MAM
Close Dentsu creates new campaign for Maruti Suzuki
MUMBAI: The campaign conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Impact aims to launch Stingray as a stylish, premium offering for the youth of today.
The agency’s approach for the campaign is to understand the audience well before the communication started. The youth who is experimental, always hungry for more and wants to make the most of his/her life. In a nutshell, he/she wants ‘everything’ from life.
On the campaign Harish Arora, NCD, Dentsu Creative Impact NCD Harish Arora said: “Pick any youth today and just peek into his car… you find Pizza boxes, cans, ties, shirts, shoes inside. Simply put, the youth today practically live out of their cars, the car is more than just a mode of transport, and it’s their world today. Our idea was to take this insight to the next level and hence the idea – ‘My thing. Everything.’ We wanted our TG to see the TVC and relate with the various situations as each of them is a slice of his life.”
Two films were created for the campaign. Both the films showcase how Stingray plays many roles in the life of our youngster – it is his café, his disco, his wardrobe, his work station, his shack and so on.
Dentsu Creative Impact branch head Amit Wadhwa added: “We are talking to the ‘everything generation’. And the one partner for them in everything they do, are their cars. With Stingray being designed keeping the youth in mind, we brought it alive through the idea – everything about me packed in one.”
Apart from television, the campaign will be available on print, digital, outdoor, POS.
Maruti Suzuki India AGM (marketing) Thomas Cheriyan said: “Maruti being the leader in the automobile segment caters to a wide range of customers cutting across various markets and various segments. With the launch of the Stingray, which is a stylish, premium offering, we wanted to target the younger audience while retaining the core values of Maruti. The campaign has also been made accordingly, showcasing how the car fits into the life of today’s youth – work, personal life, friends, family etc.”
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
