MAM
Clinic Plus makes Navbharat Times talk on Mother’s Day
MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever’s shampoo brand Close Up partnered with Navbharat Times, for the first time to release talking newspaper advertisement.
The ad was released on the occasion of Mother’s Day in NBT’s Delhi and NCR editions.
The media agency working on the project is Mindshare.
Times of India had earlier carried a talking advertisement for Volkswagen in September 2010. The Close Up ad in NBT was not just a talking ad; it also sought to make the newspaper a musical greeting card for moms. The company created a special four-page supplement that would serve as the greeting card with a musical chip playing out the Mother‘s Day greeting. Sunday‘s NBT was inserted inside the same.
HUL GM Hair Care Srinandan Sundaram said, “The objective was to create brand salience for the Clinic Plus brand which has been positioned as a shampoo for mothers and daughters. The insight was to use the occasion to express the unspoken love that exists between the two.”
Sundaram felt that NBT was a natural choice with its reach coupled with the fact that most of the consumers were Hindi speakers.
Mindshare principal partner Amin Lakhani said, “Mindshare Fulcrum finds innovative ways to connect with consumers especially in leveraging the print medium to the fullest. We seek to engage the consumer through 360 degree initiatives. With Times we have done fragrance newspaper for Bru Coffee in TOI, Kisanpur in Bombay Times and now the talking musical greeting card for NBT Delhi and the NCR editions.”
The exercise was for 600,000 copies for which the planning started almost two months in advance.
BCCL president Arunabh Das Sharma added, “We are very happy to partner our leading language brand with the leading hair care brand to create a path-breaking innovation. Such advertising that appeals not just to the cognitive but also the emotional senses works wonderfully.”
Brands
Safex Group appoints Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer
Former Standard Chartered executive to steer finance
NEW DELHI: Safex Chemicals has appointed Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares for the next phase of expansion in specialty chemicals and global agrochemicals.
In her new role, Malhotra will lead the group’s financial strategy, capital architecture and governance framework as Safex scales operations across multiple verticals including branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing.
A chartered accountant and graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, Malhotra brings more than two decades of experience in business finance, strategic planning, corporate banking and client management.
Before joining Safex, she served as executive director, financial markets at Standard Chartered, where she led teams across India and Sri Lanka and worked closely with large corporates, global subsidiaries and commercial banking clients. Her expertise includes capital structuring, treasury operations, risk management and financial markets led financing solutions.
Safex Group promoter director and joint managing director Piyush Jindal, said the appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company. “Safex stands at an inflection point as we build an integrated platform across branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing. Richa’s experience across global financial institutions will strengthen our financial discipline and help unlock value across the group,” he said.
Malhotra said she was looking forward to contributing to the company’s next chapter of growth. “Safex has built a strong reputation over 35 years with its focus on integrity, innovation and agricultural insight. I am excited to be part of the organisation as it expands its footprint in India and global markets,” she said.
The appointment comes as Safex continues to strengthen its financial foundations and scale operations internationally, positioning itself for future growth milestones.
