Testimonials ads: Lalitajis make way for celebrity validation

Compared to the trend few years back, testimonial ads are not so frequent on the tube these days. Are quintessential testimony ads going out of vogue? Perhaps not. Advertisers are still loyal to such ads, but with a change: the ubiquitous housewife and the archetypal middle-class ambience have been replaced with a celebrity and a suited milieu.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jun 30, 2004 8:07 AM  | 3 min read
Testimonials ads: Lalitajis make way for celebrity validation

The average Charlie says, “I love XYZ brand of toothpaste because it has magically transformed my off-whites into pearly whites within a matter of three days. Easy on the pockets, XYZ offers germ-free protection and defence against bad breath and plaque. Aur taste mein bhi badhiya hain!

If you are a detergent brand, a beauty product, a malted drinks brand, an engine oil entity or a brand of plain Jane toothpaste, chances are that you have tried the testimonial route at one time or the other. There was a time when consumers could not switch on their television sets without one or the other testimonial ad making an appearance on the screen. Of late, however, testimonial ads have lost some of their flourish and brands have preferred to latch on to a more entertaining mode of story telling.

Says Prahlad Kakker, Filmmaker at Genesis, “Testimonial ads were seen the most in the detergent category. The meek man would move into a middle-class home, and turn the spotlight on pearly white clothes, tight budgets and unfailing results. The only problem with this simple and easy to use formula was that it failed to generate the desired response. The modus operandi didn’t hold much interest and consumers started toying with the remote control instead. Hence these days the average Charlie is no longer being hunted for the cause of testimonial advertising. Instead, celebrities are doing their bit.”

Kakker goes on, “For instance, if a star of the calibre of Madhuri Dixit gives her testimony on a line-up of Emami products, it makes all the difference. Or if an Amitabh Bachchan speaks volumes about Nerolac or Hajmola, the consumer does have his ears turned to the television set. Advertisers are playing it safe, and moving away from the testimony delivered by women in middle-class homes, to testimony delivered by celebrities. So the housewife with a moustache is definitely making way for the celluloid powder queen!”

Ravi Deshpande, Head, Lemon Communications, has his own reservations about testimonial advertising. “Most of the testimonial ads seen on screen are plain and without much character, besides being a gross repetition of sorts. Even if you are targeting the everyday housewife, why must every second ad look like a clone of the other? Isn’t it possible to perhaps target more interesting people and spin some amount of drama and spice?”

Deshpande thinks that testimonial advertising is “a beaten to death concept”, which is why most ads are trying to delve into new and adventurous possibilities. “If anything, they are trying to rewind testimonial ads into the celebrity mode to make them more interesting. But just by roping in a celebrity, you don’t do much good to a brand’s sales. You ought to be saying things in an interesting and entertaining way for an ad to hold attention,” he said.

Kiran Khalap, Co-Founder, Chlorophyll, however firmly believes that testimonial ads can never lose steam. “Advertising is all about making a certain claim to the people, and validating it in the best possible way. And what could be a better way to pinpoint a brand’s many advantages than a testimony from a person who has tried and tested the product. To a certain extent, admen may be moving away from middle-class people and everyday homes, but celebrity-based testimonial advertising is definitely in gear. I don’t think that testimonial advertising is going to lose steam anytime in the near future.”

Testimonial advertising has not gone out of flow; it has merely revamped itself into the celebrity mode.

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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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