Whistling Woods International hosted Kunal Jeswani, Ceo, Ogilvy, for an exclusive online SMC masterclass to discuss the importance of new age media in the current times

Mumbai: Whistling Woods International (WWI) School of Media & Communication (SMC) hosted Mr. Kunal Jeswani, CEO of Ogilvy India, for a comprehensive online masterclass. Over the course of an engaging online session at Asia’s premier film, communication, and creative arts institute, Mr. Kunal Jeswani shared insights into the state of India’s marketing and advertising sectors and highlighted the ways in which the COVID pandemic has reshaped the marketplace. Ms. Meenakshi CV, Faculty at WWI School of Media & Communication led the session and engaged the industry veteran with a series of insightful questions.

The session began with Mr. Kunal Jeswani describing Ogilvy’s approach to brand-building and the importance it places on crafting a narrative around each campaign and product. This approach is key to engaging viewers and creating an emotional bond between them and the product. As he stated, “I’m not talking about sales and marketing, I’m just focusing on storytelling – stuff that engages the viewers.” The conversation further elaborated on the growing importance of smart devices and social media networks, as platforms for storytelling.

As the session progressed, Mr. Kunal Jeswani emphasized on the vital role creative copy played in mobile advertising and outreach. Building on this point, he shared some insider hacks to amplify the impact of mobile creatives. He went on to cite a few examples of ads that implemented these principles, such as Vodafone’s #FriendsUnplugged, Cadbury’s short and sweet jingles without dialogues, and the lockdown ads released by brands such as Titan and Red Label Chai.

Towards the end of the session, Mr. Kunal Jeswani shared a piece of wisdom, “This lockdown has helped us realise that new age media is important.” With the masterclass at an end, Ms. Meenakshi CV thanked the guest for sharing his wisdom.