Brands
Online could deliver TV advertising: Starcom CEO Klues
SCOTSDALE, Arizona: The media-buying divisions of Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Worldwide wants online media to be included in upfront buys and its CEO Jack Klues has called for more use of digital ad strategies. Klues gave this clarion call while addressing an audience of 500 online media buyers and sellers at the iMedia Summit being held in Arizona.
Starcom associates is broadening their upfront services this year to enable marketers to repurpose their TV advertising on the Internet, according to Klues. The owner of the world’s largest media-buying company mentioned that it was time to use online as a way to deliver television commercials for the clients.
Klues urged those who owned the most powerful pathway to consumers, that the industry has ever seen, to quantify it. He also urged online media owners to package their data and give media buyers a selling point they couldn’t refuse.
Traditional media strategists must work collaboratively with their online counterparts or risk being left behind as changes in the media landscape accelerate around them, was the warning given by Klues. He, however, conceded that many traditional and interactive media players consider TV to be a dinosaur which eats into budgets available for other traditional and new media.
Starcom CEO also admitted that offline might get more eyeballs but online gets the right eyeballs plus more immediate and measurable results.
Backing up his comments, Klues mentioned that research conducted by Starcom showed that young people view online news with better credibility as compared to that from offline sources. Starcom handles clients Nintendo and the US Army which rely heavily on online marketing programmes.
Brands
Parle-G celebrates Bihu with music-led campaign rooted in culture
Two-part films blend nostalgia and storytelling to capture Assam’s festive soul
MUMBAI: Parle-G has turned to music, memory and meaning in its latest campaign celebrating Bihu, offering a culturally rooted tribute that goes beyond typical festive advertising.
Created by Thought Blurb Communications, the two-part campaign builds on the brand’s long-standing thought of finding joy in others’ happiness. It begins with a music-led prequel and culminates in a narrative-driven film that explores the emotional essence of the festival.
The campaign opened with a two-and-a-half-minute Bihu music video featuring Partha Hazarika, with music composed by Nilotpal Bora and vocals by Dikshu. Rather than positioning itself as a conventional brand piece, the video leaned into authenticity, capturing the vibrancy and rhythm of Bihu. Viewers also drew emotional parallels to Zubeen Garg, whose absence lent the film a nostalgic undertone. The response was swift, with over 12 million combined views across YouTube and Instagram within a week.
Building on this momentum, the main film tells the story of Ahir, a musician struggling to compose a Bihu song within the confines of a studio. His journey takes him into the open landscapes of Assam and eventually to the banks of the Brahmaputra, where a boatman helps him rediscover the true spirit of Bihu. The narrative underscores a simple idea that the festival cannot be manufactured in isolation, it must be experienced in nature, community and shared joy.
Speaking about the campaign, Parle Products vice president Mayank Shah said the initiative aims to celebrate not just the festival but the emotion behind it. He noted that Bihu reflects the idea that joy multiplies when shared, a theme that sits at the heart of the story.
From the agency side, Thought Blurb Communications chief creative officer Vinod Kunj said the team sought to tap into Assam’s cultural pulse, acknowledging the emotional void left by the absence of Zubeen Garg while celebrating the enduring spirit of the festival.
Adding to this, Thought Blurb Communications national creative director Renu Somani Karwa said the campaign draws from deeply human stories, where small acts of generosity become powerful expressions of connection.
Meanwhile, Thought Blurb Communications executive creative director Auryndom Bose highlighted the importance of nature in shaping Bihu’s identity, noting that the film attempts to capture how music and movement emerge organically from the landscape itself.
With this campaign, Parle-G leans into cultural storytelling with a lighter brand footprint and a stronger emotional core. By placing music and community at the centre, it offers a reminder that some stories are best told not in studios, but in the shared rhythms of real life
