Vivo Row: Agency heads back Ogilvy, say it’s high time industry took stand to protect idea

Prasoon Joshi, Amer Jaleel, Saurabh Varma, Rohit Ohri and Tarun Rai applaud Ogilvy for addressing the problem that has always been spoken about in hush-hush tones so far

e4m by Neeta Nair
Published: Oct 22, 2019 8:52 AM  | 4 min read
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How often do you see top honchos from the creative world echoing the same sentiment? Plagiarism and idea shopping by clients have always been spoken about in hush-hush tones within the industry, with very rare cases coming into the limelight. But with Ogilvy moving to Bombay High Court over a Vivo advertisement and the court ruling that the commercial, made by Dentsu Impact, was in fact very similar to the proposal sent by Ogilvy to Vivo for the very same ad, the matter has come out of agency boardrooms into the open. 

Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO of McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman of McCann Asia Pacific

Talking about why it is a turning point for the advertising industry, Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO of McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman of McCann Asia Pacific, says, “It’s an important decision and would bring much-desired clarity for all who take creative ideas for granted and do not acknowledge that at the pitch stage, the agency clearly owns the ideas. Intellectual property rights may be complex to exercise but the ethics of it should be clear. Being in a creative service industry should not leave any organisation vulnerable to exploitation when it comes to the key asset - creative ideas.”

Amer Jaleel, Chairman and Group CCO, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group

Applauding Ogilvy’s decision to take Vivo to court Amer Jaleel, Chairman and Group CCO, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group, goes on to say, “I am sure that since it’s a legal case both parties would have their side of the story and one should not jump to judge. But having said that, I am glad something made the entire pitch process come out in the open. A salute to Ogilvy for standing up for something they believed in. And surely the client will have their reasons for the similarities, but we should relook at the entire game of pitches from the opportunity that this gives us.”

Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, South Asia

Ogilvy also has a supporter from another agency network head. Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, South Asia, shares, “The industry has to unite and support this bold move. This is a good first step to address a massive problem. Personally, I believe we need to move from being reactive to being proactive around protecting our ideas, effort and time. As we move increasingly to a project-based environment, we have to ensure there is a pitch fee for any multi-agency exploration. That is the least we can do as an industry. Publicis Groupe will back any such initiative.”

Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO, FCB India

Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO, FCB India, says, “A lot of Chinese and South Korean clients are known to go around shopping for ideas. They have no agency loyalty or concept of brand building. In fact, they are not even shopping for broader creative work, they are just shopping for scripts. Many agencies fall prey to this culture despite knowing that it is an unscrupulous trend.  Which is why I am absolutely delighted with what Ogilvy has done in the Vivo case. I am 100 per cent with them and feel that they should take this to the logical end.”

Tarun Rai, Chairman and Group CEO, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia

Tarun Rai, Chairman and Group CEO, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia, too hopes this controversy goes a long way in helping agencies get their due and the much-needed respect from clients.

Rai said, “Plagiarism is an issue in every creative field, be it music, movies or books. Periodically controversies erupt and the issue gets highlighted. But, somehow, our industry has chosen not to rake up such controversies, so far. Maybe because it’s difficult to prove or because of the potential of future business from the same client. So, without knowing the full details of the case, I’m at least happy that this issue has got highlighted in our industry. With clients calling for pitches for individual projects, the chances of such instances have only increased. I do hope that this controversy will make clients more conscious and respect the agencies they have called to the pitch.”

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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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