Poojya Trivedi
Advertising

Shavitri Shinde visits Mumbai agencies

The theme for this year's Kaan awards is 'Even Granny can crack it'

A 70 year old granny, Savitri Shinde is making uninformed visits to the advertising agencies in Mumbai. Granny belongs to the ad fraternity and always manages to get the best ads made using good locations, visuals or by bribing the art directors into using her ideas.

Wondering what is this all about? To encourage more people to participate in the 7th Mirchi Kaan Awards, Radio Mirchi has launched an on ground activity in Mumbai. Targeting the ad fraternity, the activation is being carried out at the top 12-13 agencies across the city. The theme for this year is 'Even Granny can crack it'.

Shavitri Shinde visits Mumbai agencies
Kaan awards are based on the insight that since radio ads can only make use of the audio sense, the creation of radio ads is more difficult. Every year, the campaign has a theme which is based on some insight about radio advertising. For this year, the theme is, the insight being that TV and print advertising uses visuals, locations or celebs to get the eyeballs and therefore, the advertising for these media is relatively easy - so easy that 'Even Granny can crack it'.

During her visits, Granny actually mocks, rebukes and challenges the creative guys at the agency. In sarcastic tones, she tells them that whatever they are doing is simple, easy and that even she can do it. This creates a chaotic atmosphere at the work place and gradually leads to curiosity about Granny. This is when a team from the radio station puts up the posters and informs them about the awards and its theme.

Shavitri Shinde visits Mumbai agencies
Shavitri Shinde visits Mumbai agencies
The four day activity began on Thursday and will end today.

The Kaan Awards accepts entries in 14 categories, including Food, Beverages, Toiletries and Household Care, Business Products and Services, Health and Cosmetic Care, Clothing, Footwear and Accessories, Consumer Durables, Homes, Decor and Leisure, Automotive and Accessories, Services for the Household Sector, Sports, Entertainment, Travel and Leisure, Media, Public Service/Charity Fund Raising, Retail Outlets, Fast Food Stores and Restaurants.

Some new awards are being introduced this year, which include Best Radio Innovation of the Year, which will see, for the first time, participation from the media agencies as well. Another major award is the Crystal award, given to the Best Radio Creative of the Year. The winner of the Crystal award gets two tickets to the Cannes awards and the brand for which the spot was made gets Rs 25 lakh worth of inventory on Radio Mirchi.

The Kaan awards call for participation from creative as well as media agencies. In 2009, the awards received more than 500 entries from across all the major agencies.

The last date for sending entries is July 26. The jury, comprising leading names of the industry, will meet on August 13 to judge the entries in a day long affair. The awards distribution ceremony will be held on September 3. The ceremony attracts 600-800 people from across advertising, media and client circles.

The company has also created a microsite at www.evengrannycancrackit.com to call for entries. So far, the website has received more than 600 visitors.

In 2009, the theme for the awards was 'Vote against mediocrity', where Mudra bagged the Crystal award and McCann won the Agency of the Year award.

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