MAM
Milestone Dentsu to handle Numero Uno duties
MUMBAI: Milestone Dentsu, the creative arm of Milestone Brandcom, the OOH agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network, has bagged the creative mandate for the leading fashion brand, Numero Uno. The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch.
Commenting on the decision Numero Uno Clothing CMD Narinder Singh Dhingra said, “We want the brand to be interesting and relevant with the changing times. The brand must evolve over time and in this quest, we need the right partner who not only understands the consumers but also knows how to disrupt their purchase decision process through path-breaking communication. We have found that partner in Milestone Dentsu. We loved their young energy and enthusiasm to work on the brand. We are quite excited about the brilliant approach and compelling storytelling that they bring on board.”
Numero Uno head of marketing Asha Esther Jaikishan said, “At Numero Uno we have been wanting to strengthen our brand in the category that’s cluttered. Our focus now is to build our brand positioning with interesting story-telling along with creative ideas to entice our TG. Milestone Dentsu came across as an agile agency, unlike the traditional creative agencies that we have met in the past. They are aggressive, young and restless, exactly what we need to take our brand to the next level. Their approach, tonality, and flexibility compliment our TG and hence, we have great confidence in the team. We are really excited to work with them.”
Milestone Dentsu country head Ujjwal Anand added, "From the moment we got the brief to the first kickass idea that we cracked, the team was charged up like never before. The category itself is so interesting and challenging that it gives you countless opportunities to do some real outstanding work. And this excitement reached another level when we met Narinder Singh Dhingra, who is the youngest and most agile client that we have met in recent times, we believe. His energy is simply contagious. Working on Numero Uno is going to be a treat for my creative team.”
Milestone Dentsu national creative director Mayank Khattar said, “This win is very special for us. The energy, the response, the promptness, the on the spot transparent discussion; it’s just been awesome. When you work with brands like Numero Uno who have absolute clarity and transparency along with immense energy, you know you have hit a goldmine and your creative team will have all the freedom to explore unchartered territories and conduct experiments that might redefine the way the category communicates. It’s going to be a great partnership, I reckon.”
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.
