People not just want to buy product but the idea: Swati Bhattacharya, FCB Ulka

Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka on the crowning glory of striking gold at Cannes 2018, the agency’s creative strategy and more

e4m by Misbaah Mansuri
Published: Jul 5, 2018 8:57 AM  | 3 min read

If you were to look at the winning agencies of Cannes 2018, the big surprise seems to have been FCB India. While the agency’s ‘Sindoor Khela’ campaign is without a doubt the stuff of renowned advertising awards, this year's win ended FCB India’s long spell of draught at the advertising festival. After all, this year saw the agency bring home two Gold Lions and two Bronze Lions including Gold in the Glass category for the much-lauded campaign. The work is brain-child of Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka who spoke to exchange4media on this crowning glory, the agency’s creative strategy and more.

Edited excerpts:

The 'No Conditions Apply' campaign has won many laurels and struck gold at Cannes. Let’s rewind. Tell us how it was born. What was the creative brief and how did you crack it?

I think we met Times Of India in the month of August. And while they’re a big, national newspaper, I think they have a problem in the city of Calcutta. Anandabazar Patrika and Telegraph are from there so TOI was seen as an outsider. The brief was like can we do something that made them seem like a local Bengali newspaper. So when you get that as a brief, you know that you have to do something culturally relevant. When we were talking about culture, we knew that Durga Puja is just month and a half away and is the most culturally relevant festival for Bengalis. They had already done a campaign a year back called ‘No conditions apply’. I just had to put ‘No conditions apply’ and Durga Puja and think of something that would stand up to that. So we started off for a ‘brand’ cause and used social to do it. And now, their numbers have exceeded Telegraph and suddenly TOI became the Bengali English newspaper because it had the language of an insider, not an outsider.

Other agencies worry when FCB is a part of a pitch. What worries FCB?

On the day of a pitch, a lot of things have to come together. Pitch is also a little bit about performance and sometimes on that given day, we might be very excited about the idea but everything needs to come together as an equation. Our performance, the mind-set of the client, how engaged they are, just everything. Sometimes people call a pitch without wanting to change anything. And there are times when people call for a pitch wanting to change everything.

What are the type of clients you're looking to work with?

We want to come through for all the clients who have invested in us. I think for us, it’s about creating shiny work for all these clients.

Integrated agencies or specialized agencies? What do you think is the buzzword in the industry now?

I think buzzword now is purpose. It’s about giving purpose to brands. And that could be even for the smallest creative.

A lot of work that have won at Cannes and the conversations too have been attached to purpose and social causes. What is the reason for such kind of work winning more?

I think because we’re in a world where between the politics and institution that are supposed to dispense justice has weakened a lot. Our trust in the system for social justice has become weak all over. Brands are bringing the social change aspect because even consumers now, don’t just want to buy your product but want to buy into your idea. So with the purpose comes a connection-tool between the brands and consumers.

Tell us about your creative strategy for the agency as we go forward?

I think it is win, win, win.

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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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