mCaffeine has announced the launch of its new campaign, "Up For Life," featuring Alia Bhatt. With a humorous twist, the campaign unveils a warning that accompanies the use of mCaffeine products, making its users easy to spot in a crowd.

The digital campaign showcases youth icon Alia and mCaffeine's crowd-puller, the Coffee Body Wash, which revolves around the theme 'Too Much To Handle!' This campaign presents a series of ads aimed at highlighting the unique and energizing qualities of the brand's caffeine-based products through Alia's portrayal. It includes two brand films, one featuring Alia grooving in her own space, while the other showcases her fresh style of greeting, characterized by eccentric energy.

Speaking about mCaffeine's body care range, Alia said, “To be honest, I absolutely love mCaffeine's body care range. It really boosts my energy and prepares me for the day ahead. Simply put, it keeps me charged up! The main reason behind this is the presence of Caffeine, their key ingredient, which not only revitalizes my skin but also invigorates my senses.”

Responding to the vision behind 'Too Much To Handle' and the buzz surrounding it, Tarun Sharma, CEO & Co-Founder at mCaffeine, said, “In this campaign, with Alia, we are defining the after-effects of using mCaffeine's Coffee Body Wash range. The experience that comes with the Caffeine rush is surreal. It pumps you up so much that it becomes difficult to handle! It helps you bring out your true inner self and gets you ready for life.”

Adding to this, Vaishali Gupta, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer said, “We have always pledged to distinguish our products from what the industry has to offer. The inclusion of our single yet hero ingredient, Caffeine, has carved a niche that sets us apart. It is not only the benefits of Caffeine that help create an impact but also the energizing after-effects it adds to an individual's lifestyle.”

22feet Tribal Worldwide, part of the DDB Mudra Group, has added Mars Petcare to its portfolio of clients. The digital creative mandate will make use of 22feet Tribal’s expertise in social media, website development, campaign ideation, content creation and curation, and SEO strategies for their brands Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba.

The Indian pet care industry is flourishing as adoption continues to rise. The pet food market alone is expected to touch Rs 10,000 crore by 2025 with people spending approximately Rs 23,000 annually on pet food and treats. Moreover, pet parents are aware and mindful about what goes into their pet’s food.

Mars Petcare embraces the knowledge and awareness around pet food. It strives to attain its goal of ‘a better world for pets’ through innovation and research to provide them with the best nutrition.

Speaking on the partnership, Madhur Khanna, Marketing Director, Mars Petcare, said, "We are excited to have 22feet Tribal Worldwide on board with us to manage the social media mandate of our market brands - Pedigree, Whiskas, and Sheba. As we looked to further our presence and bring larger innovations in the Indian market, we were looking for a partner with comprehensive expertise and command of the digital ecosystem. I am certain that this partnership will yield remarkable results, and I look forward to working together with the teams in complete synergy." 

Vanaja Pillai, President, 22feet Tribal Worldwide, commented, “We are beyond excited for this opportunity to partner with one of the most loved pet care food brands globally and in India. Many of us at 22feet are pet parents ourselves, and we understand the deep love and connection people have with their furry companions. The pet care industry is seeing tremendous growth and opportunity in India, and a large part of this will be aided by digital brand building. With 22feet’s commitment to creating digital experiences that lead to action, we are confident of the impact we can drive in this partnership on these exciting brands.”

Nu, a latest entrant in the premium consumer durables category, recently launched its first marketing campaign “Live Better” to target aspiring Indians looking to upgrade their lives. 

“Conceptualized on the brand’s philosophy of extending state-of-the-art technology, superior performance and outstanding design, the brand uses a multi-faceted marketing approach with pleasing visuals and relatable experiences to build a brand and product recall,” the company said.

Nu has leveraged both traditional and digital channels to make inroads with its audience. The brand is debuting its marketing initiatives with OOH presence, newspaper advertisements and a nine-part series of advertising films featuring upcoming indie artist Namita Dubey.

Commenting on the launch of the marketing campaign, Khushnud Khan, Nu’s Co-Founder & CEO shared, “As a marque brand, Nu brings premium electronics within reach of Indians who aspire to ‘Live Better’. Our campaign is a testament to our innovative and creative spirit, embodying our brand values. We aim to showcase how Nu’s product range can make your life simpler, more convenient and helps you ‘Live Better’. We are thrilled with the amount of excitement and curiosity it is generating and captivating the minds of Indian consumers”

The brand films highlight key features of air conditioners, washing machines and televisions via everyday household scenarios. These films have been directed keeping in mind Nu’s primary target audience—aspiring Indians, who have been looking for premium solutions to elevate their everyday experiences. 

Wild Stone CODE, the renowned male grooming brand from McNROE, has released a TVC. 

The campaign introduces its range of premium fragrances: Pyro, Terra, and Acqua. The film features actor Vijay Deverakonda.

The TVC is set to premiere during the 2023 ICC World Test Championship. Opening with an enchanting scene set in a mystical palace, Vijay strides confidently amidst a blazing inferno. The intensity of the flames mirrors the inner drive and indomitable spirit that CODE perfumes embody. This visually striking representation epitomizes a man embracing his inner power, harnessing his passionate energy.

Ankit Daga, Head of Business Development at McNROE Consumer Products Pvt Ltd, expressed his excitement about the milestone and said, “Inspired by the elements that shape our very being, the collection consists of three Perfumes — Pyro, Terra, and Acqua. Each fragrance carries a distinct charm, inviting consumers to embrace a personal expression and celebrate their individuality through an immersive sensory experience.”

Vijay Deverakonda, the heartthrob and popular movie star, exuded his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, " I was absolutely thrilled when Wild Stone CODE approached me with the concept of Perfumes crafted from the elements and the campaign planned for Pyro Perfume. It truly embodies the fiery passion that burns within every man. The remarkable dedication and commitment that CODE brings to delivering exceptional grooming experiences perfectly resonates with my personal belief in the significance of self-care. Our collaboration aims to empower men, encouraging them to embrace their individual style and feel their absolute best."

It’s a brand new fortnight and a brand new set of ads of us to appreciate. Between May 15 and 31, we got to see some brilliant spots that truly surprised us with their creativity. From Colgate’s toothless mascot to Amazon Fresh’s AI-generated hyperlocal ads, these are some of the best campaigns that caught our eye. As always, this is not a ranking and they have been listed alphabetically.

Ageas Federal Life Insurance

VMLY&R created a “Sachinverse” for client Ageas Federal Life Insurance’s brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar. Calling the campaign “an optimistic vision of the future”, the virtual campaign comprises Sachin in different avatars and animation styles, talking to viewers about what promises the future could hold – learning without classrooms, robots that assist us in the kitchen and virtual lives becoming our social lives. The digital-led campaign stands out in terms of its execution and fresh thinking.

Amazon Fresh

Amazon Fresh leveraged the power of generative AI to create a series of films starring actor Manoj Bajpayee. Using NeuralGarage’s ‘VisualDub’, a generative AI tech, the company repurposed its Hindi commercial by dubbing it into seven different Indian languages. The generative AI tech also helped in matching the lip movements to the regional dialogues, making them look native and authentic.

Britannia 50 50 Golmal

Britannia’s new campaign for 50 50 Golmaal stars Indian cricket great Ravi Shastri in a sweet and nutty avatar. Playing an eccentric coach for a cricket team, Shastri doles out “golmaal” advice to the players to turn the match in their favour. The campaign comprises five films and has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, Bangalore.

Colgate

It’s counterintuitive for the toothpaste to have a toothless mascot, but Colgate did just that and won hearts. The ad is centred on a toothless grandmother who champions the use of Colgate Strong Teeth to empower her “Cutting Machine” granddaughter. The former reasons that the toothpaste will give the necessary “poshan” to the tot who in turn will lend her a helping pair of teeth to tear through tough sugarcane and plastic packages. The film is conceptualised by WPP@CP. 

OnePlus

OnePlus recently launched an ad film to showcase the range and capabilities of the OnePlus 11 5G’s  3rd Generation Hasselblad Camera. The film is visually splendid, a fact that seems even more impressive while considering that it’s shot entirely on the phone. It features stunning visuals of nature in all its glory, each drawing parallels with the human body. Complete with uplifting music, the ad is one of the best ones we saw during the fortnight.

MullenLowe has unveiled its new global identity and a refreshed positioning, created to unite the network across 57 markets globally and differentiate it from competitors. MullenLowe sees the octopus evolve from an operational mascot to a kindred spirit that visually represents how brands need to grow today.

The agency’s positioning is underpinned by research revealing innovative brands grow at twice the pace of their competitors, and brands that continue to innovate grow seven times faster.

“Our icon offers the perfect metaphor. The octopus has survived over 300 million years precisely because of its fluidity and ability to adapt. It is the only organism that routinely self-edits its own DNA—a model for how brands should behave today,” says Kristen Cavallo, CEO of MullenLowe Global.

The new brand identity was created by MullenLowe U.S. and led by head of design, João Paz.
“We want to challenge the way brands show up in the world. Our octopus is not afraid of change; it’s in its nature, its DNA. We embraced that with a fully generative identity, crafted to show personalization at scale,” says Paz.

The new logo doesn’t live by the rules of logic. It breaks free from any type of symmetry and rigidity. With no corners or end points, it changes and moves and behaves in different ways. “Our octopus is alive. It has a will, a personality, and, above all, it wants to move. With its endless twists and turns, it has the freedom to reinvent itself infinitely,” adds Paz.

MullenLowe invites its more than 4,000 employees globally to design their own octopus using a generative app. “We want the design system to reflect who we are and allow each person who’s part of MullenLowe to make their own mark,” says Paz. It allows users to customize the octopus for email signatures, social and profile icons, and even the background of an Apple Watch.

The fluid octopus is paired with a bespoke wordmark that is stark, reliable, and firm in its logical Serif treatment. It grounds the funkiness of the octopus, combining emotion with reason. While the octopus welcomes the new, the wordmark pays tribute to the past and the agency’s long-standing heritage.

In addition to all the individual iterations, a pattern was created to represent inclusivity and the coming together of all the unique expressions and people who make up MullenLowe.

To complete the visual identity, the system includes its own trademarked typographical treatment. The octopus’s tentacles morph into letters and numbers that create a full typeface from A to Z, and from 0 to 9.

The identity has rolled out across the agency’s communications touchpoints, including the website and social media. It will be splashed across office walls and with highly anticipated swag. The new look goes beyond design to create renewed energy, pride, and confidence in the network’s next chapter.

“This is more than just a logo redesign. We have a point of view on how brands grow, and we built our identity and voice to reflect that belief. In a rapidly changing world, more of the same is not the path to long-term success. Brands need to earn and continually defend their unfair share of attention,” says Cavallo. “Products might be boring, but brands can never afford to be.”

It was in January 2023 that I first learnt about a big brand deciding to scout a new agency for its media buying. The pitch was called and the brand - with a significantly large size - was an instant dream account for every agency. But soon after the brand floated the terms and conditions, a few agencies backed out right at the start. Others braced themselves and went ahead.

This brand is known to be a tough one. It has just imposed a hefty penalty (rumoured to be around Rs 50 crore) on its incumbent agency for failing to deliver the promised Gross Rating Points (GRPs). While the incumbent agency claims they are not at fault and its global team is contesting it out with the brand’s global team, it has definitely sent out a message to every agency in the servicing industry.

This, however, is not the only brand that is involved in muscle pulling. Insiders say there are 10-15 big brands that have been giving agencies nightmares. They are more frequent at calling the pitch and are hard negotiators. With every pitch, they demand the pricing to go further low and margins to shrink.

In another case, a brand sent a confirmation email to the agency conveying its selection. It also conveyed regret to its incumbent agency. A month passed and just before the final agreement was to be signed it had a change of heart and decided to retain the existing agency. This was after the former client invested a good four months into the process.

Succumbing to such clients, the advertising body in Europe is believed to have initiated the process of drafting a rule book that could help make the pitching process less taxing for the agencies. There are speculations and a hope that advertising bodies in India may consider bringing all agencies together and draft guidelines that can make the process more fluid.

On average, three to six resources work on a pitch depending upon the size of the business. Clients often give a time frame of three weeks to three months to prepare the presentation. A more systematic approach will make things more cost-effective and viable for the agencies. I have collected during my series of conversations with several agency heads some solutions that can ease the process for the industry.

• Uncertainty hurts 

The brand I mentioned in the intro took six long months (half the year) to announce the agency it had finally chosen to partner with. Similarly, another big brand that had called a pitch in July 2022 gave the outcome by mid-March 2023. Such a prolonged process puts pressure on the incumbent agency and all the participating agencies. Brands should be encouraged to set specific deadlines for each stage of the pitching process, ensuring that agencies are not left in a state of limbo. By implementing a streamlined timeline, agencies can better manage resources, focus on delivering their best work, and avoid unnecessary anxiety.

• Clarity on evaluation criteria:Another area that demands attention is the evaluation criteria used in the pitch process. Agencies often find themselves uncertain about the factors that will be considered during the assessment. The problem is more frequent with mid-size and smaller clients. This lack of clarity can lead to ambiguity and subjectivity, which may adversely impact the quality and creativity of the pitches. To alleviate this issue, brands should clearly define and communicate the evaluation criteria at the outset. Criteria such as agency size, scale, expertise, and innovative approaches should be made transparent. This will enable agencies to tailor their presentations accordingly and provide a fair and objective basis for comparison. 

• Relaxed cap on malus: Agencies pay clients back for not achieving specific deliverables. Penalties in the form of malus clauses have become increasingly common in pitch contracts. While these clauses aim to hold agencies accountable for specific deliverables, they can create an imbalanced power dynamic and deter agencies from participating in pitches altogether. It is important to strike a balance between accountability and fairness. Implementing a cap on malus penalties can ensure that agencies are not disproportionately burdened by financial consequences if they fail to meet certain performance metrics. This approach will encourage agencies to participate actively in pitches and promote a healthier working relationship between agencies and brands. 

• Rate confidentiality:Rate confidentiality needs to be protected by ensuring that a very limited number of people at the client’s end have access to the submitted rates. Clients expect their data to be treated with utmost care. What about the other way around? Confidentiality is a cornerstone of professional relationships and should extend to the rates submitted by agencies during pitches. Currently, clients often demand access to detailed rate information, putting agencies in a vulnerable position. To maintain trust and ensure fair competition, it is crucial to limit access to this rate information to only a select few individuals on the client's side. By safeguarding rate confidentiality, agencies can freely present their proposals without the fear of compromising their competitive edge or jeopardizing their negotiation positions. 

• Sanctity of strategy and ideas presented in a pitch:Many clients use a pitch to gather ideas that they use with impunity, even when they do not award the agency the business. Pitching is not just about presenting capabilities but also sharing strategic insights and creative ideas. However, agencies frequently encounter situations where clients utilize ideas presented in pitches without awarding the business to the agency that originated those ideas. This practice undermines the trust and collaboration essential for a successful partnership. To address this issue, brands should uphold the sanctity of strategy and ideas by implementing policies that protect agencies' intellectual property rights. 

Besides these broader points, some ambitious suggestions would include introducing a pitch fee. Considering the amount of time and resources an agency invests in preparing for the pitch, it may just be fair to compensate them in case they lose it. Most developed countries have begun to pay agencies a fee for participating. On average, three to six resources work on a pitch for three weeks to three months depending upon the size of the business. 

Clients in developed markets also engage in “chemistry meetings” with their potential agencies to understand the work culture. Being a service industry, people are the central force here. Hence it is extremely important for both the agency and the client to understand each other’s work culture. 

Clients have a stronger say now than a decade back 

Today CMO and marketing heads have a much more granular say in the marketing and media planning process. Things were different two decades ago. CMOs today know what they want, why they want and their inputs factored in choices and plans.

When exchange4media started 23-plus years back, the clients had a much lesser say and media agencies and media CEOs, planners and buyers had a much larger voice.

In a recent case, a media agency CEO was asked by a CMO of a particular brand to reinstate an employee who worked with him on the account or face the consequences of losing the client. While in this case, the CEO did not succumb to pressure, in many cases they do. To make the relationship more equal, agencies too can be engaged in a rating system where, on the condition of anonymity, they are allowed to rate the client.

Again, this practice is prevalent in many developed markets. Perhaps it’s time to bring the much-needed balance back into this relationship. For now, it seems Client ich Bhagwan hai.