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Corcoise produces TVC for O&M Malaysia
NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based advertising production firm Corcoise Films has produced a television commercial for Malaysia’s telecommunication major Maxis Communications’ cellular network. Maxis account is handled by Ogilvy & Mather, Malaysia.
The 60-second commercial primarily focuses on communicating the Maxis’ customised offering for an optimal package for the subscriber. And for this, Corcoise worked on real-life situations, from the daily routine of various age-groups, to portray Maxis’ proposition. The campaign has already been on air in Malaysia and it is also expected to go on air in south east Asian countries, depending upon the client’s strategy.
Corcoise executive producer Cyrus Pagdiwala, says, “The communication strategy focused on highlighting Maxis’ offering personalised services through various permutations and combinations of schemes. For instance, if a subscriber is using the service for a particular duration, then it is advisable for the user to go for a certain kind of package. And we conceptualised a montage of different users in different places to depict this benefit.”
Pagdiwala further added, “For instance, an old man boating in a lake spends comparatively lesser time on phone vis a vis a young executive, who gets down from the train, who all the while is engaged in discussing various things or dictating a letter. We also showed an old couple sitting on a bench in the park. We worked on six sequences in the 60-second commercial.”
The various sequences were connected via ‘voice bubble’. “The size of voice bubble (as seen in comic publications) denoted the usage of cellular service. For instance, the voice bubble of old man in a boat is smaller than the voice bubble of executive which is 100 feet long.”
The campaign was created with Malaysian models. “There is a restriction in Malaysia, which prohibit usage of models, other than local ones, to be part of television screen,” says Pagdiwala.
On the response from Maxis, the client was initially divided. While one set (among Maxis) was more keen on running the commercial without any changes, the other was keen on adding more information on pricing or features in the packages. “Eventually, it was decided that the campaign will run without any additions,” says Pagdiwala.
Maxis, which has 3.85 million subscribers, is currently planning to conduct trial runs before launching its 3G (third generation) technology system.
Corcoise is currently working on Perfetti’s Golia Activ Plus campaign for Perfetti. The campaign, created by O&M, is being prepared for Italian market.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
