ASKME’s foray in pan India online grocery business www.askmegrocery.com has recently shown their commitment to Mumbai City FC for ISL. They will be featured as the jersey pendant throughout the season showing support for the team in the second edition of the Hero Indian Super League. Commenting on the new association, Indranil Das Blah, CEO, Mumbai City FC said, “AskMe is a young, vibrant company already making its mark in the Indian e-commerce space, much like we are trying to do with Mumbai City FC in India's football landscape. We see a win-win relationship with this tie-up.” Speaking on the development Manav Sethi, Group Chief Marketing Officer & Head Digital Strategy, said, “Football is at the cusp of becoming a scalable sport in India and is close to the hearts & aspirations of today’s youth globally & in India. ASKME has been a disruptive brand and has embraced and invested in emerging trends and personalities that have the potential to become leaders in their respective domains. Our investment in Mumbai City FC is validation of this.” The 2nd edition of the Hero Indian Super League started on 3rd October in Chennai. Mumbai City FC will play their 2nd match against Kerala Blasters FC in Kochi on 10th October, and their first home match on 16th October at the fortress, DY Patil Stadium, Nerul, Mumbai.
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Lufthansa Passenger Airlines India has recently unveiled a Diwali campaign on a global scale to charm its flyers in the upcoming festive season. Conceived and seeded by Lufthansa India, the #Diwalisurprise campaign has been rolled-out simultaneously across 80 countries and expects a participation of 1 million Indians worldwide. Celebrating the spirit of love and togetherness, the #Diwalisurprise campaign gives participants a chance to unite with their loved ones by registering their “wish” and getting a chance to win tickets for Lufthansa flights. The campaign offers three interesting avenues for users to participate in – Light up a heart where participants can register their wish to win a ticket for themselves and their loved ones; Illuminate a plane where a user’s wish will add light to help create a digital marvel of a Lufthansa 747-8 illuminated in Diwali lights. Once registered, users will be able to see their wishes progressively illuminating the Lufthansa 747-8 on the microsite home page. In addition to illuminating the plane, with the use of interactive and live technology, users will also be able to view the ‘Wish Network,’ a live map where their wishes will light up the countries of the sender and recipient. Finally, the campaign includes a Light up a life dimension in the spirit of Diwali where the users wishes help brighten a child’s life. Every registered wish will help children in need through help alliance projects across India. Speaking on the campaign, Mr. Wolfgang Will, Director, South Asia, Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, said, “The #Diwalisurprise campaign is yet another affirmation of the fact that India is very close to our heart and that as a brand we are ‘More Indian than you think’. Lufthansa has constantly strived to establish a deeper connection with its Indian customers and this time we have gone a step beyond India and reached out to Indians across the globe. We are truly excited to unveil this campaign globally and hope it will be a resounding success.” Mr. Prasoon Joshi, Chairman McCann Worldgroup, Asia Pacific and CEO &CCO McCann Worldgroup, India, added, “Building on ‘More Indian Than You Think’, the Lufthansa Diwali campaign taps into intrinsic Indian emotion of togetherness. We believe no festival is complete without our loved ones besides us. This is the first of its kind, global digital-only campaign for Lufthansa to be conceived and executed by MRM//McCann India.” Commenting on the digital strategy behind the campaign, Sangeeta Sharma, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, said, “#Diwalisurprise is a tribute to the spirit of the people of India and to the Festival of Lights. Diwali is India’s biggest festival and perhaps the most unifying one too. Keeping this in mind, we have anchored the entire campaign on digital and mobile platforms to reach out to as many Indians as possible. For the first time, we have extensively used interactive and live technology to make the user experience friendly and exciting.” Lufthansa has partnered with Help Alliance to support children in need through this campaign. Wishes submitted during the campaign will help children in need through help alliance projects in India, including Sunshine Project in Delhi, BREADS in Bengaluru, Child Sponsoring Circle in Khandwa and Prana Project in Pondicherry.
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On the inexhaustible list of things our capital city is infamous for, certainly amongst the top few would be its outrageous and downright flagrant corruption. Right from palm-greasing a traffic cop to more severe cases of bribery in state administration tothe common you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours attitude. From the ground-up all the way to the top, corruption has eaten its way into the bones of the system and has come to become a term distinctly synonymous with Delhi. This has been the number one reason why many international artists have refused to perform in Delhi and several event planners have steered clear of ‘unnecessary hassles’ by avoiding hosting any shows in the city. But all that is about to change claims Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, part of the AAP led Delhi government cabinet. In a recent industry meet Kapil Mishra assured the full house of event planners that the state will not encourage the trend of complimentary passes for any shows. One of the top grievances of event planners is that state officials and persons of ‘influence’ demand complimentary passes the cost of which is eventually incurred by the organizers. If organizers do not oblige then they are faced with a separate set of issues including obstruction or non-compliance by the officials. Vijay Nair, Founder of Only Much Louder – the organizer of music festival NH7 Weekender comments, “Corruption is rampant everywhere but in Delhi it is taken to a completely different level. The kind of money we are required to spend towards feeding state officials, licensing officers, police etc. is extremely demotivating.” He adds, “Even if a planner tries to organize something lawfully and with absolute integrity, it all seems for nothing when the profits are marginalized due to demands for unreasonable quantities of free passes. Once we were asked to send across 800 passes which was outrageous. Of course we did not comply but that said it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for us after that.” Inviting event organizers to host events in the capital Minister Kapil Mishra stated that the government would take necessary measures to ensure that processes requiring face-time with government officials is reduced and procedures can easily happen online. Strong steps have already been taken towards single window clearance for event licensing in the past few weeks. He has also guaranteed a period of 36 months towards cleaning the river Yamuna following which its banks would play host to world-class events. “We are waiting with bated breath for the changes to be implemented in the state system”, says Vijay. “We have seen some promising glimpses in the past weeks and hope the event industry continues to receive support from the government. Things are looking up and the entire industry is hopeful and excited. Instead of Gurgaon or Noida we now look forward to hosting NH7 Weekender in New Delhi.”
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Teamwork Arts, an entertainment company in the performing arts space, is about to present “Flamenco India”, a collaborative dance theatre and musical showcase produced in partnership with Valladolid City Hall and Teatro Calderón. Featuring 14 Indian artists from across various dance forms and traditions along with 14 Flamenco artists in Spain, Flamenco India will be showcased at Valladolid’s Calderón Theatre from October 1-4th. Flamenco India promises an exploration of the ties between flamenco and diverse music and dance forms of India, the collaboration will be directed by the filmmaker and flamenco-dance drama director Carlos Saura. This Indo-Spanish production showcases the best of flamenco´s passion and vibrancy in hand with the genius and richness of Indian dance and music traditions. Partnering with 14 flamenco dancers, artists from various Indian regions and traditions have been selected, ranging from Rajasthani desert music, Kathak dance and Hindustani music from North India to Bharata Natyam, the sacred temple dance of South India, not forgetting martial arts such as Kalaripayattu and Chhau combined with contemporary Indian dance. These Indian traditions, like the many strata of the same earth, form layers that trace a rich panorama of movement and sound that at times finds its counterpart, replica or confluence in the powerful art of the bailaores and magical sounds of flamenco music. Artists taking part in the production — both musicians and dancers — have been living and working together in the months leading up to the premiere so as to perfect to the utmost this synthesis of Indian dance and music with Flamenco staged by Carlos Saura. Speaking on the collaboration, Carlos Saura says, “With its rhythmic diversity and its flexibility as well as its oriental reminiscences, especially from the Arab world and also from Gypsies who migrated from Rajasthan to Spain (crossing the south of the Mediterranean) – flamenco is today prepared to walk along the road to a promising future. It is that flexibility that allows for the engagement of Indian musicians with certain rhythms in flamenco.” Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director Teamwork Arts says, “We are delighted to partner with Teatro Calderon, Casa de la India and the City of Vallodolid in bringing this project to life! The project marks the long term relationship between India and Spain.” Flamenco India is an audiovisual feast made up of a succession of 18 brief but intense hypnotic scenes that explore, in a way never seen before, the bonds and commonalities between flamenco and Indian dance and music traditions. An exercise in dialogue which will convey to the spectator the most characteristic traits of each culture, showing their essential elements, and bring together two forms of expression that, separated by thousands of kilometres, are united in the way that, through music and dance, they journey to the very depths of their roots. Credits Creation and Direction: Carlos Saura Choreographer (Flamenco): Carmen Cortés Composition and Music Director (Flamenco): Gerardo Núñez (Spanish Guitarist and Composer) Choreographer (India): Santosh Nair Artistic Coordinator and Choreographer (India): Mónica de la Fuente Composition and Musical Direction (India): Ravi Prasad Assistant Director: Carlos Saura Medrano
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Musical drama, Empire, is all set to air Season 2 from 4 October 2015, every Sunday at 10 pm on FX and FX HD and FX has recently launched an intriguing campaign to promote the show. The contest winners will be treated to a 40 minute chopper ride in Mumbai FX has come up with a unique idea to make people here in India get a feel of the lives of the lead protagonists, Lucious and Cookie Lyon. A standee with the poster of the show will be taken across all their media agencies across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore for a fun contest exclusively for the employees of the respective agencies. The employees will be given a chance of a photo opp along with the characters of the show and they will be given a frame with their picture at that moment itself. All those who participate in the contest will be eligible for a lucky draw and the winner will be treated to a special 40 minute chopper ride in Mumbai. The activity will be executed on – 1st October 2015 Where: Mumbai – GroupM, Mediacom, Madison Delhi – GroupM, Madison, Lintas Bangalore – GroupM, Lintas
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The online and on ground registrations for ‘Tata Steel Kolkata (TSK) 25K’ scheduled for 20th December 2015 have begun. Kolkata’s very own TSK 25K is back in a new avatar and will see participation from some of India’s finest professional athletes, serious runners, health and fitness enthusiasts during the event. Race categories include the 25K run (Elite and Amateurs), Open 10K Run (Amateurs), Ananda Run (6 km), Senior Citizens’ Run (4 km), and Champions with Disability (4 km), giving an equal opportunity to all individuals to participate, encouraging an active sporting lifestyle. The feature race 25K and Open 10K Run are compulsorily timed race categories. In addition to the prize money of Rs. 22,80,000, this year, running together can bring you even more joy with TSK 25K announcing awards for highest participation in the following categories, i.e. Social/ Sporting Club, Group (excl. social/ sporting club) and Group with the highest number of 25K/10K finishers, minimum being 15 numbers. At the launch of the second edition, T V Narendran, Managing Director, Tata Steel India & SEA, said, "For Tata Steel, TSK 25K is a great way to engage with the community, a great way to encourage health and fitness among the community. It is also a great way for people to run for a cause. This year, we all have an opportunity to run for fun, for fitness, and also for a cause". India’s premier 25K has galvanized the crème de la crème of the cultural capital of the country including the art community, Tollywood, sports icons, government authorities, sports federations, among others. On this occasion, Debasish Kumar, MMIC, Sports, Parks & Garden, Advertisement & Parking, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said, “We foresee Tata Steel Kolkata 25K as being part of the annual calendar of events that the city can look forward to. With the launch of 2nd edition, we are sure that more citizens will take to the streets and take up a cause dear to them that will help them rally to the finish line.” Ajit Agarkar, Formar Indian Cricketer said, "Running has always been one of my strengths. The cricket pitch demands for a lot of agility and as bowlers, we need to stay on our toes. With the regular training that I engage in, I've developed a knack for running and owing to this, I feel that the 25K run will be easier for those who train regularly." Speaking at the event, Debyendu Barua, Chess Grandmaster, said “Chess requires undivided attention and focus. As a chess player, I need to be mentally fit at all times and so I make sure I train my mind and condition it to play situations. Physical fitness is essential for chess players and that's why I think the 25K will be a great opportunity for everyone." P.K. Banerjee, Olympian & Former Indian Football Captain, stated, “Running is at the core of most sports, this is especially true for football, so if one wants to be a good sports person, the chances are that running will be a part of their training. It is great to see an event that encourages people to look at running not only as a sport but as a way to keep healthy and for general well-being. “ Prasun Mukherjee, Retired IPS, President of West Bengal Athletic Association, shared his views saying “ Encouraging people to lead a healthy life and to run is a great thing, what makes the TSK 25K an even better event is that it supports philanthropic causes as well, helping people become better citizens and give back to society.” Growing in stature and goodwill amongst corporate India as much as with the running community, TSK 25K is pleased to announce a line-up of new sponsors with 6 new brand associations: Cigna TTK - Health insurance partner; Jabong.com – Retail partner; Volini – Recovery Partner; PUMA – Sportswear partner; DHL – Logistics partner; and United Way Kolkata as the Philanthropy partner. PUMA, world’s leading sports brand along with India’s leading sports & fashion multi-brand e-store, Jabong.com will create the entire race day look exclusively for the TSK25K participants. They will offer an exciting range of runner-centric products and enhance their overall running experience. The Ananada Run of the TSK 25K Kolkata will be a kaleidoscope of colour - a carnival - where participants turn up in their best colours, in innovative costumes and designs ,showcasing their mood, euphoria, the cause they are supporting. At the TSK 25K Kolkata 2015, the efforts of individuals and groups will be rewarded with cash prizes courtesy Jabong.com, the Retail partner. The winners will be chosen based on their theme, creativity, and effort. The Jabong Costume Run is applicable only for participants of the Ananada Run. Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International said, “With distance running events playing a big role in our lives, our vision is to position Kolkata as one of the healthiest and fittest cities in India, and try to bring about a positive change in people’s lifestyle and shape a better future for them. We would like to express our gratitude to the Government & civic authorities, the West Bengal Athletic Association and all our new and existing sponsors for their relentless support and faith in our event.” Sandeep Patel, MD & CEO, Cigna TTK Health Insurance Company Ltd said, "We at Cigna TTK firmly believe that it is essential for an individual to make time to engage in physical activity in some shape or form to maintain a healthy life, and consider running as a perfect way to stay healthy. Not only does it invigorate an individual physically, but also has a positive impact on one’s mental well-being. We are proud to be associated as the official health insurance partner for the Tata Steel Kolkata 25.With this event we hope to encourage people to take charge of their health and lead healthy fulfilling lives as we truly believe that ‘health hai to life hai’.’’ Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA Sport India Pvt Ltd said, "We are delighted to associate with Tata Steel Kolkata 25K as the Sportswear Partner. Being the Fastest Sports Brand in the world, PUMA has a strong association in running through world class range of products which is used by some of the best runners in the world. In India we are committed to contributing to the development of running as a sport. We are convinced that Kolkata will be the next destination to see phenomenal growth in people running long distances." Subodh Marwah Vice President & Head – Sun Pharma Consumer Healthcare, said, “Volini is delighted to be the Official Recovery Partner for the leading marathons of the country for a second year in a row, beginning with Airtel Delhi Half Marathon this season. Last year we got tremendous response for the “Volini Recovery zone” at the Finish line and it was very well appreciated by the runners and the media. We are committed to provide an even better experience this year to all the runners and participants. This association with marathons across the country will further strengthen Volini’s position as India’s leading instant pain relieving spray & the first choice for runners as a ‘Recovery Expert’. TSK 25K endeavours to evolve and improve while providing the best possible running experience to each participant. With this in mind and to encourage the participation of serious runners, the event will give priority in line-up to confirmed applicants of 25K Run and Open 10K Run category who have provided timing certificates along with their application forms. The line-up will be allocated based on the finish time mentioned on the timing certificates submitted at the time of applying. Detailed confirmation criterion is available on the event website. The 25K and Open 10K runs will be prioritized in three line-up sections on race day as per the timing certificate submitted along with applications. Runners of a 10 km run finishing under 1 hr 22 min., half marathon finishing under 3 hrs, 15 km run finishing under 2 hrs. 05 min., 25 km run finished under 3 hr 35 min., and marathon finished under 6 hrs. 15 min. will be allocated Section A in both race categories. Runners will be allocated Section B and C based on a first come first serve basis on race day. REGISTRATION AVENUES . Application forms are available on www.tsk25.procamrunning.in • Group Entries (20 or more applications) can be deposited along with requisite application fees and covering letter at the Registration office. Applicable only for Ananda Run, Sr. Citizens’ Run and Champions with Disability race categories. • Online group registration using scratch card. Applicable only for Ananda Run Race Category available at the registration office • Event helpline +919867722855 (10 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday) or email at tsk25@procam.in for submission of forms. • Registration Office – Procam International Pvt.Ltd., 1/A, Ballygunge Circular Road, Tivoli Court, 11th Floor, Kolkata – 700019
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If you listen to alternative rock music, there’s a rare chance you’ve missed out on Puddle of Mudd, the Kansas City- bred American alt-rock band. The band is led by the controversial yet talented Wes Scantlin who once said, “I write from love, frustration, aggression-mere happiness would make the record suck.” Now, as per the recent announcement made Puddle of Mudd will perform at Hard Rock Cafes across 5 cities in India from September 29 – October 03, 2015. The four rock stars of Puddle of Mudd, Wesley Reid Scantlin (vocals/guitar), Matt Fuller (lead guitar/backing vocals), Michael John Adams (bass/backing vocals) and Dave Moreno (drums/backing vocals) will perform for audiences in 5 cities- New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The schedule for their performances is listed below Schedule Venue Date Hard Rock Cafe Mumbai, Worli September 29 Hard Rock Cafe, Pune September 30 Hard Rock Cafe, Bengaluru October 01 Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad October 03 Hard Rock Cafe, Delhi October 04
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Nutella, the hazelnut spread with cocoa from Ferrero, is giving an opportunity to its fans to now personalize their Nutella jar with their or loved ones name on it. Nutella will now appeal not just your taste bud but your emotions too, through the ‘My Nutella Jar’ campaign. Nutella through the initiative aims to strengthen its bonds with its customers with this month long initiative. The brand will be using a mix of digital and on ground events (mall and modern trade activation) which will be conducted in selected modern trade stores in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to spread awareness about this initiative and engage with its consumers. In all these stores, the consumer, on purchase of a Nutella jar, will be given a personalized label by the promoter. The label will be printed on the spot as per the name given by the customer. The list of the personalised Nutella stores can be found under ‘Where do I get #mynutellajar’ on the site: www.mynutellajar.com after logging in and generating the label. Nutella will also engage and create a special experience for customers at malls in Gurgaon (Ambience mall from September 26th and 27th) and in Mumbai (Inorbit mall, Malad from October 3rd and 4th). Throughout this activity the consumers can share some enjoyable moments with Nutella - by purchasing a Nutella jar and availing their personalised labels. Moreover, they will also get an opportunity to click their pictures which can be uploaded on social media platforms instantly to capture these memorable moments with Nutella. Talking about this initiative, Mr. Emanuele Fiordalisi, Vice President Marketing Ferrero India, said “Nutella wanted to personally thank its fans for their continuous love towards the brand and what better way to do so than with a jar specifically for them. We are providing an opportunity for Nutella lovers to personalise their favourite hazelnut spread with their ‘own’ name or their loved one. Through this personalized branding initiative, we aim to convert our current fans into brand ambassadors and also create excitement among new consumers to experience the brand. We believe this activity will help bring our consumers closer to the brand.” In addition, consumers will be encouraged to upload their pictures and share their experience on multiple social media platforms like Faebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hash tag #mynutellajar.
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