Cannes Lions 2017: Brooke Bond Red Label's 6 Pack Band challenges stereotypes, breaks barriers: Keith Weed

Transgender band’s performance on stage @Cannes reaffirms diversity agenda of festival

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jun 21, 2017 8:10 AM  | 5 min read
Cannes Lions 2017: Brooke Bond Red Label's 6 Pack Band challenges stereotypes, breaks barriers: Keith Weed

Stage performances by the transgender Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band on Monday came in for high praise and appreciation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2017, reaffirming the diversity agenda of the festival.

 “We were delighted that Brooke Bond’s 6 Pack Band could perform at the Cannes Lions after winning the Grand Prix Glass Lion last year. The band is challenging stereotypes, spreading the message of inclusiveness and encouraging people to break down barriers over a cup of tea. As part of Unilever’s movement to #Unstereotype advertising, Brooke Bond is showing that ads which spark debate and address local tensions can be a powerful force for change,” said Keith Weed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Unilever, who also tweeted a picture of the band’s performance on Monday afternoon.

 

The band was introduced on stage by Nilufar Fowler, Global Client Lead, Mindshare, before the ‘Talent without Prejudice’ panel discussion on equality without filters. Answering a question from her, a band member said, “Personally, our whole life has changed. Today, our community feels proud that we are doing this. And people who used to harass us now call us superstars from the 6 Pack Band.”

Shameer Tandon, MD of Music Boutique, that curates the band, spoke of the trials and tribulations faced by band members, and how things are slowly changing for the transgender community. “The entire community has now gone a level above what they used to be. For example, in a lot of places within India, local elected politicians are from the transgender community. Government and even tribal establishments have started recruiting them. More than anything, the millennials, the younger generation, is in love with them - they can go out for coffee or a drink with them, and they think it’s cool to be seen with them, which earlier generations considered a social stigma. It’s been a complete paradigm shift. For that, I want to express our gratitude to the Indian offices of Mindshare which has been working with us very closely for the last two years,” he said.

In the evening, the band performed before a full house at the beginning of the Awards Ceremony, winning huge applause.

‘Bajao Taali’ for the Band’s performance

Describing how the idea of the 6 Pack Band had evolved at the advertiser’s end, Gaurav Jeet Singh, Head Media Services- South Asia at Hindustan Unilever, said, “The glitzy effortless performance of the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band at Cannes is the culmination of a two-year journey. YFilms’ idea of India’s first transgender band received its raison d'être in Brooke Bond Red Label Tea’s purpose of making the world a more welcoming place. Pitched at HUL’s Content Day- 2015, the idea got bigger every passing day, with some of the most iconic names from Bollywood joining hands with the band to make the world a more welcoming place. The execution of the idea by the teams at HUL, Mindshare and YFilms has been brilliant and the performance at Cannes is the icing on the cake. A big cheer to the stars of Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band, Bajao Taali!”

Commenting on the band’s performance, Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia, who watched it at the Palais des Festival’s Debussy Theatre on Monday, said, “It is one of the most wonderful things that India has made it possible to bring in this year. In our country, where we are still struggling to get women their rights, and increase awareness about gender parity, this campaign courtesy the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band will make a difference to the lives of those belonging to the third gender. It has brought so much change in their lives, and it has already become iconic, holding up their voices to society. Bringing it right up to Cannes will make it more international and hold up their voice to the whole world, and thus spread the message across the world on what they have been able to change in the most vicious cultures. I think it’s a wonderful job. And members of the band were obviously very proud to be here at Cannes, and it showed in their performance as well as when they spoke about how they are leading the change in society.”

Also in the audience was Laila Gunasekere of Dentsu Grant Media, Sri Lanka who said that she had attended the session just to see the 6 Pack Band. “I really came to see the 6 Pack Band. I think they were amazing. And their story resonated with me as a woman, and as someone who has been in advertising for a long time. I had read about them, and what they stand for is marvellous,” Gunasekere said.

Himanshu Shekhar, CEO, Indonesia and South East Asia, Mindshare, called it “a ground-breaking idea and a courageous decision by Mindshare and Unilever to bring the band to Cannes”. “A good idea brings success to brands; however great ideas not just make a brand successful but also make a social impression. This idea has transformed people at the margin of society as mainstream pop culture icons. This idea will remain a beacon of original thinking in Indian media,” he observed.

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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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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

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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