Smith & Jones Masala Noodles takes a cheeky dig at Maggi in new ad

Hardly had the row over the Rin and Tide died down, when comes another ad where a brand has dragged the name of its competitor, this time, a print ad. It is Smith & Jones, which has tongue-in-cheek incorporated the name of competitor Maggi in the ad for its Masala Noodles Tadka Maar Ke.

e4m by Tuhina Anand
Published: Mar 11, 2010 7:47 AM  | 4 min read
Smith & Jones Masala Noodles takes a cheeky dig at Maggi in new ad

Hardly had the row over the Rin and Tide died down, when comes another ad where a brand has dragged the name of its competitor, this time, a print ad. Smith & Jones has come out with a half-page ad for its Masala Noodles Tadka Maar Ke. The copy, created in-house by Capital Foods, the brand owners of Smith & Jones and Ching’s Secret range of instant noodles, soups, sauces, cooking pastes and baked beans, arrests attention immediately with its colourful graphics, but more importantly, for the lines in the copy in bold, which scream – ‘Maggi Aur Suzi Bhi Bolain…’, which is then followed by the lines, though not in bold, that say: ‘Whether it’s Maggi from Goa, or Lakshmi from Chennai, Sukhwinder from Chandigarh… Ah, This Is Asli Masala!’

The ad very cleverly uses the name of its competitor and has a perfect alibi in the fact that it is the name of a girl and uses other names, too, to illustrate its point further. In fact, one may recall the TV ad of Smith & Jones Masala Noodles, which is an over dramatisation of the popular concept and phrase that Maggi has been using for a long time. The ad shows a boy returning from play and telling him mother ‘Bhookh lagi hai’, to which the mother is about to say ‘Two Minutes’ but instead signals with two fingers, and that’s when a voiceover interrupts and talks about S&J Masala Noodles.

Commenting on the current print ad, Ajaay Gupta, CMD, Capital Foods Ltd, said, “Smith & Jones Masala Noodles Tadka Maar ke is a fun brand. This is a continuation of a series of advertisements on television and in print. We are focused on redefining the ‘Masala Noodles’ category to ‘Masala Tadka Marke’. Smith & Jones Masala and Curry Noodles aims to get a 20 per cent market share of the Indian instant noodles market in the next 6-12 months.”

He added, “We believe we have a superior product that tastes better and more importantly, doesn’t get soggy/ pasty post preparation. Smith & Jones Masala Noodles has also been launched successfully in the US, Canada and Australia with a multimedia campaign targeting the Indian Diaspora.”

The series of print advertisements include an ad earlier, which had played on the popular brother duo – Mukesh aur Anil bhi khaate hai – and then goes on to say cheekily, ‘There’s only one thing Mukesh and Anil agree on along with Rakesh, Sunil…’. The next print ad features the sketch of a size zero figure in bikini and says: ‘Karina Ka Masala Ya - Jab Karina, Sushma, Sunita Ya Puja ka masala has lost its flavour, reach for some asli Masala Tadka Maar Ke’.

ASCI Secretary General Alan Collaco noted that Nestle, the mother brand of Maggi, could complain to the advertising body on unjustifiable use of their brand name. The ASCI Code states clearly: ‘Advertisements shall not make unjustifiable use of the name or initials of any other firm, company or institution, nor take unfair advantage of the goodwill attached to the trademark or symbol of another firm or its product or the goodwill acquired by its advertising campaign’.

Collaco further said that recently Onida, which had used the phrase ‘No Kiya’ in its ad, was asked to pull this ad after a ruling went in favour of Nokia. He said, “This is a tricky issue as the ad uses not just one name, Maggi, (and not Maggie), but names of other women too. But yes, Nestle is free to complain on this.”

When contacted, Hemant Misra, COO, Publicis India, the agency which handles Maggi, reacted by saying, “This name dragging exercise is an ancient thing and brands should not even get into this. It’s ridiculous and juvenile to bring the name of Maggi, which is almost synonymous with noodles in India. In fact, I don’t think this kind of advertising will help Smith & Jones, but will just reinforce the credibility of the brand Maggi, as the name in the copy would be an instant connect with many readers. I don’t think we would like to drag the matter and give it any further prominence by going to ASCI.”

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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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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

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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