Digital Marketing
Brands keep time in so many interesting ways
I recently began using a Mont Blanc Meisterstück fountain pen. It is a pleasure to write with, and its overall look and feel is so beautiful. Whenever I write with this pen, I feel that the hectic pace of my life slows down, and time comes to a standstill. That is perhaps the exact emotion […]
Goafest is back — with a new theme and location!
Goafest, the premier event of the advertising and marketing community is back — but this time in Mumbai. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club have chosen the theme — ‘The Age of Adaptability’ for Goafest 2024. It’s a fitting change, as the event in its 17th edition will have to […]
Rethinking sizes – The Hindu BusinessLine
When the shoe does not fit, it’s time to rethink size measures! And that’s what is happening in India. There may soon be a new sizing system called ‘Bha’ to measure footwear for Indians. Currently Indians use Europeans standards to gauge sizes. The need for a local system for shoe sizes has arisen given the […]
R is for remote: The clash for control in the middle-class melodrama
In a world where convenience reigns supreme, the evolution of technology has led us down a path where every aspect of our lives is meticulously controlled by a single, omnipotent device: the remote. The evolution of remote controls is a fascinating story in itself. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Nikola Tesla experimented with […]
On the campaign trail. – The Hindu BusinessLine
The advent of summer has seen brands at their light-hearted best. Quirky scenarios and humorous dialogues are being used to deliver summer laughs and the brand message. The cool Waah moment Ice cream brand Vadilal’s summer campaign consists of three films that depict the significance of celebrations and the need for its presence. Each of […]
How the blended model is working for DDB Tribal
It’s been ten years since the DDB Group bought out 22feet, a fast growing independent digital agency (named interestingly after the size of our small intestine to denote its gutsiness) and merged it into its existing digital unit, Tribal Worldwide to create 22feet Tribal. Three years earlier, in 2011, Omnicom had acquired Mudra and merged […]
Lok Sabha elections 2024: Young turks on social media
With just a few days to go for the first phase of #GeneralElections2024 to begin, every politician worth his salt or her sugar is out campaigning. Physically and virtually. In this column, I’ll explore how some first-time Lok Sabha aspirants are using social media/digital platforms to campaign and steal an early march over their rivals. […]
In its 125th year, McDowell’s joins the single malt party with a wine-forward batch
There was homage to history. There was homage to grapes and wine and misty hills. There was homage to Indian capability. Last week, when the world’s largest selling whisky brand, McDowell’s, launched a single malt, the colour purple — in all its hues, from pale lavender to deep burgundy — dominated the room. An apt […]
On the campaign trail. – The Hindu BusinessLine
The start of the financial year has seen brands get off to a great start with several good campaigns flooding the screens. Some of these, like Ariel, are annual iterations — a nice touch, for it shows continuity of thought and messaging. The real star Online travel firm MakeMyTrip’s latest campaign uses star power rather […]
Aligning people, purpose, passions and profit
It’s just over a month since Babita Baruah took charge as the CEO of VML India. For Baruah, who was leading WPP’s Ford business for several international markets and serving as executive director of VMLY&R, Thailand, out of Bangkok, the return to Mumbai has been a homecoming of sorts. She has seen all the avatars of […]