What's common between Baba Ramdev, Trivago Guy and Steve Ballmer?

They have all been the ? ?face? ?of? ?their respective? ?brands, with Steve Ballmer and Baba Ramdev predecessing Abhinav Kumar, the Trivago Guy

e4m by Venkata Susmita Biswas
Published: Aug 22, 2017 7:40 AM  | 4 min read


Like? ?it? ?or? ?not,? ?the? ?Trivago? ?Guy? ?is? ?back.? ?Despite? ?the? ?unfavourable? ?social? ?media? ?response? ?that? ?the unconventional? ?‘model’? ?received? ?in? ?March? ?this? ?year,? ?Trivago’s? ?latest? ?batch? ?of? ?ads? once again?feature? ?? ?the? ?now? ?demystified? ?Trivago? ?Guy.  


Abhinav? ?Kumar,? ?India? ?Development? ?Head? ?for? ?Trivago,? ??universally? ?known? ?as? ?the? ?India Trivago? ?Guy,? ?is? ?not? ?the? ?first? ?internal? ?talent? ?who? ? became? ?the? ?face? ?of? ?a? ?brand.? ?India? ?is? ? ?familiar with? ? Baba? ?Ramdev,? ?founder,? ?Patanjali? ?Ayurved,? ?who? ?frequently ? ?appears? ?in? ?ads? ?for? ?Patanjali Ayurved? ?products.? Similarly, the? ?turbaned? ?and? ?mustachioed? ?gentleman? ?from the? ?MHD ? ?Masala? ?ads? ?is? ?the? ?founder? ?of? ?the? ?spice-making? ?company.? In? ?1986,? ?Microsoft’s? ?then? ?CEO? ?Steve? ?Ballmer? ?appeared ? ?in? ?the? ?first-ever? ?ad? ?for? ?the? ?Windows? ?1.0.? And more recently in 2016, Devita Saraf, founder of Vu, appeared in a full-page ad for Vu televisions. None of these people generated the kind of social media frenzy that Kumar did, but they are his predecessors.


Trivago, a German online hotel search engine, makes it a point to only recruit faces that look genuine and approachable. Abhinav Kumar was picked by the company’s brand marketing head when the team was finding it hard to find the right face for the job. The jury is still out on whether this was a masterstroke or a complete miscalculation because the brand has become popular alright, but only among trolls who love to hate the Trivago Guy.


While we still mull over the wisdom of the Trivago team, here is a look at some other in-house talents who have become the face of their brands over the years.


Baba Ramdev is no stranger to Indian audiences and has been Patanjali Ayurved’s brand ambassador across all media. His exposure to media has been such that audiences don’t bat an eyelid when he is selling them an ayurvedic potion for strong, healthy teeth. In fact, his recommendation alone is the gospel for some users.


Steve Ballmer’s animated ad for Windows 1.0 evokes nostalgia for advertising from the 1980’s. The animated and energetic Ballmer highlights the key features including a graphical clock, MS Paint, MD DOS, and Reversi all at just $99!


Ballmer returned years later to advertise the Windows XP PC with all the raw energy that was on display in the Windows 1.0 ad but this time, another Microsoft employee Brian Valentine infused the ad with his own brand of high energy.


Devita Saraf found herself in the ad for Vu TVs after a colleague suggested that instead of shelling out an exorbitant sum on Bollywood or cricketing celebrities Safar herself could appear in the print ad. The ad announced the launch of Vu TV’s Netflix-ready remotes that come with a special button for Netflix.



 


The genial moustachioed man who has been appearing in the ads for MDH Masala and smiling at us from the MHD Masala boxes is a part of every MDH commercial even though he is in his nineties. The founder of the spice brand Mahashay Dharampal Gulati is a partition refugee and self-made billionaire.


None of these brand ambassadors, as odd as they may be, faced social media trolling like Trivago’s Abhinav Kumar. Being a Trivago guy/girl has its highs and lows. Tim Williams, the American Trivago Man, who extolled Trivago’s virtues on TV, knows this all too well. As he revealed to the Rolling Stone magazine, "I've read a few things out there and I laugh my ass off. It's so funny that people reach out in any way, shape or form." He added, "I mean, come on, people you don't know asking you for an autograph? It's a great feeling. And as they walk away, I say 'Hotel? Trivago.'"


The Abhinav Kumar memes are never ending and the YouTube comments section spew hate at the man for just not fitting into the mould of aTVC-friendly face. Leading? ?Hindi? ?movie? ?channel? ?Star? ?Gold? ?recently? ?created? ?a? ?digital? ?ad? ?for the? ?Independence? ?Day? ?long? ?weekend? ?that? ?mimics? ?the? ?Trivago? ?ad? ?from? ?March.  


Star? ?Gold? ?may? ?be? ?trolling? ?Kumar? ?but? ?he? ?is? ?unfazed.? ?He? ?has? ?taken? ?the? ?Star? ?Gold? ?ad? ?in? ?his? ?stride quoting? ?Oscar? ?Wilde? ?in? ?his? ?tweet:? ?Imitation? ?is? ?the? ?sincerest? ?form? ?of? ?flattery? ?that? ?mediocrity? ?can pay? ?to? ?greatness.  


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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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