MAM
Accom, Beam.TV unveil real-world HD commercials
LAS VEGAS: At the recently concluded National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB) in Las Vegas, Accom (which claims to be the market leader in digital video technology for television broadcasting and video production) and UK-based Beam.TV demonstrated an end to end High-Definition (HD) commercials approval and delivery solution.
This was achieved through the use of Windows Media Encoder 9 Series on its newest uncompressed HD Digital Disk Recorder (DDR), WSD/HDi.
An official release informs that the professional turnkey solution from WSD/HDi and Windows Media Encoder 9 Series allows users to ingest and encode high definition content for streaming within one system. This solution provides the post-production community with streamlined workflow and the most efficient encoding capabilities yielding the highest quality results possible today.
With this combination, HD content is ingested into the WSD/HDi then encoded by Windows Media Encoder 9 Series making it possible for media professionals to easily produce high quality compressed clips which are then uploaded to Beam.TV servers in London.
The uploaded HD commercials can then be viewed via a Beam Box using a simple remote control and video monitor. Over 200 Beam Boxes have already been installed for Beam.TV users including leading advertising agencies, production companies and advertisers worldwide.
The release states that even though the main audience for TV commercials is currently Standard Definition (SD), more and more production companies are making commercials in HD. HD is becoming a popular acquisition format for television commercials because it is a very versatile and high quality medium for directors to work with.
Beam.TV is a global, low cost, highly efficient way of viewing, moving and archiving television commercials during the pre-production and production stages. Beam is internet-based and therefore can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world without the need for any specific hardware, software or subscription.
Beam.TV MD Matt Cooper was quoted as saying: “When viewing HD material via a Beam Box using Windows Media 9 Series, we can now get HD-quality video in as low as 5-8 Mbps, a data rate that is about three times less than that of MPEG 2”.
Recently, Accom HD equipment was selected to be extensively used in this year’s productions of the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards. Many of the prime time television shows in the US are now being shot and edited in HD.
MAM
India wins big at the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards
The Womb and McCann India take home Global Grand Effies, putting Indian advertising on the world map
MUMBAI: Indian advertising just had its moment. At the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards, the most rigorous test of marketing effectiveness on the planet, two Indian agencies beat out campaigns from over 130 markets to claim Global Grand Effies, the sport’s equivalent of a world championship medal.
The Womb won for Piramal Finance with a campaign called “NEEYAT: India’s Real Credit Score,” a purpose-led push that took direct aim at systemic bias in the credit sector and reframed how creditworthiness is measured. McCann India won for ESAF Small Finance Bank with “Saving Her Savings,” a campaign centred on financial inclusion for marginalised women. Both wins came from a shortlist of 47 contenders, all of whom had already won gold or grand prizes in their home markets. Only 11 Global Grand Effies were handed out across seven markets. India got two.
The highest honour of the night, the Iridium Effie, awarded to the single most effective marketing campaign in the world, went to eos Products and Mischief @ No Fixed Address for “Women’s Shave.” Remarkably, it was their second consecutive year taking the top prize.
Other global winners included Oreo and Mondelez International for “Oreo Codes” in commerce and shopper marketing, Flamin’ Hot and PepsiCo for “Poker Face” in experiential marketing, and ALDI Australia for “Shop ALDI First” in retail.
The Best of the Best is no ordinary awards show. Entry is restricted to campaigns that have already won a gold or grand Effie at a national level, making it, in effect, a champions’ league of marketing effectiveness. Indian agencies are no longer just brilliant at cracking local markets. They are now setting the global standard.
The world’s best advertisers had better start paying attention.
