Firstpost TVC goes the eco-friendly way

The TVC, created by Contract Advertising, shows how trees are cut to generate newsprint for newspapers; it encourages readers to read news online

e4m by Shree Lahiri
Published: May 30, 2012 2:24 AM  | 4 min read
Firstpost TVC goes the eco-friendly way

Firstpost’s new TVC seeks to change everyone’s habit of reading the morning newspaper and encourages them to switch to reading news online.

The TVC, created by Contract Advertising, shows how trees are cut down to generate newsprint for newspapers, leading to deforestation and adverse affect on wildlife. It stresses on the issue that these newspapers provide news a day late.

The ad brings the viewer face-to-face with the reality that the planet is under siege. It then goes on to say that there is a new option for the new age – Firstpost. The ad ends with the line: ‘Read today’s news today, not a day later’.

The brief
At the concept stage, what Firstpost set out to achieve was simply to reach out to a larger audience. The challenge was to take Firstpost to internet users who still thought of the ‘morning newspaper’ whenever they thought of ‘news’. The objective was to get people to turn to Firstpost for their dose of news.

Explaining Firstpost’s commitment to digital journalism, Durga Raghunath, VP – Products and Executive News Producer, Firstpost said, “News has moved beyond the static newspaper. The idea is to make readers entirely rethink their view of news as it happens.”

On the brand promise being met here, Raghunath explained that Firstpost was about presenting news as it breaks, with views, comments and interactivity in the shortest time possible. It is also about “having a conscience and saying very clearly what is right, wrong and where we stand on issues. It is about setting exclusive digital journalism as a viable new form. This ad states all these most effectively,” she stressed.

“While Firstpost had its dedicated following, the task was to migrate newspaper readers to Firstpost,” explained Ravi Deshpande, Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising.

Mapping out the approach, he said, “We were pretty sure that once the audience was there, the product itself would hook them. After all, Firstpost is a truly international news product from India that has not been an offshoot of a traditional newspaper attempting to replicate itself online.”

Challenging newspapers would have to be done at a poetic level. Thus, the direction the agency has taken in the film is to display the terrible loss of trees that the planet endures so that the reader gets to read news that is already a day old. It attempts to cue people on how they can read news fast on Firstpost without hurting the planet.

“While personally I feel reading a newspaper in the morning is rather romantic, the shift to digital is inevitable. Sooner we all do it, the better it is for our only planet,” elaborated Deshpande.

Media mix
Television and digital are being used to promote this campaign. On using social media, Raghunath said, “We will not go hammer and tongs and spam the internet user or our followers; we will show rather than tell.”

Industry speak
For covering a sensitive issue like deforestation, this TVC is being regarded in a positive light.

Commenting on the ad, Sambit Mohanty, ECD, Bates said, “I quite liked the TVC, because it's not pompous, preachy nor does it takes potshots at competition. Rather, it hinges on a simple little insight – get newspaper readers to realise that they are reading stale news (therefore, they should start logging on to Firstpost).” He added that in these eco-conscious times, the ad has managed to get the message across in a manner that makes perfect sense.

Anindya Banerjee, Branch Head and Executive Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications found it “a good commercial and well made one too”. He pointed out that perhaps the only thing going against this commercial is the fact that the payoff is very generic – it could work for any news site. Also, it does not lead up to their baseline ‘The world must know’. “But in the television medium that is full of mediocre ads, this one will definitely stand out,” he concluded.

Campaign credits:

Client: Firstpost
Agency: Contract Advertising
Chief Creative Officer: Ravi Deshpande
Copywriter: Ravi Deshpande
Art Director: Ravi Deshpande and Salil Sojwal
Director: Bosco

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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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