MAM
Cartoon Network, HLL join hands to lure the pester power
MUMBAI: Seems like perfect synergy – Hindustan Lever (HLL) taught kids all about ‘Ice-cream Power’, while Cartoon Network familiarized them with ‘Toon Power’.
HLL’s Kwality Wall’s Max ice-cream and Cartoon Network joined hands today to unveil their summer bonanza for kids at a press conference in south Mumbai.
Cartoon Network will air a series of animated stories from 20 March to 31 May 2003, as television commercials, featuring the Max ice cream’s mascot ‘Max the lion’, other toon characters Professor Higgabottom, Max kingdom and King Cobra. With ‘treasure’ hunts, tussle between ‘good-n-evil’ included in the stories, even the ad breaks should fun.
To participate, kids need to collect three Max wrappers with special ‘Bano Toonstar’ logo, drop them at the redemption center ‘Max Jungle’ and collect special Max scratch card. The range of scratch and win prizes include comics, max jungle trail board games, camera, and tents.
As a part of the promotions, around 1,000 Max Jungle centres have been appointed and a number of ground events are planned. Through direct marketing programmes, 500,000 children will be personally contacted, according to a spokesperson.
HLL also announced the relaunch of its entire kids portfolio with Cartoon Network India. The multimedia promotion Bano Toonstar with Scooby-Doo and Max is the largest-ever in the whole of Asia and a unique promotional licence deal done by Cartoon Network. That is, unless Sony Entertainment Television and HLL get into a tussle over the intellectual property rights usage of “MAX”.
Twelve Indian children will get a chance to star along with Scooby-Doo as a ‘Toonstar’ in their own mini-adventure animation short, says an official release.
The six mini-animation series, to be produced in June-July along with Cartoon Network’s Hong Kong based Creative Services Team (CST), will be aired between August-September 2003.
While the ad agency JWT and the media agency WPP Media have been roped in for the promotion, the best animators have been commissioned to create a series of animated adventure stories that tell the kids about the new Max lion and the exciting new products, the spokesperson says.
HLL ice-cream executive director JH Mehta says: “Since Kwality Wall’s has emerged as one of the most popular kids brands, we hope to strengthen that position with the promotion in partnership with Cartoon Network.”
The newly promoted Turner Entertainment Networks AsiaPac regional entertainment, advertising and sales vice president Soumitra Saha revealed that the channel will also air eight full length films “Summer of Scooby” to coincide with the promotion.
Speaking about the partnership Saha says: “Cartoon Network is delighted to be associated with Kwality Wall’s. The innovative initiative heralds an exciting new phase for Cartoon Network’s promotional licensing business in India. It is a big leap towards achieving the Network’s mission to provide consumers multiple access points to the brand and properties.”
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
