Championing the cause of #HealthySkinIsWow, FMCG major Emami Limited launches the all-new “BoroPlus Doodh Kesar Body Lotion” to beat winter dryness. Enriched with the richness of Milk (Doodh) and Pure Kashmiri Saffron (Kesar), BoroPlus Doodh Kesar body lotion is 100% ayurvedic and antiseptic. It gives 24-hour intense moisturisation to make skin healthy, soft and radiant naturally. It is suitable for all skin types and is recommended by dermatologists.

BoroPlus brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut features in the brand new TV commercial created on a differentiated animation platform. Targeted at young consumers, Kangana shakes a leg with an animated “singing and dancing cow” to a peppy jingle – completely breaking away from the typical body lotion approaches to advertising. Iconic Singer Usha Uthup lends her rich voice for the ‘cow’ character, while oted ad filmmaker and actor “Bugs” Bhargava Krishna has directed the TVC.

Campaign video:

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Aegon Life, the digital life insurance company, launches their #NoTension campaign. The intent of the campaign is to establish the need for millennials to become self-dependent when purchasing insurance, without postponing the act for yet another day. To embody the above Aegon Life has roped in Vicky Kaushal, who represents the youth of the country today.

India is home to the world’s youngest population which is predominantly tech savvy and self-reliant in all aspects of life. With this campaign, Aegon Life aims to reach out to its consumer base, coming across as a new-age, digital, e-commerce life insurer for the youth.

The campaign which was created by Brand Capital’s Brand Strategy team rolls out on TV, Print, Radio and Digital uses elements of humour with an iconic ‘shrug’ and a carefree protagonist, played by Vicky Kaushal. In the TVC, which begins with a peppy tone, Vicky remains tension-free in most of the situations in life, but hasn't really thought about how he would prepare against any uncertainties. He is then introduced to the world of Term plans wherein he opts for an easy, convenient and reliable online term plan from Aegon Life Insurance.

Speaking on the campaign, Vicky Kaushal said, “As an actor, I have always portrayed young, dynamic and relatable characters in my movies. Much similar to this, Aegon Life has made a mark in the insurance industry as a trusted and new age brand, with a fresh take on Insurance. The striking commercial aims to communicate the importance of buying Term life insurance at an early age, in a fun and quirky manner. This is the first time I have associated with a Life Insurance brand and I am delighted to be a part of this campaign."

On the launch of this campaign Vineet Arora, MD & CEO, Aegon Life Insurance said, “Our new campaign brings to the forefront that stress is a major concern in today’s time and while everything else remains uncertain, protecting your loved ones and their dreams should not be a reason to take tension. The campaign urges the new generation to not procrastinate and advises to act right away.”

He further adds, “We are delighted to welcome Vicky Kaushal to the Aegon Life family. He bears a close resemblance to the brand as a young, evolving, dynamic, confident and independent individual and is the best fit for the campaign.”

Adding to this, Sam Subramaniam, CEO, Brand Capital, shares, “Aegon Life has always approached marketing insurance products to the millennial audience in a unique and differentiated way. In many ways Aegon Life is the only “Millennials First” Insurance Company in India. We at Brand Capital are delighted to be a key shareholder in Aegon Life and to also provide marketing support through our Brand Strategy team”.

Campaign video:

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The Himalaya Drug Company, India’s leading Wellness company, today launched its first Brand campaign, - ‘Khush Raho, Khushaal Raho’ bringing to life its vision of “Wellness in Every Home, Happiness in Every Heart”.

Having earned the equity and trust of millions of consumers for the last eight decades, Himalaya remains committed to solving consumer problems through its herbal products backed by science and research.

Philipe Haydon, CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “Herbal brands today are gaining preference, and consumers are increasingly considering herbal solutions as their first choice. With our range of over 500 herbal products, Himalaya continues to win hearts and offer well-being to consumers across all walks of life. We’re extremely proud to unveil the first-ever brand film bringing to life the vision of brand Himalaya.”

Speaking about the campaign, Mr. Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director - Consumer Products Division, The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “The genesis of the brand film is based on the key consumer insight that small problems seem big when we don’t know how to solve them. The philosophy of our brand is to solve consumer problems through our wide range of herbal products and the campaign beautifully captures this. It’s a moment of great pride for all of us as we seek to be an integral part of consumers’ journey of Wellness and Happiness”.

The campaign has been conceptualized and executed by ad agency - Chapter Five.

Prateek Srivastava, Founder, Chapter Five, said, “As a team, we are extremely excited about this campaign that essentially establishes the problem-solution equity of Himalaya. The different incidences captured in the brand film communicate the message of happiness and showcase how different products bring joy to people’s lives and hearts. The film celebrates happiness through a happy song, happy situations, happy people, and a happy message.”

Campaign video:

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November 14, the birthday of India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is celebrated as Children’s Day across the country. Brands make the most of this day by rolling out inspiring campaigns that not only engage children but also evoke a rush of nostalgia among adults. Children, afterall, are increasingly becoming the decision-makers in households. So it only makes sense for brands to cater to them just right. Brands, this year, have evolved their communication game, creating mature conversations around gender roles and sexual orientation of children. Soaring imagination with a different outlook, here are some Children’s Day campaigns that caught our attention.

Godrej Appliances

This Children’s Day, Godrej Appliances has released #LetsStartRight, a campaign questioning the prevalent mindsets in Indian society in terms of set gender roles and emphasizing the need to break free early. Gender stereotypes are often formed at an early age, in our everyday setups. Take the kitchen for example – the birthplace for some awesome food but awful stereotypes, one being - the kitchen is meant for girls. Conceptualized by CreativeLand Asia, the campaign is set up in the familiar construct of a home, capturing a simple moment between a grandmother and her grandchildren. It does not rely on histrionics and melodrama but nudges us subtly to rethink.

NBA and McDonald’s

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and McDonald’s today announced a partnership to introduce NBA-themed promotions and interactive NBA Experience Zones in select McDonald’s locations in 39 cities across India. From Nov. 14 till Dec. 12, McDonald’s will give away an NBA-branded basketball with every family meal purchase at any McDonald’s restaurant in the West and South region while stocks last.  McDonald’s will also introduce NBA Zones in more than 30 outlets, providing fans the chance to experience the atmosphere of being at an NBA game through a range of interactive experiences.

BookMyShow

This Children’s day BookMyShow has a special message for all parents. Conceptualized and executed by BBH India, this children’s day film beautifully addresses the stigma that many Indian parents continue to face regarding the sexual orientation of their children. In consonance with the recent Section 377 verdict, it strikes an emotional chord and urges parents to love their children for who they are, regardless of who they love.

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Stem cell bank, LifeCell has launched a new campaign on television to create awareness and promote umbilical cord stem cell banking.

The messaging of the TVC is created around the big benefit of preserving the baby’s umbilical cord stem cells at birth with a community stem cell bank. The TVC is aimed at to-be-parents and their families and themed around gifting of good health for the baby by the grandparents. While, traditionally, gold is considered as the most preferred cultural gift from the grandparents for the to-be-born baby, this TVC gives a new dimension of gifting good health for the baby through stem cell banking wherein the entire family benefits.

LifeCell has already done over three TV commercials in this category. The brand had earlier used celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to promote & endorse the concept and had gained substantial brand visibility and concept acceptance. This time, to add power to the messaging, LifeCell has used veteran actor Mr Vijayakumar, who is known for his impactful messaging.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells have been proven to treat over 100 medical conditions. These stem cells can be preserved at birth with a community stem cell bank and matching stem cells can be retrieved for any of the family members, when required for treatment. By preserving the baby’s cord blood stem cells at birth, the baby and the entire family gets the protection of stem cells.

Below is the link for the new TVC created in Tamil & Telugu:

V. Ravi Shankar, Chief Brand & Communication Officer, LifeCell, said, “Creating customer awareness and education is a continuous process in this category.  We have a new set of  audience entering the parenthood space continuously. So it is imperative that we continue to reach out to them and establish the concept to help them take an informed decision and not to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

The TVC’s theme is created around the cultural backgrounds of these markets to blend, connect and create a better engagement with the audience. It will be aired on general entertainment, news, lifestyle in regional Tamil & Telugu channels.

Mayur Abhaya, Managing Director, LifeCell said, “The launch of the new thematic TVC comes in at the time when the brand is going all out to amplify the concept of community banking. Through this campaign the brand goes a step further in establishing the benefit for the entire family by preserving the baby’s stem cells at birth.”

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This Children’s Day, Godrej Appliances brings #LetsStartRight, a campaign questioning the prevalent mindsets in Indian society in terms of set gender roles and emphasizing the need to break free early.

The objective is to highlight an everyday story, where consciously and very often unconsciously, we condition our children with the age-old gender biases. Gender stereotypes are often formed at an early age, in our everyday setups. Take the kitchen for example – the birthplace for some awesome food but, awful stereotypes one being - the kitchen is meant for girls.

Conceptualized by CreativeLand Asia, the campaign is set up in the familiar construct of a home, capturing a simple moment between a grandmother and her grandchildren. It does not rely on histrionics and melodrama but nudges us subtly to rethink.

Speaking on the campaign Swati Rathi, Head-Marketing, Godrej Appliances said, "Being in the home appliances space allows us to observe behaviours at home including how we shape our children. As our society still grapples with gender stereotypes like women must do the cooking, we felt the problem is best tackled if we start young. Children’s day seemed like a good day to share this point of view. We hope this simple campaign makes people reflect on the small unconscious ways in which we display our biases, reevaluate our ‘soch’ and our actions, and take small corrective steps.“

Anu Joseph, Chief Creative Officer - CreativeLand Asia, further added “In this case, the brief made the film. The marketing team was ready with a bold and clear brief. We had to just write a little story around it. A strong insight is a great place to start. Gender inequality and biases are always passed down and a matter of nurture. The kitchen is a great place to start corrective action."

Campaign video:

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With over 2 decades of building emotional equity with India’s home-makers, Whirlpool is all set for another big leap – a technology leap. The ethos of this leap is laid on the foundation that today’s urban lifestyles need the cutting-edge technology of tomorrow to flourish and thrive. In line with the communication, two films crafted by FCB Ulka for Whirlpool air conditioners and refrigerators have been launched recently.

The brand ambassadors, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon represent a modern-day urban couple whose life and relationship are enriched by Whirlpool’s superior technology. Technology that transforms everyday chores into small acts of love and connection.

Air conditioner film:

The commercial is based on one magical moment between this modern couple, that brings out Whirlpool’s revolutionary 3D Cool Technology in a fun and impactful manner. It shows Sushant working out as his neighbors watch on in blatant admiration. A flustered Kriti cools down this unnecessary ‘heat’ with her Whirlpool AC. Its 40% faster cooling and 12m long air throw chills Sushant instantly, who is forced to wear his jacket leaving Kriti smugly satisfied.

This playful and flirtatious banter between the couple manages to bring out the role of the AC strongly, delivering cold technology credentials in a fun, warm and relatable manner.

Refrigerator film:

In this commercial, we see Kriti getting things ready for a party at home with her friends while Sushant is away on a shoot.

A mishap in the kitchen leads to Kriti video-calling Sushant for advice. And while there is physical distance between them, we see that technology has found a way to keep their connection and chemistry fresh. It also builds in a progressive narrative of changing gender roles where men are true partners even as home-makers and cooks.

Shedding more light on the brand communications, K. G. Singh, VP Marketing, Whirlpool of India said, “Earlier this summer, Kriti Sanon and Sushant Singh Rajput, captured the playfulness of today's relationship between a couple with the launch of our AC campaign. We believe technology plays a very important role today to ensure that the relationship is always fresh even when extremely busy lives of today’s young generation act as a formidable challenge. Both of them understand and appreciate new-age technologies that are meaningful. And that’s what the new TVC portrays – a meaningful technology that helps to ensure long lasting freshness – enriching our customers' lives. We believe it’s a charming story that will be loved by the audience and captures brilliantly the benefits of our advance Adaptive Intelligence (AI) technology.”

Adding to this, John Thangaraj, National Planning Director, FCB Ulka said, “Whirlpool has always been a brand for the homemaker. However, we wanted to challenge the very notion of homemaking. We wanted to move away from the stereotypical portrayal of homemaking that the category has been built on, and instead move towards a younger, more contemporary, more progressive rendition of it- one built on shared responsibility and fluid gender roles”.

Speaking about the campaign, Surjo Dutt, NCD (North), FCB Ulka said, “This campaign marks a considerable leap in terms of execution as well as tonality for Whirlpool as a brand. It sets the brand in a new age home, where relationships are not about mushy love. It’s all about wicked romance, forever oscillating roles and technology that keeps pace with the life of this fiery couple which builds the narrative of the films to break the clutter that persists in the category. All in all, it signals a new era of advertising for brand Whirlpool that showcases the changing dynamics of today’s relationships.”

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Look at ads today and you will notice that campaigns championing social causes are becoming commonplace. Majority of them explicitly use social causes to stir our hearts and activate our tear ducts. This festive season too witnessed ads by brands such as Ghadi Detergent to Bajaj Electricals making conversations about societal issues such as removing dirt from one's mind and making a difference to the society. This trend of cause-led ads triggers a thought: Do consumers actually buy it and does it really work in the favour of a brand? How does a brand remain authentic in its pursuit of purpose? And how does a brand establish where it has the right to play? We delve deeper into this discourse…

Meaningful marketing

Take the recent Vicks #TouchofCare ad that has presented the story of Nisha, an orphaned girl with ichthyosis who was abandoned by her biological parents when she was just two weeks old. It captured Nisha’s story as she sails through the challenges and complexities of life. And it sure worked! The ad has made over 21 million views on YouTube. Ritu Mittal, Country Marketing Manager, Vicks India, acknowledges that it took courage to go ahead with a film that was minimal on branding. “Too much of the brand takes away the authenticity and credibility of story-telling. We wanted to bring the purpose of our brand to life, and we thought that the story of Nisha really deserved to be heard,” she explains.

Amer Jaleel, Group Chairman and CCO, MullenLoweLintas Group, says, “As a pure creative approach, I can see that if it’s well-timed, the social good video or even the caring message has huge resonance. I see a lot of these ads travel on WhatsApp and that is always a good indicator of whether they’re working or not. So that is settled. They have appeal and they are being forwarded. Some are even editing out the brand in the end and sending them as a piece of content.”

Vicks isn’t alone in adopting this advertising approach. Luggage manufacturer Samsonite recently launched a campaign focusing on reviving the tourism in Kerala after the devastating floods. It incepted an impactful video capturing the essence of every individual involved in the tourism sector, from taxi drivers and lodge managers, to elephant mahouts and others, who are eagerly waiting to welcome their guests. The ad has crossed over 2.5 million views and has fetched support and praises from a large number of people, including actors to politicians.

Talking about the campaign, Pradnya Popade, Marcom Head at Samsonite South Asia Pvt Ltd, shares that campaigning to bring tourists back to God’s Own Country was a great fit for a brand like Samsonite that is so closely tied to the tourism industry.

“Samsonite wanted to be sure that the ad would not just be riding a popular wave. We travelled to the badly affected areas and actually saw that despite Kerala being back on its feet, hotels, shops and tourist destinations, which are generally abuzz with tourists, were looking barren,” she reasons.

Raghu Bhat, Director, Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, shares that his experience is that consumers like authenticity and consistency. “We see a glut of videos trying to espouse a social cause. Many of them don't bother to integrate the product into the storyline. The intent is to engage rather than sell. The same brand manager who fights to increase branding in a 30-second ad speaks eloquently about not force-fitting the brand into the storyline of the 3-minute video,” he argues.

Cash-vertising

While experts applaud the ‘cause-vertising’ move, underlying this trend is a desire of brands to ultimately increase their market share. But are consumers really naïve to this? Rohit Ohri, Group Chairman & CEO, FCB India, notes that exploiting emotional spaces for commercial gain is something that consumers see through very easily and reject. “Authenticity is really key to how brands communicate with their consumers. If brands speak about change, it is imperative that this is done with searing honesty and with the brand genuinely committing to the cause.”

The message to brand-owners is clear: Words must follow actions. Agnello Dias, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu India, advises that if the so-called cause is related in some way to the category or the brand, it tends to work better.

“Soul cleansing is the new brand building I suppose. The jury is still out on how much this directly impacts sales. But sometimes it becomes a CSR-ish tick box. But by and large, it’s just a fanciful way of doing old fashioned product placement. Find a heart tugging story and place the product somewhere in the vicinity,” says Dias.

Substance versus sainthood

With ‘cause-vertising’ or ‘good-vertising’ as it is termed, the lines between meaningful and maudlin, caring and cloying often run thin. How does a brand establish where it has the right to play? Rahul Jauhari, Joint President & Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion India & Everest Brand Solutions, spells that advertisers and their agency partners need to stay focused on what the brand stands for, its real business needs and on being relevant to the consumer’s life. Jauhari establishes that unless there is a genuine connection with the brand, chances are that the consumer will remember the cause, not the brand. Which again is meaningless. “Sure you can pick a cause, as long as it has something real to do with the brand and with the consumer’s life. Consumers are not fools. Neither do they have time for shallow or pretentious work. This needs to look like a brand that cares,” he opines.

Jaleel asserts, “What I have an issue with is the cloying melodramatic execution. This really gets to me and soon it will to everyone else too. Melodrama is dying in Indian films and that is a clear message to our filmmakers as well. Brand custodians especially need to take note that for a film to be emotional, it need not be OTT.”

As to the market share bit, today’s clear view is that there’s a place for both kinds of work: the hardworking and the soft-working, he remarks. “Now if only we can find someone to keep an eye on the brand, that’ll be useful. Because opportunistic acts don’t allow you enough time to figure whether they’re on brand or not and they come with such a mouth-watering budget that it’s easy to give the go-ahead,” Jaleel adds.

Bhat, meanwhile, hints that while opting for this approach, a long term association with a cause backed with concrete action on ground is a better approach. “A 'story' that has a product-connect might be remembered more. A co-relation with product and cause might also help. Also, one-offs rarely work. Finally, the most important thing is to break through clutter. Communication that ticks the internal boxes and yet looks identical to everyone else's is not recommended,” he suggests.

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Hindware Atlantic, one of the fastest growing water heater brands in the country, has announced the launch of its first ever TVC campaign for the Ondeo Series ‘Fresh Hot Water Saalon Saal’.

The TVC highlights the industry-first and patented O'Pro Protection Technology and Titanium Core Shield of the Ondeo range which prevents internal corrosion, thereby enhancing the life of water heaters.

Conceptualised and created by DDB Mudra, the film features Bollywood actor Mukesh Tiwari of Golmaal and Ganga Jal fame and captures how corrosion and dirty deposits impact the longevity of a water-heater in a light-hearted neo-mythological format.

Hindware is taking a multi-prolonged marketing approach for the commercial through various platforms such as Electronic and Digital. For a wider reach, the TVC will be aired on key regional channels in languages like Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu including prominent Movies and News channels.

The film focuses on the inner corrosion of water heaters and attempts to provoke a thought in a light-hearted neo-mythological manner with loveable characters. The commercial opens with a young man about to enter the shower encountering a “Zangraaj” - ‘God Of Dead Appliances’ who reveals how an ordinary water heater gets corroded and dirty deposits are formed inside the tank over the years. Then he gets a solution in the form of Hindware Atlantic Ondeo range of water heaters. 

Speaking about the campaign, Rakesh Kaul, President, Consumer Products Division, and CEO, Evok Retail, HSIL Limited, said, “We are excited to launch the first ever TVC campaign for Hindware Atlantic featuring ‘Ondeo’ water heaters. The phenomenal growth of Hindware Atlantic Water Heaters stand testimony to HSIL’s strong legacy of understanding consumer requirements and matching it with superior technological solutions. Over a few years, the business has grown substantially and today is a key contributor to the Consumer business. Through the TVC, we want to highlight our patented O’Pro Protection Technology which is a differentiated offering designed to ensure additional protection to the tank and heating element against corrosion.”

Commenting on the commercial, Subhashish Datta, Executive Creative Director, DDB Mudra North said, “Most of us have never wondered about how the insides of a water heater look after years of use, or about the freshness of the water dispersed from the appliance. Our team actually did that. For our initial research, we split opened some old water heaters to gauge the situation inside and what we saw was unsettling. The view shocked us, and that is what we have tried to capture in our story line, but in a light-hearted way.”

Campaign video:

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BharatMatrimony, the online matrimony brand, has roped in Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador.

Talking about the association, MS Dhoni said, “I’m happy to be associated with the iconic internet brand BharatMatrimony. It is the most trusted and successful matrimony brand which has helped millions of Indians find a life partner over the last 18 years. I’m proud to be associated with a trusted brand that has created millions of happy marriages. This is a definitely a good partnership.”

Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO - Matrimony.com, said, “We’re proud to be associated with MS Dhoni, an iconic sportsperson. We feel it’s a good fit because he’s an inspiration for millions of youth because of what he’s achieved for the country through his admirable leadership qualities. Dhoni also inspires through his happy marriage, his caring dad and loving husband image." 

Commenting on the association, Arun Pandey, Chairman of Rhiti Sports, which exclusively manages MS Dhoni’s commercial endorsements, said, “One of the key elements of the Wedding Industry is the trust of the consumers and we are happy with the way BharatMatrimony has gained it. I am confident this partnership with MS Dhoni will do well in the days to come.”

BharatMatrimony will soon launch a 360 degree marketing campaign featuring ads to target singles over 18 years across TV, print, radio and outdoor.

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