Rewind 2013: The year has gone by in a bit of a blur - Ajay Gahlaut
While campaigns such as Lifebuoy Kumbh Mela 'Roti', Tanishq 'remarriage', Google 'reunion' grabbed attention, the ECD of Ogilvy & Mather wonders why there wasn't more work like these through the year

How has the year 2013 been for the advertising and marketing community? Firstly, is 2013 over? Already? Personally speaking, it has gone by in a bit of a blur. Seems just like yesterday that we were groggily picking ourselves up from the debris of New Year revelries to bid goodbye to 2012. The hangover appears to have lasted all through the year. It is said that Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones doesn’t remember living through the 70s. We understand completely. The year 2013 has been much the same for us.
Still, some lucid flashes do come to mind.
It was a great year for us at Ogilvy, Gurgaon. We picked up eight metals at Cannes. This has made the industry sit up and take note of this agency from the creative boondocks of New Delhi. And this has made us very happy.
We also did some interesting mainstream campaigns – Philips, Incredible India, Sprite and Voltas spring to mind.
But that’s enough about us. The industry did see some interesting work this year. What swims out through the fog of memory is the Lifebuoy Kumbh Mela ‘Roti’ campaign, with the ‘Have you washed your hands with Lifebuoy?’ message branded directly on the rotis. This was truly disruptive advertising. No one thought that you could use the ubiquitous roti as an advertising medium. But HUL did. With great results I’m told.
The Tanishq ‘remarriage’ film was another stand-out piece of work. Truly a brand making a progressive social statement. The fact that it struck a chord with people was borne out by the amount of earned media publicity it generated.
But etched clearest in memory is the Google ‘reunion’ film created by Ogilvy. A heartwarming story of two friends separated by the Partition and brought back together by Google. Fantastic film-making, great track, seamless product integration and wonderful performances make this the best of Indian advertising in 2013 for me.
And while these were excellent pieces, one wonders why there wasn’t more work like these through the year. Is it just my failing memory or has there been a fall in the quality of output across the industry? Maybe that’s a function of the revenue crunch that agencies are facing. Maybe the talent is leaving advertising and migrating to greener pastures. Maybe clients are becoming increasingly demanding and asking for more and more while paying less than ever before. Maybe agencies are chasing their own tails instead of sitting down together and finding a way to get the profession the respect and remuneration it deserves and enjoyed in the past. Maybe it’s the world wide economic depression. Maybe it’s Karma kicking in, or some disturbance in the space-time continuum. Maybe it’s all of the above. Or none. Or some.
Don’t ask me. I’m just the creative guy.
Ajay Gahlaut is Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather.
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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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Swapan 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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