After The Great Indian Ad Battle, India’s first advertising bracket on Twitter to pick the best commercial of all time, Storyboard18 presents The Great Indian Ad Doodle. It’s an artwork that will take our readers through the glorious decades of Indian advertising. From brand mascots that were and still are colourful personalities to iconic taglines, our doodle covers some of the greatest highlights of Indian advertising with artist Mamta Singh bringing the vision to life with her skills and artistry.

The Great Indian Ad Doodle is also a celebration of change. It is a reflection of how advertising over the last few decades evolved from being a source of information and entertainment to also being a catalyst of progress. Our doodle captures various advertising moments that made us laugh, cry, buy, and, in some cases, act to drive change in our society. It features works of legacy brands and campaigns by new brands that have added fresh colours to India's advertising tapestry. Storyboard18’s The Great Indian Ad Doodle is also a reflection of Indian culture. A sign of how brand India has evolved over the years. From addressing societal issues to making consumers sing and dance on their jingles, brands that feature in our doodle have done it all. We have covered iconic scenes over the last few decades, so that people across generations can enjoy discovering it.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2023/05/Network_18_Final_-1024x715.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="524" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8358" />

Here's to all the copywriters, art directors, client servicing executives, studio artists, production teams, and the bold and brave advertisers, who gave all the Indian ad-geeks out there inspiration and a reason to smile. 

It's time to doodle!   

Storyboard18's The Great Indian Ad Doodle is here!

Take a trip through Indian adland with this one-of-a-kind doodle chronicling some highlights of the country's best, bravest and boldest advertising moments.

IPL and elections combined could result in 20-30 percent higher Adex quarter-on-quarter: IPG Mediabrands' Hema Malik

Amazon Q1 Results: Revenue from advertising services hit $11.8 billion in the first quarter

Tata Motors registered total sales of 77,521 units in April 2024

BSC's Dear Prachi ad: ASCI's Manisha Kapoor says brands' misteps in moment marketing giving advertising a bad name

CTV is a pivotal frontier for advertisers today: Max Life Insurance's CMO Rahul Talwar

Maruti Suzuki starts pre-bookings for new Swift; Marketing head Partho Banerjee says it's an "iconic brand"

Representational image via Unsplash

Zee-Sony merger saga ends: Timeline of the failed merger

Why are Indian brands advertising in NYC's Times Square?

What Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick teaches us about leadership

Advertising is in the position where tobacco was: IPG's Arun Kumar 

Biz Moves: Interactive Avenues, Verve Media, Foxymoron and Grapes

There is an opportunity for building a better agency, not just a different one: Manja's Prajato Guha

Late-night office visits to layoff plans: What's ZEEL's Chairman Emeritus Subhash Chandra's role?

Leading auto battery brand Amaron's creative business on pitch: Exclusive

Maushumi Chakravarty assumes charge as director general of Akashvani News

"No controversies, just all clean like their soaps," says Harsh Goenka on Godrej family's pact to split the conglomerate

Piyush Pandey

Adtech regulation a priority for Modi govt in third term: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Credibility of news and platforms are as important as monetisation challenges: Anurag Thakur

HUL: Meet the leaders who have emerged from "The CEO Factory"

Punit Goenka addresses Zee employees; ensures no layoffs due to failed merger

Disney's strategic sale to Viacom18 set to boost market share to 40 percent

The Leader's Edge: Storyboard18 in conversation with leaders, decision makers and disruptors

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

Virat Kohli is a name that resonates with cricket fans worldwide. From his audacious stroke play to his fiery on-field demeanor, Kohli has redefined the game with his sheer passion and commitment. However, Kohli’s is a story of controversy and confrontation, a narrative that has shaped his journey to greatness. Whether it's his heated exchanges with fellow cricketers or his outspoken nature off the field, controversies are no stranger to him. 

Clash with Gautam Gambhir: One of the most memorable incidents involving Virat Kohli occurred during the 2013 IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. As the captain of RCB, Kohli engaged in a heated argument with Kolkata's skipper Gautam Gambhir, resulting in a tense standoff that was eventually diffused by umpires and players.

Middle Finger Incident: During his early days in international cricket, Kohli courted controversy during a tour to Australia when he was seen showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd. Kohli later explained that his actions were in response to abusive language directed at his family, highlighting his fiercely protective nature off the field.


Outburst at Journalist: The 2015 Cricket World Cup saw Kohli embroiled in another controversy when he lashed out at a journalist whom he believed had written an unfavourable article about him and his then-girlfriend, now wife, Anushka Sharma. 

Umpiring Controversy: In a Test match against Australia in 2017, Kohli accused Australian captain Steve Smith of seeking illegal assistance from the dressing room for a review.


Sunil Gavaskar Controversy: During the 2020 IPL, Sunil Gavaskar made a comment about Kohli’s performance, suggesting that he only practiced batting during the lockdown with Anushka Sharma bowling to him. Sharma’s public response underscored the challenges of being a public figure in the age of social media scrutiny.


As Virat Kohli continues to etch his name in the annals of cricketing history, his journey serves as a reminder of the complexities of success. While controversies may have punctuated his career, they have also been a testament to his unwavering spirit and fierce determination. Kohli's story is not just about cricket; it's about resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As he continues to push the boundaries of the game, Kohli remains a symbol of inspiration for aspiring cricketers and sports enthusiasts around the world. His legacy is not just in the runs he scores or the matches he wins, but in the indelible mark he leaves on the hearts of fans everywhere.


Virat Kohli: A brief history of controversies and confrontations

Microsoft owned LinkedIn was down for a brief period, impacting thousands of users on Wednesday after a brief outage.


According to outage tracking website Downdetector.com, there were 48,000 reports of outages related to LinkedIn in the US.


March 5 saw the global outage of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Following the outage, as per multiple reports, parent company Meta’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg net worth declined by $ 2.79 billion, in a day, to hit $ 176 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


However, he continued to maintain his position as the world’s fourth richest person.


The global outage of Meta-owned apps Facebook and Instagram sent users rushing to Twitter now known as X to check about the outage. The apps were not working for users across the globe who experienced problems with Meta's popular apps. #InstagramDown started trending.


Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg’s rival, shared a series of tweets about the outage stating, “we know why you’re all here now”.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/metas-facebook-instagram-down-for-thousands-of-users-worldwide-25534.htm">Elon Musk reacts to Instagram and Facebook outage</a> 

After Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn sees brief outage

<em><strong>Note to readers: Our latest column Marketing Mocktail breaks down and explains the big ideas, new disruptions and old concepts and marketing practices that matter in the modern age.</strong></em>


The creative brief is one of the most integral parts of advertising.


Yet, of late, briefs have become griefs - sterile and unimaginative.


We keep indulging in the over optimism of giving a bland brief and hoping for exciting creative work in return. Garbage-in, garbage-out.


Putting together a good brief is a dying art which needs to be revived.


<strong>From logic to magic</strong>


A brief is the inflection point in creating advertising and communication.


It’s the point where logic (the strategy) starts turning into magic (the idea).


It’s where planning ends and creativity begins.


<strong>Re-energising the brief</strong>


Definition of the brief should read, ‘The most insightful, inspiring, and igniting point in the creation of advertising’.


<strong>Insightful -</strong> Packed with gems and nuggets that bring the strategy to life.


<strong>Inspiring -</strong> Makes the creative team go ‘Wow!’ and take ownership of the brief.


<strong>Igniting -</strong> Triggers the creative to buzz with ideas that they can’t wait to get cracking on.


In fact, a good brief is like ‘an ad for creative people’.


<strong>What makes a great brief</strong>


While most agencies have their own briefing formats, based on their conceptual frameworks and creative philosophies, the basics of a great brief remain the same.


Here are a few key ideas that can help re-energise creative briefs.


<strong>Keep it simple and sharp</strong>


Don’t try to impress with mumbo-jumbo or jargon. Make it simple.


Rather than saying, ‘Increase TOM (Top-of-mind awareness) and brand salience’, it’s much better to say, ‘Make the brand famous.’


Instead of ‘Enhance width and depth of consumption’, why not ‘Get more people to use more’.


Also, never overload - stay focused, sharp and crisp. A brief should not be more than a page or two (that’s why it is called a brief).


<strong>Pull out little nuggets</strong>


Don’t dwell on information, instead dive for gems that bring your strategy to life and tell a story. Embed your brief with evocative and powerful nuggets.


When Taj Mahal tea bags were being launched, the nugget in the brief was to position them as ‘The Walkman of Teas’ to encapsulate the mobility, convenience and modernity of the format.


When Dabur honey was being repositioned as a health food from a home remedy, the brief summed up the challenge as moving the brand from ‘the medicine chest to the dining table’.


<strong>Bring your target person to life</strong>


One of the biggest sacrileges in briefs is the vague and rather generic definition of the target audience. You really can’t get a handle of who you are talking to until you bring that person alive.


This is how a bland brief will define the target audience for Axe deo:

Young men aged 16-25, who are concerned about their appearance and how they attract the opposite sex. They buy deodorants to smell fresh and feel confident. Axe with its masculine fragrance is the perfect choice to be attractive to girls.


Here’s an inspiring definition of the Axe target person:
Imagine Benjamin… he thinks about women a lot. A lot, a lot. But he’s not dreaming of romance, he’s a dirty boy who can’t stop thinking about sex with extraordinarily welcoming women. Yet in the real world, women are a completely different country - it’s somewhere he’s never been, it may be a while before he gets to go there, and you’re guaranteed he won’t be able to speak the language when he does. 
Deep down he wishes he could just be himself around girls and that it wasn’t so complicated, that he didn’t have to try so hard. What he wants isn’t deodorant at all, but a secret babe-magnet.


Which one do you think created the ‘Axe Effect’?


<strong>Dramatise it</strong>


A brief is more than just a piece of paper. It’s a piece of theatre.


Once, a bunch of creative people were packed like sardines into a cramped car and were told they were being taken to the client’s office for a briefing. Midway, they were intercepted by the account supervisor, driving a Maruti van (a move that was engineered). 


They were immediately transferred into the more spacious confines of the van and as they sprawled themselves, someone exclaimed, “Guys, this is the brief - travel in space.” How’s that for a powerful demonstration?


Here’s what a leading creative director told me, “I once had an account executive give me a brief with a hole burnt into it. That got me curious. Then I noticed it was for a fiery hot pizza. Right there, she got me.”


It’s time we changed the way we look at briefs, because great advertising is born out of great briefs. It may be a good idea for the industry to introduce an annual award for the best briefs as an incentive to encourage and reward great briefs. 


Can we bring the glory back into briefs? Can we have more briefs than griefs?


Yes, we can!


<em><strong>Anand Narasimha is a corporate turned academician with over three decades of experience spanning Brand Marketing, Advertising, Consulting, and Teaching. He writes the column Marketing Mocktail for Storyboard18. Views expressed are personal.</strong></em>



Marketing Mocktail: Brief or Grief - the creative brief explained

Most brands divide their advertising budget between creative development and media buying in a ratio of 1:10. However, when recalling famous advertising campaigns, it's likely that people remember the creative teams behind the ads, rather than the media planners and buyers who ensure that the ads reach the right audience with the right frequency.

In the past, when advertising was limited to one or two mediums such as TV and print, media planning and buying were relatively straightforward. However, with media becoming increasingly segmented, this is no longer the case. The role of media in the success of any campaign has therefore increased significantly. Without proper alignment between the creative campaign and media plan, the chances of failure are high.

Traditionally, advertising campaigns were conceptualised by establishing business objectives, which were translated into marketing objectives, and then communication objectives. Based on these, a brief was created, and the creative agency would uncover consumer/category insights and develop a core campaign idea. This idea would be presented alongside the TV commercial script, which formed the centrepiece of the campaign. The campaign idea would also be extended to other media such as print, digital, and OOH.

Although media objectives and planning would also be carried out concurrently, they were often not considered inputs or constraints for the creative agency.

Now, there are three problems that happen with this approach:

1. This leads to some campaign ideas/scripts which are not native to the primary platform as per the media plan. Because of a digital native TG, you might have a media plan which is heavily skewed towards Youtube to build awareness. And the best way to build awareness on Youtube is by using the 15-second non-skippable ad. Now if your hero creative is a 30 sec one and impossible to tell a coherent story in the 15-second cut, the campaign will fail.

2. Sometimes you have a wonderful clutter-breaking script, but it is not going to be registered by consumers when they watch it only once/twice. You might have a budget constraint which will limit the input GRPs in your markets. That would mean that at best you can optimize your plan to maximize reach at a three-plus frequency instead of 5/6. Now if your hero creative is witty/difficult to understand easily, your campaign will fail because of lack of enough number of exposure.

3. You might have a media plan which is skewed towards a certain region, but the core insight/communication might not resonate with that region. For Example, 50 percent of your sales might come from the five Southern States, but your campaign idea/core insight resonates more with the Hindi belt. If the TVC is also conceptualized in Hindi and only translated later to regional languages, the chances of the campaign failing will be higher.

All of these problems could be solved by making only a single change in the approach to rolling out a campaign. Include a tentative media strategy/plan, and the constraints that come with it as part of the brief that goes to the Planning team of the creative agency. This will ensure ideas and creative outputs which fit like a dream with our media strategy and plans.

If you want to use Meta in your media plan, your creative agency will ensure that vertical videos that seem native to the platform( Reels) are part of the creative output. If you have a reach plan to maximize reach at three plus frequencies, your creative agency will ensure that the communication is simple enough to understand in one go. If Kerala is a major market for you, your creative agency might recommend creating a separate campaign altogether conceptualized and taught in Malayalam using insights from the Kerala market.

The real magic happens when creative and media teams work together on a brief right from day one. This used to happen few decades back. Maybe it's time to go back to the same practice to ensure that brands get the highest RoI from their marketing spends.

<strong><em>The writer is the founding member and chief business officer of Atomberg. Views expressed are personal.</em></strong>

The power of collaboration: How including media planning in briefs can improve RoI

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Oakley

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Be Who You Are

<strong>Agency:</strong> Brandmovers India

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Growing up, we were constantly asked to fit into the mould of societal expectations. Somewhere, amongst the increasing noise, doubts, aspirations and constant chatter, ‘being ourselves’ took a backseat. We forgot to focus on ourselves, be comfortable with making mistakes, and taking risks.

The latest commercial by Oakley stays true to its value of “Be Who You Are.” As the ad film rolls on, right from the hopes of 1.3bn people being shouldered by cricketer Rohit Sharma, to the doubts and noise surrounding him, the commercial shows how Sharma does not let the people’s uncertainties stop him from always giving his best. The ad film conveys the message of being your authentic self, and the importance of knowing “Who you are", where every frame of the film radiates courage and confidence. Overall, the ad film gets a thumbs up for its realism on a crucial subject.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Campaign:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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For years, most of the ads that touched upon the subject of beauty have either been explanatory in nature, or had a pair of girls dancing to stress upon the brand, and convey positive effects. NutriGlow’s latest campaign follows the same unsatisfactory pattern. Actor Genelia Deshmukh along with a bunch of girls are portrayed as ‘GlowGirls’ who are moving to a beat to highlight NutriGlow’s varied range of products. However, Deshmukh, who serves as the brand ambassador for the brand and is known for her bubbly and fun loving nature could not save the commercial from being a dull and disappointing one to watch. An engaging and different storyline could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong> 

<strong>Brand</strong> - Thums Up

<strong>Agency</strong> - Ogilvy India

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From sitting on tree-tops, listening to radio commentary to gathering around paan shops, Indians have found many unique ways to tune in to their favourite cricket matches. Cola brand Thums Up, plans to provide cricket fans in India with a never seen before, innovative experience through in its feature. The ad featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Umran Malik and Brett Lee, showcases an option that allows you to experience watching an ICC T20 World Cup match through a camera fitted in a wicket. Fans will have to scan a QR code on the Thums Up bottle to get access to the camera feed and become part of this immersive experience. That is as close as one can get to being present at the actual game. If this works, it is bound to leave all cricket fans stumped!

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Casio India

<strong>Agency</strong> - In-house

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Are you an over-thinker? Yes? Then Casio’s latest ad is definitely one for you. The film opens with a student, who asks his father to buy him a Casio calculator. When his father asks if he can get any other calculator if he doesn’t find one by Casio, the son starts to overthink a series of probable events and scenarios that might impact his life, all due to the repercussions of using an ordinary non-Casio calculator. While the concept works well on paper, the execution doesn’t translate well onto screens. A great concept, poorly planned and executed resulted in us providing this spot, a meh. 

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Tata Motors

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Festive ads can seem too filmy and over the top with all the songs, dances and unnecessary drama around festivities. However, sometimes there are ads that truly have a feel good factor to it. The Durga Puja TVC from Tata Motors is a perfect example. The ad features the most celebrated actor of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit Chatterjee for the spot but not in a way you’d normally expect. His presence is subtle. His role is of the narrator who acts like a catalyst, adding a slight hint of glamour to the ad without being completely involved in it. The narrative is clean and well packaged with the integration of car features that seamlessly blend in. In true festive fashion, there is a sweet story, a great song and a product that is being rightfully celebrated. All the fun elements work perfectly in unison which makes this new TVC from Tata Motors a good one to watch. A definite Mast in our books. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Hindware

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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Hindware has a new TV campaign – ‘Go Larger Than Life’  starring actor Tamanna Bhatia and The Great Khali. This is the first ever TVC from Hindware Italian Collection since the company forayed into the tiles segment. The tiles shown in the spot look beautiful and appealing for sure but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the spot itself. With an inane narrative and an unnecessary objectification of a tall man being compared to huge tiles is unimpressive and doesn’t leave a good lasting impression. A very poor concept and even poorer execution awards this spot a MEH 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk Bodyguard – Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye

<strong>Agency:</strong> Ogilvy India

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Tigmanshu Dhulia never fails to impress viewers with his performances. In this spot, his appearance as a politician paints him as a ‘larger than life’ character. Dhulia, who is seen making his way towards the dais along with his bodyguards amidst the cheering crowd, to celebrate the success of one of his guard’s daughters who cleared the medical entrance exam is warm and comforting to watch. He is seen feeding the daughter a piece of Cadbury Dairy Milk as a token of appreciation and celebration. The ad film stays true to its message “Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye.” A ‘Mast’ watch in our opinion. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Myntra

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Myntra Big Fashion Festival

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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The absence of any fun factor for an ad that aims to be comical is very evident right from the start. The campaign, which aims to promote Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival does not really generate any curiosity to check out how interesting the fashion festival might be. Even the presence of celebrity couple Virat Kohli and  Anushka Sharma, does not seem to add any drama to the dulness. Ironically, Myntra’s idea of using ignorance to draw attention not only tanked on screen but also failed to attract audiences in real life. An interesting build up to the story along with some festive cheer to promote the fashion festival could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Coca Cola

<strong>Agency:</strong> In house

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Durga Puja for Bengalis is like a five-day long party. Like any party, food and soft drinks are an important part of this celebration. So if you are telling a Durga Puja story and you add food and soft drinks to it, you definitely make for a good storyteller. This new puja anthem from Coca Cola is a perfect spot for the pre-festive weeks. Casting the OG cool guys of Bengal (read members of Bengali band Chandrabindoo) and the catchy song add to the festive mood and cheer. The ad comes with its share of glam factor too, with Bengali superstar Dev adding spark and being a part of the 39 second screenplay. Overall, Coca Cola has done a great job with capturing the mood of the Bengal market right now with everyone preparing for the upcoming celebrations. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Pantaloons

<strong>Agency:</strong> Production: KITCHEN, Concept: Ogilvy

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Rap songs and hip/hop as a genre are very popular with millennials and Gen Z. However, when used in an ad, it resonates only if executed and performed well. Unfortunately, this new Durga Puja spot from Pantaloons banks on a below average rap jingle that pulls down the overall vibe of the piece. Moreover, the Bengali voice overs are heavily accented. It could’ve been done on purpose to go with the background score but doesn’t help the tune in any way. It stands out as  a noticeable blunder. The song, the script and overall performance of the cast makes this a wannabe number desperate for attention. We’re still on the look out for an ad that captures Gen Z mentality correctly and executes it well. 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - The Body Shop

<strong>Agency</strong> - In house

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Breaking the popular notion that young citizens are becoming increasingly apathetic towards societal issues, The Body Shop launches a campaign calling upon policy makers to evaluate lowering the age of candidacy in the Lok Sabha from 25 to 21 years of age. The goal is to get greater youth representation in the Lok Sabha. To spread the message, the brands video campaign features young leaders from across the country including Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder, Young India Foundation (27), Jalandhar High Court lawyer Inderpreet Kaur (24) and Sachin Rathod, independent panch ingalangi (29) talking about their efforts in bringing change in society thereby inspiring others. The ‘Be Seen Be Heard’ initiative is being rolled out through a partnership with Young India Foundation. The WHY25 drive has been launched across India at all The Body Shop stores in September 2022 and will run till end 2024 in over 25 states with offline and online petitions to support the cause. Now, that's what you call a brand with a purpose. A mast ad, definitely a great watch. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Levi’s India

<strong>Agency</strong> - Spring Marketing Capital

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Levi's India’s series of ads with Deepika Padukone follow a pattern that has become repetitive and boring. In the new ad Padukone is seen in a space that needs to be set up and decorated. The camera follows her doing various chores like pushing a sofa into place, sticking a poster on a wall while ambling around with her friends, etc dressed in a new baggy Levi’s jeans of course. The spot ends abruptly leaving viewers confused. While Levi's baggy collection might be in vogue, its advertising seems really last season! It’s time for a refresh. 


<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Bombae Fuzz Off Trimmer | Painless hair removal for women

<strong>Agency/Production House</strong> – Talented, StudioFry

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This 30 seconder is an edgy one. It’s probably the only hair removal brand that has shown body hair before women shave/wax/trim it off. Bombae says #FuzzOff to societal expectations. It shows the pain women go through to go hairless and attempts to normalise never-seen-before body hair imageries. An empowering ad that breaks boundaries. It’s a mast watch because it is changing the narrative of the category.


<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Manyavar | Taiyaar Hokar Aaiye

<strong>Agency</strong> - Shreyansh Innovations

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The hyperactive actor Ranveer Singh for the new commercial of Manyavar is featured as a spunky wedding photographer. For a change, he is dressed perfectly fine. However, he singles out a suit-clad ‘mausaji’ by saying he is ruining the perfect family photo in his western outfit. Okay, we get it, this was all supposed to be in good fun and maybe for the sake of advertising. However, we think the brand could have picked a better line of thought to stitch the script. After all, isn’t fashion a personal choice? Shouldn’t Singh know that better than anyone else?



Mast & Meh: Oakley, Thums Up, Tata Motors, Myntra, Levi's India

The biggest test Indian girls face in their school years is the "beauty test", says Unilever-owned beauty brand Dove in its latest campaign released on International Daughters Day 2022 (25 September). The ad has been viewed by millions of netizens, garnering over 12 million YouTube views in four days. 

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While the campaign gained appreciation for starting a conversation about deeply ingrained beauty biases, a section of audiences also criticised the company for double standards. Unilever sells Glow & Lovely (earlier called Fair & Lovely) which largely hinged its communication equating fair/light skin with success. However, in 2019  Unilever changed the product name and also its advertising strategy to be more inclusive and conscious. 

This is reflected in the new Dove ad as well. 

Made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the ad shows how young girls are subjected to socially accepted standards of beauty which drastically impact their confidence and self-esteem. The Stop The Beauty Test 2.0 is an extension of its previous campaign that was focused on beauty judgements faced by women during marriage.  

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To be sure, Unilever said that Dove launched a study which stated that 80 percent of Indian school girls have faced unjust beauty tests as a teenager. Hence, this year the conversation has shifted focus from prospective brides to the stage where it all begins – adolescence.

 In an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18, Harman Dhillon, vice president, hair care, Unilever talks about the backlash on its new campaign, changing ideas of beauty and how Dove is striving to stay relevant among Gen Z consumers.

Edited excerpts:

<strong>There is a certain set of audience that have criticised the new campaign. How does the brand deal with the negative feedback?</strong>

Our intent with #StopTheBeautyTest campaign was clear - to make society aware of a prevailing issue faced by young girls on a daily basis. To bring about a tangible impact with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we are training teachers to deliver educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem to young minds. Our purpose of the campaign is to create awareness regarding when these beauty biases start, and the impact it has on women. We respect everyone's point of view and hope they see that our objective is to redefine the scope of beauty - celebrating it in its authentic and diverse form.

<strong>What kind of research went behind picking the theme for this edition of the campaign?</strong>

At Dove, we’re constantly working towards making beauty a source of confidence and not anxiety. Last year, we brought to light beauty-based judgements women especially faced during marriage and the impact it had on their confidence. However, during our research we uncovered a key moment of truth wherein societal standards of beauty are imposed on women much earlier on - as young as adolescence. Capturing this sentiment, we shifted our focus on the root of the problem - moving our communication from prospective brides to teenage girls. At a time when these girls should be concentrating on education, they are being unknowingly subjected to beauty biases by society. We felt that this was a crucial stage of intervention and wanted to bring about a tangible change. Thus, with #StopTheBeautyTest 2.0, we aim to raise the self-esteem of these young girls and break through beauty led stereotypes. 

<strong>Where did the inspiration for the execution of the campaign come from?</strong>

As always, we wanted to share real stories enacted by real girls and feature the real-life implication beauty judgements have on their self-esteem. So, the brand film is a portrayal of exactly that. We want to highlight how family and peers, in the guise of guidance, are pressuring young girls to fit prescribed beauty standards and how this can lead to body image issues in their young minds - eventually stunting their confidence. The #StopTheBeautyTest movement is an attempt to bring awareness about this issue so we can stop subjecting young girls with beauty-based report cards and grading them on external appearances. The focus instead should be on building their self-esteem so that they can be comfortable in their own skin and realise their potential to the fullest. 



<blockquote>While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.</blockquote>



<strong>What is Dove doing to stay relevant among the Gen Z? How do they define beauty and is it different from older consumers?</strong>

The Dove Self-Esteem Project is aimed at the Gen Z with a vision to empower 8 million young minds by 2025. As part of the initiative, we partnered with experts in the fields of psychology, health and body image to create educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem which will be delivered by teachers under the life skills curriculum. Through this we will be reaching girls and boys in grades 6, 7 and 8 in selected schools across 8 states.

The ultimate goal is to change ‘beauty’ from its conventional lens and redefine and realign what it means to be beautiful. In comparison to the older generation, the younger audience is demanding an ethical, inclusive and diverse representation of beauty in media and Dove’s Real Beauty motto stands tall to deliver on the ask - ensuring beauty is not defined by shape, size or colour but being beautiful is to be the best version of yourself.

<strong>Any unique trends in terms of advertising or consumption you are witnessing among your TG in India? How's it different from Dove's global markets?</strong>

The Indian woman has gone through a complete metamorphosis in the recent time, especially when it comes to her portrayal in advertising and media. We’ve come a long way from women being conditioned to believing their self-worth is dictated by the perception of others, to now where they are seen taking charge and having a voice of their own.  At Dove, we’re proud to have been one of the leading contributors to this change and are glad that brands across categories are following suit.

Today, our TG makes their own choice and has the spending power. Beyond expecting brands to deliver high-quality products, they also demand the brand drive a thought-provoking dialogue. While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.

<strong>How do you measure the success of a campaign now? Has the benchmark changed over the years?</strong>

Today, the success of a campaign, especially when it comes to the type of campaigns Dove has been leading, is very different from the benchmarks traditionally set in place. The impact is no longer purely number driven. The campaigns of the current era are heavily driven by the impact they have on people and the type of change we can drive through the efforts of the campaign. 

<strong>Are the days of big splash TV campaigns long gone? What works for new gen consumers?</strong>

Television is a relevant medium even now, in my opinion. There is still a large set audience in the deeper pockets of our nation who yet rely on television for entertainment as well as information. Thus, given that our target isn’t just the metro markets but pan India, TVC’s are a prime medium for us to bring our narrative alive. On the other hand, speaking about the new generation of consumers, social media has emerged as a stronger medium of communication than most others since it allows a two-way communication unlike TV. Thus, it is essential for us to keep the balance while strategising our media plan.

Exclusive: Unilever’s Harman Dhillon responds to feedback on viral Dove ad

Two years ago, YouTube introduced Shorts in India. Today, Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day, which is four times more than one year ago. Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, APAC, YouTube Partnerships, says the language platter and the content genre is only growing in the market and Shorts is fueling the growth. He also talks about monetization on the platform and more. 

Edited excerpts.

<strong>Shorts completed two years in India. How has it been? And what has the growth story been like from where you started to where you are now? </strong>

YouTube as a platform is over 14 years old in India. When we got started, our primary mission was to democratize video creation. Until that point, the world really saw storytelling as being the forte of a few. Our goal was to really, truly, truly democratize this in a manner that anyone who is interested in sharing a story should be able to share it. Our role in that was to use technology to take out all the friction in the operationalization of it and help good stories to be discovered, consumed and engaged with. That is really what we’ve been able to do in scale over these many years.

YouTube Shorts was announced two years ago; we flagged that off in India. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) program was only available and enabled for long form and mid form content.  So, we launched a YouTube Shorts fund, in which we worked closely with content creators to help them see a line of revenue for their work.

<strong>While we see a lot of entertaining content on the platform, what is the kind of interest you have seen brands? Are brands using Shorts like they are using other UGC platforms for integrations? Help us understand with some examples.</strong>

YouTube has enabled so many different formats to co-exist and speak to one another: long form videos, snappy Shorts, livestreams and deep dive podcasts. Advertisers can, therefore, choose to talk to their target audiences- in as many forms of stories, across as many devices, as many languages and as many times a day - effectively and at scale. 

YouTube Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day globally. India was the first country where we launched Shorts and we’re proud of how quickly YouTube Shorts have become popular in India. Brands are starting to see results too. For instance, Oreo, which started its very first Shorts Challenge in Tamil Nadu with 10 of our top creators in the market to launch Oreo Double Stuf during Pongal last year. With 8 million views on their content, the brand was able to build salience in the market, improving branded searches and household penetration in a key market for them. 

<strong>How important is India as a market for YouTube when it comes to Shorts? How does it compare to other markers?</strong>

We saw the great potential and engagement short form content has for today’s increasingly mobile viewer. That’s why two years ago, we introduced YouTube Shorts, first in India, to make it easier to watch and create short-form content on YouTube. It was where our journey began, and it’s encouraging to see the adoption and excitement the product brings to both creators and viewers. 

We truly believe that what moves India, has the potential to shape the world. Digital video has become a gateway to the world for millions of Indians. In particular, short form video, which is easy to consume and create, represents opportunity like no other - to be entertained and inspired, to learn and earn, to connect and grow. 

When we introduced Shorts, we knew that we were bringing an important new format for creators and that our creators are leveraging Shorts to help breathe new life into their existing channels or inform a new content and engagement strategy is testament to their creativity.

We’re constantly impressed that creators are getting really innovative with how they use the full breadth of video formats that YouTube offers to meet their personal and business goals: from growing views and subscribers, reaching out to new audiences and growing their earning potential. 

Shorts has helped capture the interest and imagination of mobile-first creators and viewers who from whom a smartphone is a window to a world of opportunity. In India, Shorts is lowering the barriers for under-represented voices to come to the fore and pursue their passions; many of whom may otherwise have not had a platform to do so. We’re seeing creators across languages, socio-economic backgrounds and even India’s hinterlands turn to Shorts to share their passions, grow their channels and build successful careers.

<strong>Shorts has introduced a new monetization format. Please help us understand how it will benefit the platform and the creators?</strong>

We recently unveiled the next chapter in rewarding creativity on the platform by expanding the platform’s monetization system, YPP, to allow more creators to join the program, introducing new ways for creators to earn revenue through Shorts, and re-imagining the music industry and creator dynamic by opening up ads monetization for those who feature music in their videos. 

Starting in early 2023, Shorts-focused creators can apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. These new partners will enjoy all the benefits YPP offers, including ads monetization across Shorts and long-form YouTube videos. This is another option to the existing criteria where long-form creators can still apply to YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Creators can choose the one option that best fits their channel while YouTube maintains the same level of brand safety for advertisers. To support creators who are early in their YouTube journey, YouTube will also introduce a new level of YPP with lower requirements that will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. 

To reward the new creative class, beginning in early 2023, we’ll be moving away from a fixed fund and doubling down on a unique revenue sharing model for Shorts for both current and future YPP creators. Because ads run between videos in the Shorts Feed, every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing. From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45 percent of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. The revenue share remains the same, no matter if they use music or not. 

<strong>YouTube Shorts came to India at a very opportune time. It came right when UGC was becoming very popular and the market was expanding beyond metros. Throw some light on how you managed to gain footing in the Bharat market?</strong>

When you look at all of the digital platforms in the country, YouTube is fueled by voice, video and vernacular. So, because of that, the innate ability for the platform to go to every nook and corner of the country, and be understood, be loved, and be engaged, is very natural. It actually is the easiest form of communication that somebody can get on the digital connected platform.

We started off with a predominantly English language journey and then Hindi language content started to take off from India’s metro cities. If you remember, back in the day a lot of our creators were comedy centric and from urban centers.

Now in the last five to seven years, two very big things have happened with YouTube. The content creation has gone into the heartland of Hindi speaking markets. Hindi has become far more reflective of the evolving user base that has happened. Now it’s no longer a metro phenomenon.

We’re also seeing a host of other languages also doing very well on YouTube. Telugu and Tamil continue to be heavy-use cohorts for us. The richness of the language space has been unbelievable for us. From Punjabi, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Bengali, to Marathi, Gujarati, there is just an extraordinary breadth of languages. Shorts has helped these markets as well. We have seen extraordinary volume from these language markets.

Ours is a journey that is really about going wider and deeper and Shorts is helping us fuel that in even more in a significant manner.

<strong>Platforms that offer both long form and short format content often see the latter stealing all the limelight. Have you noticed any such pattern?</strong>

No creator says that I want to be a short-form creator or a long-form creator. They want to be storytellers and they want to express themselves and tell their stories in different forms. We might think about telling a story today that may need 10 or 20 minutes but tomorrow, we may have a story that may shine in 30 seconds.

Our role as a platform is to give a very versatile toolkit that can help a creator succeed in every format. That’s the core of what we do.  When you think about video creation, our job is to give a toolkit that helps any video creator, do what they want to do, and express themselves with the least amount of friction.  We do believe that both creators and users do not ever say that I’ll only consume a story, if it is, of this size or this form.  They actually want a powerful story. The ability to have that sort of freedom with scale and the best technology is really what we do.  That’s what we’re focused on. That’s what we’ll always be focused on.

<strong>What are your future plans for the offering? What are the top priorities when it comes to new plans for Shorts in India in FY-23?</strong>

Shorts is a natural evolution for us: YouTube Shorts is a new way to create and watch short, mobile videos. If you think about YouTube’s earliest days, we launched with a short 18-second video, ‘Me at the Zoo’. What changed since then is how easy it’s become to create and watch short-form videos. We wanted to make it even easier for people to create short videos on YouTube using their phones, so Shorts is a natural evolution for us. 

We’re building features that are unique to YouTube. We’re bringing all short-form video to YouTube, and all of YouTube to short-form video in a really significant way. There are billions of videos on YouTube - by unlocking those videos for features like remixing so people can sample from those in their own Shorts, we’re creating a real playground of creativity like never before. We have the ability to connect multiple ecosystems - YouTube as we know it today, YouTube Music, and now YouTube Shorts. You can imagine what this might look like in the future - it will allow people to connect more deeply with the content, creators, and artists they’re most interested in. This truly is just the beginning.

EXCLUSIVE: What moves India has the potential to shape the world, says YouTube's Ajay Vidyasagar

<strong>Leo Burnett and Jim Beam</strong>

Publicis Groupe-owned Leo Burnett has been appointed as the global agency-of-record (AOR) for Beam Suntory’s Jim Beam, an American brand of bourbon whiskey. The account, which was won following a multi-agency pitch, will see the agency develop a new global positioning and creative platform. This is the second time Leo Burnett has been appointed as the AOR for Jim Beam. 2016 marked the year when the agency was first selected as the AOR for the American brand. Recently, Beam Suntory announced that it would invest $400 million in renewable energy systems while boosting bourbon production. 

<strong>Hashtag Orange and Signify India</strong>

Digital marketing company Hashtag Orange has won the creative mandate for Signify Innovations India, erstwhile lighting division of Philips Eindhoven of Netherlands. Their responsibility would include ideation, development, and execution of the company’s creative campaigns for both online and offline channels. As per a media report published in June, Signify was looking to grow by 18-20 percent during 2022 in India. Last month, Hashtag Orange appointed Shraddha Iyer as the branch head of its Hyderabad office. Further, the agency bagged mandates across several key accounts. They include GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Monte Carlo, Rock-It, Hype Ryno, EDGE by Pearl Academy, HOUSR co-living and Tulips Hygiene.

<strong>Carat India and TimesPro</strong>

Marketing agency Carat India has won the integrated media mandate of TimesPro, an edtech initiative of Times Group. The responsibility of the agency would include managing TimesPro's omnichannel media services, and this will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

<strong>Bharat Media Group and Newell Brands</strong>

Newell Brands has appointed Bharat Media Group, a 360 degree marketing agency to handle its brands - Reynolds and Sharpie's strategic and creative duties. The mandate includes co-creating the growth roadmap for both businesses in the Indian market. Three weeks ago, Bharat Media Group was appointed as the Agency-Of-Record (AOR) for Super4, Indian fantasy sports platform. The role of the agency will include overseeing the integrated strategy and media mandate which includes creative, performance and experiential marketing, media planning and buying (across medium, traditional and digital), OOH, and cinema. Bharat Media Group has recently made key hirings including Unilever’s former head of Trading and Partnerships, Rohin Desai, who joined as national buying head in August. Desai will head the group’s entire media buying activities across India. He will be based out of the Mumbai office and will report to Anand Charles, CEO, Bharat Media Group. In May, Debarghya Mitra joined as national head of planning. Mitra was VP of client services and head of South at WPP-owned Essence.

<strong>Option Designs and CFS Vision</strong>

Creative and digital marketing agency Option Designs won the creative and digital mandate of CFS Vision, an optical retail chain of Center for Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, which is backed by Mahindra Partners. Their responsibility would include developing creative digital branding strategies for the company. By 2027, CFS Vision aims to create 500 retail locations. In the coming years, the brand will also begin manufacturing frames and lenses under the Make in India initiative.

<em><strong>Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy</strong></em>

Biz Moves: Bharat Media Group gets cracking; Carat India, Hashtag Orange and Option Designs win accounts

Dating app Tinder, in a recent survey, reveals that most young adults in India have little or no confidence in navigating consent and find it hard to have conversations on the subject. Amongst those surveyed in Mumbai, more than 64% of young adults are hesitant to give consent, ask for it, and to withdraw consent when dating someone.

When asked about situations when their consent was violated, 65% of young Mumbaikars chose not to speak to their date/partner about it and turned to a friend and looked for resources online, illustrating the need for continuous dialogue on this subject. In fact, 83% of these young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners.

The findings are based on research conducted by YouGov which surveyed  1,018  young adults (18-30 years) across  Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Young Indians want to learn and discuss consent with 1 in 2 recognizing themselves as the biggest channel for normalizing conversations around consent.

Around 8 in 10 young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners, 76% want it to be even taught formally in schools and colleges, and 72% have taken steps to personally understand the concept of consent.

More than 7 in 10 young adults in Mumbai seek more resources and safe spaces (both physical and online) on consent to be more educated and aware in their personal settings. Amongst a broad group of stakeholders potentially responsible for normalizing conversations on consent, young people identified parents (55%), themselves (44%), and schools and colleges (39%) as the top three influencers responsible for that conversation.

Across various aspects of consent education, most of the young Mumbaikars are most interested in learning about how to give consent (44%), understanding their own boundaries and limitations (41%),  followed by how to ask for consent (40%), emphasizing the need for consent education in the city.

The survey highlights that there are a myriad of factors that prevent young adults from communicating consent or the lack thereof to their dates or partners. The most frequent reasons include: afraid of hurting the date/partner’s feelings (41%), themselves are awkward having such conversations (36%), not knowing how to say no (33%) and anxious about not being liked (30%).

Young adults in Mumbai also have clear categorisation of widely understood metaphors for warning signs.They listed top three red flags include making fun about your interests/beliefs, asking for personal/intimate pictures, and not being empathetic towards others.

Yet putting them into practice proves harder than imagined: 3 in 5 young Mumbaikars say that they would hesitate to say no to a kiss and an almost equal number say they would hesitate to dismiss intimate advances even though it might make them uncomfortable.

Young adults in Mumbai believe that consent extends beyond intimacy and includes a larger concern for privacy and emotional boundaries.
 
The survey was a part of Tinder’s effort to create awareness around the importance of consent.  The platform is bringing back ‘Let’s Talk Consent’, its initiative to encourage conversations around consent and safe dating. This year, the campaign launches with “We Need To Talk”, a short film that explores the nuances of consent in interpersonal relationships amongst young Indian adults.

This will be followed by a Consent and Safe Dating curriculum, developed by experts and available online and in person in select universities, to give young adults access to appropriate information and a safe space to have a healthy discourse on the subject.
 
''Our Let’s Talk Consent initiative aims to give young adults the tools and resources to understand how consent equates freedom in making choices, mutual agreement and normalizes open discussions on tough topics. Coupled with safety products in the app and initiatives such as these, we are committed to working towards creating a healthy dating ecosystem in the country,” says Taru Kapoor, GM, Tinder & match group, India.

Young adults don’t know how to give, ask or withdraw consent while dating, Tinder study

Sleeping disorders are so common and yet there is not enough awareness about them in India. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), for instance, is a disorder caused by the repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep which leads to difficulty in breathing while sleeping. While it's one of the most common sleeping disorders, not many people know about it.

To tap this massive gap in the market, medical equipment company ResMed India has launched a campaign featuring singer and rapper Baba Sehgal.

Created by advertising agency Bang in the Middle, ResMed’s #AwakenYourBest campaign is aimed at creating awareness on sleeping disorders like sleep apnea and emphasis on sleeping well.

In the video, Sehgal, in his quintessential rap style, is seen crooning a rap or sleep anthem that talks about taking a simple at-home test to diagnose sleep related disorders. The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness about the importance of good sleep in a full-filled manner.

“There’s a great gap when it comes to talking about sleep disorders and we wish to start the conversation and create awareness,” says Seema Arora, business head - consumer and digital, South Asia, ResMed.

<strong>Acute sleep deficit</strong>

ResMed conducted a study, speaking to over 5000 people digitally to understand the impact on sleep post-pandemic. The findings show that Indians take a long amount of time (close to 90 minutes) to fall asleep which is far higher than Japan (25 minutes), China (42 minutes) and Korea (30 minutes). The longer duration is equated with extended screen time on devices.

“Data also confirmed a severe pandemic impact on sleeping habits in India. The survey also stated that 62 percent Indians agreed that stress has impacted their sleep during the pandemic as well as post pandemic. Erratic work schedules, excessive digital exposure and unhealthy lifestyle is contributing to poor sleep quality,” shares Arora.

Although ResMed is targeting consumers aged 30-69 years residing in the top 20-25 cities, it is also looking to connect with young Indians (under 25 years) who could be potential influencers in their household.

“We do wish to speak to audiences above the age of 25 years to have the information and encourage their loved ones to take the test and check about the quality of their sleep,” says Arora.

Social media and digital platforms are the likely places where ResMed is hoping to engage with potential customers.

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<strong>Market potential</strong>

India is a huge market for ResMed. Arora quotes a Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2019 study, which states that an estimated 5.4 percent of all Indians ages 30-69 years (28.8 million) have moderate to severe sleep apnea. The level of sleep awareness continues to remain low in a country like India, with only a handful of sleep labs for a population of over 1.3 billion.

The study states that people are often unaware about sleep issues and even if diagnosed with sleep disorders, they tend to hide them. Hence, there is a need to create awareness about the importance of sleep and sleep related disorders.

“The potential in the India market is huge. 28.8 million people could be dealing with sleep apnea. Diet and workout can have a positive impact but it is not the gold treatment for a sleeping disorder. It requires a proper sleep check-up followed by a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine to treat sleep apnea. As we start creating awareness we foresee a demand for these products,” says Arora.  

Currently, there are barely 30,000 to 35,000 odd CPAP devices which are being sold in a year. Compared to the population the penetration of these devices is still less. ResMed is looking to change that.

<strong>Agency speak</strong> 

Naresh Gupta, co-founder and CSO, Bang In The Middle says that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a life-threatening condition and it's easy for the brands to be in the zone that is a bit scary.

“All our consumer chats pointed towards the fact that instilling fear doesn't work as well as creating a happier curative story. Baba Sehgal has a unique style of telling the story, we merged it with an interesting way of taking the consumer on a journey with us," says Gupta.  

"The way the music flows and the way the scenes change in the commercial brought the audience into the brand fold,'' he says, adding, "The simple call to action of asking for a Home Sleep Test was made possible with the magic that was weaved through earworm quality of the music." 

ResMed has kicked off its campaign with a song and dance and the hope that its rap track can help Indians sleep well.


ResMed hopes its rap track can help Indians sleep well

PokerBaazi has released its latest brand campaign, ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’. The campaign features the company’s brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor. The campaign intricately highlights how every Indian possesses innate Poker skills that are part of their day-to-day interactions and can be leveraged to become a Poker player.

Conveying the core message ‘Jo life mein khelta hai wo Poker bhi khel sakta hai’, the ads are filmed satirically to capture how the protagonist (Shahid Kapoor) uses skills that are often used in Poker, like quick thinking, outsmarting the opponent, reading people, calculating on the go, acting under pressure and calling a bluff, during various real life situations which make people around him believe that he is a Poker player.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Navkiran Singh, Founder and CEO of Baazi Games shared, “Poker is a mind sport and through our messaging we have been able to establish the fact that like any other sport even Poker requires certain skills. In our latest campaign we are talking about a simple fact that we, as Indians, possess some of these skills which we use in our daily lives. You can use them to play Poker and at the same time playing Poker can make you get better at these life skills.”

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The campaign has been conceptualized in collaboration with the creative agency Talented. The brand films will be aired during the ongoing Indian Premier League on Jio. The campaign will also feature an exhaustive OOH presence across cities.

PokerBaazi since its inception has been reiterating the precedence of skill and strategy when playing Poker. Recently, the company successfully hosted the 2024 edition of India’s biggest Poker series- National Poker Series India in which people from 23 states won 450 prestigious Poker medals. Recording over 80% Y-o-Y growth in participation with over 2.3 Lac entries, the tournament series is a testament to the speedy growth of Poker in India. PokerBaazi’s latest brand campaign is bound to grow the category in India further.

PokerBaazi launches ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?' campaign with Shahid Kapoor

Amara Raja Batteries Ltd's Amaron, India’s leading automotive batteries brand, has called for a creative pitch, according to industry sources. The incumbent is its long-standing creative partner, Ogilvy, which has been associated with the brand for over two decades. One of the brand's and India's most memorable campaigns was 'Amaron - Lasts Long, Really Long, Ting Tong', a phrase that entered the popular lexicon and is still in use today. 


Amara Raja Batteries officially rebranded itself as Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Limited (ARE&M) in 2023, marking the culmination of a two-year journey aimed at transitioning from a battery manufacturer to a comprehensive solutions provider in the Energy and mobility sector.


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ARE&M is the flagship company of the Amara Raja Group and it is one of the largest manufacturers of lead-acid batteries for both industrial and automotive applications in the Indian storage battery industry. It has prestigious original equipment manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Hyundai Motors India Limited, Ford India Limited, Tata Motors Limited, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, Honda Cars India Limited, Renault Nissan, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India Private Ltd, Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto Ltd, and many more as its clients. The Company's Industrial and Automotive batteries are exported to 50 countries across the globe.


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Today, the company offers a range of solutions and products, encompassing Automotive Batteries, Industrial Batteries, Battery Energy Storage Solutions, Lithium-Ion Cell Manufacturing, a wide array of EV Chargers, Li-ion Battery Pack Assembly, Renewable Energy Storage Solutions, Battery Management Systems, and Lubricants.


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In 2022, before the rebranding, the company unveiled a mascot – The Ron, launched to coincide with a range of new Amaron batteries. It was created by Ogilvy India's Design Cell. 


At the time, Jayadev Galla, Chairman and Managing Director, Amara Raja Batteries Limited, said, “We had always planned to launch a brand mascot and were waiting for the right opportunity. Brand ambassadors and celebrities are valuable, but they don’t become uniquely identifiable with a brand for extended periods. A mascot is timeless and unique. And this is the right time to introduce the Rons, with Amaron expanding not just across India, but into international markets." 

Homegrown personal care brand Bombay Shaving Company on Saturday, released a print advertisement addressing Prachi Nigam. The ad is for BSC's female-focused brand Bombae. Nigam had topped Uttar Pradesh's Class 10 board exams and received national attention. But soon after her image appeared in the press, internet trolls began mocking the teen for her facial hair. Netizens also fought back, voicing their support of the teenage girl. Several internet users raised serious concerns about online bullying and the impact of social media trolling and abuse on person as young as Nigam.

BSC jumped into the conversation a few days later, in what many saw as an attempt to "monetize" a young girl's story with an "opportunistic ad". 

The company's founder Shantanu Deshpande shared the ad, saying, "It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had TOPPED AN EXAM because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future.”

He added in the post, "Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae.”

The ad got severe backlash and it was also brought to industry body Advertising Standards Council of India, ASCI’s attention through social media posts. The ad was picked up for potential violations of an ASCI code which states, advertisements shall not contain anything, whether in illustration or otherwise, which might result in their (children) physical, mental or moral harm, or which exploits their vulnerability.


Manisha Kapoor, secretary-general and CEO, ASCI, said, “The ASCI jury will examine the ad should the company choose to contest it. Here we believe the ad may have exploited the vulnerability of a young student.”


While moment marketing seems very exciting for advertisers, Kapoor highlighted that they often slip up because in their hurry to launch their ad to ride the wave, there is very little diligence. The usual protocols of approvals within an organisation may be overlooked in a race against time. “It may also be the case that companies who indulge in mindless moment marketing do not have enough checks and balances in their creative development or approval process,” she added.


Kapoor concluded saying, “Though this results in poorly thought out ads in the market, which eventually bring advertising a bad name, many moment marketing ads that we see have poor linkages with the larger brand strategy and approach, and may sometimes breach the law or advertising guidelines. The result is social media backlash as well as scrutiny from regulators.”


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/bombay-shaving-companys-opportunistic-desperate-laughable-dear-prachi-ad-causes-a-storm-30049.htm">Bombay Shaving Company's 'opportunistic', 'desperate', 'laughable' Dear-Prachi ad slammed by internet users</a>

When Google announced a three-month delay in their timeline to deprecate the third-party cookies, the entire AdTech industry went on a tailspin this last week, justifiably so. Good or bad, right, or wrong, this is being seen as “crying wolf”, so more than the actual reasons for the extension, it is the subliminal “will they ever deprecate” worry that triggered this angst. 


Aqilliz is one of the affected parties, I must say, as we launched our company with a suite of solutions for the “world beyond cookies” and that world never came for more than four years! And there are many startups like ours, who are waiting for the so called “addressable market” to open up. Not just the startups, large organizations like The Trade Desk, Magnite, Pubmatic, InMobi, Affle etc., who have the Open Web as their addressable market are equally affected as well, because they too need to fine tune their solutions to be fit into the world beyond cookies. To be honest, there is no solution in sight at this moment. 


Keeping the emotions aside, if we must objectively look at why Google extended the deadline by three more months, there are two broad areas of concerns, the CMA has highlighted:


1. <strong>Proper Consent Management Platform:</strong> As late as 2019, when the first announcement to deprecation of cookies was announced, one of the key requirements from the alternative solution is in their ability to capture and carry consent across the supply chain. The CMA wants Google to make the consent interface clearer for Topics API, and make sure partners using Protected Audiences API and Attribution API get user consent. The report notes the ICO’s concern that the remarketing solution Protected Audience API will not incorporate many privacy-enhancing technologies until 2026, after the planned deprecation of third-party cookies. 


2. <strong>Neutrality and Transparency:</strong>  CMA says, we are discussing with Google what further restrictions may be applied on their use of first-party data to target and measure ads on Google’s owned and operated (O&O) inventory, which might indirectly force more of the industry into using Google’s own ad tech. It is particularly concerning that one solution to Protected Audiences API preferences is Google’s ad server and Google Ad Manager over other ad-tech tools. Google’s interest-based targeting solution Topics is fair to all publishers and is not biased toward Google. And it wants to ensure the attribution reporting API will always collect as little user data as possible. Google currently retains significant discretion over how Privacy Sandbox works,” the report says. “This creates a risk of self-preferencing.


Both the above points are absolutely spot on. If the Privacy Sandbox from Google does not meet these two requirements, it has totally failed in offering an alternative in their own ecosystem, after they have deprecated the third-party cookies. Proper consent management, neutrality and transparency are the corner stones of the data privacy regulations across all the countries. This explains, why Google has not postponed the deprecation of trackers with the Android ecosystem and stuck to the timelines, as it is easy to implement this on mobile phones vis a vis a desktop browser. 


But there is a larger question the begs an answer. Are the tech companies that are serving the OpenWeb ready to meet the same set of standards the CMA is demanding from Google? Can the alternative ID solutions that are in the marketplace offer the same standards of consent management, neutrality, and transparency? 


In my view, there are no solutions in sight that can honor the code of responsible use of consumer data, yet. Perhaps, legacy businesses, might not be able to pivot their products or solutions to meet these requirements. Everyone is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, including but not limited to Google. 


IAB TechLab rightly called for a total rearchitecture of the digital advertising supply chain way back in 2019. We are still reading that paper only. Not done anything at all. Status quo is not affecting anybody, so why bother? 


<em><strong>Gowthaman Ragothaman is a 30-year media, advertising and marketing professional and CEO of Aqilliz, a blockchain solutions company for the marketing industry.</strong></em>


MAdtech Point: The truth behind the delay in the deprecation of cookies from Google

Coca-Cola's innovative 2023 Christmas activation, "Magic Audios" popped up on social media recently for its innovative use of artificial intelligence technology and WhatsApp. The campaign tapped into WhatsApp in Brazil, the world's second-largest market for the messaging platform. Leveraging insights into Coca-Cola's significant chatbot user base in Brazil and WhatsApp's popularity, the campaign aimed to strengthen connections with customers, explained the agency behind the campaign - Ogilvy. 

Participants were challenged to record audio messages conveying Christmas wishes while drawing the Coca-Cola bottle silhouette and those who succeeded were awarded prizes. An AI system analyzed audio waveforms, swiftly classifying both form and content, and responding to users promptly. 

Over a two-week period, the campaign generated massive participation, with over 12 million seconds of audio recordings and 400,000 Christmas messages sent. It attracted nearly 100,000 new unique users to Coca-Cola's WhatsApp presence. This creative approach reinforced Coca-Cola's brand presence and fostered meaningful interactions during the festive season in Brazil.

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This innovative campaign that deployed AI-tech for Coca-Cola was shared by Storyboard18's editor on social media recently, prompting Indian users to highlight that this campaign seems to be inspired from a five-year old Swiggy campaign. Viewers were quick to draw comparison between Coca-Cola Brazil's Magic Audios campaign from 2023 with Swiggy's 2019 Voice of Hunger activation for a specific reason, as pointed out by one of the minds behind the campaign. 

But first, more about the 'Voice of Hunger'. 

Challenging foodies on Instagram, Swiggy, India’s largest food delivery platform and its agency Dentsu Webchutney took interactive campaigning to an all new level in 2019. The brand launched a fun-engaging consumer campaign #SwiggyVoiceofHunger, where foodies were urged to recreate the shape of their favorite food using the voice note feature on Instagram. 

The campaign consisted of 5 challenges – consumers were expected to recreate the shape of a Kebab Skewer, Nacho, Shawarma, Pancakes and more using the voice note feature on Instagram. Whoever completed all 5 challenges stood a chance to win a year’s worth of food vouchers from Swiggy. 

At the time, Ashish Lingamneni, who was AVP Marketing at Swiggy said “Contests are a fun way to engage with and understand the pulse of consumers. The unique nature of this campaign has resonated exceedingly well with foodies across the country, with food lovers voicing their hunger literally at an average of 50+ DMs per minute! We are absolutely delighted to see the #SwiggyVoiceofHunger campaign dominate the consumers’ mindspace. The success of this campaign pushes us to serve our discerning consumers more engaging and delightful content”.  

Swiggy had received a whopping 60,000+ voice notes for its challenges on Kebab Skewer , Nachos and Shawarma. Social Media influencers Rohan Joshi, Kanan Gill, Barkha Singh, Ashish Chanchalani, Niharicka Singh, Srishti Dixit and many more were seen passionately voicing their hunger by recreating voice notes. Brands like Airtel also joined the fun banter creating their own versions of Nachos.

<strong>India - a global creative powerhouse</strong>

The campaign won several awards including the coveted Cannes Lions. The agency won a silver for Swiggy’s ‘Voice of Hunger’ campaign in the Social and Influencer category. A first for any Indian agency. 

Sanket Audhi is a founding member of Talented, one of the most exciting and breakthrough new agencies to come out of India in years. The agency was founded by former Dentsu Webchutney executives and teams, the same team that created the Voice of Hunger campaign. 

Audhi shared, "Us Indian creatives are no strangers to comments insinuating that our idea was "first done in UK/USA/AUS/EU/somewhere in the middle of the arctic ocean" As an Indian ad nerd, this is a great day. Here's an idea from the West that's taken more than a whiff from a campaign my team and I executed 5 years ago - Swiggy Voice of Hunger - which won big across Cannes Lions, One Show and the likes in 2019. More special since it was our first Lion. And India's first Social & Influencer Lion!" 

He added, "PS: Wasn't planning on posting about this but made a promise to those in my DMs who sent me the Coke activation asking "broooo isn't this Voice of Hunger?!?!"

Watch the Swiggy activation here.  

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Indian creativity going global?: A 2023 Coke Brazil campaign seems to be inspired by a 2019 Swiggy activation

Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder and CCO of Fundamental, Raj Kamble, Founder & CCO of Famous Innovations and Mayuri Nikumbh, Head of Design at Conran Design, join as Jury Chair for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion category, Out of Home and Ambient category, and Design Category respectively, at The Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show.


Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder and CCO of Fundamental has been appointed Jury Chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion category.  


In the creative business for two decades now, Chakravarti went independent in 2023. Her agency Fundamental has created work for Airtel, Adidas, WhatsApp, Facebook, Parle Products, Marico and more, all in under a year. In her previous stints across Saatchi, Grey, JWT, Taproot Dentsu and DDB Mudra, she has worked on Instagram, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Uber, J&J, Unilever, P&G and local giants like Times of India, ITC and Star Sports.

 
Chakravarti featured among the 200 most-awarded ECDs in 2021 in The Drum World Creative Rankings and closer home, in the 2022 edition of Wonder Women 100 by Indian Television Dot Com, a list celebrating leaders in creative arts. 


From shows like Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Adfest Asia Pacific, Spikes Asia, Kyoorius and The Abbys to effectiveness awards like Effies and Appies, her work has been recognised everywhere. With hundreds of metals to her credit, Pallavi was also the recipient of the Best Ad Screenplay plaque at the prestigious 2015 Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival. 

 
Chakravarti has served on many juries over the years – at Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx, New York Festival, Global Awards, Gerety Awards, Kyoorius Awards and the Abbys, across categories like Film, Outdoor, Direct, Radio and Integrated Advertising. 


She also mentors young talent through various industry initiatives. Psychology, theatre and music make her tick, both on the job and off it. 


Raj Kamble, Founder & CCO of Famous Innovations has been appointed Jury Chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Out of Home and Ambient category.


Kamble is a gold-medallist in design and art from Sir JJ School of Arts. His 25-year career has taken him from Lowe India to Lowe London, Lowe New York, BBDO New York and back to Mumbai as Managing Partner, BBH India. During this time, his work for brands like Stella Artois, Unilever, Nestle, P&G, Saab, Diageo, Vaseline, Burger King and Google has achieved both critical acclaim and business results. 


Kamble has over 150 awards to his name including several Cannes and One Show gold’s. 

 
In 2013, he founded an independent creative agency – Famous Innovations. Today, Famous is a 200+ people agency across Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi, and holds the title of nine-time winner of South Asia Independent Agency of the Year in a row, as well as Digital Agency of the Year, Design Agency of the Year and Green Agency of the Year. 


Kamble is a frequent lecturer at institutes such as the Kellogg Institute of Management and Columbia University. He is the Director of Miami Ad School in India. He is part of a think tank with the Government to make India WiFi-friendly. 


He plays a prominent role in shaping the future of education in India as part of the Board of Governors at Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, Board of Governors at MIT-Pune and Academic Advisory Board at National Institute of Design

 	
Mayuri Nikumbh, Head of Design at Conran Design has been appointed Jury Chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Design Category.


With a strong belief in the power of design to convey authentic stories that help transform businesses as well as influence consumer behavior, Mayuri has led award-winning projects and contributed to the success of both startups as well as well established brands.


An alum of IIT Bombay and with a career spanning over two decades, she currently leads the creative vision for Conran Design Mumbai which she helped establish in the middle of the global pandemic. Within three years of its inception, Mayuri has helped win notable businesses and awards including Campaign Agency of the Year, Transform Asia and IDA Awards.


Nikumbh has been voted as one of India’s 40 under Forty go-getters in the creative field by Impact magazine. She has also represented India at the Asia-wide collaborative project ‘Colours of Asia’- that culminated in a unique exhibition at the Hong Kong Design Institute which went on to win the Design for Asia Award. 


Amidst numerous other representations as a leading voice for design, Nikumbh has been on the jury panel for Spikes Asia awards, Kyoorius Design Awards as well as all major local festivals. She will also be at Cannes this year as a part of the Design Lions jury.


Mayuri strongly endorses the practice of working towards the sweet spot of consumer and clients’ problem-solving needs. She believes good designers make good citizens that enable a meaningful way of life.  


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/goafest-2024-and-abby-awards-to-take-place-from-29th-to-31st-may-2024-in-mumbai-29509.htm">Goafest 2024 and ABBY Awards to take place from 29th to 31st May, 2024 in Mumbai</a> 



Pallavi Chakravarti, Raj Kamble and Mayuri Nikumbh appointed as Jury Chairs for Abby Awards 2024

Trading app Stoxkart unveils its ‘StoxKart Kiya Kya’ campaign. The film conceptualized by Pulp Strategy Communications positions StoxKart as the ultimate solution for trading aficionados.

This digital-first endeavour positions StoxKart as the go-to solution for all trading aficionados. Central to the campaign narrative is a problem-solution storyline where the protagonist grapples with the complexities of online trading until his alter ego swoops in with the ultimate solution.

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Pranay Aggarwal, CEO and Director of StoxKart, shared his insights into the launch, emphasizing the app's three key pillars: 'Zero Brokerage', 'Easy Funds Transfer', and 'One-click Order'. Commenting on the journey he remarked, “our product is backed by decades of expertise, and this launch campaign succinctly showcases StoxKart's specialties while infusing creativity and wit into the messaging.”

Ambika Sharma, Founder and Managing Director of Pulp Strategy, expressed pride in the campaign's impact, citing its visual power and strong consumer resonance. Commenting on the campaign she said “We are excited to extend the campaign's reach across various mediums and platforms over the coming weeks”. 

Crafted to elevate the trading journey, StoxKart empowers users with a suite of innovative features aimed at streamlining and optimizing the trading process. Pranay Aggarwal's insights underscore the app's expertise and commitment to simplifying the trading process, while Ambika Sharma's pride in the campaign's impact reflects its visual power and consumer resonance. As StoxKart continues to extend its reach, it stands poised to revolutionize the trading journey.

Stoxkart unveils new campaign for trading aficionados

Palmolive, the personal care brand from Colgate-Palmolive India, announced the launch of its first-ever mega campaign featuring its body wash range.


Palmolive defines an elevated category code with this campaign, using the contrast of the chaos of urban life intersecting with dreamy shower moments. Amidst the rushedness of city living, the protagonist finds a moment to slow down with the aromas of Palmolive body wash. Through the sensory journey of her shower experience, the brand encourages everyone to elevate their mornings with Palmolive. 

"Palmolive is a strategic & integral part of Colgate-Palmolive. We are the pioneers of the body wash category in India, and it is important for us to reinforce in the consumer’s mind Palmolive’s natural, aromatic bathing experience. To do this, we felt there is a need to address the reality of our consumer’s life. Our target audience is always on-the-go, always rushed, always ON. Her busy daily routine offers her no moment to pause —however, indulging in the simple pleasure of a sensorial Palmolive shower can be just that! Through this campaign, we encourage our consumer to take a moment to slow down and savour the feeling, every day.” says Swati Rao Jeyakumar, Director - Oral Beauty & Personal Care Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive. She adds, “Our body washes are curated with rich aromas that truly deliver superior and sensorial shower moments. We aim to position Palmolive as a premium, natural brand that offers an elevated bathing experience."

Juneston Mathana, Executive Creative Director at WPP@CP, commented, “If the brand has taken a stance to move beyond only functional benefits and redefine the category, then it’s only natural for the communication to do the same. The idea of a floating bathtub gently drifting above the hustle and bustle of the city didn’t just sound refreshing, but also exciting. It’s an image that will forever be inviting, like the magic carpet ride. And bringing this beautiful vision to life was the masterful Sachin Kotre and his team from Lensflare Films”


Palmolive tells people to slow down amid the bustle in its new campaign

BN Group has unveiled a new campaign #JaisaGharWaisaCookingOil for its newly launched retail brand - Nutrica. 

Conceptualized and developed by GOZOOP Group, the campaign consists of six engaging commercials (TVCs), OOH, print, in-shop and other digital assets.
 
The campaign spotlights the requirement to opt for a cooking oil which facilitates fulfillment of specific health goals. 

Kiran Giradkar, Chief Marketing Officer, BN Group shares, “Nutrica is a lifestyle brand that recognizes and honors the individuality of your family's health and wellness needs. With our #JaisaGharWaisaCookingOil campaign, we're attempting to question the status quo and bring some excitement in the otherwise very serious category. The communication developed by GOZOOP Group breaks the mold and infuses fun to cut through the clutter. We intentionally stayed away from showing those done-to-death visual cues like a kitchen set up, pouring of oil and those dinner table smiles. We hope our communication will travel seamlessly to make a healthier lifestyle a matter of pride for every household.”
 
“Here we had a range of oils, all with specific benefits”, said Mohit Ahuja, President, GOZOOP Group. “Rather than just highlight these benefits, we thought it would be nice if a distinct need for each can be shown through examples of human behavior. The creative team has done that beautifully. The humorous tonality of the thematic ads further #BreaksTheBox in the category,” he further added.
 
The digital commercial informs audiences on three key aspects of well-being namely immunity, energy and fitness. The film is being made available in six languages - English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and will run on social media platforms as well as television for sustained communication. 


BN Group launches ad campaign for new portfolio brand Nutrica

Homegrown personal care brand Bombay Shaving Company has taken moment marketing to 'new lows', it seems, with a print advertisement addressing Prachi Nigam. The ad is for BSC's female-focused brand Bombae. 

Nigam made headlines recently after she topped Uttar Pradesh's Class 10 board exams. Soon after her image appeared in the press, internet trolls began mocking the teen for her facial hair. But netizens also fought back against the trolls, voicing their support of the teenage girl. Several internet users raised serious concerns about online bullying and the impact of social media trolling and abuse on person as young as Nigam.

This, of course, is a serious matter. But BSC seems to have "commercialized" the issue with an attempt to "monetize" a young girl's story with an "opportunistic ad" that claims not to be opportunistic.  

The company's founder Shantanu Deshpande shared the ad, saying, "It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had TOPPED AN EXAM because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future." 

He added in the post, "Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae." 

But the attempt to send a "heartfelt message" has fallen flat. 

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Here are some internet reactions to the ad. 

"Poorly done. A different form of bullying that puts the girl in national spotlight. If the brand really wanted to do something, it could have supported her silently. That is actually advertising." 

"A scholarship to further her studies would have done more to help her ignore her haters." 

"Class? Don't think so. It is mauke pe chauka at the cost of a young girl and desperately screaming 'I am trying to be a cool brand'." 

"Haven’t seen something this desperate." 

"This message goes to their own TG, not to the people who bullied her, hey pls remember to buy our razors while you shed a tear for her. Read the line on the bottom right. Laughable." 

"Speechless. And, not in a good way. IMHO, the very intention of doing this sounds noble at first glance, but somehow still reeks of opportunism," wrote Shantesh S Row on LinkedIn tagging the company and the founder.

He added, "Feel for Prachi. First, she gets trolled, inconsiderately. And now, she's an unwilling participant of a let-us-support-her-with-some-look-we-care-brand-moment-marketing-bullcrap-ad. Also, ironically, that subhead is just plain insensitive. Sorry, but this is an epic misfire...and utterly dishonest..." 

A female ad executive, who wished not to be named in this article, told Storyboard18, "They've tried to make the anti-ad with the comment at the end stating, "we hope you never get bullied into using our razor". What were they thinking! It's cringe, it's lazy and it is a blatant attempt to monetize and commercialize a serious issue." 

The young agency executive adds, "I wonder who are they speaking to? The answer is probably themselves. I am a woman and this ad is not only opportunistic but also pandering and condescending. It's a new low. I feel bad for Prachi too. She didn't deserve this after all the trolls and hate has had to face."  

"The kid would want this episode to end as soon as possible. But No! A brand wants to splash her name again. Without her consent most likely. To sell their own razors," says Abhishek Asthana, founder of creative agency, GingerMonkey. 

"Very poor taste!," he said, adding, "Also, somehow the brand assumes their Razors are the cure for a hormonal disorder. Belabouring the point that it’s “NOT Normal” and she needs their razors to look “normal” The ad just assumes, she must need razors. Pathetic." 

Deepak Gupta, co-founder and COO of Bombay Shaving Company, took to LinkedIn within a few hours of the ad's release and backlash beginning, to say, "While the jury is still out, and there are ongoing debates within our internal team as well about whether we should have released this public message, this is what our brand Bombae stands for “spirit of freedom and self-expression”. Cheers to all the Prachi's from our team at Bombae for their courage and aspirations!"

A senior advertising executive told Storyboard18 on the condition of anonymity that startup brands often have a holier-than-thou attitude. He added, "We see it in personal care, in tech and in the food space. They think they are better than everyone else. That kind of unquestioned thinking and hubris can be detrimental to the brand. These brands should know when to speak and when not to speak. It's Purpose without true direction. Everything is not a moment marketing opportunity."  

Storyboard18's The Great Indian Ad Doodle is here!

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