Production House
Saatchi & Saatchi India rolls out Captain Steel TVC to spotlight structural strength
Campaign simplifies engineering science to push consumer awareness in commoditised TMT category
KOLKATA: Saatchi & Saatchi India is taking a crack at one of construction’s most invisible essentials. The agency has launched a new television commercial for Captain Steel, aiming to decode the often-overlooked role of TMT rebars in strengthening homes and push consumers to think beyond cement while building.
Fronted by cricket icon Sourav Ganguly, the film translates technical complexity into a simple, relatable narrative. It draws a sharp parallel between cement and TMT rebars, underscoring a basic engineering truth: cement handles compressive load, while TMT rebars bear tensile load, both equally critical to a structure’s strength.
The campaign leans on a behavioural nudge. While homebuilders tend to scrutinise cement choices, the film poses a pointed question: do they apply the same diligence when choosing TMT rebars? By linking a high-involvement category with a low-attention one, the brand is attempting to shift decision-making habits at the ground level.
“Our challenge was to make an invisible product feel important. By bringing cement and TMT together, we translated engineering logic into a human truth, that every strong home is built on shared strength,” said Debanjan Basak, executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi India.
Captain Steel is pitching the effort as part of a broader category play. “At Captain Steel, we believe in shaping the category, not just participating in it, through legacy of continuous innovation in products and processes. This film is part of our larger mission to educate consumers about the science behind strong construction. A home’s strength depends equally on cement and TMT rebars, and informed choices can make all the difference,” said Amar Prakash, national head, marketing and strategy (SLM), Captain Steel.
The TVC is now live across television and digital platforms, carrying forward the brand’s message of “Strong Home, Strong Nation”.
For Saatchi & Saatchi India, the bet is clear: turn a low-interest commodity into a high-stakes decision. In a category built on steel and cement, the real play is for mindshare.
Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
