AD Agencies
Sweet sour news for ad industry – say ad men
MUMBAI: The advertising industry hasn’t reacted well to the fact that the service tax has been increased from 5 per cent to 8 per cent. However, there is hope that the benefits given to consumers demand might prop up sales and in turn increase ad spends.
Madison Communications India CMD Sam Balsara:
“The need of the hour is to stimulate consumption. The cost of television advertising is already very high because of fragmentation and will now further go up by 3 per cent because of the increase in service tax. This is going to be a dampener for the industry. The government is consistently failing to exploit the potential of advertising as a fuel to drive growth in the economy.”
Ulka client services director MG Parameswaran, who is also Ad Club Bombay chairperson – programmes committee:
Parmeswaran says the increase in service tax is a dampener for the advertising industry. The money otherwise spent on media by clients is not going to increase, he notes as ad budgets are not likely to see an increase in the coming year.
On the other hand, the reduction of excise duties on items like motorcycles, soft drinks and biscuits will translate into an increase in consumer demand, which could have an indirect but positive effect on advertising around these products.
Reduction of duties in sectors like health care, pharmaceuticals and information technology will mean that these sectors which have just discovered the power of advertising will be spurred to spend more on advertising across different media, says Parmeswaran.
Initiative Media president and Lowe group India director Ashish Bhasin:
Bhasin says: “It is a good budget from the common man but there could have been some more benefits and relief. For the entertainment industry, there could have been more sops. The budget has attempted to make improvements in the procedural areas – for instance the VAT related reforms and other simplication. The service tax levels increasing to 8 per cent will definitely affect the advertising industry.”
Optimum Media Solutions executive vice president Amit Ray:
Ray says: “As far as I am concerned, the service tax didn’t exist some time back and now it has become eight per cent – for me the increase has been from zero to eight.
“However, generally speaking, consumers will benefit from the budget and this will encourage spending and benefit marketers of products and services.”
AD Agencies
Tribes and Omnicom Media win Gold for HSBC Living Hexagon at ET Awards
Kinetic OOH installation turns HSBC’s iconic logo into a living landmark
MUMBAI: Tribes Communication and Omnicom Media have secured a Gold win at the ET Design & Creativity Awards for their innovative out-of-home installation, The Living Hexagon, created for HSBC.
Awarded in the Most Creative Traditional OOH category, the project reimagines one of the world’s most recognisable banking symbols into a dynamic, ever-evolving structure. Designed for HSBC’s International Financial Services Centre presence, the installation was conceived to do more than simply grab attention. It aimed to seamlessly blend into the fast-growing ecosystem of GIFT City.
At the heart of the idea is HSBC’s iconic hexagon, typically associated with precision and consistency. Tribes transformed this static identity into a kinetic structure that responds to natural elements such as wind and light, creating a sense of continuous motion. The result is a visual experience that shifts throughout the day, echoing themes of adaptability and momentum.
Constructed using modular triangular units arranged along a precise geometric axis, the installation moves in synchrony, giving the illusion of a fluid, living form. While the structure evolves with its surroundings, it retains the unmistakable identity of the HSBC brand, striking a balance between innovation and familiarity.
Strategically placed at a key entry point into GIFT City, the installation functions as both a landmark and a statement. It reflects the pace and dynamism of global finance while embedding the brand into the city’s architectural narrative.
With this win, Tribes Communication and Omnicom Media underline the growing role of experiential and design-led thinking in traditional media, proving that even the most established brand assets can find new life when reimagined with creativity and context.
