios’ outstanding creativity and the brilliant The merger of BBC Worldwide and BBC programmes that we and our indie partners make, Studios brings the BBC Group into line with the so it’s even more thrilling that I can announce rest of the industry and ensures the creative and cycle of development, commissioning, produc- that Shakespeare & Hathaway, our break-out commercial success of the organisation. BBC tion and co-production, sales and distribution daytime drama hit, has been recommissioned.”n Studios will see content through the full life and will underpin the creation of new BBC- [email protected]

18 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 e JESSICA WALSH Creating Visual Language afaqs! Reporter interviewed Jessica Walsh, partner, Sagmeister & Walsh. By Ashwini Gangal

hen the Frooti business was an interesting technique to make the up for grabs in 2015, dozens commercial stand out. Wof creative agencies in India, big and small, pitched for it. Nadia When your first few posters for Chauhan, joint managing director and Frooti Fizz were released, people chief marketing officer, Parle Agro, gave left comments on our story saying them all a miss and handed the mandate it bore a strong resemblance to to New York-based design and creative the Aizone campaign... agency Sagmeister & Walsh, run by The Aizone campaign we created Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. was a single-season campaign Frooti’s 2018 summer ad campaign in Lebanon using body-painted (#TheFrootiLife, with Bollywood actor colourful patterns, Alia Bhatt and Tollywood/Telugu actor themed to different Allu Arjun) has broken. afaqs! Reporter periods of art history spoke to Walsh about her experience of such as constructivism working on this brand. Edited Excerpts. or Mondrian. It was not their entire brand identity What was the creative brief like and was short lived in this time? that region, for only a few The brief was to create a new months. Therefore, we did commercial in the miniature world not see it as an issue to also starring Frooti’s ambassador Alia use colour and patterns Bhatt. She has the perfect personality for Frooti Fizz, as it was for Frooti – bubbly and fun. We a different application, wanted the campaign to highlight region and execution. these traits and evoke humour. We The patterns for Frooti went through many different story Fizz were made as optical ideas before we landed on the concept illusions that trick the eye when you of the love story, where a miniature view them on the computer, as we suitor character tries to win Alia’s were doing a large push on social with heart. We adapted the film for the these images. We spent quite a long South market with Allu, making his time developing these custom illusions film about his fans. The goal for for the Frooti Fizz brand identity to both films was to continue to build bring out the brand attributes of being on the visual language we’ve created funky, crazy and fun. over the years. We wanted to make (something) playful and delightful, What’s it like working with Nadia? that people can enjoy watching... This is the first time Frooti has team at Parle Agro and to learn more Does she brief you directly? created region-specific creatives. about Indian culture. We went to Nadia is an ideal client – she’s Now that you’ve ‘lived with’ this How did you approach this markets to see where Frooti was smart, direct, and knows what she account for a while, was your additional ‘geography’ layer? being served first hand. We took wants. There’s no BS. She’s willing to comfort with the brand and its What did you do to research and dozens of photos of the advertising launch creative that’s unexpected, edgy nuances much higher this time prepare for this requirement? landscape on the streets of Mumbai. and different; many CMOs at large around? We had an intensive briefing and We listened very closely to the history companies are too risk-averse when Yes, there is always a degree of research phase to learn about the of the brand, their goals, ambitions it comes to creating work outside the comfort when you work with brands culture of South India. The challenge and challenges. We worked with box of traditional advertising. for many years as you (get) to know for this particular campaign was – Nadia to help define key brand She does brief me directly and the brand and everyone involved thinking of a commercial concept personality traits, which continue to we communicate via email and inside and out. So, there is less of that would be adaptable to both inspire all the work we do. collaboration tools like Basecamp a learning curve and the strategy is celebrities, while also being unique; After all this research and strategy quite regularly, and talk on call already in place. However, I wouldn’t we didn’t want the stories to feel too was complete, we started the ideation when necessary. We both work hard, say the overall job becomes easier. generic and wanted to personalise (process). Our goal was to create a are passionate and exchange ideas It’s difficult to ideate new ways and them to the stars. visual language and campaign that felt constantly; it’s a true collaboration. to evolve stories and visuals from very fresh and different from what was previous seasons such that the work Rewind a little and tell me about being done in India. We noticed that Lastly, tell me about your feels fresh, but continues to builds the time you pitched for the Frooti OOH advertising in India was heavy experience working with Alia... on the brand equity of the visual business – a beverage brand from on copy, and we wanted to depart Alia’s a pro! Typically you need to language already established. a country you knew little about... from that and create a graphic world spend quite a while directing people Considering the volume of assets We take the initial strategy phase which allows us to tell stories and on set to get the emotion and poses needed these days with social media, very seriously. We don’t just jump evoke humour universally, without you need for a campaign, but she is it’s a challenge to keep coming up with into a project and design without relying on copy. Since we didn’t see able to listen to the brief and quickly so many new visuals and ideas each doing plenty of research and thinking any stop-motion style commercials deliver a great range of looks... n season. But it’s interesting and fun... first. We flew to India to meet the done before and felt that could be [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 19 COVER STORY

What does marketing mean in a tech-led company such as Paytm? The company’s marketing bosses explain. By Sankalp Dikshit

SHANKAR NATH JASKARAN SINGH SR VP, PAYTM KAPANY VP, MARKETING, PAYTM PHOTOS: SUSHIL KUMAR “Cricket is almost a medium for us” s one reaches Paytm’s introduced its ‘QR-code’ in the market, Nath, senior vice president, to Paytm, Kapany too worked head office in Noida, it’s through which Paytm was able to bring a Paytm and Jaskaran at ICICI but in a different difficult to not wonder why large chunk of the population to the world Singh Kapany, The vertical: Prudential Life this tech-led company is of online transactions. Last year, the brand vice president, Insurance for over six not headquartered in the added two new verticals to its business - marketing, mobile-first years. citiesA known to be fashionably official ‘Paytm Mall’, an e-commerce shopping Paytm. Nath financial services In an interview like Gurugram or the techie-favourite, platform and ‘Paytm Payments Bank’, who is a with the company’s Bangalore? “Emotional reasons,” we are which permits a deposit of up to `1 lakh. graduate of brand which operates marketing bosses told. The company which was launched The mobile-first financial services Delhi’s St. in India and Canada, we tried to get a in August 2010 at this very Noida office company which operates in India and Stephen’s sense of what has not only grown in terms of the number Canada, has been buzzing and making College and has been buzzing marketing means in of floors but if the company’s spokesperson its presence felt for various reasons. Sample Indian Institute and making its a tech-led company is to be believed Paytm is now reporting this: the brand began trending when of Management, like Paytm where a billion transactions per quarter with a founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma lashed Ahmedabad joined presence felt. consumer loyalty swings $20 billion Gross Merchandise Volume out at upcoming rival WhatsApp in the Paytm in 2013. with cash-back schemes and (GMV). Reports suggest that One97 payments market for engaging in alleged Previously, he was where instead of ad campaigns, Communications, which is the parent unfair trade practices. This was peppered working with ICICI Lombard the app’s user interface decides recall company of brand Paytm, has clocked with Paytm’s winning streak at creative in the role of head, marketing and direct. value. Edited Excerpts: revenue of `814 crore in 2016-17. awards, most notably at the recently In a 22-year career, Nath has been Paytm, which is fast expanding to concluded Adfest (in Thailand) along with associated with companies like Aviva Life Two years ago, Vijay Shekhar different market segments, flagged off its the Effie awards, which recognise effective Insurance, CitiFinancial, GSK and had Sharma said that the moment of journey with prepaid mobile and direct- marketing strategies. Lacing it all up was founded an online insurance aggregator truth is when a person, mobile in to-home recharges. In 2014, the company the news of the mall business receiving a fat www.PolicyTiger.com in 2010. hand, has to choose between the launched its own ‘wallet’ and by 2016 investment of $445 million from Alibaba Kapany has a five-year agency- cash-on-delivery, plastic money users could book tickets for movies, events, and Softbank. Paytm boasts over 300 experience at JWT where he worked as and mobile wallet options. flights, railways, among other things on million registered users at the moment. senior account director after completing “Everything that leads up to a single app. Leveraging the nationwide As Paytm gears to foray into the mutual his graduation from Xavier Institute of this moment,” he insisted, “is demonetisation-frenzy, the brand funds category, we caught up with Shankar Communications, Mumbai in 2003. Prior marketing.” Do you agree with

20 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 oeo this? What do you come to work constructive discussion with the thinking your role is - in a tech- agency. led company like PayTM? Shankar: Many times, the Shankar: There is a lot of wisdom McCann team is not waiting for a in what Vijay said. Ultimately, the brief. They observe what is happening app has to be relevant for the user. in the market and tell us what should When we say relevant there are two be done. Also, we have realised that things here. First, if I am using the the McCann team has more or less app for a particular use case, chances remained the same which adds a lot are that I’ll uninstall the app after the of value. The ultimate delight for a one-time use. But if I have six-seven marketer is when your brand name use cases, then I will retain it. It is becomes a verb. And today, ‘Paytm only when you become part of the karo’ is that. It’s something which user’s daily life that you stay relevant. McCann came up with. However, this is the last stage. The stage even before this involves Jaskaran, to what extent does creating awareness in order to be in your JWT experience help? the consideration set of a potential Jaskaran: I spent five years doing user. We have been doing a lot of planning, account management and a work around that in terms of online, bit of creative as well. You can speak offline and digital marketing for our to the agency folks in a language that earliest category ‘recharge’ which is they understand because you’ve been also our most common use case. there. If you speak to the stakeholders All these put together essentially in the way they would look to gets the user to us at the first place; interpret a strategic brief, you tend it’s then the job of the app to keep the to get it first time right more often user. In this app ecosystem we are not than not. This helps the creative team fighting the battle with one player in to come up with much quicker and a single category but a different set of compelling pieces of communication companies in each category. which can go to market faster and Jaskaran: I think the pinnacle impress upon consumers quickly. any brand marketer would look to strive for is to connect with the Speaking about WhatsApp’s entry users at a personal level and create an in the payment space, PayTM emotional salience behind what you “At the end is quite visibly displeased. So, are doing. And in the last three-four what is PayTM doing to remain years we have done it decently well. of the day, the some degree of credibility or stature the market leader? After all, one output of a campaign in India, one cannot escape mass cannot undermine competition While the user gets to swipe from media. At the same time, it’s difficult since, unlike current rivals like one use case to the other, how do will only be as for an online brand to make the Hike or PhonePe, WhatsApp you divide your time and effort good as the input.” transition from digital to mainstream comes with an existing user base across the wallet, payments bank advertising. Mostly because it is of over 200 million... and e-commerce platform? Shankar Nath counterintuitive. You think: ‘all my Shankar: We are doubling down Shankar: While these are customers are online, so why should on all our investments in making different businesses, one feeds off I invest in TV?’ In our marketing PayTM a much-loved brand. the other. For us the Paytm mother journey we made this transition quite There are many initiatives that are brand becomes most important; a early. It is very expensive but that’s underway on the marketing front host of initiatives and investments go large appliances - air conditioners the way it is and it has helped us a lot! which reinforce what we have done towards making the mother brand in particular. We try to ride that earlier. One of them is our important stronger. wave through our marketing efforts Paytm has been a consistent association with cricket - we are the Jaskaran: Results are real time so to boost our mall business. But then performer at creative awards. title sponsor for BCCI Indian cricket if we observe that something within recharge or bill payments may take a What do these awards mean to and Paytm has now signed up with a category is working in terms of backseat from a marketing point of you? IPL for the next five years. app downloads, we put a slightly view. Overall, it’s a complex interplay Jaskaran: The input criterion is When you advertise on other disproportional amount of marketing of various categories demanding their not to put in the effort, hard work genres there is a chance that the spends in that category and see where fair share of attention, seasonality and and strategy to get an award - awards user has moved away from your it takes us. You get to know within 48 also what is happening real time on are a by-product. advertising when it played because hours if the educated punt that you the app eco-system. he/she is either watching deferred have taken is working or not. There is no wrong or right way to To what extent are you personally content or he/she is seeing it the next Shankar: That’s a metric which is acquire a customer. At the end of the involved with the brand’s creative day on the app. Sports, perhaps, is the used very often since it makes things day, the doors may be many but all product on the advertising front? only category which enjoys real time clearer. The amount of money is of them lead you to the same house. Do you brainstorm with the folks viewing; though it’s very expensive. finite and you need to decide what Once the guy has entered the house, at McCann regularly? Do you But it gives us good returns. gives you the best returns. The other there are many things that you can necessarily finetune the creative metric we look at is the average life- serve and he can take his pick. brief and have the last word? KYC has become a pain/grumble time value. The life-time value has Jaskaran: Do we issue typical point for a large portion of a direct correlation on what or how How important is mass media creative briefs? No! It is more of your user base. What role can much I can spend when it comes to messaging for you? a healthy brainstorming discussion advertising play to convey or advertising. Shankar: At one level Paytm is over tea. All strategies look sexy on educate these confused/angry Jaskaran: Seasonality plays a a digital brand - it’s on an app and paper but the final manifestation of users so that they don’t leave you? part as well. For e-com, summer is all transactions happen digitally. But it is in a creative product which Shankar: Everyone else is the season to build the category of we realised early on that to have requires our involvement through advertising about KYC, so we don’t

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 21 oeo

need to! Category creation of sorts co-promotions with consumer has already been done. We just brands which have amplified our have to make it easy for the person brand. Every brand, runs an annual transacting on Paytm to complete the promotion scheme. For instance: KYC process. buy Surf Excel, get a bucket free! A major thing which has helped us We associated with these brands and here is that when the app becomes an convinced them to give Paytm cash as integral part of a user’s life owing to gratification instead of buckets. the different use cases, the probability The partner brands agreed since of you taking two minutes off to get Paytm cash is relevant to 90 per cent of your KYC done is much higher. That the partner brand’s audience against a won’t be a case if the app was used for bucket which may be relevant to, a limited number of things. We were say, 30 per cent of the population. In inundated with KYC requests on the terms of finances, if the partner brand first two days but now it is business was earlier spending 50 per cent of as usual. the campaign’s budget on advertising and the rest on gratification, we then In a product segment driven by take up 25 per cent of gratification discounts and cash-backs, is there cost and request the partner to put any scope to nurture consumer 25 per cent of the saved gratification loyalty? Also, what then is the money on advertising. This way role of marketing? advertising gets 75 per cent share of Jaskaran: Marketing and the campaign’s budget. When the advertising can help address 50-60 per offer gets advertised, Paytm also gets cent of it but you need a compelling advertised. product proposition. There is no one real app, other than Paytm, that can Could you share the actual do as many things as we do. Loyalty marketing and advertising stems from there. budget? Shankar: Cash-backs will only Shankar: I would say about two help at the customer acquisition stage. per cent of our GMV at the most. This is why we are fanatical about the user interface. The golden rule we If there was one thing you could follow is to have fewer number of taps change about Indian advertising or clicks on the mobile screen before “At the what would it be - and why? a user completes the transaction. One Jaskaran: Ad agencies need to additional tap or click means a 10 per Jaskaran: At a macro level, 35-40 end of the get out of their shells and not work cent drop off. It’s as bad as that. per cent of our spends would be day, the doors may as domain specialists. Marketers reserved for TV and print each. have to deal with the much-abused In what way has your user profile Print has gained significantly over be many but all of word Millennial, who do not care changed over the past 12 months? the last year and a half. Then would two hoots about who you really are. Shankar: The user base has be digital followed by OOH for the them lead you to the Marketers are looking at a single become broader. Two years ago we non-metro cities. same house.” shop or point of contact that can were majorly concentrated in the Shankar: Our association with address strategic, creative and media top seven-eight metros, now there cricket is a `50 crore property per Jaskaran Singh needs. So, agencies need to work as a is a long tail. There has been a data year which gets amplified through Kapany cohesive unit. revolution in this country and we are TV though that’s not a cost I can put Shankar: A thing which worries seeing that in our transactions. on TV; it’s an on-ground association. me is that advertising is losing Another important observation is Interestingly, cricket is now almost distribution is not strong enough, the relevance in attracting young talent. that one cannot expand by relying on a medium for us and we look at it product is not in the market and you Primarily because entry level pay is English alone. Vernacular has started independent of the media vehicle. are finished. Distribution becomes not good. Twenty five years ago, to play a big role, both in the app even more critical in small cities. advertising jobs would pay as much as well as in our communication. Small street vendors use Paytm to Jaskaran: Since people have a as any marketing job would but not Between Jaskaran and me, that’s our get payments from their patrons deep affinity for their mother tongue, today. I think it’s the function of the next big challenge. You cannot simply and the amounts are small. Do print works fantastically well since fact that advertising margins in India work with varied translations of work you have any kind of out-reach you can geographically isolate a state continue to be squeezed down which originally written in the English programme to connect with this or a city. Radio works well too. Apart is having an impact on how much language. You need a local flavour. pool of users? What do you make from this, we do tactical activation- you spend to get good talent. Jaskaran: Not only has the of this slice of your user base and led campaigns, say, for 15 days where Earlier, advertising commissions demand increased from Tier II/III how do you see this panning out we pick a popular local market and used to be close to 15 per cent, which cities the average ticket size has also in the days ahead? educate the customer. was too high. Today, the industry has significantly gone up every month. Shankar: There are three legs to it; moved away from that model making Shankar: We add about 10 one is the user who needs to scan, the Paytm has partnered with the margins very thin. Advertising is million consumers a month. Our second is the shopkeeper who needs several brands across segments not a time and material study. The next 200 million users will not only to understand the Paytm mechanism and categories for co-promotion stakes are high and as a brand if I am come from Tier II and III but also and then is the distribution reach campaigns; how is the brand spending `30 crore on a campaign, from Tier I cities. which is crucial. Marketing can only benefiting? saving `5 lakh on an ad agency doesn’t be as good till the time there is Shankar: You cannot be present matter to me. At the end of the day, How does Paytm’s media pie look a strong on-ground distribution. on TV through the course of the the output of any campaign will only like particularly from the fund You may have as much consumer year. Hence, over the last two-three be as good as the input. n allocation point of view... pull created by marketing but if years we have had at least 100-150 [email protected]

22 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 ABBY AWARDS: MEDIA & PUBLISHERS Bang in the Middle’s digital poster ad explains about the state of advertising business. By News Bureau And the Winner is... In the Media Abby category, Lodestar UM won 4 Golds while in the Publishers Abby category, Jagran Prakashan and The Times of India won 2 Golds each. By Suraj Ramnath

oafest kicked off with the Media & Publishers Awards. GLodestar UM went on to win four Gold Abbies. The agency won two Golds for Samsung’s ‘Samsung NDTV camera phone partnership’ campaign under Best use of TV and Best use of Branded Content – Any Brand – created Content like dedicated Film / TV shows categories. The agency won two more Golds for The Times of India’s ‘#NoConditionsApply : Shindoor Khela’ campaign under Best use of Events both Large & Small Events and Cause Marketing categories. Dentsu Webchutney won a Gold award for Cafe TC’s ‘Missed Caller’ campaign under Best use of Digital Media – Best use of Mobile Media category and Mindshare – Bangladesh won a Gold for Grameenphone’s ‘Grameenphone Birthday Campaign’. This year 57 media agencies Team members of Lodestar participated in the Abbys and the UM celebrate post winning Media Agency of the Year total number of entries received award were 660 which were judged by 12 jury members. In all, 38 Media Abby Awards brand activation or display were awarded this year. Of these, 6 advertising innovation by a are Gold, 18 are Silver, and 14 are publisher category. Bronze. ABP won a Gold for In the Publishers Abby, Jagran ‘Germasur’ campaign Prakashan and The Times of India under Best use of Native won 2 Golds each. ABP, DB Corp or Branded Content for and Vijay Karnataka won a Gold client brand-marketing by a each. publisher category. Dainik For Jagran Prakashan, the first of Bhaskar won a Gold for its Gold came for Dainik Jagran’s Jagran Prakashan winning the Publisher of the Year award ‘When a newspaper became campaign ‘Creating the Newspaper a search engine for its young of Day After Tomorrow’ under Best readers’ campaign under marketing of a printed newspaper / Best launch marketing of edition category. The second Gold a new title of newspaper was for Dainik Jagran’s campaign / magazine / digital ‘Amazon at your Doorstep’ under publication campaign. Vijay Best client-brand activation or Karnataka won a Gold for display advertising innovation by a ‘Children’s Day - Letter to publisher category. Prime Minister’ campaign For The Times of India, under Best marketing of a its first Gold came for its printed newspaper / edition ‘NoConditionsApply: Shindoor category. Khela’ campaign under Best In total, seven publishers promotion of a CSR / Cause related were awarded this year. In Marketing initiative in traditional this category seven Gold or online space category. The awards were given, four second Gold was for ‘Times Power Silver, and four Bronze. n Point’ campaign under Best client- Team members of Times of India celebrate after winning a Gold award [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 23 ABBY AWARDS Early Man Film Shines The production house also went on to win Video Craft Specialist of the Year award. By Suraj Ramnath

n Day Two of Goafest 2018, Group won two Golds each. MSL Early Man Film went on to India, FCB India Group, Dentsu Owin Video Craft Specialist of Webchutney and Grey Group India the Year award with five Gold metals. won a Gold each. The first three Gold awards came for Value 360 Communications Reforest India’s ‘The Story of Kaveri’ won its Gold awards for Paytm’s campaign under three different sub- ‘Paytm Payment Bank – Dawn categories (Direction), (Editing) and of a new era of Digital Banking’ (Cinematography). The other two and UrbanClap’s ‘Campaign: A Gold awards came for MTV’s ‘Beats’ government awakening on GST’. campaign under (Direction) and Adfactors PR won its Gold awards for (Casting) sub-categories. Vodafone’s ‘A Green Goodbye’ and The Social Street went on to win Raipur Kachra Mahotsav’s ‘Kachra Still Craft Specialist of the Year award. bhi achcha hai’. Godrej Group won The agency went on to win a total of its Gold awards for L’Affaire by four Gold awards. The first two Gold Godrej’s L’Affaire – The future of Social Street receives Still Craft Specialist Award awards came for Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India’s – Zee Entertainment Enterprises, ‘Forgotten Pieces – Study, Kitchen, Madison BMB, Star India, pi Washroom’ campaign under Still Communications, Grey Worldwide, Craft category. The agency won a MSL India, Open Strategy & Design Gold award for the same campaign and Out of the Box won a Gold each. under Design category. The agency From a number-of-metals went on to win its last Gold award standpoint, in the Creative Abby in the Public Relations category for Tally List, the top three organisations Mohan Foundation’s ‘Life Before of 2018 are: The Social Street (34), Ashes’. Dentsu Webchutney (23) and Early Sony Pictures Networks India Man Film (17). went on to win Broadcaster of the The Social Street’s 34 metals Year award. Zee Entertainment include 8 Gold, 12 Silver and 14 Enterprises (Zee Cinema & Zee Bronze Awards. Tamil) went on to win a Gold award Dentsu Webchutney’s 19 metals under Broadcaster category for Zee include 4 Gold, 9 Silver and 10 Cinema’s ‘Zee Cinema Premiere - Early Man Film receives the Grand Prix award Bronze. Dangal’. lifestyle and Godrej Professional’s Categories in which maximum Early Man Film’s 17 metals In the Design Category, Open ‘Launch of Godrej Professional’. Golds were given are: Public include 1 Grand Prix, 5 Gold, 4 Strategy & Design went on to win Medulla WYP Group won two Gold Relations (13), Digital & Mobile (5) Silver and 7 Bronze. Design Specialist of the Year award. awards for Indian Association of and Video Craft (5) and Promotion Now, a look at the agencies that The agency won a Gold for GVK Palliative Care’s (IAPC) ‘Last Laugh’ / Activation (4). 3 Gold Abbies were won Gold awards on April 7, the Botanical Gardens’ ‘Growing Gardens’ campaign. given away in Branded Content & third and last day of Goafest 2018. campaign. Out of the Box won a Gold MSL India won a Gold for Saifee Entertainment and Design categories On Day Three, 19 Gold awards, for Mother’s Pride / Marvel Group’s Burhani Uplifment Trust’s (SBUT) followed by Special Abby and Out of 40 Silver Awards and 69 Bronze ‘Beeskoots’ campaign. ‘Nayi Umeed - #ChangeIsNear’. Home & Ambient Media categories awards were given away. In the Direct category, pi FCB India Group won a Gold for with 2 Golds each. Integrated, Audio Day Three Gold Winners Communications went on to win Hero MotoCorp’s ‘#AskWhy’. Visual Long Form, Broadcaster and include the following organisations: Direct Specialist of the Year award. Dentsu Webchutney won a Gold for National Geographic Green Award The Social Street, Medulla WYP The agency won a Gold award for Wildcraft India’s ‘Wildcraft Wildings’ categories were given away one Gold Communications, FCBIndia Group, Aditya Birla Capital – Mutual Funds’ and Grey Worldwide won a Gold for award each. Hungama Digital Services, Dentsu ‘Union Budget 2018 Decoded’ Indian Air Force’s ‘I’m Girl’. In the Creative Abby Tally List, Webchutney, Cheil India, Kinetic campaign. Star India won a Gold the top three organisations of 2018 Advertising India, Star India, Cellar for Hotstar’s ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai – are: The Social Street (8 Golds), Door Productions and Famous Take 2 Naming’ campaign. Madison DAY 3 Medulla WYP Network (7 Golds) Innovations. BMB won a Gold for Jiyo Parsi’s On April 7, the last lot of Creative and Early Man Film (1 Grand Prix) Early Man Film won the Grand ‘Family Home’ campaign. Abby Awards was announced. But and (5 Golds). Prix award for Reforest India’s ‘The Value 360 Communications first, a quick look at the overall Dentsu Webchutney won 3 Gold Story of Kaveri’ campaign. went on to win Public Relations Creative Abby Metal Score. awards. FCBIndia Group, Adfactors A quick look at the categories and Specialist of the Year award. In the In all, 245 metals were given away PR, Godrej Group and Value 360 sub-categories these companies won Public Relations category, Value 360 this year. These include 43 Gold Communications won 2 Golds each. their Gold awards in, and the brands Communications, Adfactors PR, awards, 83 Silver awards and 118 Cheil India, Kinetic Advertising, and campaigns they won them for. Godrej Group and Medulla WYP Bronze awards. Famous Innovations, Zee Cinema See next page...

24 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 Midas Touch - the Gold Medal Winners

AGENCY/ CATEGORY SUB-CATEGORY BRAND CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION Medulla WYP Network Branded Content & Entertainment Best non-fiction program, Indian Association of LAST LAUGH series or film where a client Palliative Care (IAPC) has successfully created a reality, documentary or entertainment show around a product(s) or brand(s) including TV, mini-series, web series, cinema, DVD releases and online/digital.

Medulla WYP Network Branded Content & Entertainment Best use or integration of Indian Association of LAST LAUGH experiential events, Creative Palliative Care (IAPC) positioning of a brand using events, festivals, flash mobs, installations, etc.

FCB India Group Branded Content & Entertainment Best use or integration of The Times of India No Conditions Apply experiential events, Creative - Sindoor Khela positioning of a brand using events, festivals, flash mobs, installations, etc.

Hungama Digital Services Digital & Mobile Brand Microsite H&R Johnson India The Red Ramp Project

Dentsu Webchutney Digital & Mobile Social Media (Co-Creation / ITC Engage Pocketful ‘O’ Stories Crowd sourcing / Response etc.)

The Social Street Digital & Mobile Social Media (Tools/Applications) Rustik Travel Untag

Cheil India Digital & Mobile Technology (Utility/Tool) Good Vibes The Good Vibes Project

Kinetic Advertising Digital & Mobile Technology (Others) Google India Google Maps : Look Before you leave : Real time traffic update on a traditional billboard

STAR India Special Abby Gender Sensitive Star Plus Gurdeep Singh & Daughters

Cellar Door Productions Special Abby Gender Sensitive PeeBuddy Ladies, Urine control to You’re in Control! Now, Simply Stand and Pee.

The Social Street National Geographic Green Award National Geographic Green Award Prasadam Industries The Snake Guard

The Social Street Out of Home and Ambient Media Corporate, Media, Upendra Namburi A Secret Book Launch Entertainment & Others

The Social Street Out of Home and Ambient Media Public Service Mohan Foundation Life Before Ashes - Heart, Eye and Liver

Dentsu Webchutney Promotion/Activation Services The Colour of Grey Cells Re-search - Beyond the Blue Whale The Social Street Promotion/ Activation Corporate, Media, Upendra Namburi A Secret Book Launch Entertainment & Others

Famous Innovations Promotion/ Activation Corporate, Media, Livpure Packaged River Water Entertainment & Others

Medulla WYP Network Promotion/ Activation Public Service IAPC Last Laugh

Medulla WYP Network Integrated Public Service IAPC Last Laugh

Medulla WYP Network Audio Visual Long Form Public Service IAPC Last Laugh

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 25 BABA RAMDEV Talking Tough The Yoga Guru spoke at the Goafest 2018. A low-down of the session. By Anirban Roy Choudhury

ne of the most anticipated and `5,000 crore business. “To create a talked about sessions of Day Ramdev: ready to `500 crore brand in India you need OOne at this year’s Goafest take on the world to spend about `100 crore in the was Baba Ramdev’s. Ironically, the initial stages... but we did not even yoga guru-turned-businessman, who spend `10 crore on advertising,” has no qualms critiquing the Indian he said, going on to reveal that in advertising fraternity as it stands today, the last financial year, Patanjali sold was the most high profile speaker at honey worth `250 crore, promising an annual event organised by - and to double this number in a year. “We in celebration of - this very fraternity. spent about four per cent of that on The auditorium was packed, and the advertising,” he added. audience applauded and whistled as While on the subject of numbers, Baba Ramdev bashed MNCs and the the Yogi said, “Despite various way they operate and advertise. obstacles, we did better this year as He began his session by reciting compared to last year. Patanjali is the Gayatri Mantra. He then spoke to generate more profit and in the Closeup, “brands show people how already India’s most trusted brand about brand building and likened process compromise with quality... the toothpaste can help bring a boy and will soon be No.1 in terms of today’s marketing ecosystem to the this is something Patanjali would and a girl close to each other - is turnover too...” The company is way things were during the Vedic never do,” he said. that what toothpaste is for, anyway? bullish on building its dairy-based era. Admitting that he lacks academic On the subject of advertising, - instead of focusing on how the portfolio in the days ahead. knowledge in the area of brand Ramdev opined that advertising is toothpaste will help them do what it’s He ended his session with a bang. building, Ramdev stated that his raw a tool used by brands to create an meant to!” Babaji, jeans kab pehnaoge? people have marketing mantra has been - “convert imaginary world and communicate Taking a jibe at Colgate, Ramdev been asking me... so here is the answer skills to wealth”. fiction that has nothing to do with the added, “There’s this perception in - in the current fiscal we will launch Ramdev then went on to talk about product. “Even while making a soap India that one particular brand has kids-wear, fashion-wear, ethnic-wear, the dos-and-don’ts of branding. In ad, they get a glamorous girl, create become synonymous with the entire athlete-wear, and other accessories his book, ego, ignorance, reaction and a ‘dreamland’ and show fictional toothpaste category... let me tell you under the Patanjali umbrella. For our inaction are all vices; yes, he said this content... arrey bhai, ek baar yeh bhi bata that in some parts of the country we apparel business, the target is to make in the context of brand building. He de ye bana kisse hai (tell people what have captivated 25-50 per cent of their it a `20,000-25,000 crore brand in the also spoke about the importance of the soap is made of!)” he said, adding market share, and they are still asking, next three to five years and challenge restricting the incidence of human about his company Patanjali, “We did ‘Kya aapke toothpaste me namak hai?’” the MNCs... unko hum dhool chatayenge error while building brands. not do any such drama.” He then spoke about the cosmetics (we’ll beat them hollow)...” he said, to Cost-cutting, he said, is a “While advertising toothpastes,” he category, vowing to take Aloe Vera the delight of the audience. n devastating practice. “People cut costs said, clearly alluding to Unilever’s Gel from a `500 crore business to a [email protected]

cost us about `10-25 crore each! We rejected all Getting Candid those ideas. Now, I am up on stage delivering these punch-lines. Today, in `10,000-15,000 we get an Ashish Bhasin quizzes Baba Ramdev. By Anirban Roy Choudhury ad done. At present, we have about 40 ads running across different media channels. Effectively, we’re n the last part of Baba Ramdev’s session at ‘saving’ `400 crore there itself. Spending money Goafest 2018, Dentsu Aegis Network supremo is not important; what is important is building IAshish Bhasin asked Patanjali’s Ramdev some an emotional connect with people. And about questions on stage. expanding brands let me tell you that in next three Bhasin: Yoga, agriculture, health - we years Patanjali will be the No.1 brand in the biscuit understand you know a lot about all three. category too. That’s bad news for Britannia. But where did you acquire your knowledge of Bhasin: What is that one thing that international marketing from? companies were doing wrong... that you did right? Ramdev: I believe if you can connect with the Ramdev: In the cosmetics category, about 99 minds of the masses, then you can do anything. At per cent of the products were chemical-based. a time, I make 10 lakh people do yoga and they do They always mocked natural, Ayurvedic resources. it exactly the way I want them to do it... with full Bhasin checks whether Ramdev’s hair is real They released ads saying ‘Yeh haldi, namak lagane dedication. Even if there is a cyclone they will not Ramdev: Many people gave me many waale’, ‘Yeh koyla se daant saaf karne waale desi jungli stop... they will continue. So, while other players suggestions... a few of them might even be sitting log’, etc. It was really wrong of them to do so. in the market made efforts to own the throne, I here in the audience. People told me, ‘You are a And all these cosmetics brands highlighted worked hard to win hearts. Now they all realise socio-political figure... separate yourself from the fairness to the point of racial discrimination. All that to get to the throne and own it, one must win brand’. I didn’t agree. Then they said I must get our Gods are dark. Why should being dark be a hearts first. a celebrity to endorse the brand. Again, we did matter of shame? Another thing they did wrong Bhasin: You’ve consistently done the opposite not agree. Then agencies pitched ideas to create was - they concentrated too much on making of what was considered conventional advertising advertisements that would cost us about `5 crore profits; quality was always secondary. n wisdom. Why? What motivates you to do so? each. If I included a celebrity, then the ads would [email protected]

26 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 PRASOON JOSHI EARLY MAN FILM CO The Star “I used to watch David afaqs!Reporter met Ayappa, the co-founder. By Anirban Roy Choudhury Ogilvy’s tapes for hours” n Day Two, at the award ceremony, one organisation caught everyone’s Oattention and that was Early Man Joshi was felicitated at Goafest 2018. A look at what he said Film Co. Despite being paged repeatedly, on stage. By Anirban Roy Choudhury no representative was on hand to collect the medals. On Day 3, the organisers made an ockstar... Rockstar... Rockstar... this is how announcement at the press conference that a hall filled with close to 500 advertising the founders of Early Man would be present. Rand creative minds cheered Chairman of The ad film production company bagged 17 McCann Asia Pacific, and CEO and chief creative metals - 5 Gold, 4 Silver and 7 Bronze and the officer of McCann India, Prasoon Joshi when he one and only Grand Prix of the 2018 Abbys. was on his way down from the stage after being Early Man Film was started four years felicitated by the Goafest organisers for his special ago when Ayappa resigned from Viacom18’s contribution to the field of advertising. Whenever youth and music channel, MTV and partnered Joshi speaks on stage he leaves the listeners with Anand Menon, who ran a production mesmerised with his outstanding oratory skills house called Foot Candles. “I joined him, and great command over language. But on April 7, we decided to change the name to Early Man 2018, he went on stage to address an issue that he Film,” says Ayappa, who has also worked as believes is creeping into the industry... the issue copywriter with Orchard in Bangalore. of insecurity. But he went on to say that he is not Ayappa and Anand believe that their needs worried about the existence of this (advertising) industry and that the creative minds sitting in the room need not worry either. He stated that yes, data is a great tool, but that it cannot touch raw emotions. With an example he said, “Data can get me all of the Urdu poetry lovers who are heartbroken in one room, par Prasoon Joshi receives a special recognition Ghalib Ka Andaaz-e-bayan kaha se laaoge bhai? Uske award from Ajay Kakar. liye yeh industry me aana hi padega.” understand anything, but this is not something He added that creative is not about “permutations that can happen because I (creative minds) won’t and combinations” but about venturing into human let this happen and this is something we all need emotions which have never been experienced to understand. I will befriend data, I will use data before; something that has no track record. “You and I have no reason to fear data.” Ayappa: sweet victory do not know how a human is going to feel when an Joshi is of the opinion that it is a phase artist is going to strike a special chord because that of transition and a very challenging phase for and desires are similar to that of early man, chord is still untouched. Research cannot tell you advertising, “We are finding solutions every day hence the name. A commerce graduate from about a chord that has never been touched before; and it is exciting. On one side we hear ads are Madras Christian College, Ayappa joined that chord is where creativity is and that is never struggling on YouTube and on the other hand, advertising to do something creative and was going to die,” he added. there is a Lego movie coming out now. You soon exposed to the craft of filmmaking. “It Before wrapping up his speech he had a word can call it an ad or you call it a movie, but it’s a was an accidental entry,” he laughs. of caution for the people in the hall, “I am not solution at the end of the day.” Based out of Mumbai, Early Man Film worried about existence, what I am worried He also believes that advertising needs to has 25 employees and is a bootstrapped about is that individual interests should not take attract more talent as a creative mind today has organisation that is profitable. ‘Great Khali precedence over the collective intelligence.” multiple options which he or she did not have Breaking Walls’, that famous Ambuja Cement afaqs! Reporter spoke to Joshi on the sidelines 15 years ago. “When I came into the advertising ad film was made by Early Man Film and about what he said and why he thought it was industry there were very few options. Today, if received a lot of recognition, but nothing important to address the insecurity and warn the you want to become a filmmaker you can jump compared to their recent film on deforestation congregation about individual interests taking the long queue and pick up a camera, shoot some - Let The Kaveri Flow. “We had a lot of precedence over the collective intelligence. He footage and put it online. So advertising needs to freedom; the client came to us directly and replied, “The existence is questioned every now attract talent in a much better way,” he added. asked us to make a film without interference,” and then in forums across the world. I feel that Joshi feels that the industry is not doing says Ayappa. The client-production house the answer is actually in the collective intelligence. enough to nurture talent; instead, the investment direct relationship is something Ayappa In survival mode, we become very inward-looking of time in nurturing has declined in the industry. cherishes. He is happy with the recognition and start thinking about the survival of our own On this subject, he concluded with one final Early Man Film received at the Abbys, “Video and become selfish. Doing that, individuals will thought, “During my time at Ogilvy, I remember craft, as a category, is very competitive because survive, but the industry will get fragmented and I had a rigorous six-month training programme. I all the production houses entered, unlike the weak and we will get used. We will not be able to had to watch David Ogilvy’s tapes for 3, 4, 5 hours advertising categories where 80 per cent of the get the correct pricing and the industry will suffer a day and had to write on magic lanterns... these agencies did not enter. So the win is sweet,” because of it.” days I don’t think we are paying so much attention he says. n He added, “People fear that AI 1 and AI 2 to nurturing.” n [email protected] will speak to each other and the human will not [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 27 oee New campaigns across television, print, out-of-home and digital media. VIDEOS

FEVICOL EZEE SPRAY COCA-COLA GODREJ NO 1 HIMALAYA Pidilite’s Fevicol has released a TVC for its Coca-Cola has pushed its global marketing In the recently-launched Godrej No 1 Himalaya has released a new TVC for its face Ezee Spray variant. While the product has campaign - ‘Share a Coke’ - to Indian shores. TVC, titled De No.1 Nikhar, a husband is wash that captures the bond between sisters, been present in the market for five years, the The brand has released a ad film featuring mesmerised by his wife’s beauty. The ad ends and how an elder sister cares for the younger brand has released its first TVC only now. Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin. with the husband uncovering her secret. one when the later gets her first pimple. Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, India Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Creative Agency: Creativeland Asia Creative Agency: Soho Square

VODAFONE AMAZON FEVICOL MARINE ENVY The ZooZoos have returned to Vodafone Amazon has launched an extensive Pidilite is back with a new TVC for the brand Featuring actor Rahul Khanna, the newly India after a gap of one year. This time 360-degree campaign called ‘#JustAsk’ to named Fevicol Marine Market after nearly six launched TVC by perfume brand Envy focuses they’ve upgraded themselves with new create awareness about Alexa as voice-based years. The ad has been produced by Corcoise on the USP of the deodorant which is a blend "skills" and appear in Ninja avatars. technology that is set to transform the future. Films and directed by Prasoon Pandey. of rich French Perfumes. Creative Agency: Ogilvy India Creative Agency: Ogilvy India Creative Agency: Ogilvy India Creative Agency: Shop Advertising

FROOTI VIVO TROPICANA BAJAJ V Frooti has released its 2018 summer ad Chinese smartphone brand Vivo has released Tropicana, the juice brand, has launched Bajaj V released ‘Postcards of Pride’ film under the campaign, #TheFrootiLife, with Bollywood its first batch of ads with its new ambassador a new campaign ‘My Health My Way’, Invincible Indians series that captures the story actor Alia Bhatt and Tollywood/Telugu Aamir Khan. The brand has released three celebrating the evolving relationship of of Jitendra Singh Gurjar, a Surat-based security actor Allu Arjun. new TVCs for their newly-launched Vivo V9 millennials with their health. guard, who has been writing to martyrs’ families. Creative Agency: Sagmeister & Walsh smartphone. Creative Agency: J. Walter Thomson Creative Agency: Leo Burnett PRINT B NATURAL ADFACTORS RIN ITC’s B Natural has come Adfactors PR, a PR consultancy With an aim to raise up with a new print ad with market leading practices awareness about the water- ‘#SAYNOTOCONCENTRATE’ in corporate, financial and woes faced by millions of on the eve of World crisis communications present Indians, Rin — the detergent Health Day (April 7). The in Mumbai, Delhi, and pan-India brand from the house of brand is also asking their has come up with a quirky print Hindustan Unilever has rival brands such as Tropicana and Real to join them in ad flaunting its ‘indie’ status. released a print ad on the abandoing concentrates from their juices and making juices occasion of World Water Day only from fruits. that is observed on March 22.

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28 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 o

Post: Business Head - Media preferably TVC scripts and digital Exp: 2 to 5 years Exp: 2 to 4 years Company: IdeateLabs videos; should be a team player abd Location: Mumbai Location: Gurgaon Profile: Devising overall business be able to work closely with art Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] / plan and corporate media strategy directors, visualisers and designers ...... [email protected] for new and existing clients; and Jr. copywriters...... researching/piloting new digital Exp: 1 to 3 years Post: Account Executive channels to continually position Location: Mumbai - (Andheri-West) Company: Collateral - The Post: Outdoor Media Buyer clients as a leader in the online/ Email: [email protected] Storytellers Company: Greysell Marketing digital marketing arena...... Profile: The candidate should Promotions Pvt Ltd Exp: 8 to 10 years have impeccable command over Profile: Identifying the target Location: Mumbai Post: 1) Senior Client Servicing spoken and written English; audience for a particular media Email: [email protected] 2) Junior Client Servicing be enthusiastic, energetic and campaign and deciding how best ...... 3) Account Manager imaginative, approachable, outgoing to communicate to that audience; Company: 3 Brothers & Fils and diplomatic. monitoring buying strategies. Post: Copywriter Junior and Mid Profile: Plan the strategy for the Exp: 2 to 4 years Exp: 3 to 4 years Level client, manage the clients and their Location: Mumbai Location: Mumbai Company: Promodome brand requirement, be responsible Email: [email protected]; Email: [email protected] Communications Pvt Ltd for delivery of projects, act as one [email protected] ...... Profile: The candidate must have point contact between the agency ...... the ability to think and ideate in a and client, brainstorm with the Post: Content Writer 360-degree manner. S/he should creative team for brand pitches, Post: PPC Manager Company: Black Hat Talent have worked on leading brands contribute to achieve annual Company: Adworth Media Pvt Ltd Solutions & Consulting across sectors in advertising agencies revenue growth targets, generate Profile: The candidate must Profile: Structure and concise of repute. If you have 2-2.5 years business from existing clients have experience of creating and information on artists/talent into of experience, apply for Junior- and also acquiring new clients. managing large PPC campaigns, powerpoint presentations, keeping level position, and if you have 3-4 (Candidates located in Mumbai will including set up, bidding, daily in mind the objective of marketing years of experience then apply for be preferred) campaign management, reporting, them for corporate and social Mid level. Do share your portfolio Exp: 2 to 12 years and analysis. Extensive experience events. of published works with your Location: Mumbai with Google, Bing and Facebook Exp: 0 to 5 years application. Email: [email protected] will be required. Location: Mumbai Exp: 2 to 4 years ...... Exp: 3 to 5 years Email: [email protected] Location: New Delhi Location: Gurgaon Email: [email protected] Post: Senior Visualiser/Graphic Email: [email protected] ...... Designer (Candidates from ...... Chennai shall only apply) Post: DTP/Studio Computer Company: Olive...the design place Post: Research Associate Operator Profile: We are looking for vibrant, (Candidates only from Pune and Company: Quotient refreshing, wacky and creative ideas. Mumbai should apply) EVEN GOOD CAN! Communications Pvt Ltd If you can create them, then send in Company: 3Dots Design (Pune) GET BETTER Profile: Layout, adaptation, final your resumes with your portfolios. Profile: A person with thorough art work, image work and other You should be able to conceptualise knowledge of various contemporary computer and graphics related creative ideas and bring them to methodologies of qualitative and work. Good operating speed and life in multiple media and be able quantitative research is welcome. accuracy of work. Experience in to handle projects from concept Exp: 4 to 6 years online work (HTML, flash, etc.) through completion. Location: Pune TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT: will be an added advantage. Exp: 2 to 4 years Email: [email protected] Shubham Garg Exp: 0 to 3 years Location: Chennai ...... Location: Mumbai Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] ...... Post: Business Development Aakash Bhatia (West) ...... Manager Post: 2D Animator Company: Nirman Advertising Pvt Post: Copywriter Company: Coconut Media Box LLP Ltd Akansha Dixit (North) Company: Hats On Advertising Pvt Profile: Primary focus should be on Profile: Identifying and generating Ltd (OPC) creating characters, backgrounds, leads to get government, PSU Profile: The candidate should be and scene transitions, bringing and private clients. Cold calling proficient in English and Hindi creative ideas and concepts to life. and fixing meetings with clients, To view other jobs in Marketing, — language and grammar (both Job duties will revolve around propose potential business deals Media and Advertising, log on to: written and spoken). S/he should designing and producing images; by contacting potential clients; be able to convert client briefs into they include — producing special discovering and exploring incredible ideas of communication effects and action graphics. opportunities.

afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 29 people

A round up of some major people >> MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS<< movements in the last fortnight

MARKETING DIGITAL HOOQ his LinkedIn profile, is to help Hindustan Unilever Ltd Peter Chang, who has now moved HOOQ, a premium video- people listen to whatever music Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to ASUS headquarters in Taiwan and on-demand (VOD) service has they want, whenever they want, announced Harish Manwani’s decision heads the Market Development Center announced Zulfiqar Khan as its wherever they want. Previously to retire as non-executive chairman of for APAC. In his new role, Leon will new managing director, India to he has worked with eBay India the company following the forthcoming be responsible for building ASUS’ provide the brand of his expertise annual general meeting. Sanjiv Mehta, brand and business in the South Asia in aggressively growing the Times Internet who is currently the CEO and managing region which includes India, Sri Lanka, OTT space. The announcement Times Internet has promoted director, will take over as the chairman Bangladesh, and Nepal with a focus comes in light with Salil Kapoor, Saurabh Gaur to head of sales and managing director of HUL. towards building client relationships, the current managing director (direct revenue) for Indiatimes growing business volumes and sales of deciding to move on to pursue and Lifestyle brands. He was LinkedIn ASUS branded products and services. other interests. earlier working with Times LinkedIn recently promoted Srividya Internet as general manager. His Gopani to director, brand and consumer VIP Industries Spotify current role is to convert direct marketing, APAC and China. She was VIP Industries has elevated Sudip OLX India’s CEO Amarjit Singh customers with appropriate earlier head of consumer marketing, Ghose, as chief executive officer with Batra has joined Spotify — solutions in-line with their KPIs. APAC and China. Gopani comes with immediate effect. In his new role, Ghose world’s largest music streaming Gaur comes with 13 years of 12 years of experience in consumer would be responsible for the day-to- platform that has over 150 experience in sales and marketing. marketing. In India, she worked for day operations and will continue to be million active users. His role He was with Times Internet for LinkedIn for seven years. directly involved in the management of in the company, according to eight years. the company’s business. PepsiCo Vani Gupta, marketing director - Indian Hershey India MEDIA Snacks, Foods at PepsiCo India, has Hershey India has appointed Herjit S. decided to move on from the company. Bhalla as the company’s new managing HT Media has decided to move out of Highly placed industry sources have director. Bhalla brings extensive Sanjay Trehan, business head, the organisation. As per confirmed the news to afaqs! Reporter. experience in building consumer, digital content and syndication, sources he has served his Her next move is not known at the food and retail brands and is an has quit HT Media and notice period and left the moment. At PepsiCo, Vani led Kurkure accomplished industry leader. Bhalla become a consultant. He was broadcaster. He joined Sony as category head and was responsible for has spent more than 16 years in various with HT Media for three from Amigo Sports where the success of this `1,000 crore brand. sales and marketing, management roles years. he was GM-marketing and at Unilever in India, Russia, Ukraine, working on the FIFA business Vertuals and Belarus. ABP News Network division. Overall, Murtuza has Vertuals has appointed Zahid Gawandi Piyush Chhaperwal has joined close to 20 years of experience as the business head; he will be operating Volkswagen ABP News Network as head in marketing and client from the agency’s Mumbai office. In Europe’s leading car manufacturer digital revenue. Chhaperwal servicing. his new role, Gawandi is responsible Volkswagen, in a bid to further was earlier director sales for taking the agency towards a defined strengthen its core team, has appointed at Vdopia. He was with MY FM growth trajectory and for instilling a Bishwajeet Samal as head of marketing, Vdopia for nearly 10 years. Dainik Bhaskar’s MY FM has robust content practice. Volkswagen Passenger Cars in India. Prior to Vdopia, Chhaperwal appointed Vinay Manek as He is currently responsible for had stints with Sify, Naukri. national programming head. ASUS regional marketing, International com and Cybermedia. He will be based out of Noida ASUS, the Taiwanese mobile brand, Communications at Volkswagen AG, and will report to Rahul has appointed Leon Yu as the regional Germany. Samal’s appointment will Sony Sports Cluster Namjoshi, business head, head for India and South Asia. Leon be effective June 1, 2018. He will be Murtuza Madraswala, AVP, MY FM. Manek has over 22 joins ASUS India from ASUS Middle reporting to Steffen Knapp, Director, marketing, Sports Cluster, years of work experience, 18 of East to assume the responsibility from Volkswagen Passenger Cars India. Sony Pictures Networks India which were in radio.

ADVERTISING Grey Group India FoxyMoron 21N78E Yashaswini Samat (MD and EVP, P&G-AMEA, FoxyMoron has appointed Soham Bhagnari 21N78E has appointed Navin Kansal as chief GC), who has been leading Grey’s biggest client, to lead its west division in Mumbai. He creative officer. He moves in from Indigo P&G for the AMEA region, will be adding to her will spearhead business operations, focusing Consulting (the digital wing of Leo Burnett) current responsibilities and has been promoted on current and future partnerships in the where he served as national creative director for to chairman and managing director, Grey Group west region, and will be based in Mumbai. He close to three years. At 21N78E Creative Labs, India. Based in Mumbai, she will work closely over 12 years of experience in the marketing Kansal will be responsible for all the creative with Nirvik Singh, chairman and chief executive industry. Prior to FoxyMoron, he was leading output of the agency and will also be a core officer, Grey Group Asia Pacific, Middle East business development at iProspect, Dentsu Aegis member of the management team. Kansal has and Africa, to expand on Grey’s roadmap of Network as associate vice president, business over 20 years of experience in the creative arena, collaborative and innovative solutions for clients’ development, west. Before this Bhagnari worked including 15 years in digital communications. business problems as well as continue to build with Clique Communications Group as director, He has been associated with creating numerous upon the Grey brand in India. Sunil Lulla will be digital for five years, preceded by Group M’s breakthrough campaigns, right from India’s first leaving Grey to pursue other opportunities. Mindshare in Mumbai. video-based brand website.

30 afaqs! Reporter, April 16-30, 2 0 1 8 2016/-(inclusive taxes).

3495/-(inclusive taxes).