MTS' 'Always Talk' campaign is relatable but lacks strong insight

The mktg initiative communicates the unlimited talk time proposition but the idea is not fresh. This is Rediffusion Y&R's last campaign for MTS, as Creativeland Asia is its new creative partner

e4m by Twishy
Published: Jul 10, 2013 7:50 AM  | 5 min read
MTS' 'Always Talk' campaign is relatable but lacks strong insight

In a bid to promote its latest offering – the ‘Always Talk’ plan – telecom network company MTS has rolled out a new nation-wide campaign through a series of TVCs featuring actor Imran Khan. Incidentally, this is Rediffusion Y&R’s last campaign for the brand, as MTS has appointed Creativeland Asia as its new creative partner.

In the campaign, Khan plays a variety of roles, including a politician, a bridegroom, a kidnapped hostage, and a young lover. In each case, Khan’s character attempts to call someone over the phone during an emergency, only to get a busy tone. It is presumed that the person on the other line is busy talking on an MTS network. The film ends with a shot of Khan, frustrated after repeated attempts at trying to reach the other person, saying this is what happens when people get an MTS talk plan – they keep on talking.

Commenting on the new offering, Amitesh Rao, Director for Brand and Media, MTS said, “With the ‘Always Talk’ plan, our proposition is to enable MTS customers to enjoy voice calls without having to worry about the cost. The plan provides free unlimited voice calls to MTS numbers and up to 1,000 minutes of free voice calls to any other network. The intent of the ‘Always Talk’ plan is to allow customers to leverage their connected time to the maximum extent possible.”

The plan claims to offer ‘Best Value Promise’, with the talk time being 30-40 per cent cheaper than other offerings in the market.

An ‘upset’ brand ambassador
Elaborating on the film, Sam Ahmed, Chief Creative Officer and Vice-Chairman, Rediffusion Y&R said, “MTS was launching a simple, hassle-free ‘Always Talk’ plan that was being priced aggressively in the market. So, we knew that our creative execution had to be as simple and memorable. We chose the approach of humour, combined with a twist in the end.”

He added, “In the ad, everyone that Imran Khan tries to call is busy on another call, and in the end, Khan is frustrated with the situation. So, for the first time we see a brand ambassador being upset with the brand he is endorsing. The idea being that MTS consumers can keep on talking on an MTS network. The client was brave enough to trust us on this idea and I think it has turned out beautifully. The music, composed by Dhruv Ghanekar, was also crafted to take the humour in the ad up a few notches by making the tune catchy and memorable.”

The campaign will run for six weeks across television, with a strong focus on regional channels. The commercials will be aired in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Bengali channels. The ‘Always Talk’ plan will be introduced in all the nine circles where MTS operates – Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West) and West Bengal.

The launch of ‘Always Talk’ initiative is supported by an integrated communication campaign, including a series of TVCs featuring Imran Khan. The campaign will also include print and radio advertising, backed by road shows across all the circles.

Expert take: Simple idea, good execution
Speaking on the ads, Raghu Bhat, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications said, “Quite like the films. Imran Khan looks the part and pulls off his roles with élan. Particularly like the way he has taken the effort to make each dialogue in sync with the character. The soundtrack is very catchy and kudos to Dhruv for it. The idea is simple and does the job of communicating the unlimited talk time. The lighting and execution is good too, and overall, a thumbs up.”

Our take: The insight is not very fresh
MTS has played well on the insight that people get impatient if the other person’s phone is busy on another call. The idea of showing consumers always busy on a call is simple and relatable. The tune is catchy and can help establish recall in the minds of consumers. Using actor Imran Khan in a humorous way helps take the ad a few notches higher. However, the insight is not very fresh and has been used by brands earlier.

It is seen for the first time that the brand ambassador is frustrated with the brand that he is endorsing. This is indeed a brave move by MTS and Rediffusion Y&R together, but it remains a big question as to how logical this move will be.

The ‘Politician’, ‘Kidnap’ and the ‘Hostel’ TVCs are very humourous and witty, but the ‘Shaadi’ and Pumpkin’ TVCs are not that catchy. Overall, the campaign has been able to garner eyeballs because the message of ‘Always Talk’ comes out very clear.

Watch the MTS TVCs here...

Politician 

Kidnap 

 

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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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