Need content that is relevant to a brand’s promise: Agnello Dias, CCO, Taproot Dentsu
Dias speaks about his journey in the industry and the honour of being inducted into the Advertising Club of Calcutta’s Hall of Fame
Agnello Dias, Co-Founder and CCO, Taproot Dentsu, is the only Indian to be listed among the top 100 creative people in the ad industry by US magazine ‘Fast Company’.
Dias, who has led top ad agencies like JWT and Leo Burnett to global wins, has worked on iconic campaigns for brands like the Times of India, Nike and Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’.
He recently achieved another milestone in his advertising career by getting inducted into the Advertising Club of Calcutta’s Hall of Fame. Speaking about this honour, Dias said: “It’s quite awe-inspiring not only because of the nomenclature in the title but also because of the sheer weight of the personalities who have walked this path before. The list of previous winners is more intimidating than the award.”
In a tête-à-tête with exchange4media, ‘Aggie’ as the ad fraternity likes to call him spoke about his journey in the creatively challenging world of advertising.
Edited excerpts:
How did you break into the advertising industry? What was the first brand that you worked on?
When I started off in the 1980s, advertising was an outlier profession. My brother had a friend who was an illustrator and was doing some work in advertising, I started working with him. I was still unsure about advertising, was still applying and going for interviews in other industries. Unfortunately, nothing materialised and so I stuck around in the advertising field. The first ad I worked on was for a brand of Thermoware called Eagle.
You have been part of top-notch ad agencies like JWT and Leo Burnett. Are there any key learnings that you have taken from these agencies and are implementing them at Taproot?
If you are receptive and keep your mind open, every agency teaches you something. Leo Burnett, thanks to Arvind Sharma, Chaks and Pops taught me how to not get intimidated by the odds. Also, the value of keeping at it, crafting and honing the idea long after it’s been cracked. JWT worked on the larger things that create widespread impact. My key takeaway from Leo Burnett was details, whereas from JWT it was about the bigger picture.
You have led Indian agencies like Leo Burnett and JWT to multiple landmark wins. What has been the common factor that has led to these successes?
In Leo Burnett, there was a strong feeling and desire to prove. I clearly remember my boss saying after coming back from an international conference: ‘They have not sent us the target of the creative calibre which they send to other offices. We are too far behind.’ That statement really hurt. We started working towards it and created Leo Burnett’s best work from India and became the Global Agency of the year 2004. JWT was an opportunity for me as an agency that was so entrenched in their ways that nobody could change it. I was there for some years and it all worked out very astonishingly. For Leo Burnett, it was the desire and for JWT it was to revamp their structure. These are the factors that led these agencies to global wins.
How has India’s performance at award festivals, and overall creativity and innovation improved over the years? Where do we lack? What are our strong points in comparison to our global counterparts?
Initially, we use to win one or two medals. It was written about and celebrated in the industry. This year, there are three Indian finalists at Cannes. A lot of content that is produced from the first world countries would run in any other country because their culture is homogenized. This allows us to work on content that is fresh. Our content is localised. It is not only great creative work but also a small lesson of history and culture for the judges at the panel. That itself is both our strength and the Hercules heel. The judges may understand our work but may not relate to it. That piece of Creative whether it is a song or a line has to be immersed in you and you have to be a part of that. In Cannes, the universal ideas win and that’s what we need to work on.
Can you speak about the legendary TOI campaign, in terms of the brief and insight?
In the past, the TOI brand had done work which was very entertaining and engaging. They had never had the gravitas or the seriousness of a media news brand. This constant conversation led to a client saying: ‘We are entering into the 60th year of Independence, we are becoming one of the greatest economies and evolving from where we were.’ That is why I had written ‘India vs India’. In my mind, I was writing something that could capture the brief very clearly. We got feedback that there was enough interaction. We built upon the campaign to make it even bigger and effective.
There is a content clutter with lot of ad campaigns being launched on different platforms. How does a brand stand out in this scenario?
We need to create content that is relevant to the brand’s promise and that is very tricky. It has to be content that is relevant to the brand’s voice and that is the advertising industry’s strength. That is what clients should opt for. We tend to be dazzled by content that is engaging but it may not be relevant to the promise of the brand.
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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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ShareSwapan 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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