MAM
Advertising Agencies Association seeks government help for business continuity
MUMBAI: The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has reached out to the government for business continuity to mitigate the effects of the impact of COVID-19 on the advertising community.
The association, under aegis of president Ashish Bhasin, has sent a detailed set of recommendations to the union minister of information & broadcasting Prakash Javadekar. In this, he has stressed the importance of the advertising industry for the accelerated revival of the economy.
The advertising agency business, like many other businesses, have been seriously affected because of the lockdown. The bulk of the agency’s costs are fixed in nature, be it salaries, rent, electricity, communication, upkeep, media audience measurement reports, etc. The income and cash flow have been in serious stress in the last month and unless there is some intervention, many businesses will either file for bankruptcy or will have to undersize considerably.
INS and IBF, the media associations representing the interest of print and TV respectively, have been kind enough to permit AAAI members to pay monies they have collected from their clients and not insist on what is due to them on the due dates. But the continuity of the agencies business cannot be for long without the help of the government of India, states a press release.
“What we have asked the government is very reasonable. We want principally money that is owed to us by way of IT & GST refunds, and dues from government & PSUs for our advertising bills to be settled immediately. We have also said that any payment made to us should not suffer any TDS deduction going forward since there is unlikely to be any significant profit for the year. Further, we have sought a direction to banks and our debtors that they provide the much-needed cash flow to pay salaries and meet other essential expenses, etc,” said Bhasin.
“These do not lead to any revenue loss to the government. They just need to show a kind heart. The timely help they will provide actually is the help they are providing to the people of India since advertising is a critical input that can provide a ripple effect in reviving many sectors of the economy,” he added.
One other recommendation made is to treat advertising expenses as an investment and have this cost amortised over the next three years. AAAI believes this will encourage larger advertising outlay which will help revive the economy faster. In the same vein, AAAI also suggested that advertising expenses could be given weighted deduction while computing taxes. The suggestion was that every Rs 100 spent on advertising, should be treated as Rs 200 while computing the taxable income.
MAM
Dinshaw’s launches 3x chocolate cone with ‘Dildaari’ campaign
Vinod Kambli fronts summer push built around richer final bite.
MUMBAI: The sweetest part of an ice cream may no longer be the first lick, it is now the last word. Dinshaw’s is rewriting the rules of cone indulgence with its new ‘Dildaari’ campaign, built around a simple twist: three times more solid chocolate at the tip.
At the centre of the launch is a familiar consumer truth, the final bite of a cone is often the most anticipated. Dinshaw’s is leaning into that moment, turning it into the hero by amplifying the chocolate layer at the bottom, effectively repositioning the end of the cone as the highlight of the experience.
The campaign is fronted by former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli, whose personal journey lends an emotional undertone to the storytelling. Built around the line “Jinko life mein thoda kam mila, unke liye thoda zyada”, the narrative blends nostalgia with generosity, framing the product upgrade as more than just a feature, it is a gesture.
Timed for peak summer and the ongoing cricket season, the campaign taps into moments of heightened consumption and sentiment, where small indulgences carry outsized emotional value.
The new range features nine flavours Badam Roasted, Butterscotch, Caramel Dolce, Choco Chip, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Ganache, Cookies n Cream, Mississippi Dark and Mocha Black and White each designed to complement the enhanced chocolate finish.
Conceptualised by Womb, the campaign pivots away from functional messaging to a more human insight: that sometimes, the smallest additions can make the biggest difference.
As brands continue to hunt for differentiation in a crowded category, Dinshaw’s bet is clear, if you cannot change the whole cone, make the last bite unforgettable.
