-By Mridu Agarwal

Leo Burnett“When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one. But you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”

Leo Burnett and Iconic Symbols

• Big Black Pencils : They are famous for using black pencils as they say “Big ideas come from big pencils”

• Apples : They put a bowl of apple at the reception, they are a symbol of hospitality.

• Stars : Another iconic symbol of Leo Burnett through Leo Burnett’s philosophy, “when you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either.” They continue to represent this strive for greatness in all of their work

Leo Burnett’s Gandhi Font Initiative

After Mahatma Gandhi's glasses were put up for sale at a private auction, Leo Burnett Mumbai decided to create a font based on these iconic symbols of India's founding father, so that the whole country could "see through his eyes." Fonts were created for 10 of India's languages, and multiple ambient executions and design pieces were created to help publicize this font.

The buzz

• Leo Burnett is one of the most awarded advertising agencies in India, with 17 metals at the Cannes Lions, nine at One Show, 29 at Adfest, 34 at the Ad Stars, 48 at the New York Festival and a whopping 191 at the Goafest Abbies. It has also won other international and national awards at platforms such as D&AD, Clio, London International Awards, Spikes Asia, Lotus Awards, Andys and Mirchi Kaan Awards.   Leo Burnett India has also been declared the ‘Global Agency of the Year’, across the company’s entire global network, twice.

The People

Arvind Sharma, Chairman and CEO of India Subcontinent.

KV Sridhar , Chief creative Officer, India Subcontinent.Nitish Mukherjee, Managing DirectorNitesh Tiwari, Chief Creative officerNoshir Lala, Finance DirectorAshwini Iyer Tiwari , Executive Director head- DelhiSainath Saraban- Executive Director

Philosophy of the Agency

• Humankind : They look for brand’s human purpose(inherent drama of the product) and then presenting it to the people in advertisements through warmth, shared emotions and experiences.

• Soft-sell (friendly and casual) approach to build brand equity.

• They also use mythical creatures most of the time so as to boost their advertising.

Key Clients

Advertising objective

“What helps people, helps the business”Which says to build your business one should look at the consumer’s needs. It’s not about you and your firm. Their only objective is “Humankind”.- Their objective is successfully met, people respond to their advertisements as well as connect well.

Main Media Types

• The agency creates ideas that work across all relevant media. As an observation- They specialize in two main medias that is- Television and Press which includes- newspapers, hoardings, magazines etc.

• We are mainly discussing about television and press advertising in this presentation.

McDonalds

Medium: Television

Launch of happy price menu , the rates are as cheap as they were before in early 90s. “Purane zamane ke daam”.

Relates to everyday life where two colleagues are bored of the regular food they get in the canteen and they prefer the McValue meal offered by McDonalds instead.

This advertisement speaks about being a “pakka indian” . Launch of Masala Grill.

This advertisement talks about how intrigued one is while eating a McVeggie that one would agree on anything.

This advertisement shows on how crispy veggie pops are preferred by all type of people, be it any girl , to a nerd or any business man.

Medium : Press

Hoardings and magazine advertisement.

Samsung

Medium : Television

This advertisement shows on how a guy can live a dual life(office and rock band) with the help of Samsung galaxy ace duos, which is packed with different features and applications.

With the help of galaxy grand one can live grandly and do things differently.

Two people discuss on how good the hero is, when asked by Amir Khan they tell him about the phone which leaves him astonished on how affordable it is with such good features.

Life may change and things around you may change, the refrigerator is always going to be there for you with a 10 year long warranty.

Talks about the features Galaxy tab offers and how it makes life easier for the person,

Medium : Press

Magazine and Newspaper advertisements.

Sony Television

Medium : Television

Launch of new reality show series, Chef vs Home-makers.

In India, a baby girl is considered to be a burden, this advertisement shows how a girl is equally valuable and precious and can achieve whatever a man can, and launch of KBC as a plat form to prove the society wrong.

Glorious songs sung by kids, launch of Indian Idol Junior.

The excitement and zeal one feels when they meet Amitabh Bachan on the sets of KBC as well as sit on the hot seat is shown here, Launch of KBC.

Girl talks about getting married to someone from another caste and gets disappointed when her parents agree as her life is not as filmy.

Medium : Press

Hoardings

Newspaper Advertisements

ThumsUp

Medium : Television

ThumsUp 200ml only for INR 10, this advertisement shows that one can get toofani experience is just INR 10 now.

With ThumsUp that is for only INR 5, you can get a chance to win exciting prices like car.

Having ThumsUp, can get you a chance to win being human merchandise and even get a chance to meet Salman Khan.

This advertisement shows that one can get to any extend ust to have ThumsUp, relating it to “taste the thunder”.

This advertisement shows that a group of friends travel to north pole to have chilled ThumsUp.

Medium : Press

Newspaper advertisements.

Hoardings

Tide

Medium : Television

Talking about real life incidences , people are jealous from her because of the safeedi she gets on her clothes due to Tide Plus+.

The advertisement shows a couple sleeping and the lady asks him to turn off the lights, the guy removes the blanket from her face and she says thankyou for switching off the light, implying that tide gives astonishing results and whiter sheets.

This advertisement talks about no matter what you do, one wash with Tide can give you better results.

Tide doesn’t only give safeedi but also talcum freshness, now you don’t have to put extra talcum just to feel fresh.

Medium : Press

Magazine advertisements

Advertisements by Ogilvy

Advertisements by Ogilvy work towards buliding the brand image and knowing their consumer and working accordingly.

Perspectives of Ogilvy and Leo Burnett

For Ogilvy building the brand’s image or personality is more important. Every ad should contribute to the complex image that is brand image.

Leo Burnett looks for inherent drama or the characteristic of the product which will make the consumer buy the product, they look for consumer’s needs.

Expert’s Point of View

Source: The book, 'Ogilvy on Advertising' by David Ogilvy.The company is about: 1. Having fun. (Leo Burnett personified the Chicago school of Advertising. "Isn't making ads the most fun you ever had in your life?")• 2. Create posterized layout. (Pillsbury Cake

Mixes).• 3. Become 'BIG' and create 'BIG' ideas.• 4. Become the heart, soul, brains and bowels of

advertising. Its ad-making ranks are filled with folks whose heads are stocked with values.

• 5. Think that the language of LB's ads are ventilated in the fresh breezes and rinsed in the clear waters of Lake Michigan.

Leo Burnett's attitude to the creative process can be summed up in three things he said:• 1. 'There is an inherent drama in every product.

Our No. 1 job is to dig for it and capitalize on it.' • 2. 'When you reach for the stars, you may not

quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either.'

• 3. 'Steep yourself in your subject, work like hell, and love, honour, and obey your hunches.'

The company has set a very high standard for it's copy writers and art directors.

• Leo Burnett did not admire originality for its own sake, and used to quote an old boss of his: 'If you insist on being different just for the sake of being different, you can always come down in the morning with a sock in your mouth.'

• Leo's greatest monument is his campaign for Marlboro. It made an obscure brand the biggest selling cigarette in the world. And it is still running, 55 years after he created it.

• Leo Burnett likes earthy, vernacular phrases; Words, phrases, analogies which convey a feeling of sod-buster honesty and drive home a point.

-Gouri Shankar Mukherjee (Associated with one of the largest CBT/WBT/Publishing and Multimedia IT corporate development center (2000-2008) in the world. In this capacity he was head Communications Design Practice (as ‘Chief - Communications Design‘))

My Insights

• Leo Burnett works for fulfilling the customer needs which is successful as people respond well to their advertisements.

• They aim to excite their customer with engaging them to their product in some way or the other. Use of fantasy world.

• Their ads are very simple and basic with a casual approach which makes it easier for the consumer to absorb.

• They try to put in drama in every ad they make.