The Pioneers for Advertising

THE PIONEERS FOR

ADVERTISING

About the Newsletter: About the firm:

A firm consisting of successful lawyers with unparalleled expertise in their field, and a strong portfolio of clients set up Pioneer Legal with an endeavor not just to meet, but to exceed client expectations.

Pioneer Legal’s commitment to its clients, work, attention to detail, transparent approach and formidable expertise in various areas of corporate and commercial law is what sets it apart from other law firms. This newsletter intends to bring you recent updates of the ongoing activities

We take pride in delivering excellent and happenings in the advertising and client service. We are solution oriented media space. and offer creative and unique solutions to the complex legal challenges faced This newsletter covers updates in by our clients. relation to many areas including mergers, acquisitions, investments, media and creative collaborations/ Our partner, Pritha Jha heads the advertising practice at Pioneer Legal. partnerships, changes in key managerial With over a decade of experience in positions, and awards and achievements the space, not just in mergers and for exceptional commercial creativity in acquisitions, but also in day to day the advertising and media field. affairs of advertising agencies, Pritha is a known face in the lawyering fraternity The contents of this newsletter should for advertising. not be viewed as advice and is current only at the time delivered. She can be reached at [email protected] For any details regarding any matter covered in the newsletter, please connect directly with the firm.

innovations agency solving real-world problems for brands, corporations and even governments.

Hakuhodo Inc. acquires AdGlobal360

Japan’s second-largest advertising agency – Hakuhodo Inc. – has acquired AdGlobal360, a mar-tech agency in India. This is Hakuhodo’s first acquisition in India. AdGlobal360 was ranked as the fastest growing MarTech Company in 2019 by Deloitte. Pioneer Legal represented AdGlobal360 in its acquisition by Hakuhodo. The team Cannes Lions 2020 postponed comprised of Pritha Jha, Sanket Jain, In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Taskeen Hamid and Ayush Sinha. Cannes Lions announced postponement

WPP acquires Sandtable of the festival to October 2020.

GroupM, the investment arm of WPP has Maddys 2020 postponed until further announced that they have acquired notice Sandtable – a data science company based out of London and specializing in The Advertising Club Madras has behavioral analytics and advanced announced the postponement of simulations. Maddys 2020 until further notice in light

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nihilent acquires Hypercollective

Nihilent, a global consulting and services Goafest 2020 postponed until further company using human-centered notice approach for problem solving has announced the acquisition of The Advertising Club and the Hypercollective – a cross-disciplinary Advertising Agencies Association of

India has announced that the 2020 Advertising in the kids’ genre went up by edition of ‘Goafest 2020’ along with 27% while advertising during Hindi ‘Abby Awards’ has been postponed until Movies witnessed a jump of 8% in FCT further notice. during March 14-20, according to BARC data. Advertising on news channel grew ITV forecasts slump in advertising by almost 26% for Hindi news and 53% revenues due to COVID-19 for English news, as a repercussion of the COVID-19 situation, since the In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, ITV viewers shifted to news channels on forecasted that there will be a minimum televisions to keep themselves updated 10% drop in advertising revenues for the on the situation outside. month of April since companies in the travel sector have cut off spending on The One Show moves judging online advertisements. due to COVID-19 pandemic

Facebook and Google see less Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the One advertising Club for Creativity has moved the judging (for nearly all disciplines) online Following the COVID-19 outbreak, for its two global awards shows: (i) The digital advertising is expecting to take a One Show; and (ii) ADC 99th Annual hit, which consequently spells bad news Awards. for Facebook and Google who are expected to take a heavy hit in terms of Marcom Avenue bags integrated loss. Google and Facebook are both marketing mandate for Vertel Digital expected to lose revenue in the range of 18 to 19%. Marcom Avenue, a data-driven integrated marketing agency has been Facebook and Instagram reduce appointed as the lead for integrated streaming quality in India marketing for one of India’s leading wireless radio communication Due to the additional pressure on equipment providers, Vertel Digital. The network infrastructure and bandwidth account will be serviced from the constraints because of the COVID-19 Gurugram office. situation and increase in the number of users, Facebook and Instagram VMLY&R appointed by Bajaj Group to announced that they will be lowering the revamp the brand’s digital presence streaming quality of videos viewable on their platform. VMLY&R, a global full-service marketing agency, has been appointed by Bajaj Advertising shoots up for news Group to revamp its brand’s image and channels identity.

The first task will be reworking the most 3

prominent touchpoint of the brand i.e. their website. ASCI actively listening to consumers on social media and flagging Hashtag Orange expands to Mumbai misleading ads

The insights-driven digital solutions The Advertising Standards Council of agency – Hashtag Orange – announced India (ASCI) is actively fighting against its expansion to Mumbai. Hashtag advertising that misleads consumers, Orange’s headquarter is New Delhi. Full- since a lot of brands are messaging service capabilities will be provided around COVID-19. from the agency’s new Mumbai office to potential clients in the region. DigitalKites enters digital advertising space with 2 new offerings The One Club for Creativity launches ‘The One Club COVID-19 Job Board’ DigitalKites, a new-age marketing and advertising technology agency has The One Club for Creativity, an ventured into the digital advertising international not for profit organization, space by offering two flagship products has launched a job board - ‘The One Club – AudiencePrime (for brands) and COVID-19 Job Board’ - which is a free AudiencePlay (for publishers). These resource for connecting people seeking products are free and are built as open work globally with agencies, design collab platforms. studios, production companies, etc. looking to fill open positions.

In a short span since its launch, the job Eunoia wins creative duties for AEON board had over 180 job opening posted. Credit Services India

Gemius Design Studio bags creative The marketing solutions agency of and digital mandate for Palladio Dentsu Aegis Network – Eunoia – has Mosaics bagged the creative media duties for AEON Credit Services India, a non- The 360-degree marketing and branding banking finance company providing agency – Gemius Design Studio – has loans to consumers. bagged the creative and digital media duties mandate for Palladio Mosaics, The mandate includes creative following a multi-agency pitch. communications and campaign designs as well as media consulting services.

Palladio is a unique design solutions TapRoot Dentsu wins creative mandate provider which allows designers to for Mobile Premier League’s 2020 IPL create stunning visuals. The mandate Campaign includes creating brand awareness and strengthening of brand presence. TapRoot Dentsu, the creative agency of DAN, has been awarded the creative 4

mandate for Mobile Premier League’s Mirum India wins marketing 2020 IPL Campaign, following a multi- automation mandate for Shwapno agency pitch. MPL is one of India’s largest mobile gaming platform. Mirum India, the digital agency of WPP, has won the marketing automation The account will be serviced from mandate for Shwapno – the largest agency’s Mumbai office. grocery chain in Bangladesh.

Dentsu Webchutney gets digital and WPP to share campus with Indian start- creative mandate for OkCupid ups

Dentsu Webchutney, the digital-first WPP has announced that it will be creative agency of DAN has bagged the housing Indian start-ups in its campuses creative as well as digital media in India i.e. Mumbai and Gurugram. WPP mandate for OkCupid India – an online believes that technology is critical for dating, friendship and social networking India’s growth and the same will help website. promote creativity powered by technology. The account will be serviced from the agency’s Bengaluru office. Mindshare and Xaxis create first outdoor campaign for Grofers

The advanced programmatic arm of

GroupM – Xaxis - as well as global media WPP withdraws guidance for 2020 agency of WPP – Mindshare –

collaborated to create a digital out-of- WPP, part of GroupM, has issued an home campaign for Grofers, one of update in light of the COVID-19 India’s biggest online grocery shopping pandemic stating that they are and delivery providers. The campaign withdrawing the guidance issued for was introduced at the international 2020 due to significant uncertainty over airport in Mumbai. the immediate outlook. It also stated that the trading update for the first Wunderman Thompson South Asia quarter will be issued on April 29, 2020. reinforces social distancing

Wavemaker introduces new logo and Wunderman Thompson, a creative, data brand design and technology agency and part of WPP, collaborated with its clients to create Wavemaker has rebranded itself as ‘The campaigns around ‘social distancing’. It New Wavemaker’ with an evolved received an overwhelmingly positive proposition, product and attitude as well response from its clients for social media as a new identity. The agency also has a driven campaigns to promote social new global operating system, modular responsibility. planning process. Everything has been GroupM Research examines trust in done keeping in mind the new position digital marketing of the agency which is ‘Positive Provocation’. GroupM has released a new research which offers insights into consumer trust 5

in digital marketing. The research involved surveys of almost 14,000 consumers across 23 countries. Few Havas Media wins integrated media highlights of the research are as follows: duties of ACC

(a) 6 in 10 consumers are less inclined Havas Media has been awarded the to use a product if their data is integrated media mandate of ACC used for any purpose; Limited, one of India’s biggest cement and read-mix concrete manufacturers. (b) 56% consumers want more control over their data;

The research paper can be viewed here.

PHD wins global media duties for Diageo

PHD, the global communications planning and media buying agency and part of the Omnicom Media Group, has been awarded the global media duties for Diageo – the alcoholic beverage company who owns Johnnie Walker, Ashutosh Srivastava becomes CEO of Smirnoff, Tanqueray. Diageo is GroupM APAC (excluding Mainland considered as one of the biggest China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) advertisers in the world. GroupM has announced that Ashutosh Srivastava will be the new CEO of GroupM APAC region (excluding Lowe Lintas bags creative duties for Mainland China, Hong Kong and iQOO for iQOO 3 smartphone Taiwan). The appointment was made effective from March 11, 2020. A new entrant in the smartphone market of India – iQOO has appointed Ashutosh will transition his leadership of Lowe Lintas for launch of its first Mindshare’s Russia, Middle East and smartphone in India. Virat Kohli, the Africa markets to Helen McRae, CEO famous cricketer of India, has been Mindshare EMEA. appointed as the brand ambassador for the brand. Karen Blackett OBE appointed as GroupM U.K.’s CEO

GroupM has announced that Karen DDB Mudra Group in the ‘Top 20’ at Blackett OBE will be the new CEO of WARC Effective 100 Rankings GroupM U.K. replacing Tom George. DDB Mudra Group has ranked 19th in the Kate will handle the strategy and ‘Top Creative Agencies’ category with operations throughout U.K. across all 52.3 points this year. The WARC GroupM agencies. In addition, she will Effective 100 Rankings, considered as continue her role as WPP’s U.K. Country one of the most rigorous rankings, take Manager. into account performance across top- tier strategy, marketing and creative Vijay Singh quits Fox Star Studios India shows around the world.

The CEO of Fox Star Studios India, Vijay Singh, has stepped down and will stay for a couple of months to help his successor Bikram Duggal take his position smoothly. He was with the studio since 2007.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is meant for informational purpose only and does not purport to be advice or opinion, legal or otherwise, whatsoever. Pioneer Legal does not intend to advertise its services through this newsletter.