Ramesh & Suresh turn teenagers, still lost in 5 Star

Ad-film director Prasoon Pandey gave us the quirky sibling duo who are synonymous with the 5 Star brand today. Read on to find out how they emerged and how 'Ek Bilang' propelled them to new heights

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jan 31, 2018 8:55 AM  | 4 min read

Ramesh & Suresh have been lost in a bite of the chewy 5 Star chocolate bar since 12 years. The soon-to-be teenagers have become synonymous with the brand, taking their goofiness a level higher with every ad.

The adorable pug gave way to Zoozoos and now Asha-Bala are the face of Vodafone in India. But 5 Star has stayed loyal to its brother duo. No matter the changing brand positioning, evolving consumer behaviour, Ramesh & Suresh will continue to be the mascots for 5 Star say Mondelez and Oglivy. The outlandish antics of these characters "Have a lot of consumer affection and we continue to make them cooler, presenting them in new avatars, making them more aspirational," says Prashant Peres, Director - Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India.

Mondelez first approached Ogilvy in 2005-2006 with a simple brief- a bite of Cadbury 5 Star is a wholesome experience. Each bite is chewy, its taste appeal is so involving that one "gets lost in the taste of Cadbury 5 Star." Ogilvy has stayed true to this brief ever since. "The same brief has been responsible for all the work so far. The new 5 Star 3D campaign uses the same 'lost in the taste' platform but takes it to whole new level in terms of execution, look-feel etc," says Amitabh Agnihotri, Creative Director - ‎Ogilvy & Mather.

Initially, the product was positioned around "Togetherness, hunger, energy, irresistible and soft chew. The brand positioning witnessed a significant shift to adapt to the evolving consumer behaviour," explains Peres. Launched in 1969, 5 Star was one of the very first chocolates of its kind. Over the last few years, 5 Star has been innovating and reinventing itself for the premium chocolate segment in India. 5 Star is the second biggest Cadbury brand after Dairy Milk.

Now, 5 Star occupies a new space in the consumer's mind - aspirational. "Keeping in mind how having time for oneself is a luxury in today's demanding era, the Cadbury 5 Star's campaign 'Jo khaaye kho jaaye,' showcases the goofy characters in the Ramesh-Suresh series epitomizing the sensation of being Lost in Taste," notes Peres. Agnihotri says that Ramesh & Suresh have evolved with the times, reflecting the youth of the day. "Viewers lap up the humour in 5 Star ads and over the years, Ramesh & Suresh duo have become cooler with their lost adventures and the TVCs too have evolved with changing times in terms of the look and feel, which reflects how young people want to see Ramesh & Suresh," he says.

Ramesh & Suresh, who return every year with their eccentric escapades have been immortalised in 'Ek Bilang,' which became part of common lingo and the numerous Ramesh-Suresh jokes that went viral a little while ago. The magic of the duo has rubbed off on 5 decade old brand of 5 Star. "Ramesh & Suresh have helped the brand generate strong cut through and continue to be much loved by consumers. The campaign helped 5 Star strengthen its edge over competition by significantly increasing its scores on being 'youthful and innovative,' hitting the right spot with its target audience," Peres observes.

The first ever ad that Ogilvy created for the 'Lost in Taste' brief was the Caravan ad. None of the characters in the ad were named Ramesh and Suresh back then. After the Caravan ad, the next ad in 2008-09 was the 'Park-bench' ad which revolved around helping the 5 Star eaters because they are lost, and therefore, vulnerable.

The current avatar in which we see Ramesh & Suresh finally emerged in 2009. "We worked along with the clients to do something new all together with the brief in 2009. The result was the 'short term memory loss' campaign with two ads ('Shopkeeper' and 'Tailor') featuring two friends (Ramesh & Suresh) getting lost with each bite of 5 Star and repeating things with funny outcomes," shares Agnihotri.

While the names Ramesh and Suresh had not come up until 2009, looking back at the Caravan ad, it is easy to find similarities to the sibling duo in the 2005-06 ad. Agnihotri explains that it was legendary ad-film director, Prasoon Pandey, who decided to cast the same two actors who had appeared in the 'Caravan' ad and retained their look while adding a few things like goggles etc, making them appear even cooler.

Even as Ramesh & Suresh enter their terrible teens, as mascots they will continue to entertain viewers. "As long as people enjoy the stories Ramesh & Suresh appear in, they will keep on enjoying the ads," concludes Agnihotri.

In the latest ad for 5 Star 3D, Ramesh & Suresh are lost in a new dimension.


The First Caravan Ad


Tailor ad

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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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