DanChurchAid initiates #ClearThePitch in association with Grey Group Singapore

On the occasion of International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Grey for Good, the philanthropic arm of Grey Group Singapore teamed up with DanChurchAid (DCA) to drive support for creating safer communities in post-conflict zones around the world – communities free of dangerous remnants of war such as land mines, unexploded ammunition and cluster bombs.

Introducing #ClearThePitch, a campaign which links the global love for football with the aim of creating greater awareness and support for the essential work of making communities in post-conflict zones safer to live.

“The theme of football is everything but random. It allows us to reach and involve a huge group of people: not just millions of fans but also the clubs, players, associations and potentially even the sponsors. With a surprising but actually hard-hitting link: for millions of children playing the sport we all love is extremely dangerous. Our hope is to capture the imagination of the world of football to give the topic and our partner DCA both the visibility and the financial support that are so urgently needed,” said Till Hohmann, Executive Creative Director & Vice President (GSK), Grey Group Singapore.

It is a pressing topic often described as one of the most evil problems affecting millions of civilians in over 60 countries around the world. And it takes a mammoth effort to tackle. However, the topic does not feature a lot in the public conversation or the media – other imminent issues get all the coverage.

To change this, the team has developed an integrated campaign that builds an emotional link to one of the world’s biggest sports: football. It’s a universal sport and is played on streets, fields, playgrounds, parking lots and many more places. But due to remnants of war such as land mines, cluster bombs and unexploded ammunition, in large parts of the world playing football on fields can be extremely dangerous – especially for children.

Commenting on the initiative, Richard MacCormac, DCA Head of Mine Action, said, “Together with Grey for Good, we look forward to driving an impact on this issue. The goal is not only creating safe ‘football pitches’ for children, but to also provide safe and secure living conditions for families and communities so they can live a ‘normal’ life.”

Source: IndianMediaBook - Media

[Ad Review] Alto celebrates 30 lakhs mark with India ki pehli sawaari

Family car brand Alto from the house of Maruti Suzuki touched 30 lakh cares and to celebrate this milestone the brand rolled out an integrated campaign titled India Ki Pehli Sawaari.

According to RS Kalsi, ED – Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, from offering a dream of owning a car, Alto reflects the changing India. While Alto’s true essence lies in its remarkable fuel efficiency and performance, it has a zippy and sporty design and premium features in its segment that appeals to the customer.

Speaking about the campaign, Kalsi said, “Over the years, Maruti Suzuki has kept the brand rejuvenated with latest technology, features and design. These initiatives have helped in creating countless memories of fun, trust, togetherness, friendship and love with our customers; fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of 30 lakh families.”

Conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Impact, the one minute and two seconder musical ad film is produced under the banner of Chrome Pictures. The film is directed by Amit Sharma and music is given by Abhishek Arora.

Commenting on the idea behind the campaign, Titus Upputuru, NCD, Dentsu Creative Impact, said, “As we started thinking about this huge milestone that Alto has achieved, we thought why don’t we celebrate the families instead. We all remember getting on the back of our fathers and mothers and taking our first ride. It just seemed so appropriate to use this metaphor as it dials up nostalgia. Working with so many children was a delightful experience”

The theme of the ad film India Ki Pehli Sawari takes viewers to the childhood. It features children riding on the backs of crouched elders. The camera captures the joy and excitement experienced by the children and adults engaged in this first ride, before introducing the Alto, which is at 30 lakh families – and growing.

Expert take

Ashwini Despande, Co-Founder, The Elephant Design, believes that 30lakh is a huge achievement for a car brand. So it deserves a creative announcement.

Commenting on the ad film, Despande said, “Execution is flawless. The claim of ‘India ki Pehli Sawaari’ is absolutely ownable by Maruti Suzuki, and surely comes out of a great insight. However, using children in advertising to evoke emotions is done over & over again; in all product categories, including cars. So there is no new.”

On the other side, according to Naresh Kumar, CSO & Managing Partner, Bang in The Middle, it is a fantastic idea, coming from rich emotional territory and very smart of the brand to go there.

“I feel having cracked the idea, the brand went a little lazy. For the child the ride is more than the physical act of ride. It has many emotions attached with it. Of bonding, of shared moments, of knowing each other, of trust. All this is something that would have made the whole story far more layered and involving. What I get in thead, is the act of ride, what the ride leads to is missed out completely”, expressed Kumar.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Media

Manish Sharma appointed as Executive Officer at Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Corporation announced two strategic management promotions..Daizo Ito, previously President, Panasonic India, has been elevated to the role of Managing Executive Officer, Panasonic Corporation and Chairman of the Panasonic India & Regional Head of ISAMEA region.

Taking the charge from Daizo Ito, Manish Sharma, who has been appointed at the position of Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation and President & CEO of Panasonic India & South Asia, from his most recent role as Managing Director, India. The elevations, effective immediately, are part of the company’s global organizational shift in preparation for new business initiatives and future growth.

Commenting on the new appointments, Kazuhiro Tsuga, President, Panasonic Corporation, said “India is at the heart of the Pansaonic global growth strategy and both Ito and Sharma have been pivotal in driving growth for Panasonic India. I am confident they will continue to propel our business forward. I would like to congratulate them both on their new roles and wish them continued success”.

Daizo Ito has played a key role in establishing the Panasonic brand in the Indian market, and in elevating India as a key strategic market for Panasonic globally. As the Regional Head of ISAMEA region Daizo Ito will work with the leaders of each of these markets and plan the strategic growth of Panasonic across the region. Manish Sharma will continue to report to Daizo Ito.

Ito joined Panasonic Corporation (then Matsushita Electric Industrial Company) in the year 1977 and has been with the company for the last 4 decades. Led by his philosophy to drive the company’s growth by Indians and for Indians the company has achieved several milestones in its journey in India.

Sharma is the first Indian and the youngest ever to become an executive officer of the corporation and this re-affirms the focus on India as a growth hub for the corporation. As the President& CEO of Panasonic India & South Asia, he will preside over operations of Panasonic in India including group and sister companies and the group support operations.

The group companies include Panasonic Appliances, Panasonic AVC India, Panasonic Energy India, Panasonic Carbon India, Anchor Electricals, Firepro Systems Pvt. Ltd. He will be responsible for driving profitable growth along with strategy planning and sustainable business development across businesses.

Sharma, joined Panasonic in 2008 and has been instrumental in spearheading the growth and transformation of Panasonic India from a consumer-electronics company to a technology solutions company. In his previous roles, he led a multi-channel branding; sales and marketing strategy to create a stronger consumer connect and drive increased market share and credibility. He is also credited with transforming Panasonic’s smartphone business in India.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Media

ASCI upholds complaints against 51 out of 102 advertisements

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) upheld complaints against 51 out of 102 advertisements.

The Consumer Complaint Council (CCC) found the following claims in various categories advertisers to be either misleading or false or not adequately / scientifically substantiated and hence violating ASCI’s Code.

Out of 51 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 13 belonged to the Education category, 12 to the Food & Beverages category, followed by 11 in the Healthcare category, 6 in the E-commerce category and 9 advertisements from other categories.

In education category advertisements of Rice Education, Adamas Career, Tathagat, Think & Learn etc. were upheld, while in Healthcare segment advertisement of the brands such as Emami, Dabur India, Patanjali Ayurved, Mosons and Uttam Dawakhana were upheld.

Advertisements of following ecommerce brands were also upheld PortMart, Xeroin Retail, Amazon, Ibibo Group and HolidayIQ.Apart from these, advertisements from Balaji Telefilms, Viacom18 and Times on India were also upheld.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Media

Revv appoints Chetan Jain as CEO-Hyderabad

Revv, the Delhi-NCR based self-drive car Rental Company appointed Chetan Jain as its City CEO in Hyderabad. Jain holds over 5 years of experience in marketing, operations, fleet and business expansion.

Speaking of the appointment, Karan Jain, Co-Founder and COO of Revv said, “With his experience and expertise, Chetan is a perfect fit for us at this stage of our growth story. We are confident that under his leadership, Revv will become one the most prominent and successful self-drive car rental companies in Hyderabad.”

Prior to this,Jain was the Head of Operations at Myles for 2 cities i.e. Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam.

“Amidst all the self-drive car rental companies in the country, Revv has immense potential and stands apart for being a global pioneer in its 100% doorstep delivery and pickup of cars from the customer’s location. I feel confident to be a part of this rapidly growing organization at such a significant point in time. I am looking forward to ramping up Revv’s scale of operations within Hyderabad, and reach a fleet size of 1000+ cars over the next few months”, expressed Jain.

Operating on a standard hub model, the Hyderabad office of the company delivers the cars to the customers from anywhere in the city. Jain’s appointment is set to add more steam to the company’s current operations.

Source: IndianMediaBook - Media