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ITSA removes the middleman for Tradus.com
MUMBAI: The recently-launched agency ITSA has conceptualised and executed Tradus.com‘s second series of film which offers the proposition ‘Remove the middleman and get wholesale prices.‘
The film is about a couple performing a transaction. A young girl representing the buyers tells a boy sitting across the table form her, “I‘d like to buy that phone”. Right in the middle of them sitting on the table is the middleman who has been eagerly waiting, almost drooling at the prospect of making his cut. He snatches the phone and gives it to the girl. With the other hand he snatches the money, gives it to the guy, but not before taking out his own commission.
That‘s when a cursor comes and clicks the Middleman away and a voiceover completes the story, “Remove the Middleman. Log on to Tradus.com and buy directly from sellers and get wholesale prices at your doorstep.”
IbiboGroup CEO Ashish Kashyap said, “This is the second series of Tradus creatives. We wanted to drive home our core differentiation of being a marketplace rather than an online retailer. As a marketplace, Tradus enable sellers to list on their own on the platform and sell directly to the Buyers thereby removing all the inefficiencies. This helps the buyers get wholesale prices. ITSA has been an excellent partner to create a crisp communication via this well produced film.”
ITSA copywriter Emmanuel Upputuru said, “We co-created this spot with the client. Ashish Kashyap, CEO ibiboGroup was very clear in what he was looking for. It was a bold stance to take, to get rid of the middleman. We just had to find a plot that would demonstrate that proposition visually and effectively. So when you take one look at the film you know what the benefit is for the consumer. Manoj Pahwa came to my mind the moment I thought of the idea of putting the middleman on the table.”
Daniel Upputuru who made his debut as a director with this film said, “I wanted to treat the film like a painting. The lighting has been borrowed from Caravaggio. When Emmanuel shared the script I saw the guy and the girl in a beautiful setting. But right in the middle of them is this Middleman who spoils the picture. So the only way to restore the picture is to remove the Middleman.”
Anirban Mozumdar, chief – innovation, strategy and collaboration at ITSA, says, “The purpose of offline communication for any online website is to single-mindedly express its purpose of existence. For Tradus.com it is about telling the consumer that Tradus.com is here to offer a service that wasn‘t there. To buy directly from sellers, so you get wholesale prices at your doorstep.”
ITSA is a three-month-old company and this is their very first television spot, which they have conceived, produced and directed.
MAM
Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
