Purpose of brand Red Label is to make India more inclusive: Shiva Krishnamurthy

The Vice President, Tea & Foods, HUL, talks about Brook Bond’s latest ad film 'Old Friends' that addresses the veg-non-veg divide in India

e4m by Noel Dsouza
Published: Feb 22, 2019 8:57 AM  | 3 min read
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Red Label, from HUL, has launched a series of social campaigns that aim at spreading the message of inclusivity and breaking age-old stereotypes. Over the years, the brand has touched on social issues that are kept in hushed tones with its Swad Apnepan Ka campaigns.

In 2014, they launched a campaign depicting a Muslim lady inviting a Hindu couple who had lost their house keys for tea. The commercial sent out a message for Hindu-Muslim unity. Their recent campaign, Old Friends, does not digress from this theme. The TVC brings to the forefront the issue of food preferences and the silent divide that still exists between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Talking about the thought behind the campaign, Shiva Krishnamurthy, Vice President, Tea & Foods, HUL, said the purpose is to make India more inclusive.

“We believe in confronting and challenging prejudices that come in the way of being more inclusive. Our latest TVC challenges one such prejudice in a light-hearted manner over a tasty cup of tea. We hope that people will love it as much as they have loved all the earlier commercials of our ongoing Swad Apnepan Ka campaign.”

The ad film, created by Ogilvy, features two aged friends having an encounter after a long time. The comrade, who is vegetarian visiting the non-veg friend, refuses to drink tea on the grounds of meat being cooked in his house. As the ad film progresses, it showcases the aroma of a warm cup of tea that diffuses the veg-non-veg difference between the two friends.

exchange4media caught up with Shiva Krishnamurthy, Vice President, Tea and Foods (HUL), to talk about the campaign in detail.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

What was the insight behind the campaign?

The insight that we got was that vegetarians are often reluctant to eat or drink from vessels that may have been used for non-vegetarian food.

How does this ad take forward your Swad Apnepan Ka campaign?

Brooke Bond Red Label’s Swad Apnepan Ka campaign is based on our firm belief that a tasty cup of tea can go a long way in dissipating tensions and can bring people together. Over the last five years, this now iconic campaign has touched upon various social tensions and has helped people question their prejudices that are often the reasons for these tensions. The vegetarian--non-vegetarian divide is a natural part of this series.

Has highlighting social causes in the communication helped the brand?

Brooke Bond Red Label has always touched upon various social issues in their ad campaigns. The brand's purpose is to help people find common ground over tea, thereby making India more inclusive. As part of living this purpose, we have touched upon various social tensions that come in the way of a more inclusive society. In the last five years that we have been on this journey, Brooke Bond Red Label has been showered with more brand love than ever before and has been rewarded with market leadership and now Brooke Bond Red Label is India’s No.1 tea brand.

Tell us about the media mix that you follow. 

Brooke Bond Red Label uses TV as its lead medium, but digital is the fastest growing. We also use outdoor and print.

Finally, what are the future plans for the brand?

Brooke Bond Red Label will continue to walk the talk on its purpose of making India more inclusive.

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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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