Vikatan makes Timepass the in-thing with the youth
The TVC for the new magazine is high on style quotient and execution, but follows a storyline that is all too familiar, say experts

Vikatan Group takes the humour peg to showcase its new magazine ‘Time Pass’, which was launched last week with a cover price of Rs 5. Paradox69 is the creative agency on record and this is the agency’s first project for Vikatan. Mindshare is handling the media duties.
Elaborating on the new campaign, Pravin Menon, National Head, Ad Sales, Vikatan Group, said, “We carried out a research with 6,000 subscribers and got to know that readers wanted a fun-filled, gossip-laden entertaining magazine. So we thought of ‘Timepass’. The TVCs supports the launch of the new magazine.”
Meanwhile, for the first time in 87 years, Vikatan Group, which owns nine magazines, has decided to drop the mascot and its brand name in Timepass. Citing the reason for this, Menon said, “For the first time we have dropped our mascot as this offering has been done after getting readers’ comments. We feel that our offering is so strong that we will anyways be recognised.”
He further said that Vikatan Group does not rely on advertising as the sole source of revenue, but believes in generating revenue through innovation.
The series of three 40-second TVCs dovetail into the same thought of ‘Timepass-kku ellam Boss’. The concept primarily revolves around the theme of people moving over from their regular timepass activities and choosing ‘Timepass’ magazine.
The three ad films show a girlfriend dumping her boyfriend for ‘Timepass’ magazine, two friends breaking up because one of them has found a better ‘Timepass’ and an mischievous college boy leaving his college for ‘Timepass’, giving a huge shock to his father.
The films have been shot by Blackbox Films, Chennai. The Group is spending approximately Rs 2.5 crore to market the product.
Industry Speaks:
Commenting on the new campaign, Tony Lawrence, Partner & Creative Head, Fisheye Creative Solution, said, “Take a little irreverence (borderline, not too much), add to that a bit of kitsch and a few fast cuts, garnish it with a voice that’s Johnny Walker meets Rakhi Sawant. Serve to youth. This seems to be the general formula of late. With no one willing to cross the line and none willing to really look at what really would turn on youth. Do I think this film will have kids queuing up for ‘Timepass’? Not so sure. Will they spot it and talk about it? Maybe, yes.” He gives the ad 3 out of 5.
Gautham T Shenoy, Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus, too, felt that the take-nothing-seriously, ‘dil pe mat le yaar’ attitude as an approach is nothing new. “But the way this TVC uses it to associate ‘passing time’ with ‘Timepass’ is very well done – leaving no room for doubt in conveying ‘who should read it’ and ‘why they should read it’.”
He further said, “In terms of execution, it scores high in capturing the regional ethos very well and using familiar tropes to great effect – things that usually fall through the cracks when trying to execute a regional ad. So full points for execution and ‘ishtyle’. However, this cuts both ways – and since we cannot look at a TVC in pure isolation – that very same thing of ‘getting it just right’ could work against it. Because its over-the-top style is something people have seen all too often, and portrays an attitude that youngsters are all too familiar with, it may just slip under people’s radar when it comes to breaking the clutter.” He gives the ad 4 out of 5.
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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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