Will we see the revival of the 'long copy'?

As the results of the Longhand Awards are announced, exchange4media explores whether this form of copy is here to stay

e4m by Priyanka Mehra
Published: May 16, 2013 8:40 PM  | 4 min read
Will we see the revival of the 'long copy'?

When time is of essence and possibly the most valued commodity, agencies and clients alike are finding the briefest ways of expression to retain consumer’s attention. Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Worldwide started the Longhand Copy Awards in 2012. “Longhand is a first-of-its-kind long copy competition in the world,” states Dasgupta.

Dasgupta, popularly known as Bodhi, started Longhand because he felt good copy advertising was dying a slow death in India. “Over the last year, more entries have started coming in from abroad. In fact, this year’s Gold isn’t from India at all. The aim is to resurrect the art of advertising writing, albiet in a small way,” he added.

Longhand received over 500 entries this year. The jury comprised Agnello Dias, Co-Founder, Taproot India; Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman for McCann Worldgroup India and Regional Creative Director Asia Pacific; David Shanks, an independent Copy Director. The Jury Presidents were creative legends Neil French and ad guru Luke Sullivan, currently Chair of Advertising at Savannah College of Art and Design.
  
The Gold winner this year was Lyle Shemer of JWT, New York for his work titled ‘Unlucky’. There were no Silvers this time. The Bronze winners included ‘Excuse’ by Himanshu Saxena of Draftfcb + Ulka; ‘Joke’ by Roy Abraham of Thought Blurb; ‘Iran’ by Anil Kakar of Gasoline; ‘Peanuts are not an in-flight snack’ by Vignesh Raja of DDB Mudra Bangalore; ‘Gift’ by Mukund Sharma of Bates CHI & Partners Bangalore and ‘Imagine’ by Vijay Assudani of Orchard Advertising, Mumbai.

“In all honesty, many entries needed a lot more work. This may sound silly, but too many writers simply do not understand the importance of art direction and typography in a good looking copy ad. I killed most of the entries purely because of these distractions. On the writing side too, many writers still think it’s an exercise in wordplay. It’s about an interesting thought, delivered through an ad that talks to you, with enough wit or notions in there that makes you think. And yes, it must be easy to read. I felt that maybe 10 ads delivered this, no more,” said Shanks, commenting on the entries received this year.

Longhand was born in 2012, on a hot summer Indian afternoon, out of desperation, exasperation and the revelation that writers just don’t write anymore. Longhand started as a ‘free to enter’ format and it intends to stay that way. There are no entry fees, no agency discounts, and no elaborate courier charges. On the downside, there are no fancy gongs, no trips abroad and no elaborate buffets. What there is, however, an inspirational line-up of judges – people who have mastered the craft of copy and who are committed to keeping it alive.

The question is: Will this revival of long copy succeed? Is there a future of this form of copy in India?

“It is a demand and supply situation; it is tough right now, but long copy will survive in the long-run,” said Dias of Taproot India. He also said that there were fewer good entries this year, but the selected entries were very good.

“India has some excellent writers and art directors, but I feel they may be few and far between. Writers really must start getting the D&AD books out and start copying the copy of the best writers. I think Indian writers need to open their minds a bit more about how to get there in a different way. I felt many of the ads were written in isolation rather than ‘How would Indra Sinha or Neil French have tackled this brief?’” shared Shanks.

Does long copy see a better future in other parts of the world? While Dias feels long copy will see a huge revival online, Shanks said, “Keeping long copy alive is good because it preserves and encourages the ability for people to hold a thought for more than 140 characters. As business people and storytellers, we must be comfortable with words. But long copy needs to find its place again. Perhaps as we become more deeply immersed in technology, we might find that long copy resurfaces in a completely different way – through an ad that talks to you.”

Long or short, in the end the aim of copy is to hold the reader’s attention. Will long copy sustain and withstand the challenge of grabbing attention for longer, will be an interesting watch.

 

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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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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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