I want to change the way we're looked at: Bodhisatwa Dasgupta

The Creative Director of Grey Worldwide talks about changing the way adlanders are perceived, Longhand Awards, creative gurus he looks up to, and more...

e4m by Priyanka Mehra
Published: Nov 13, 2013 9:35 AM  | 5 min read
I want to change the way we're looked at: Bodhisatwa Dasgupta

Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Creative Director, Grey Worldwide (Bodhi, as he is fondly known in the advertising fraternity) defines himself as an obsessive, compulsive writer. When he's not writing ads for a target audience he hasn't met, he's writing the first line of books that he won't write. And when he's not writing that, he's writing about irrelevant things that have no implication in the macrocosm of things. Bodhi hates long words. Like obituary. And when the time is ripe, he'll write his own, thank you very much, he says.

In his characteristic quirky manner, Bodhi talks about changing the way adlanders are perceived and Longhand Awards, among various other things…

Who are your idols in adland? Why do you look up to them?
Idols sound a little creepy to me. Almost as if I’d keep miniature versions of them in a dusty corner in my room and offer them sweet treats every day. People I look up to, now that would be more correct. I’m a little old school, I’m afraid. And so are the people I admire greatly. So there’s Mr French, and his irreverent style that I grew up on. There’s Mohammed Khan and his supreme writing. There’s Dan Weiden and David Droga and their crazy way of doing non-advertising work. I love that. I like it very much when people see advertising in a whole new way. When people create a music video, instead of a print campaign; that’s something new for me, and something I can learn from.

Which is that one project you are proud to have associated with? 
Hands down Longhand. In my eight years in advertising, I haven’t been a part of anything that’s excited me as much, or reached out to so many people in a tangible way. What was great about it were the judges – Neil, Indra, Satbir, Emmanuel, Nima, Ashish, Tony Brignull had none of the jollies other judges around the world enjoy. No fancy hotels, no lavish breakfasts and no important press conferences. The only reason they chose to judge, was the same reason I started Longhand. We wanted to bring the lost craft of writing back.

Five brands you would want to work with….
Sometime in my career, I’d like to go back to the city I grew up in and work on the brands that shaped me – brands such as Coke, L&T, AnandaBazaarPatrika and Tata Steel. Perhaps I’ll have more to give them now, than I did back then.

Your favourite digital campaign…
Google started this thing called ‘Project Re-Brief’ where the new creative directors collaborated with the legends back then, to create some new work on an old brief. One of the campaigns that was borne out of ‘Project Re-Brief’ was ‘I’d like to buy the world a Coke’.

I loved it because like all successful campaigns it wasn’t just digital. It had a physical, tangible presence too. And it was a sweet and simple idea, where you could actually gift anyone in the world a Coke! Now that to me is about spreading happiness. And I love that.

Your typical day at work…
Is not really spent at work, to be honest. I come in early at about 9:15 or so. Do my bit of writing, thinking of new things I can flood facebook with. Then I make my To-Do list. If the work is light, I head out. I take a walk, go for a lunch, meet some old colleagues, hit the spa. I like meeting people a lot, and I like observing human nature. And one can’t do that in office. Usually I’m out by 5:30 in the evening or so, much to the chagrin of my art partner who often complains that ‘copywriters just have to write two lines and the art director has to spend two days in doing the layout’.

What makes you tick?
At the risk of sounding overtly pompous, I think there’s just one thing that I do fairly well. And that’s writing. Over the years, I’ve tried to build projects that revolve around ‘words’ if you will, about the importance of them in our lives and how we sometimes take them for granted. Today, if anybody’s even remotely heard about me, it’s only because of Longhand. I think in a country that’s famous for its Hindi advertising and beautiful Hindi writing, I stand out like a sore thumb. Just that sometimes, it works in my favour.

Five years down the line you will be…
A has-been, a defunct dinosaur, a relic, a fossil, a what-have-you.

What after Longhand?
Longhand hasn’t ended, not by any standard. So nothing after Longhand. Unless, of course, it’s another project that promotes writing at large.

What do you want to change about adland?
I want to change the way we’re looked at outside our little wells. For contrary to what the perception is, most of us aren’t in fact druggies, oddballs, misfits and weirdos. We’re just regular people with a regular skill. Unfortunately, what people think about us has a lot to do with how we carry ourselves. Walk into any agency, and you’ll see that most of us are dressed like slobs who’ve just woken up. Barely. As if it’s okay to land up in boxers to work, because hey, you’re creative. I want to change the way we conduct ourselves, how we talk, how we behave, how we look. And in turn, that will change the way we’re looked at.

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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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