AD WISE

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Every year brings in much learnings for everyone, but the year 2009 can be said to have brought more than the usual share of learnings, especially for the advertising industry. While the world over the dreaded R-word had everyone in its grip, what India experienced was an economic ‘slowdown’. Nevertheless, caution became the buzzword. With marketers tightening their purse strings, agencies had no choice but to follow suit, leading to no fancy pay outs or hikes, hiring freeze, cut down in team outings. Many even had to scour the desi landscapes to shoot their ad films instead of exotic locations abroad.

Clients turned into bargain hunters and wanted accountability on every paisa spent. Now, having tasted the success of budget cuts, the clients will take this route in future as well. With mass media becoming a costly affair, clients and advertisers found a new love – digital media. The year also brought agency commissions under the scanner like never before.

Ad ventures
However, the slowdown did not deter spirited advertising professional from venturing out on their own. Many admen found opportunities during tough times and decided to be their own boss, including Agnello ‘Aggi’ Dias, Santosh ‘Paddy’ Padhi, Sukumar Menon and Jagdish Acharya, among others. Aggi and Paddy’s TapRoot India managed to carve out a niche for themselves and created quite a stir with their refreshed version of the long-playing Nirma ad, while pocketing National Geographic Channel and Fox History & Entertainment channel, UTV Global Broadcasting.

There were also quite a few big ticket accounts during the year – Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) empanelled Euro RSCG, Mudra, PerceptH and Prachar Advertising for its Rs 150-crore creative business; State Bank of India empanelled 10 agencies for its Rs 200-crore creative duties; DAVP empanelled 29 agencies to handle its creative duties worth a whopping Rs 2,000 crore; National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) empanelled 15 agencies for its Rs 50-crore creative duties; the creative mandate for Incredible India’s domestic campaign was assigned to Crayons Advertising, while Span Communications won Incredible India’s APAC part of the international campaign.

Winners all
At Ogilvy India, the big news was the elevation of Abhijit Avasthi and Rajiv Rao to National Creative Directors. The Vodafone Zoozoos work done by the agency caught the imagination of one and all and brought in awards by the hoards, including Agency of the Year at the Effies. Ogilvy celebrated 50 years of its client Fevicol with a special advertisement, called ‘Moochwali’.

The going was good for JWT as well, with the agency bagging three Golds, including India’s first Film Gold and Film Craft Gold at Cannes. It added new businesses such as Sony, MAX, HNGIL, Apollo DKV Health Insurance, Tata Realty and Infrastructure, Thomas Cook, Band-Aid and Listerine, while retaining Nike and Pizza Hut, among others. The Lok Sabha elections, too, brought in some action with Congress party roping in JWT Delhi and Crayons to handle the all-India advertising mandate for the polls.

Lowe Lintas made some memorable campaigns including Idea Cellular’s ‘Walk and talk’ and Tata Tea’s Jaago Re (Khilana Bandh, Pilana Shuru) campaigns. The agency also bagged the creative duties of Times Global Broadcasting’s channel ET Now, and BBC World News channel. These apart, R Balki and Charles Cadell got a new boss in Michael Wall, who replaced Steve Gatfield.

McCann Erickson won the creative duties of Neo Sports and Neo Cricket. The agency conceptualised the ‘Open Happiness’ campaign in India for Coca-Cola. Its second agency TAG bagged the DishTV account.

TBWA\India added the Nissan Motor portfolio in India besides India Today Group’s Mail Today and Meow FM. The agency elevated Nirmalya Sen as its Managing Director.

Leo Burnett Delhi had some big wins during the year – the Rs 200-crore Unitech Wireless account and the Rs-100 crore Panasonic corporate account and home appliances. Draftfcb+Ulka chanted ‘Do the New’ for Tata Docomo. Also, Capital Advertising won the Voltas air conditioners business. Dentsu Communications won the creative duties of Toyota’s small car business. Contract Advertising bagged Samsonite and Shell Foundation. RK Swamy BBDO won the Olam International business and also forayed into the African markets. BBDO India also won the creative mandate for Aviva Life Insurance and Wrigley’s Doublemint.

Rediffusion Y&R brought in its propriety tool Brand Conversations. Minakshi Achan was appointed to co-chair the Chief Creative Officer position at Rediffusion Y&R and partner Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar. Its sister agency Everest Brand Solutions took home the business of Virgin Atlantic and Tata Housing Mumbai township.

Mudra Group launched a new agency Ignite Mudra, focusing on the needs of entrepreneurs. Also, it added to its kitty the creative duties of Ministry of Civil Aviation, ET Power of Ideas, Jockey, Femina, and Inorbit Malls, among others. DDB Mudra got noticed with Volkswagen’s India launch campaign. Iconic brand Harley-Davidson, which is foraying into the Indian market this year, chose Mumbai-based agency, The Republic, to handle its advertising.

PerceptH took the reins of the much debated Oscar winner ‘Jai Ho’ for Congress party, while group company Percept celebrated its 25 years in the industry with much fanfare. The Directorate of Adult Education, Ministry of HRD, also appointed PerceptH Delhi as the creative agency for its adult education programme.

Marico Ltd aligned some of its key brands with BBH India. Rediffusion Y&R got a few brands too. Following a global affiliation, BBH India got Vaseline India. It also bagged TVS Motors’ new brand portfolio. Bates 141 was roped for TVS Motors’ new motorbike portfolio.

Golds, Silvers, Bronzes and Pencils
Indian agencies continued to shine at various Awards forums around the world. At the 2009 One Show Design Awards, India bagged six Pencils. At Clio’s, Contract Advertising bagged a Gold Statue in the Poster category for its work on Aadhar Association.

This year, India’s entries for Spikes Asia may have dipped in comparison to last year, but the number of metals won increased, totaling 39, including two Grand Prix Awards. India was ranked as the ninth most successful country at the Cannes Lions 2009. However, India ranked 17th in the Gunn Report 2009.

The Abbys created a lot of news, first when Ogilvy India decided not to enter the GoaFest to cut frills and then McCann Erickson being undecided. Though later Ogilvy promised its participation, McCann Erickson decided to send in “limited” number of entries for the Abby Awards 2009. There was much furore after the results of the Abbys were leaked – once again.

Other developments
Quite a few agencies shifted to new offices – Rediffusion Y&R moved to a new address in the NCR, ditto for Dentsu India and Law & Kenneth in Delhi, and TBWA\India in Mumbai. BBH India also got its very own first official address in Mumbai.

In other significant moves, the Government hiked the ad rates of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), besides accepting the request of the print industry players to waive off the 15 per cent commission that was given on the ads. Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT was elected as the AAAI President. Nagesh Alai, Regional CFO, Draft FCB, Asia Pacific and Africa, was elected the Vice President.

Advertising Age, the leading global source of information for the marketing, advertising and media industries, and exchange4media Group announced a content partnership for India.

With so much happening in the ad world, 2010 without doubt will be a very action-packed year.