Dainik Bhaskar tells a tale of the best in print advertisements with its annual publication, Mosaic. Since its first edition, the coffee table book chronicles striking creatives, affective text and all that is print. A look into the three years of print excellence
"India is no longer just adapting global practises. It is contributing to the knowledge base, globally. At Dainik Bhaskar, we hope that Mosaic, in its own small way makes a difference in showcasing the possibilities that the print medium offers."
The first: In 2011, the Dainik Bhaskar Group launched Mosaic. The best-in-print ads, hereafter, were complemented with bites from the national creative directors on what made each of these stand out from the rest
In the 2011 edition, the chairman and CEO of BBDO India, Josy Paul picked its 7UP Lemon Splash, DHL Goonj and White Collar Hippies for the publication. Paul said, "These are a sliver of the bigger picture. Our print campaigns are often a part of a larger idea. We rarely create press ads in isolation."
Four different layouts and lemon shape formed by water splashes give a visual twist to the 7UP ad and a treat to the readers. According to Paul the project took about a month to complete and included taking over a thousand pictures of water splashes. The agency worked with Barcelona-based Garrigosa Studio to achieve the desired results
DHL and Goonj, a voluntary organisation, bring together their expertise to make donation hassle free. While DHL took the onus of the logistics, the packing and the shipment, Goonj ensured the donations reach the people who need it
Loud and clear: "Call 25585151. We'll pick it. We'll deliver to those who need." - The message is succinct and impactful.
The World Has Less Time Left. Travel Now: The new entrant in the travel companies space, White Collar Hippies (WCH), designed its campaign to make a connect with the youth, urging them to live in the present
Paul said, "We set out to create a travel campaign, which did not look like one. we decided to remind the audience hpw fragile the world is and why it has very little time. It is disturbing yet attractive."
The sentiments of the media agencies in 2012 were not very optimistic. According to GroupM's report, 2012 closed with an AdEx growth of 4%, lower than the expected growth. Media pundits reasoned this to the absence of Cricket World Cup and the lacklustre performance of IPL in both the print and digital mediums
Mosaic 2012-13 commended print contribution from two media giants, Bates Asia and BBDO India. Bates' campaign for ABP Ananda - Cholbena Campaign, Sera Bengali and Sharad Ananda
When 'Cholche na. Cholbe na'(Can't happen. Won't happen) became 'Cholche na aar. Cholbe na'(Can't happen. Won't happen anymore) Souvik Misra thinks, this print campaign overturned Kolkata-ites' quintessential negative slogan into an inspiring one to start a people's movement.
Misra is the executive creative director at Bates
The execution of this print campaign was gimmicky. Mishra stated, "Strategically the campaign reinterpreted certain characters in a modern context. But the distinctiveness to the look was courtesy a unique Wood Art illustration from the Bengal School of Art."
The market bounced back. The printscape in the country looked positive and promising. All this, while print as medium, is losing its popularity in the Western countries. Media agencies and print honchos say this is the most opportune time for the industry (with all its stakeholders) to grow.
The third edition of Mosaic reverberates this sentiment
Sam Balsara, the chairman and managing director at Madison World is pro-print when he says, "There was a time, not so long ago when agencies and creative directors were known by their print campaigns. ...We must not forget that 40% of all advertising is print and even today there is tremendous opportunity for young creative professionals to make their mark in print."
BBH India's Russel Barrett (and his team) had the onus of reviving the Vat 69 brand and relaunching Skoda Octavia. They resorted to...
The perfect blend: BBH booked the inside front cover space of magazines. Quizzed the Vat Man based on the cover story. This answer was the Vat Man's take on the story, "witty and ironic" says Barrett.
Till date, you can see the Vat Man appear in 50 magazines and as Barrett claims, 'they are going strong'. Go ahead, hear to what the Vat Man has to say!
In love, all over again: In Barrett's words, 'the Octavia is the same car which India fell in love with all those years ago.' So, what does one do to revive this love? BBH had the answer: They created car classifieds section on the front pages of Times of India and Economic Times. Each ad told a story which was lead to another For Sales story, with ultimately got people to talk about the Octavia.
The takeaway: A classified section can get you to spend for a Skoda Octavia!
Caveat...
Pradeep Dwivedi, Dainik Bhaskar Group, "Mosaic, in its three years of existence has offered remarkable and insightful view of the creative, media and print industry. It is our effort to celebrate advertising in print media without being polarised or biased."
