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The venerable German auto company Volkswagen (VW) landed on the Indian shores in 2007 and introduced the Passat, which it has manufactured since 1973. The company brought on board the DDB Mudra Group as its creative partner to help with the launch.


The brand has since gone on to introduce the Polo (2010, discontinued 2022), Vento (2010), Volkswagen Jetta (2011), the 21st century Beetle (2015), Volkswagen Taigun (2021), and Volkswagen Virtus (2022), among others. 

 
Talking to Storyboard18 of this long-standing agency-client relationship of 17 years, Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer (CCO), DDB Mudra Group, stated that the brand is defined by three words: responsible, valuable, and innovative.


He highlighted, “Our depth of brand understanding, our creative prowess in translating the brand’s unique tone of voice for the Indian market, and our ability to make innovative messaging and media choices have been key for our success with the brand all these years.” He added that the brand was defined by three words: responsible, valuable, and innovative, and wanted to convey that innovation and good engineering were not for the few but for everyone — it was, after all, the ‘people’s car.’


Edited excerpts from the interview:

 

How did DDB Mudra Group happen to come on board for Volkswagen India?

 

To talk about our history with Volkswagen, we would have to start with DDB’s long and storied past with the brand. The iconic ‘Think Small’ and ‘Lemon’ campaigns crafted by DDB in the late ‘50s / early ‘60s for Volkswagen Beetle changed the face of advertising. In a market dominated by flash and exaggeration, the black and white minimalist design combined with the clever, yet refreshingly honest copy brought about a creative revolution. Those campaigns are as powerful today as they were more than 60 years ago. 


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/08/Lemon-2024-08-7fc99a4de578fe9ebb9a252176061afe.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="768" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-40534" />
 

The DDB Mudra Group has been a proud flag bearer of this legacy ever since we started our partnership with Volkswagen in 2007. We introduced the brand and its multiple car lines in India. Our depth of brand understanding, our creative prowess in translating the brand’s unique tone of voice for the Indian market, and our ability to make innovative messaging and media choices have been key for our success with the brand all these years.


Which was the first ad campaign that was rolled out and what were the challenges?

 
The first big pan-India campaign we rolled out was the launch of the Volkswagen brand in India. There were several challenges. To begin with, Volkswagen was new and had limited brand awareness. It also had ambitions of launching multiple models within the first year of brand introduction. As their creative partner, we had to think beyond just the brand launch and had to keep in mind the product introduction plans too. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/volkswagens-abbey-thomas-on-youre-in-a-volkswagen-campaign-women-being-the-major-influencer-and-more-12381.htm">Volkswagen’s Abbey Thomas on ‘You’re in a Volkswagen’ campaign, women being the major influencer, and more</a> 
 

At its launch, the brand was defined by three words: responsible, valuable, and innovative. We made the decision to focus on the value of innovation. We had to create a lot of buzz for the brand. The launch had to make India sit up and watch a new beginning.

 

Volkswagen was introduced to India with India’s first newspaper roadblock (a digital affair). We bought every ad in the Times of India (.com) and communicated our approach to innovation, our range of products, and our new factory in Pune. We educated people on how to pronounce the name ‘Volkswagen.’ Most importantly, we wanted to convey that innovation and good engineering were not for the few but for everyone – it was, after all, the ‘people’s car.’ 


Who was the target audience? And what were the marketing strategies adopted, and the media mix?

 
The brand planned to launch multiple car lines over 12 months, so we were speaking to everyone — from potential young owners of the mass-premium hatchback Polo, to people who would drive the luxury Phaeton. That’s what made the campaign so creatively challenging and ultimately successful — finding that one idea that translated across segments. Our idea of ‘innovation for everyone’ didn’t leave anyone out of the conversation. 



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The brand launch as well as the subsequent launches of Polo, Beetle, Phaeton, Touareg, and Vento used major innovations in print and outdoors advertising to drive impact. This, combined with interesting TV ads, created a perfect media mix. Our strategy was simple — to build up German engineering through authentic, human stories in the famous Volkswagen voice. 



<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/08/VW-Polo-2024-08-2cd110afcbdb88abfba9ad51e3e7f98a.jpg" alt="" width="1262" height="871" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-40533" />

 

For the launch of Polo, for example, we had to hype the fact that it was a German engineered car built for Indian roads. So, our print work featured the world’s first cut-out newspaper ad. A Polo-shaped hole was cut in each page of the newspaper, and as people flipped through, they could read about the India-appropriate features of the car. 


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This was supported by a TV commercial (TVC) which showed the uniquely Indian road tests that the Polo had to pass. Similarly, for the launch of the Vento we created the world’s first ‘talking newspaper’ which spoke about innovation from the point of view of a Volkswagen engineer who loathes to see his beloved creation leave the factory. Even today, when it comes to print innovation, the first example that comes to everyone’s mind is VW’s talking newspaper. There was an audio chip that started playing when you unfolded the paper.


Could you also touch upon the subsequent ad campaigns, and how the target audience evolved with time?

 

In the decade after the launch, we used the momentum to continue building the brand in India. ‘Innovation’ and ‘German engineering’ remained our key pillars, but we also narrowed down on the human lens of innovation and engineering focussed on the human aspect. Unlike the market, which was stuck on bells and whistles, we focussed on what made a car truly great. What made a car a Volkswagen. Our campaigns spoke about what makes Volkswagen safer, more solid, and more enjoyable for the people driving them. 


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Over time, we started seeing a shift in the market. Earlier, car buying used to be a fairly linear journey that could, to a large extent, be mapped to age and life stage. But, with the introduction of ad innovations, a growing population of the young affluent, and the rising influence of digital interventions in the purchase journey, the game has changed completely. The buying journey is no longer linear, and the audience is younger, more informed, and more vocal.

 

While our work continues to capture the emotions of what it means to drive a Volkswagen while highlighting its superior safety, build quality, and driveability, our approach has also evolved for this young audience and the digital world. 

 

Our digital-first campaign bidding farewell to the Polo is a good example of this. Our launch of the Taigun became one of the biggest live launches in the category, resulting in over a million enquiries before bookings even opened. Our safety-focussed campaign used small, human instances to bring to light our features without using the car in the frame. 


Could you take us through the evolution of the media mix for Volkswagen India

 
In the automobile industry, aspiration and desire is still built through mediums such as TV, print and OOH. This becomes even more important in the case of launches. 

 
Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/volkswagen-indias-rs150-180-crore-media-business-up-for-grabs-calls-for-pitch-22564.htm">Exclusive: Volkswagen India's Rs 150-180 crore media business up for grabs; calls for pitch </a>


But the purchase decision is fast becoming a digital journey. Once the car purchase journey started at the showroom, but now showrooms are often only visited to pick-up the car you’ve bought. People are reading car reviews, visiting websites, comparing cars, and even booking test drives online to arrive at their choice. 

 
With digital now carrying the major load of conversion, it means the so-called traditional mediums have the opportunity to be even more disruptive. We should now be using these mediums to be even more innovative and engaging, so that we’re top-of-mind for every potential car buyer.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/volkswagen-india-calls-for-a-creative-pitch-carmakers-global-media-account-already-under-review-26438.htm">Volkswagen India calls for a creative pitch? Carmaker's global media account already under review</a>

Volkswagen defined by 3 words — responsible, valuable, innovative: Rahul Mathew, DDB Mudra Group

Cheil X, part of Cheil SWA group revealed its new visual identity and philosophy which takes its inspiration from the agency’s Korean heritage. Cheil X is an independent full-service agency under the Cheil SWA group. It has two full-fledged offices in Gurgaon and Mumbai. 


The Gurgaon team is helmed by Neeraj Bassi, chief growth officer, Cheil X-Gurgaon with the creative team managed by Amit Nandwani, NCD, Cheil X-Gurgaon. 


Anurag Tandon, Chief Growth Officer, Cheil X-Mumbai is leading the charge of newly opened Mumbai office while Rajit Gupta is the creative head of Cheil X- Mumbai. 


The visual identity of Cheil X is the emblem which is a profound synthesis of cultural heritage and creative ethos, echoing the very essence of the agency's philosophical underpinnings. At its core lies the symbol of the letter X, a manifestation of their relentless pursuit of disruptive innovation within the realm of advertising, stated the company. 

 
Rajit Gupta, vice president and creative head of Cheil X - Mumbai, who is also the creator of the identity, says, “The form of X, which is inspired by traditional and modern Korean script, essentially breaks down to lines and dots. This framework has been extended to create a unique typeface and illustrations that form a whole visual ecosystem for the brand. The logo philosophy embodies the ethos of Cheil X – a commitment to disruptive creativity rooted in cultural empathy and emotional resonance. It is a reminder that in every stroke of design, we are not merely crafting images but shaping experiences, touching hearts, and inspiring change.”

 
“At first blush, this new identity is a visual delight but if you dig deeper it reflects Cheil X’s preparedness for its next phase of growth as it spreads its wings with the launch of new office in Mumbai says, Anurag Tandon, Chief Growth officer, Cheil X- Mumbai. We are uniquely poised to capture the next wave of business evolution as our clients are becoming more tech focussed with our portfolio of services that draws on our expertise of leveraging creativity and technology. We have the best talent in the industry who have hands on experience in handling the dynamic business ask of our clients combined with the desire to fuel their growth and be an enabler for their business success” he added.

 
Commenting on Cheil X’s philosophy, Bassi said, “Agencies today need to move beyond their traditional remit of campaign led approach to a broader focus on improving the business outcomes. Our main differentiator is that we are already ahead of this curve. We have been living the philosophy of Business Connected Agency for years, developing solutions that Impact every moment in the customer journey. Our BCA approach helps clients achieve their business results through cumulative impact of connected experiences across the customer journey”.


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Cheil SWA group unveils a new visual identity for Cheil X

IdeateLab - an independent digital-first marcom solutions provider – has repositioned itself as "The Outcome People."


“In the BANI world, getting the best output is not enough. In order to achieve the best outcomes, businesses need to create and embrace the best outcomes themselves. IdeateLab is partnering clients in bringing this mindset shift – to help reshape their thinking about their products & services in order to achieve business outcomes”, says Bhaskar Das, Chairman of IdeateLab.


To reflect the new thinking and focus, the company has refreshed its identity and digital assets. IdeateLabs becomes IdeateLab, and dawns a crisper, contemporary logo, stated the company.


The company has outlined three key pillars to engage with clients, such that ‘outcome’ becomes the currency:


· Differentiated Approach: IdeateLab starts at the Business Objective level, not just Marketing or Communication objective. And identifies the role it can play to make a visible and sustained difference to the clients’ business through its CEO (Creative & Consult, Engage & Execute, Optimise & Operate) framework.


· Tailored Solutions: No two businesses or brands are same. From data-backed insights, deep social listening to nuanced creative & content and advanced media optimization, IdeateLab crafts bespoke solutions that deliver outcomes. It is particularly geared to help MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and home-grown businesses. To the extent, that IdeateLab functions like their outsourced marketing function.


· Partnership DNA: Ideatelab’s growth is truly linked to the growth of its clients. The operating model is designed on the principle of shared success – with a hybrid of fixed and variable elements. It’s a partnership based on collaboration, transparency and agreed outcomes.


“Ideate has always prided itself on the ability to adapt to changing times, hence over the last few months the leadership spent a lot of time discussing and brainstorming with our clients as well as Industry Leaders on how can we partner and create a true partnership model with our clients, whether a Startup looking to Scale or an Established Brand looking to diversify. This new avatar reflects that changed thinking that we bring on board.”, said Vrutika Dawda, director, IdeateLab.


“We are looking to expand and sharpen the very definition of the word ‘idea’ in our vocabulary. Moving beyond the ‘what’ of output, at a campaign or social post level, we want to crack the ‘why’ of that outcome at the business level. So that a refreshing & tangible mashup of data, creativity and technology comes into play”, said Raman R.S. Minhas, chief creative officer, IdeateLab.



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IdeateLab reboots to become “The Outcome People”

One of India’s leading cement manufacturing companies JK Cement’s media business has likely been bagged by Wavemaker India, according to sources. Industry sources indicate that the GroupM-owned media investments firm was given the mandate as the company looks to increase visibility on the back of its expansion plans. 

Meanwhile, in response to the article JK Cement shared the following statement: "JK Cement has not yet awarded the media mandate to any agency. The selection process is not complete yet, and no final decision has been made." 

It added, "Any updates regarding our media mandate will be communicated through proper channels in due course." 

In an official statement, Wavemaker said, “Wavemaker denies the recent reports claiming they had been awarded the media mandate for JK Cement. We hereby clarify that the information circulating is inaccurate and we are not currently engaged with JK Cement in any such capacity.”

On May 12, JK Cement announced its fourth quarter financial results, reporting an increase of 101 percent in its consolidated net profit to Rs. 219.75 crore. The company reported Rs. 3105.77 crore as consolidated revenue from its operations in the March quarter, an increase of 11 percent from Rs. 2777.88 crore last year. 

At the Abby awards during the Goafest this year, Wavemaker India won the title of ‘Agency of the Year’ with a total of 16 metals. The agency won a total of four gold, nine silver and three bronze trophies. 

JK Cement Ltd. is one of India’s leading manufacturers of Grey Cement and one of the leading White Cement manufacturers in the World. JKCement’s operations commenced with commercial production at its flagship grey cement unit at Nimbahera, Rajasthan in May 1975. 

The Company has an installed capacity of 22.2 MTPA of Grey Cement, making it one of the top cement manufacturers in the country. Its Grey Cement business has a strong Pan-India presence across 15 states with an enhanced reach in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. JK White Cement is sold across 36 countries around the globe and the Company has a strong international presence with two subsidiaries, JK Cement Works Fujairah FZC and JK White Cement (Africa) Ltd.

The article has been updated with comments from the company and agency.

Wavemaker India bags JK Cement's media business?: Exclusive

FCB/SIX India has bagged the SEO (search engine optimisation) and content mandate for Nuvision Auto Glass and Autoglass America, the two websites housed by Nuvision Auto Glass, a windshield replacement and repair company in the United States. 

With this mandate, FCB/SIX India plans on enhancing the brand’s online visibility, optimising its search engine rankings, and creating content to drive customer engagement for both the brand’s websites.

The account will be serviced by the agency’s Mumbai office. 

Sandeep Jha, Director of Marketing, Nuvision Auto Glass, said, “We are thrilled to partner with FCB/SIX India to enhance our online visibility and drive organic growth. This collaboration marks a significant step in our commitment to providing innovative solutions and exceptional service in the auto glass industry. Together with FCB/SIX India, we look forward to achieving new milestones in SEO excellence and business development.”

Ankit Banga, chief business officer, FCB/SIX India, added, "Excited to join forces with NuVision and elevate their online organic growth strategy for the US market. Together, we anticipate setting new benchmarks in the auto glass industry with a conversion-based SEO roadmap. We aim to map consumer journeys across multiple touchpoints and drive business success."

On bagging the account, Rohan Mehta, chief executive officer, FCB Kinnect and FCB/SIX India, said, "It's fantastic to see our services in demand both domestically and internationally. The auto glass category is a niche, and we are thrilled to elevate the content and SEO management for Nuvision Auto Glass to new heights."


FCB/SIX India to handle SEO and content mandate for Nuvision Auto Glass

Dentsu Group Inc. has announced the global expansion of its BX practice, supporting the business and growth transformation of clients. Dentsu’s BX offering, which has long been available in Japan, is one of the key Global Practices alongside Media, Creative, and Customer Experience Management (CXM). The global team consists of more than 400 consultants in locations around the world, delivering services including business strategy, sales transformation, culture transformation and sustainability strategy.

 

Yuichi Toyoda, global practice president - business transformation, dentsu, said, “BX is a practice that has been offered by dentsu Japan for more than 10 years, helping clients transform their businesses, create new categories and drive competitiveness. Dentsu’s BX is a highly regarded consultancy offering that differs from conventional consulting model, because it combines dentsu's strengths in creativity, execution, and data & technology with a marketing perspective to address the challenges faced by our clients. These include stalled transformation initiatives, a need for more originality in strategy, or barriers to the development of new categories or revenue streams for growth. With our fully-fledged, international expansion, we’re looking forward to serving the needs of both existing and new clients.”

 

Jean Lin, global president - global practices, dentsu, commented, “dentsu’s BX practice aims at creating new values, with a unique dentsu consultancy approach, to impact businesses, brands, and people’s lives. We are excited to support the transformation journey of clients internationally, to enhance our client promise, Innovating to Impact.”


Dentsu’s BX offering

 
With its more than 120-year history as a leading advertising partner to the world’s biggest brands, dentsu’s people-centered business transformation offering is rooted in its deep understanding of human behavior and drivers. As an integrated growth partner to clients, dentsu now goes beyond advertising and marketing to truly guide the “Growth Transformation” of organizations wanting to disrupt their market, and even themselves. Dentsu’s BX offering focuses on providing people-centered transformation support in the three core areas:

 
Business transformation (business strategy, new business development, sales transformation, marketing transformation), corporate transformation (corporate culture transformation, human resources and organizational transformation), sustainability strategy
 

Structure and areas of expansion

 
Global expansion will begin with a focus on the U.S., UK&I, DACH, Northern Europe, China, Taiwan, and India, led by client demand. Under the leadership of Toyoda, dentsu has appointed leaders across Sustainability Strategy (Global), Americas, EMEA, and APAC, respectively. The BX teams formed in each market will serve as one location-free global team. In other markets where dentsu operates, these BX teams will work closely with local teams to provide services.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/dentsu-announces-key-elevations-for-global-expansion-of-dentsu-lab-34549.htm">Dentsu announces key elevations for global expansion of Dentsu Lab</a>

Dentsu expands business transformation (BX) services globally to support client transformation

Havas today announced an important evolution to its global strategy and significant investments to answer clients’ ever-increasing needs for cross-functional, fully integrated communications solutions. The global ad holding company launched a new groupwide Operating System powered by technology with creativity at its core. It committed €400 million to data, tech and AI over the next four years and created a Global Task Force to support investment. Further it is to develop client-centric approach, unlocking the full potential of its capabilities across all markets to offer hyper-personalized solutions. 

The announcement comes as Havas looks to the future and prepares for a new chapter with the potential to become publicly traded, and continues to experience solid growth, strong commercial and creative activity, as well as record years in M&A, the company said in a statement. 

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO, Havas commented, “I couldn’t be more excited about this transformative development for Havas. Aiming at supercharging our positive impact for our clients and contributing to shaping the future of the fast-evolving communications industry, our new Converged strategy will build even more bridges between creativity, media, production, and technology than ever before. We are building a model that is future-thought, agnostic in terms of data and tech partnerships and perfectly interoperable with our clients’ systems, to meet their needs even more swiftly and cost-effectively. Converged is a collective journey, as it marks a further acceleration in our growth journey, representing a cultural shift that will resonate across every level of our organization and ensure the success of our clients and partners.”

Building on the success of the Together Strategy and the Village approach launched in 2014, which have contributed to transforming Havas in the most integrated group, Converged is designed to bring global collaboration at Havas even further, fusing talent, capabilities, platforms and expertise, the company added. 

With meaningful ideas at its heart, it will leverage Havas’ creativity, media, and production capabilities, powered by the best data, technology and AI, bringing its global networks and agencies even closer to help drive clients’ businesses through: 

A new Operating System delivering an integrated and meaningful value proposition - Built upon the foundations of Havas’ industry leading “Converged” media tool, an AI-powered solution that aims to provide transparent, cross-platform audience planning and has demonstrated its efficiency in recent years, the Converged OS takes integration further. Fueled by data, tech and AI, with creative ideas at its core, the new OS will be available across all Havas’ networks and areas of expertise and enhanced beyond its current media focus. It will empower the group’s 23,000 talents to not only work smarter and faster, but also to craft integrated and sustainable solutions through four steps to match the client journey: 1. Intelligence 2. Design 3. Activate and 4. Measure. 

The best in Marketing technology, data and Gen AI, supercharging the delivery of creativity, media and production with an expected investment of €400 million over the next four years - This additional financial commitment builds on Havas’ consistent investment in new capabilities and tools, the establishment of international networks dedicated to content production, customer experience, and e-commerce as well as the formation of strategic partnerships with global technology leaders like Adobe. 

Havas will appoint a Global Task Force to support this major investment.
 
A transformed Client experience that leverages this unique end-to-end integrated model, to create, produce and distribute real-time, optimized, personalized and meaningful content and experiences at scale - To unlock the full potential of its capabilities across all markets, the group will adopt an even more centrally led client structure with a new Global Chief Client Officer, ensuring a seamless experience for clients across the world.  

The new OS will be implemented over the next few months to accelerate new growth opportunities for its clients.



Havas launches new groupwide Operating System, commits 400 million euro to data, tech, AI

On June 14, 2024, FCB Group India launched FCB Now, a programme that brings together brands and platforms to develop new-age solutions. FCB has partnered with Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, Jio, Meta, ShareChat, etc., for this.

In a conversation with Storyboard18, Dheeraj Sinha, FCB Group CEO, India and South Asia, explained, “Today, clients want us to navigate the entire consumer journey for the brand. They're not expecting an agency to come in and just produce ads for them. They're expecting an agency to do top-funnel awareness, mid-funnel consideration, and bottom-funnel conversion across platforms, building content that’s native to those platforms. It's become more layered, and more complex.


Edited Excerpts


What do clients expect from an agency now, and how has brand building evolved over time?


When we launched FCB Now, we brought together platforms such as Google, Meta, ShareChat, Jio, etc., and our clients, to discuss how the marketing funnel has changed.


We found that most clients were looking at advertising with respect to the consumer journey, and it was not just about the brand. The earlier model was to have a brand, have a brand core, have a brand idea, and amplify that.


The big learning is about the platforms the consumer is present on. What is their mindset or mood on these platforms? How do we build content which is true to that platform, is true to the mood of that platform, and meets the brand narrative? So, if that's the way marketing is changing, then that's how the expectation from the agency is changing as well.


Today, clients want us to navigate the entire consumer journey for the brand. They're not expecting an agency to come in and just produce ads for them. They're expecting an agency to do top-funnel awareness, mid-funnel consideration, and bottom-funnel conversion across platforms, building content that’s native to those platforms. It's become more layered, and more complex.


How do you see AI changing the advertising landscape, and how are you using AI at FCB? 


We've done work using AI for DBS Bank. We used machine learning and AI to create songs for the youth. Last year, we did a campaign for ITC with Shah Rukh Khan, where we used AI to say that anybody can feature with Shah Rukh Khan, using AI.


So, we've been using AI in various ways from a consumer point of view. We're also using AI internally. For example, a lot of our storyboarding is being done using AI. Some of the research is happening using AI, but I think that this is just play. I don't think AI has come to a level where there's serious usage of AI in our businesses. That’s yet to happen. 


What are the goals of FCB Group, and how would that benefit the group and change the advertising industry as a whole?


If you look at FCB as a group, we have four agencies. We have Kinnect, which is the largest digital agency in the country. We have FCB Ulka, which is our strongest brand and has worked with clients such as Amul, Tata Motors, etc. 



We have FCB Interface, an integrated creative agency, which works with Mahindra and Mahindra and has got a huge roster of brands. Then we have FCB India, fully integrated marketing communications company, which is one of the youngest companies in our portfolio. They work with clients such as Uber, Google, Pernod Ricard.



We would now be the largest, fully integrated creative company in the country. Within the four agencies, we can go from strategy to traditional creative, to digital creative, to CRM, to influencer marketing, to production — everything in one shot.



That's what clients are looking for. Clients are looking for an agency which can come manage the whole narrative and deliver business impact. So, that's the positioning for the agency.



We are here to solve the clients' business problems. We are here to solve human problems in the country. That's the cusp at which we exist as a brand and as a business. 



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This year, what do you think will be the major disruptors in the ad industry? 



Disruptions don’t happen every year. Disruption in any category or industry happens over three, four, five years, maybe even a decade. I feel there are a couple of big patterns which have emerged over the years in our business.


During a discussion at the launch of FCB Now, the panelists said that a brand’s marketing team is held accountable for business. Therefore, agencies also have to be accountable for the impact on the business.


Hence, one cannot now be satisfied and say that ‘my campaign did well.’ It's important to be accountable for how you're impacting the client’s business. That's one big shift that’s happening. That's one of the biggest expectations. Clients are asking, ‘How are you helping my business?’


Then there’s the role of technology, of various platforms, the role of fragmented media. Because the consumer today is not just sitting in front of the TV. They start in the morning with Instagram, go on to YouTube, look at a billboard, watch connected TV in the evenings, and look at the smartphone multiple times. How the brand leverages this fragmented consumption is the other big shift.

 
The third shift is how to attract, retain, and train talent that’s able to think fragmented media, able to empathise with Gen Z, and think of communications in the context of business. We need talent which understands data, understands tech, understands influencers, and more. So, the kind of talent required in an agency has changed dramatically as well. 


Which campaigns have you sent for the Cannes Lions, which is around the corner?


For me, awards are a byproduct of the work that the agency does. We never chase awards, though we like them.


Our focus is on doing great work for our clients, work that moves the needle in terms of their business, and is also the best in the world.


It's not that we release ads in the awards season just so we can win something. It's our continuous endeavour to do great work for our clients' businesses, because we believe that creativity is an economic multiplier. 


We have a couple of entries at Cannes this year. We have something on HDFC Bank’s Vigil Aunty. We have an entry from Amul. Then there's some work we've done for Stir magazine.


Cannes is a celebration of where the industry is headed. We have a strong delegation at the awards .


You joined FCB from Publicis Groupe in 2023. Could you touch upon the milestones achieved and the roadmap for FCB Group in India?


We've had a fantastic first quarter. We've had double-digit growth and are ahead of our commitment for the quarter. We won business to the tune of $2.5 million. And we've onboarded some great talent.


We've hired chief creative officers, in three of our companies from different agencies. Hence, there's a diversity of talent.


Earlier this year, we built our vision around growth, glory, and guts, and all our objectives and goals are aligned to that.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/fcb-group-india-launches-fcb-now-program-to-develop-new-age-solutions-34377.htm">FCB Group India launches 'FCB NOW' program to develop new-age solutions</a>

Clients want us to navigate the entire consumer journey for the brand: Dheeraj Sinha, CEO, FCB Group

FCB Group India, today announced 'FCB NOW', a program that brings together brands and platforms to develop new-age solutions. This program is possible through FCB's esteemed partnerships with industry giants like Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, Jio, Meta, and ShareChat helping shape the future with cutting-edge solutions and opportunities to address today's pressing challenges.


"FCB NOW represents a significant opportunity for brands to not only understand the future of the digital landscape but also explore potential solutions for building new-age strategies using technology, AI and content, etc," said Dheeraj Sinha, FCB Group CEO, India and South Asia. 


"We are excited to bring together some of the most influential platforms in the digital space to inspire our brands with solutions for the future. This program aligns with our company's core mission of building Timeless and Timely brands, with creativity fuelled by diversity, data and technology to drive big brand success," he further added.


This program emphasises generating ideas, building innovative programs, creating workstreams, and solving client problems through new-age tools and solutions, including integrating AI and other advanced technologies.


The FCB Group in India comprises four agency brands – FCB Kinnect, FCB Ulka, FCB Interface and FCB India. In 2023, FCB India, FCB Kinnect and FCB Interface were listed among the top Indian creative agencies by Cannes Lions. Additionally, the Group won a number of industry awards in 2023 at the likes of Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Grand Clio, and Spikes Asia, among others.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/fcb-india-appoints-mayuresh-dubhashi-as-cco-31366.htm">FCB India appoints Mayuresh Dubhashi as CCO</a>

FCB Group India launches 'FCB NOW' program to develop new-age solutions

Cheil is expanding its operations in the financial capital of India with the launch of its new Cheil X office in Mumbai. The Mumbai office heralds the beginning of a new chapter for Cheil, as the agency looks to expand its business activities beyond Samsung operations through its specialised agency Cheil X. 


Cheil India was setup exclusively to manage the Samsung business in India. Cheil X on the other hand, works as an independent full-service agency under the Cheil SWA group to manage the fast growing new client mandates in India.

 
This new office will allow Cheil X to tap into the Mumbai market, which is the business and financial capital of India and home to several big-name companies in the country.

 
Taihai Kim, Global COO, Cheil Worldwide, inaugurated the premises and, commenting on the launch, said, “India is one of the key markets for Cheil Worldwide, and this new office demonstrates our commitment and aspirations for the country. With this office, we want to make a play for the best creative work that can come our way since Mumbai has an unequivocal reputation as the advertising capital of India.”

 
Cheil X’s new state-of-the art office is spread across 7330sqft and has been designed keeping in mind the ever evolving need to foster a spirit of collaboration among group companies.


“We're thrilled to unveil our brand new office in Mumbai, a city with a rich legacy of advertising,” said Limseob Chung, President and CEO, Cheil SWA . “The new office of Cheil X will act as a strategic hub for our clients and offer a wide range of services like creative, media, digital, influencer marketing, content production, technology, retail, and brand experiences all integrated together, making it an ideal hub for creating gold standard campaigns," he added.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/cheil-india-launches-mgs-100-year-limited-edition-cars-in-their-new-campaign-33309.htm">Cheil India launches MG’s 100-year limited edition cars in their new campaign</a>

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