Brands
Asian Paints, Post Office Studios present the colourful trends of our time
MUMBAI: Post Office Studios conceptualised and produced five animated films to launch Asian Paints’ Colour Next series this year, which were released at the country's India Design ID.
Every year, Asian Paints launches an expertly researched and curated set of trends that reflect the aesthetics of our times, along with a carefully handpicked colour of the year; all of which they later translate into home décor ranges drawing inspiration from the same. The four diverse trends this year are Adulting, Enchanted, Harvest and F-lux, in addition to Asian Paints’ Colour of the Year for 2019: Awakening.
In order to best showcase these trends to the audience, the team at Post Office largely used 3D motion graphics to set tone to the visuals, seamlessly integrating the elements and thought process encapsulating these trends into a single narrative. Around 15 different artists with distinct creative styles worked on the films, all meticulously selected to match the visuals concerned.
The creatives, too, were designed to complement and bring out the year-long research undertaken by Asian Paints, rather than override the same in any way. The videos are thus reflective of a unique collaboration between a pioneer in design, Asian Paints, and an upcoming new media technology company that is focussed on innovative storytelling- resulting in the creation of a set of 3D animated films that are rarely seen in commercial advertising space in India.
Post Office Studios director of the film and chief creative officer Aditya Tawde said, “When Asian Paints approached us with their Colour Next brief, we were very excited to work on the project, due to its immense creative potential and the free reign that Asian Paints gave us in terms of treatment, as long as it drew from their research. We immediately did a few brainstorming sessions and conceptualised five unique ideas to match each trend. We then spent sufficient time detailing the particulars; while the films had a similar undertone, they were given distinct tonalities and visuals, complemented by music and voice overs that did justice to the theme concerned. The biggest challenge for the team was to execute all the five videos in just a month, which was difficult both technically as well as creatively, if a certain standard needed to be achieved. Since commercial briefs in India are rarely this avant-garde creatively, we wanted to push the creative boundaries to the extent possible. We therefore collaborated with 12 artists based out of countries such as USA, Russia, Belgium, Poland, UK, Italy, Spain and Chile, who worked in sync with our talented team based in Mumbai.”
He added, “We are particularly proud of the manner in which we approached the ‘Colour of the Year’ video, which was an amalgamation of grand visuals created by nine artists from across the globe, all tied together by their colour, ‘Awakening’. Being able to showcase a number of unique creative perspectives on a single colour gave us the opportunity to truly showcase our skill sets, and we’re very glad that we were able to successfully execute the same.”
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
