Harsha Bhogle did the commentary for Swiggy's gulab jamun ad
A chat with Rajesh Ramaswamy who along with his team created the gulab jamun advertisement for Swiggy

In the second part of our series on the people behind the most talked about ads of IPL 11, we present a conversation with Rajesh Ramaswamy, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas, who along with his team, thought up the gulab jamun advertisement for Swiggy. The Swiggy gulab jamun ad is winning hearts, did that come from a personal experience?
We wanted to make short 20-second ads because during IPL you can’t afford to indulge too much. We were thus trying to figure out a format which was extremely simple and which had very relatable situations. We had a large team, including Rimona Ganapathy, Indrasish Mukherjee and Pradhumn Acholia, that worked on these ads. So once we zeroed in on the format for the ads, all of them had several personal experiences to share which could be used. Like, we all know somebody in our gang who orders something that nobody wants to eat and still tries to make everyone eat it. Then there was the gulab jamun situation which came from Indrasish. Not all the stories we thought of were converted into ads, but whichever added up to the task in hand, which was to convey super-fast delivery or no minimum order, made it to the screen. We have made a total of six ads this season.
Did the brand love the idea in one go or did it take some convincing?
In fact, we had the gulab jamun idea earlier and had presented it to Swiggy. But there was no cricketing context to it, something Swiggy was very keen on. So, then we thought of adding this commentary on ‘looking for a single’. When that commentary came in and it fitted beautifully, Swiggy warmed up to the idea and wanted us to go ahead with it.
So, cricket was a must-have in the creative because it was to play around the time of the IPL?
Yes, it was. Also, over here, it isn’t like a forced fit because it’s very natural for all of us to order something and watch a match. The commentary fits the plot. We actually got Harsha Bhogle to do the commentary for us and the ad was directed by Abhinav Pratiman of Early Man Films. If you watch all the six ads, you will surely find one friend from your circle who is exactly like the protagonist.
Interesting that the commentary was a last-minute addition, when you look at it now, one can’t think of separating it from the narrative because of the excellent fit.
Actually, as far as the Swiggy ads are concerned, it was a race against time. By the time we cracked the script, it was really late and then again we had very little time for production. So we had to double up and finish it. It was one crazy scenario. And after that, we had just a week to execute it.
Did you meet the deadline finally? Or the ad came a little after the opening match?
No, we actually managed to make it on time. The ad was out on the first day of the IPL.
About Rajesh Ramaswamy
A self-confessed Bollywood buff and biking enthusiast, advertising is as much Rajesh Ramaswamy’s hobby as it is his occupation. Rajesh has spent close to two decades in advertising, 13 years of which have been at Lowe Lintas where he is currently serving at the position of Executive Director at the Bangalore office. His most popular work includes the campaigns for Starsports ‘Kanna keep calm’ and Paperboat memories campaign with Gulzar. But the one that is closest to his heart is his very first ad -- the one he did for UB Export, a local beer brand in Kannada called ‘Yella Ok. Cool Drink Yaake?’ so much so that his current email id is also named after its tagline. Arun Iyer, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas
Most of the ads this IPL season don’t really have a connect to cricket
I don’t feel it is necessary to connect ads to IPL. In Swiggy’s case, eating, munching, ordering in and watching the game have a natural connect to it, because a lot of time when you are watching the game, you will order in something. But when you want to talk about a phone, say a Vivo commercial, you can’t force a cricket connect. If all ads do some forced cricket metaphors, it will not look good.
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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
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'
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 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
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
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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