Day Two: Recession sets in, laments Anil Thakraney

Anil Thakraney continues with his Memoirs of a Beach Bum and laments the fact that ‘recession’ has hit GoaFest when he had to get ‘coupons’ in the booze zone. Another lament is TBWA Worldwide Chief Jean-Marie Dru’s French-accented English that, he felt, made some key points ‘lost in translation’.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Apr 3, 2009 8:51 PM  | 4 min read
Day Two: Recession sets in, laments Anil Thakraney

Before I come to Friday’s happenings, a not-so-quick word on the booze meet of Thursday eve. Expectedly, the beach was left desolate as the power ad and media bigwigs hobnobbed with the attendant journos. This particular soiree was by invite only (as the lass at the registration desk cheerfully warned), so the youngsters were kept out. Good. This ensured the beach was left nice and clean for some heavy action over the weekend. I have always wondered how the power set would react to me at such meets, courtesy my not-so-sweet writing talents, so I always visit these jaunts with a degree of trepidation.

And yup, some of the p****d off leaders either look through me or flee at my sight. But the more sporting ones, the more self-confident ones, are warm and friendly. Guess they have achieved enough success in their lives to worry about some rants from a hack. Here are some of those good officers who not only tolerated my presence, in fact, appeared glad to meet me. Piyush Pandey. Sam Balsara. Bhaskar Das. Madhukar Kamath. Dhunji Wadia. And most of all, Ajay Chandwani, who made the grave error of telling me his wife loves my writings. I have since been chasing him all over the Cavelossim for her cell number. Pardon my depraved behaviour, dear Ajay, blame it all on the Scotch and the sun and the sands. Moral of the story: If you want your name in this exalted list, be nice to me, people.

Anyways, cut to Friday early noon. Most of the oldies are missing, but the hip agency crowds arrive. In droves. Suddenly, the GoaFest comes to life as thirsty and parched souls make a beeline for the booze zone. But hey, hold on! “You need to get coupons, man,” the bartender informs. And that’s the first sign that cost cutting is underway, and that dreaded R-word begins to get bandied around. Heck, even for that one-mint para-gliding expedition you gotta cough up bucks. No wonder the queues for the goodies are much shorter this year, I am told.

And then all of a sudden, I spot a large group of BJP ‘karya kartas’ arrive, and am shell-shocked. I rush to devour another gin-and-lime (there goes another damned coupon!) at the prospect of running into Shri LK Advani, but am quickly informed these are Rediffusion ladies and gents in their orange tees. What a relief! Yes, I like the idea of colour co-ordination, and am sure later on the O&M gang will arrive in their famous blacks. Would love it if all agencies colour code their people, much like the IPL teams. At least then we’ll know who belongs where, and when they commit the original sin of networking: hanging around the entire fest with their own lot. Also, if some naughty chap misbehaves, you can easily trace his roots.

Outstanding print work, but…
I check out the print and outdoor section and am pleasantly surprised to discover some wonderful ads on display. This section has the feel of an art gallery, as it should. Superb ideas and some great art direction. No, sorry, no body copy, the ad world in 2009 AD has no time and talent for the written word. I spot the stall is packed and the youngsters stare at the body of work with rapt attention, often showering compliments. Sometimes on their own creations. Small joys in the rough and tumble of the advertising world, where you have to battle many odds to get brilliant work through. The ‘idiot-proofing’ of adverts by worried clients destroys most of the industry’s creative excellence. Not surprisingly, I don’t recall having seen any of these jewels in the mass press. Some things never change.

Jean-Marie Dru: Pardon my French
The chief of TBWA Worldwide, Monsieur Dru, got a solid ovation. And deservedly so. He is the master of the famed ‘disruption theory’ and the brain behind some amazing idea-based work on brands like Apple, Adidas and Pedigree. To a packed auditorium, he spoke passionately about the power of ideas, but sadly, most of what he said went over people’s heads. Not just because they were massively inebriated (which most were), but because Monsieur speaks with a ‘tres’ heavy French accent, and was, therefore, difficult to comprehend. What a pity, because the man is a true giant of global advertising, and there’s a lot to be learnt from him.

One very senior creative director sitting next to me said that the only reason he has parked himself is that the seminar room was the only place with air-conditioning. I actually have a lot to say on the selection of guest speakers, so do ‘read my cribs’ in the issue of ‘impact’ out next week.

Meanwhile, here’s the impact Monsieur had on one of the delegates. Clearly, there was no disrupting this man’s snooze.

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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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