MAM
BSLI’s ‘How Many’ ad campaign reaches Cannes
MUMBAI: In late June, a Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI) ad campaign made it to the Mecca of advertising awards – the Cannes film festival.
The ‘How many’ ad for BSLI, created by Concept Communications and produced by Steam Engine Productions, was one of the three Indian entries that made it to the Cannes Film shortlist.
Winning creatives always are a derivative of a good client brief. BSLI CEO Nani Javeri says: “The effort represents a synergistic approach to marketing and communications wherein the ad agency and the BSLI team formulate the path ahead by working closely. As far as BSLI is concerned, effective communication and social responsibility go hand in hand.”
It takes an inspired adman to deliver the goods based on the brief. Concept’s creative director Sanjay Sule says: “The intention was to position Birla Sun Life as a responsible and socially conscious corporate citizen – an entity that thinks beyond insurance. That’s why we picked up the issue of smoking.”
The ad film uses memorable visuals to make an immediate impact on the viewer. The ad starts off by showing a small room in which a man who is the head of the family is smoking. The camera also pans the other members – an 80-year old grandmother, children including a six month old baby amongst others – who are closeted into the matchbox-like tenement. The other members of the family exhale while the head of the family inhales the cigarette smoke. Very effectively, without even using any voice-over, the BSLI drives home the point that passive smoking is injurious to your family’s health. The underlying element is “How many cigarettes do you smoke with your family every day?”
“The theme was so striking and hard-hitting that the BSLI team approved it in the first sitting itself. We shot the ad film in two days and the everything including the post production work was completed within 10 days. We shot with ordinary people and only the lead actor (the man of the family) and the wife are professional ad commercial artistes,” says Sule.
The film was aired on premier business channels such as CNBC India. When asked whether he knew that the ad would win accolades, a modest Sule says: “I had a gut feeling that it would be appreciated. We are happy that out of the two entries sent to Cannes, one of them made waves. All credit to the team and the client for having the guts to experiment with new concepts.”
The Birla Sun Life nomination is definitely raise the creative bar for Concept. “We are ready to face the challenge and are already thinking of similar concepts!” added Sule with a glint in his eyes.
The BSLI-Concept team is looking forward to win more awards for its latest innovative direct marketing ad campaign.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
