Zoozoos : New Vodafone Mascots

The popularity of zoozoos, the white, ghost-like creatures promoting Vodafone’s value-added services, are indicative of the fact that mascots are definitely here to stay. Advertisers are banking heavily on visuals, colours, mnemonics, sounds and symbols to connect with the target consumers. The advantage of a mascot over celebrity endorsement is that it is cost-effective. Also a celebrity endorses multiple products, creating confusion in the minds of the consumers, unlike the mascot that is unique to each brand.

Not only do the mascots create instant recognition for the brand, it also helps advertisers cut through the clutter. In a diverse market like India where mass brands have not less than 16 language translations for their ads, mascots are a very powerful means to create a stronger connect with the consumers. It also helps minimising surfing out of the channel during commercial breaks.

It appeals not only to the educated mass, but even an illiterate consumer, who instantly identifies the brand with help of the mascot.

The Hutch pug not only attracted customers, but even set the business soaring for the telecom major — it led to an increase in its subscriber base by 20 per cent.

Chintamani was another appealing mascot people identified with. The other unforgettable mascots include the Amul girl and Lalitaji who endorsed Surf.

On the flipside though, Indian consumers have a tendency to associate animated brand mascots with products aimed at children. However, sometimes mascots overshadow the brand itself in the consumer mindspace.

The cool, yuppy Fido Dido mascot grew bigger than the Seven Up brand, so much that one recalled the mascot but did not associate it with the brand.

Mascots need not be animated. Zoozoos indicate that fresh execution of ads with mascots always work.

Zoozoos have indeed revolutionised way mascots are projected in Indian ads. In case you have not been able to figure out what these zoozoos are, they aren’t animated characters. They are human beings who were made to wear body suits. Kudos to Ogilvy.

Watch Ads : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqndA5F3i8

Source: AM

Delhi beggars learn languages before Common Wealth Games

Beggars cannot be choosers, but beggars are quick to spot an opportunity, especially when there is a buzz in the city about 'thousands of tourists' flocking here for the Commonwealth Games next year.

And beggars are gearing up for it by learning not just English but languages like French and Spanish as well, not knowing that only English is spoken in all the Commonwealth countries.

'There will be thousands of foreign tourists when the games are going on. That is why some beggar families are teaching younger child beggars to beg in foreign languages,' said Savitri, a street performer from Prem Nagar, west Delhi.

Savitri's extended family of 25 people, including 15 children, belongs to the Nat jati (tribe) of Chhattisgarh that performs acrobatics and tight rope tricks on the capital's streets to earn money, especially from foreigners.

'We say: Please sir! Give me ten rupees! Anything...,' demonstrated her daughter Kusum, a 10-year-old child acrobat.

Vijay Babli, who claimed to be the leader of over 1,200 mendicant families living in Lal Quarter in Rohini, northwest Delhi, was recently quoted as saying that 'classes' had begun to prepare the young alms-seekers to target the large number of tourists expected for the Games in October 2010.

'Even if one beggar earns 150-200 rupees per day ($3-4), you can understand the turnover for us,' he said.

The community has even set up an informal academy in the area.

Many beggar children who have never been to school could speak English, French and Spanish, all thanks to the classes, Babli said.

The trend to ask foreigners for alms in their own languages adds a 'personal touch', said a beggar at the Jantar Mantar observatory that draws a lot of tourists.

The beggars were also imparted training in distinguishing foreign currency notes - to recognize value, said a resident of Kathputli colony, who did not wish to give his name.

Beggars posted at famous tourist spots like India Gate, Jama Masjid, the Bahai Mandir area and other shopping hubs like Connought Place often learn just a few sentences in foreign languages.

Nikolina, a Croatian national studying here, was surprised when a beggar asked her in English where she was from.

'I was shocked when a man dressed in rags approached me and asked me in English if I was German, or French, and started saying please give me money in various languages,' she said incredulously.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service 

Pappu don't Vote Sala....Nice Ad

Hi

Checkout this video. Nice animation, trendy, and targeting to the youth. 

Post Booking Scenario of Tata Nano

Tata Motors Monday said it has received 203,000 bookings with a total booking amount of Rs.2,500 crore ($502 million) for its small car Nano.

'The Tata Nano website recorded an unprecedented 30 million hits from the date of launch of the car (March 23) to the closure of the booking period which was April 25, nearly 1 million hits a day', the company said in a statement.

A total of 610,000 forms were purchased from the booking centres. About 70 percent of the 203,000 bookings received were financed, while 30 percent of the applicants booked in cash by paying fully, the statement said.

Nearly, 4,000 cash bookings were made through the company's website.

Among the three variants of the car, 20 percent bookings are for the Nano Standard, 30 percent for the Nano CX and the remaining 50 percent for the top-end Nano LX, the statement added.

Source: Tata Nano Website and Indo Asian News Service

Bajaj DTSi Transformers Ad

Hi Guys

Checkout the new Bajaj DTSi Transformers Ad. I am impressed with this indian company. Its funny how Bajaj has come long way from "Buland Bharat Ke Buland Tasveer, Hamara Bajaj" Ad to this kind of high tech youth targeting transformer kind of ads. 

Over all good ad. worth a check out 

IIMites launch food ordering website in Ahmedabad

A team of three youngsters, passouts from IIM-A, have taken on the onus to revamp city’s food culture online. Starting today, foodies could place orders on the website http://2home.in and get it home delivered. 
  Dhiren Makhija, Nirmesh Mehta and Aravind R S opted out of placements to start their new company Ictoban. The website will be launched today. Currently, the site covers nearly 20 restaurants in the western part of the city which includes areas like Satellite, Vastrapur, Gurukul, Drive-In, SG Highway and Vijay charrasta. Nearly 20 restaurants have tied up with Ictoban. 
  Customers can view the menu of these restaurants online and place an order without having to go through the hassle of calling them up. As soon as they click the submit button on the website, an automated SMS is sent to the restaurant, which then makes the home delivery. A small commission goes to Ictoban for every order delivered. 
  Interestingly, you can also search not just according to area and restaurant name but even menu wise. If you wish to savour a paneer preparation, all you need to do is enter paneer as the search keyword and you’ll have a list of paneer dishes along with the name of the restaurant offering it. 
  The idea was test driven first at IIM-A from September 8, 2008 to January 14 this year. “It was an instant hit. We had 14 orders a day, on an average. That is what encouraged us to start the venture,” says Aravind. 
  “We kept thinking about what to name our new venture. Since we couldn’t come up with anything appealing, we decided to name it Ictoban, an acronym for I can’t think of better alternative names,” says Dhiren. 
  It was Nirmesh who came up with the idea just months after they had joined the IIMA. “It was much before recession that we came up with the idea,” says Aravind, who did his engineering from IIT Kharagpur prior to MBA from IIM-A. The board of directors of Ictoban include IIM-A professors Abhinandan Jain and Sunil Handa while Mehul from a leading media company is the advisor. 

  “Till 2home.in becomes a habit for people, we shall also have a call centre to mediate between the customers and the restaurants. As time goes by, we will also have more number of restaurants tying up. Later on we’ll also introduce features like takeaways and table-booking. With food loving Amdavadis around, we hope to do very well,” says Dhiren, who plans to take the venture to four more cities by the year-end.

Website: http://2home.in

Source: AM Bureau

Mat Socho Abhiyaan: Hip Hop Song to Vote

Engagement translated to a Catchy Hip Hop Track appealing to come forward & vote.  Election in India are coming soon.

My Rating: 5/10

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Mat Socho

Performed by Ranjit Menon & Troupe

Download The Song Here

Lyrics:

Nau baje and the party is on
Fingers on the phone, democrazy full blown
Voting ka hai naya meaning, Politics has a whole new feeling
Aaj hum vote karien Indian Idol, ya Dancers ya saas bahu ko
Election, Kabhi Suna Hai
Mera mutlub hain kabhi part liyela hai kya?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

So aagey to which opinion you belong
Voting's round the corner, everybody come around
Do a little thing for the desh you're from
Haan pata most of us here are dumb
So let's give it spin, put a little bit of zing, into this thing
Voting kabhi kiya hai, Mat kabhi diya hai
Mera mutlub hai, is bar part lenga kya?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

Off to college in Levi's blue
Got the latest hairdo, Kudi bhi fundoo
Daddy ki nayee car, spinning it bar bar
From Poison to Tito's, someplace else to Car-o-bar
Getting thoda thoda drunk, getting thoda thoda stoned
Ki Dada, Aeta ki gondogoal?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

April, and the IPL's back
Royal's, Daredevil's, Knight Riders and all
To aapka team kaunsa hai?
Got you're backpack ready for the African Safari
Couch potato, ya tomato
Ye hai India, you've got all kinds of tarkari
This time we want Bollywood too
Kyun Shahrukh, Aaoge na bhai?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

Orkut, Facebook naya mantra
Sabse touch mein rehne ka cool funda
Melbourne, New York, Paris ya Dubai
You've got friends everywhere haan bhai
Any idea what's happening around
In your own city, state, country ya gaon
Do you know when the Ballot Box is coming to town?
Atta tari dole ugadnares ka bhau?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat socho

26/11, and the memory still haunts
Chota sa pataaka also scares of a bomb
Apne brave commandos laid down their lives
What did our Babus do to save our lives?
Blaming each another with all their might
Isn't it still time to decide what is right?
So let's take this hour to make us a goal
Hey what man bugger, what's this new jhol?
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

Sunday, let's hit the sport's bar
Manchester, Chelsea, AC Milan
Do pitcher down and I'm a karaoke star
Personal loan, Car Loan, Credit Card
Tharo lifestyle to world class hai bhaya
Baton mein American Accent bhi chaya
Obama made history, ab hamari hai baari
Ki soch rahe ho pashao, vote to karo bhai
Mat socho, Mat Socho, Mat Socho, Socho mat, Mat Socho

Mat Socho, Cause what you reap is what you sow
Mat Socho, Cause if you don't the loss will show
Mat Socho, Move your butt get in the row
Mat socho, You cant' blame if you don't vote
Mat Socho, Stop living like a roach
Mat Socho, Bring out your Soch
Mat Socho, Be a little selfish
Mat Socho, Use your brains a little bit
Mat Socho, Cause what you reap is what you sow
Mat Socho, Cause if you don't the loss will show
Mat Socho, Move your butt get in the row
Mat socho, You cant' blame if you don't vote
Mat Socho, Stop living like a roach
Mat Socho, Bring out your Soch
Mat Socho, Be a little selfish
Mat Socho, Use your brains a little bit
Mat Socho!!!

Arey Dhuth Budbuk,
bandh karo tohar jhankar beatwa...

Source: http://www.indiavoting.com/

Ad War

Watchout for the newly launched video from BJP. This video is titled "Bhay Ho" to counter the "Jai Ho" campaign of Congress (Check out my "Jai Ho Mania" blog for congress video).

Song start with Aaja Aaja Voter Jhuthe Vaade Ke Tale  and goes forward with “Bhay Ho…. Bhook Ho…. Antak Ho…. Mahangayi Ho…. Phir Bhi Jai Ho,”.