MAM
Net advertising exceeds cinema ad spends in the UK: IAB report
LONDON: New media seems to have scored over traditional media for the first time in 2002! These are the findings of a joint research conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The IAB report says that online ad spend was ?197m or 1.4 per cent last year; compared to cinema, which was ?180m or 1.2 per cent and radio advertising which was around 4 per cent of the total ad spend.
A netimperative report quoted IAB’s Danny Meadows-Klue as saying that net advertising was on target to reach 2 per cent by autumn 2004.
The report also says that IAB and PwC have also broken down the research by category, after announcing the top-line figures last month, revealing that the market has now truly moved away from the time when it was totally reliant on dotcoms, telecoms and IT firms.
Financial services is now clearly the largest category, with 26 per cent of the total, with FMCG and automotive also growing fast. The research has also revealed a seasonality pattern for online ad spend, which tends to experience softer Q3s, followed by consistent uplifts in Q4.
Separately, the IAB has also announced a new Creative Showcase Awards, co-sponsored by The Guardian, which is designed to give Interactive Media Agencies the chance to show off their creative work.
The IAB hopes the new monthly web-based Creative Showcase awards will redress the balance and share some of the best creative work with a wider audience. Any agency or in-house team can enter and ten senior industry creatives will judge the work. There is no prize but winners get to have their work published in the Media Guardian.
MAM
Coca-cola launches ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ campaign with Mamitha Baiju
Hyperlocal film turns parotta into ‘Parotaaaaaah’ to celebrate meal moments
MUMBAI: One sip, one sound and suddenly, every meal gets its moment. Coca-cola has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’, aiming to turn everyday dining into something a little more memorable and a lot more refreshing. Fronted by Mamitha Baiju, the campaign leans into Coca-cola’s iconic “Aaaah” mnemonic that unmistakable expression after the first sip reimagining it as a cultural thread that ties together food, flavour and feeling across regions. The film, rooted in Tamil Nadu’s culinary culture, spotlights the beloved parotta, playfully stretching it into “Parotaaaaaah” to capture the joy of the perfect pairing.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy and extended regionally by Studio X, the campaign blends local insight with global brand cues. It reflects Coca-cola’s ongoing strategy of embedding itself into everyday rituals, this time, not through grand occasions, but through the quiet, familiar moments around food.
The idea is simple but sharply executed: position Coca-cola not as an add-on, but as an essential companion to meals. By tapping into hyperlocal food habits while retaining a universally recognisable brand cue, the campaign aims to deepen emotional recall across diverse audiences.
Early traction suggests the approach is resonating. The campaign has already sparked organic engagement online, with memes and user reactions amplifying its reach proof that sometimes, the smallest ideas travel the furthest.
At a time when brands are competing for attention in increasingly fragmented markets, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ takes a different route zooming in rather than out. Because in the end, Coca-Cola’s bet is clear: if you can own the moment after the first sip, you can own the meal.
