Apple’s Mac-centric ad with A R Rahman - fab or drab?

A fifty-second long video features music composer A R Rahman who has become the first Indian to be featured in an Apple ad

e4m by Misbaah Mansuri
Published: Jul 23, 2018 8:58 AM  | 4 min read

Throughout its existence, Apple for many reasons has enjoyed an enthusiastic cult following. With its beautifully-designed and brilliantly-marketed products, it became the consumer power-brand of the 21st century. However, it was just a matter of time and the happy face on the screen of Apple Mac soon started to look more like a pained grimace. But just when everyone thought that the brand was faltering, it decided to throw its marketing muscle behind the Mac and launched a new ad campaign focused on it, carrying the tagline ‘Behind the Mac’. The ad campaign highlights a trio of creators who have used Mac to ‘make something wonderful’. A fifty-second long video features music composer A R Rahman who has become the first Indian to be featured in an Apple ad.

The creative


“Music has given me respect, love and so much of adulation, you know, it’s like a spiritual zone where I go in… If anything slows you down, it’s not good for your art,” Rahman is seen saying in the video. The music director is shown explaining why he chooses to work on Mac.

“Some people are traditionalists, and that is fine because then the tradition actually lives along. But I am actually a rebel,” he says. By the end of the sentence, the screen flashes these words, “AR Rahman’s compositions have changed the way the world thinks of Indian music”.

Ad review

Anusheela Saha, Group Creative Director, FCB Ulka feels that the campaign addresses a beautiful thing about creators - to make or create things on one’s own terms and how the Mac enables them. Saha loves the fact that how the creators and the product both stand together in the spotlight in the campaign.” It effortlessly addresses the close bond that the brand shares with those who make. The campaign details out the many ways creative professionals use Mac to accomplish their work across a range of very different disciplines, from music to app development. I actually love how the ads are made to show and not ‘tell’ a Mac's ability to augment and facilitate the creative process, it’s a brilliant way to talk about a products’ features,” she says.

Amit Shankar, National Creative Director, Publicis Capital feels that the brand is trying to do something very organic in the consumer space and the ad with the music composer is very engaging and simplified one. “I like the simplicity of how Mac helps people who are masters in their field and enables them to achieve what they want to create,” says Shankar.

Aditya Kilpady, National Planning Director, Dentsu Impact points out that the holy grail of Apple communication over decades has been product as hero with focus on benefits, not features and the ability to convey it in a compelling manner. “It’s hard to find a fault with any Apple communication. But this time, let me be brave enough to make an exception,” he acknowledges.

Kilpady reasons that what’s perhaps missing in this campaign is knowing how the Mac hardware has improved to meet the expectations of creators creating content. “A quick glance through tech-blogs will reveal how these same content creators have thrashed the Mac hardware, their fragile keyboards and ill-conceived touch bars. What would have been wonderful if they kept the narrative on the Mac, it’s benefits and how people can make wonderful things,” he reasons.

According to Deep Mehta, Co-Founder, Digichefs, the communication is smart. “I think the ads are a smart way to introduce Mac to newer target markets who otherwise may never consider the need for a Mac as their first choice of personal computer. Mac which currently stands for more of a symbol for "success" (debatable), is trying too hard to get into the mass by introducing the value it creates in the life of its users, which I believe is thoughtful at this stage for the brand. Thumbs up for the campaign,” he says.

Shekhar Mhaskar, EVP, Isobar also agrees that the film is quite captivating and compels the viewer to watch it till the end. "I think advertising should talk to people about the benefits they get out of a product, and not the features per se. And coming from Apple, there’s no iota of doubt left,” says Mhaskar.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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