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

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

<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

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WWaOTJ_E3xc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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

Festive season started with a bang as e-commerce players clocked in a sale of $3.5 billion in sales between 22 and 25 September, contributing to 60 percent of the projected GMV (gross merchandise value) of 5.9 billion for the whole first wave of festive sales, according to Redseer Strategy Consultants.

The first wave of festive sales comprises Flipkart’s Big Billion Days, Amazon’s Great Indian Festival, Meesho’s Mega Blockbuster Sale, besides sales on other platforms such as Myntra, Ajio, and Nykaa amongst others.

Redseer's report further states that the first four days of the festive period saw the overall Daily Average GMV (gross merchandise value) rise to 5.4x compared to BAU (business as usual) days for overall online retail. First 4 days of festive sale this year is 1.3x the first four days of the previous year festive sale.

“Redseer had earlier projected a GMV of $5.9 bn (Rs 41, 000 Cr) for festive sale 1 and as expected, we are on track to achieve this figure. 60 percent of our forecast is already achieved in the first 4 days of sale," says Sanjay Kothari, associate partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants. 

Around 50 to 55 million shoppers made purchases during the first four days of sales. In terms of categories, mobiles continue to be the top category driving the sales. The report states that during the first four days of sale 1,100 mobile phones were sold each minute, with a total of Rs 11,000 crores of mobiles sold on large e-commerce players. Premium phones (iPhone 12, 13 and OnePlus) drove mobile sales.

This has happened on the back of upgrade programs and new launches supported by value offers.

In terms of units, 60-70 lakh mobiles were sold in the first four days.  “We are expecting a total sale of 90 Lakhs - 1 Cr units of mobiles for Festive week 1. We are also seeing premium phones driving mobile growth this year,” said Sanjay Kothari, Associate Partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants.

Fashion category witnessed a 4.5x jump in terms of daily average GMV from BAU days, to reach Rs 5,500 crore in the first four days, it said.

E-commerce marketplaces usually hold up to three sales leading to the festival of Diwali. The first of these sales is usually the largest and usually accounts for more than 50 percent of the sales during the festive period. 
 
 
 


Ecomm players clock $3.5 bn in festive sales in four days: Redseer report

<strong>Rahul Vengalil</strong>

Previous: Managing Partner, Dentsu's Isobar

Present: Not known

The exits at Dentsu continue. Rahul Vengalil, who was promoted last year to the post of managing partner at Dentsu’s Isobar, has stepped down. This is Vengalil’s second stint with the global digital experience agency. He had started his career at Isobar as the senior group head, and then went on to lead the agency as the business head. After three years and five months as the founder of What Clicks (a venture that worked to identify wastages in digital investment), he returned to Isobar as the chief business head.

Previous: Head - Marketing, Personal Care, The Good Glamm Group

Present: VP - Marketing, Wow Skin Science

Priti Rajput recently joined Wow Skin Science where she will head the D2C beauty and wellness brand as vice president of marketing. Her role will see her responsible for strategizing and leading communication campaigns for the skincare and haircare portfolio. She was previously with The Good Glamm Group. Rajput has also had stints at beauty and FMCG majors L’Oreal and Godrej Consumers Products Limited (GCPL) where she was the senior regional brand manager for L’Oreal Paris, South Asia, and as the global head for the hair color and hygiene category at GCPL.

<strong>Achint Setia</strong>

Previous: CXO &amp; Head, Marketing and Social Commerce Business, Myntra

Present: Not known

Achint Setia, who had served as the CXO and head of marketing and social commerce business at the online shopping site Myntra, has moved on. As he announced his departure via a LinkedIn post, he also reflected on the learnings he gained from his experience at Myntra. At Myntra, he was responsible for brand marketing, performance marketing, loyalty business, and research. Further, he also looked after content and creator led commerce business on the platform and on social media. In the past, he has been a part of organisations like Microsoft, McKinsey &amp; Company, and Viacom18.

<strong>Shilpi Kapoor</strong>

Previous: Marketing Director, American Express

Present: CMO, Airtel Payments Bank

Airtel Payments Bank appointed Shilpi Kapoor as the chief marketing officer. In her new job, Kapoor will oversee marketing and corporate communications, and will be a member of the bank’s executive committee. In addition, planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring the overall business marketing strategy, she will also oversee market research, pricing, product marketing, marketing communications, advertising, and public relations.

<strong>Malvika Mehra</strong>

Previous: Independent Creative Director and Brand Strategist

Present: Chief Creative Officer, The Good Glamm Group

Malvika Mehra, who began her career in the advertising industry made a switch by joining The Good Glamm Group, digital-first house of brands, as the chief creative officer. Mehra, who began her career with Ogilvy &amp; Mather as an art trainee, rose to become the creative head of the agency’s Bengaluru branch. Prior to joining The Good Glamm Group, she worked as an independent creative director and brand strategist, and headed Dentsu International India as the chief creative officer. She also had an entrepreneurial stint in the middle.

<strong>Tithi Ghosh</strong>

Previous: President and Head, Ogilvy South

Present: Managing Partner, Ogilvy South

Ogilvy India promoted Tithi Ghosh to president and head of Ogilvy South, which is the Bengaluru office. Ghosh, who has been with the agency since 2012, takes over from N Ramamoorthi who was associated with Ogilvy &amp; Mather for 16 years. During his stint, he led Ogilvy's south operations - advertising, digital, media, analytics, and international creative capabilities and offices in Bangalore and Chennai.

<strong>MVS Murthy</strong>

Previous: Head Marketing, Digital and Corporate Communications, Tata Mutual Fund

Present: CMO, Federal Bank

MVS Murthy joins Federal Bank as its first chief marketing officer. His role will expect him to leverage marketing to help build scale by working on the intersection of brand communication, customer experience, and technology. He started his career as an account executive at Ogilvy &amp; Mather, and has also been a part of ICICI Bank and Edelweiss Financial Services Limited.

<strong>Dipashree Das</strong>

Previous: Content and Brand Marketing Lead, Netflix India

Present: An entertainment company

Dipashree Das, who had joined Netflix as the head of marketing partnerships, and rose to become the content and brand marketing lead for Netflix India, has decided to move on. In her previous role for its Asia headquarters that was based out of Singapore, she helped launch Netflix across seven key Asian markets. As she made the announcement via a LinkedIn post, she also stated, “About a week from now, I will return to a city that has always felt like home, to take on an APAC+ role at a very exciting company that is reshaping every facet of entertainment as we know it.”

<strong>Mohan Wilson</strong>

Previous: Head of Global Marketing Planning, Infiniti Motor Company Limited

Present: Director - Marketing, Product &amp; Customer Experience, Nissan India

Nissan Motor Corporation appoints Mohan Wilson as the director - marketing, product &amp; customer experience where he will focus on transformation of the India business on future product strategy. His mandate also is to build a strong brand with a focus on customer experience.

<strong>Hirol Gandhi </strong>

Previous: President and Managing Partner, Ogilvy

Present: President and Head, Ogilvy, Mumbai and Kolkata

Ogilvy elevates Hirol Gandhi as the president and head of the Ogilvy branches in Mumbai and Kolkata. Gandhi, who has been associated with Ogilvy for more than two decades, had joined the agency as a senior vice president where he worked across categories like beverages, automobile, finance, public service, tourism, foods, television, and industry.

<strong>Kartik Chandrasekhar</strong>

Previous: Global Vice President - Lifebuoy, Pears

Present: Head of Oral Care and Skin Cleansing for D&amp;E Markets, and Global Brand Lead of Pepsodent

Kartik Chandrasekhar takes up the role of head of oral care and skin cleansing for D&amp;E (developing and emerging) markets, and global brand lead of 
Pepsodent at Unilever. As he announced his new position via a LinkedIn post, he mentioned that his role would see him focus on driving category alignment and accelerating business strategies across the markets.

<strong>Aditya Mehra</strong>

Previous: Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Logomotif Communications

Present: Creative Director - South, FoxyMoron

Aditya Mehra joined the leadership team at FoxyMoron, an independent full-funnel creative and performance digital agency, as the creative director where he will lead the creative operations for the agency’s South clientele. Mehra brings to the table two decades of experience in the advertising arena. He has worked at Wunderman Thompson and Saatchi &amp; Saatchi and started his career at Leo Burnett as a junior writer.

<strong>Indrayudh Mitra and Archana Sudarsan</strong>

Previous: Senior Creative Director, Genesis, and Group head - ACD - Creative Director, Taproot Dentsu

Present: Senior Creative Director, and Creative Director, Social Panga

Creative marketing and advertising agency, Social Panga strengthened its creative team by appointing Indrayudh Mitra to the post of a senior creative director, and Archana Sudarsan as creative director. Previously, Mitra worked at Genesis as senior creative director. Sudarsan worked as group head - ACD - creative director.

Mitra comes with 15 years of experience in the field of advertising and has worked in advertising agencies like RK Swamy BBDO, Grey Worldwide, DDB Mudra, and Ogilvy &amp; Mather. In his new role, he will lead brand engagements with an integrated mandate. This also involves BTL (Below The Line), digital and films.

Sudarsan has 14 years of experience and has worked in advertising agencies like Everest Brand Solutions, Ogilvy and many other agencies. In her new role, she will lead a creative team to focus on creative strategy, brand positioning and ad films.




CXO Moves: Fresh exits and entries, a first-ever CMO position, a streamer's loss and more

MYNTRA