w+k delhi

W+K Delhi at Design Indaba

Sunil and Mohit were in SA a few weeks back. They were asked to speak at Design Indaba this year joining creative people from different sectors –graphic design, film, music, fashion design, industrial design, architecture, craft, visual art, new media, publishing, broadcasting and performing arts. Here’s an excerpt of Sunil answering audience questions.

A leopard's tale

Found abandoned as a cub five years ago, Rani the Leopard was ‘saved’ and put in this cage at the Malsi Deer Park in Dehra Dun. All day, Rani paces from one side of her little cage to the other, while wildlife-lovin’ tourists try to provoke a reaction by making funny noises and smacking the side of her cage. Wildlife SOS have been informed.

Tom & Joe make a video

Ex-WK Delhi hands Joe Stamp and Tom Prendergast (of Tom & Joe fame) made a hilarious series of mockumentary videos to promote the National Portrait Gallery recently. Click on the image to view the videos.

Shuchi & Momo at Desert Storm 2009

Shuchi and Momo participated in Desert Storm Rally 2009 held during 17 - 22nd Feb. They travelled Delhi-Bikaner-Jaisalmer-Rann Of Kutch-Pingleshwar Beach-Udaipur. Pretty gruelling schedule, that. It's a minor achievement that they completed the rally, notwithstanding the fact that they came first in their category. Congratulations to both of them. Nobody's going to pick on little Momo anymore. Or maybe not.

W+K featured in Campaign magazine

Dan in Creativity Top 50

Creativity just published their annual 'top 50' list of the people who made a mark on the cultural consciousness in the preceding year. Dan’s made the list once again.



Here's what they say:
It's no doubt difficult to be burdened with a creative legacy stocked with the likes of "Just Do It," ESPN and the more recent revitalization of the Coca-Cola brand, but Wieden Kennedy continued to live up to its reputation with a creatively stellar 2008. Last year, the agency turned out more standout work, from the David Fincher-directed "Fate" for Nike and Coke's charming "It's mine" balloon fight, to Old Spice's "Swagger" and the voyeuristic "Somebody Else's Phone" web effort for Nokia. The shop continued to develop its extracurricular side, launching W K Radio online and producing more musical releases out of the W K Tokyo Lab record label/workshop run by ECD John Jay. Co-founder Wieden says he also plans to expand into South America in the near future, yet no matter how big the agency grows, he has no intentions of changing its intimate and fluid creative environment. "It's a homegrown network," he says. "We hire in-country and we move folks around quite a bit from office to office, so all our fights are family fights. It really enriches our culture and creates the ability to communicate a lot easier because we're coming from the same bias."

Wieden, on his outlook for 2009: "We are full-steam ahead on digital and we're thinking of some ancillary surprises. If you can't redefine what an advertising agency is in the next couple of years, I think you've got some big problems. It's turned upside down, but for us, it's the most exciting of times."

[via W+K London blog]

Happy Birthday Molona!

Ivan gets a makeover

Campaign India Tunes in to WK Radio

A lot of exciting things are happening. Two of them would be Bill Davenport (President, W+K Entertainment & Partner, W+K) and Kirk Iverson (expert on all things Hollywood). They were with us for just 36 hours. But it was enough to get all of us, including Campaign India, excited about WK Radio.

To read the whole article, click here 

This week on WK Radio, we have DJ lovebirds Anjali and The Incredible Kid sharing their music and stories from their music-amassing sabbatical in India; interview with Mercer Street recording artist, ASA; Tokyo Lab; Caldera; a mix of eclectic DJs and much more.

Tune in to WK Radio

Who Bares Wins? British SAS spotted in Delhi

A. Conaway and P. Colman in their distinctive black uniforms.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that two super-troopers from the UK were in New Delhi last week to participate in a WK training exercise. After a week of intense activity and the occasional bout of dysentry, these sharp-suiters quietly slipped out of the city in typical ‘black-ops’ style.

Business Standard talks about IndiGo advertising

Here's the ad they're talking about:

False Alarm on an IndiGo flight

There was a bit of commotion on board an IndiGo flight last night. A couple of drunken idiots on the Goa-Delhi flight got a bit rowdy and threatened to hijack the plane. The captain, following procedure, made an emergency landing and the National Security Guard and the whole circus descended upon the aircraft. Turned out to be a false alarm but it was all over the news. To IndiGo’s credit the whole affair was handled with customary efficiency with the least discomfort caused to its passengers. Still didn’t prevent the press from having a field day.

Cycle World covers Royal Enfield

Cycle World is the world’s largest circulating motorcycle magazine and it recently did an 8-page story on Royal Enfield. The article is attached.

Download Cycle World Articles

Care: An artist's initiative

In case you don't know already

This is an old story, but since a lot of people have been out of touch during the holidays, we'll let you in on it. W+K have won the Levi's business for the U.S. market so we can all look forward to the vintage brand get the W+K treatment and possibly infuse some new life into it.

W+K launches WK Radio

The radio station has been set up by the Portland office to inspire creativity through provocative conversations, interviews and artistic expression relating to arts, culture, media, and music. We're starting small with minimal programming hours, with a goal to eventually share an equal amount of programming between our seven different offices and their communities worldwide.

Doshi-Levien pay us a visit

London-based designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien of Doshi Levien were in our office on Monday with their bonny infant Rahul. They shared some of their recent work and their illuminating insights and observations on the new India.
Nipa talks about traditional Indian elements and modern design



A photograph taken during a research project in India


Jonathan with their latest creation

A little jingoism never hurt anyone

In the run up to Republic Day, as we bring our saffron and greens out, we’d also like to recall Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja the inspiring the INA anthem (wav file attached) which is still the regimental quick march for our Parachute Regiment. And more importantly, evidence that we were daring and idealistic...once.

Download Kadam Kadam Badhaye

Diana will never be forgotten

Nokia Does Its Bit

Nokia India launched a programme yesterday to encourage cell phone users to dispose of their used handsets and accessories, regardless of the brand, at recycling bins located at all Nokia priority dealers and Nokia care centres. The campaign will be initiated in four cities – Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon and Ludhiana – for the initial month. Subsequently, it will be taken to other parts of the country in a phased manner. Apart from being voted the country's best loved brand last year, Nokia has always consistently ranked high or top in the quarterly Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics report. This video shows how Nokia crunches, analyzes and recycles mobile phones in one of their recycling facilities.

Pocket Electric

  www.pocketelectric.in

Secret Santa

It's the holiday season and we had a Secret Santa draw last week that has resulted in a big boom in business for Archies stores. W+K Delhi has been flooded with tons of cheap trinkets, teddy bears and 10 rupee chocolate bars. Here's the pick of the lot.

15 minutes with Mozzo

Abhineet ‘Mozzo’ Singh

Born 9th October.

Do you want to do a serious interview or a retarded interview?
Retarded, man

It’s going to be tough though I’m going to come at you from all angles you sure you’re up for it?
Yeah yeah man go for it

You were born 9th October. That’s a Libra, isn’t it?
That’s all a buncha bullshit dude

Probably. But you asked for the retarded version remember?
Yeah I guess so. I don’t know man. I use it with chicks sometimes. They dig this astrology stuff.

Would you ever date a girl with a wooden leg?
…(pause).. yeah sure…and then if she got on my nerves I could club her with it. Ha Ha.

Would you lacquer it for her?
Yeah man… make her look good …yeah

Childhood ambition
Road-roller driver

Enduring memory
I once got beat up by these two chicks. I was at a rock concert at Milwaukee… like I was super drunk man and …uhm… I remember getting one of those really huge bottles of Coke…and…I catch this snatch of conversation where this chick goes: “Fine, so call me a slut”. So I turn around and call her “Slut!” and…uhm… next thing I know I was getting beat up by these chicks…it was cool…and then some guy I don’t know who…came and picked me up by my belt and like, threw me over the turnstile…

…and then there was this time when I woke up in full scuba gear. See, I don’t know if this happens to you. Autopilot. Whenever I drink tequila I go into autopilot mode. The plane flies but I don’t know who’s flyin it, knowwhatImean? Yeah…so… I had a lot of tequila this one time and I guess I thought it’d be cool to play with foam, so as I learnt the next day, me and my buds we went and grabbed all these fire extinguishers and sprayed them all over the lawn… I don’t remember how I got into the scuba suit…I don’t know man…

What’s your retreat? Your happy place? The place you go to when things get fucked up.
I take a dump man. I find that’s the only place where I’m totally alone with myself.

Do you remember your dreams?
No, man…(thinks for a bit)…although sometimes I get this dream where I’m just falling…

Everybody has those
…yeah I guess so…

Proudest moment
Yet to come

First job
Pizza Hut at University

Did you ever have to clean up vomit?
No, luckily. I’ve cleaned up my own though, lotsa times.

Do you have an indulgence?
Expensive watches

That’s a Surdie stereotype isn’t it?
Yeah (laughs) I guess…

Sardars (people from the Sikh community) are one of our favourite people at W+K. What’s the one stereotype about Surds that you think is totally true.
That they’re not veggie… (continues)… but you know… about surd jokes…how this whole baara baj gaye thing started?

Dunno. How?
Well…it’s to do with guerilla fighting dude. These guys are like, fearsome warriors, and they always attacked camps at 12 midnight, so that’s how it started ‘Sardarjee ke baara baj gaye’

There’s this radio show called Desert Island Discs in the UK. The format is simple: each week a guest is invited to choose the 5 records they would take with them to a deserted island. They also choose a favourite book  and a luxury which must be inanimate and have no practical use. Let’s do a Desert Island thing here, what do you say?
Sure.

So what’d your one book be?
The Encyclopaedia Of Surgery. It’s a medical book. Like really fat. And it teaches you how to perform surgery. I always wanted to read it. And …uhm…I could also use it as a pillow. And if I broke my knee I could refer to it and fix it.

But wouldn’t you need to understand all that medical mumbo-jumbo? Surely, they wouldn’t refer to kneecap as just ‘kneecap’…probably like metacarpotarsasal joint or some stuff like that. How would you figure it out?
Well… I dunno…maybe a more layman’s book then.

The one luxury item
Movie theater popcorn machine

The five records
Laundromat Blues- Albert King
Viva La Vida- Coldplay
Changes- 2Pac
Wouldn’t it be nice- Beach Boys
Punjabiyan di Shaan- Bally Sagoo

Last purchase
Moongphulli (roasted peanuts) from the street

Favourite movie
300/ The Usual Suspects

Favourite comic book character
Batman? I don’t know man…I used to read a lot of Phantom. I think they should revive the Phantom.

What’s the next big thing?
EQ in video games…

How does it work?
See, it’s like now there’s this clear line between the virtual world and the real world. In the virtual world, we all have these different avatars we put on, like so many different personalities… they’re all aspirational… who we want to be. I think with EQ in video games that line will disappear…you with me?

Vaguely
There’s this TED video you’ve got to see…it explains it better… I’ll send you the link

If someone made you king for a day, what would you do?
(Completely thrown by the question, confused…)
…King…wow…I don’t know dude… maybe get my own harem

That’s it?
…urm..yeah… or maybe I’d just watch Scarface (with a little more conviction)…yeah I’d watch Scarface

You have all the power in the world, unimaginable wealth, you can change policies, have people bumped off, commission banned medical research, travel into space, wage war and you would sit and watch Scarface?
(even more confused) Lemme think for a bit. (Thinks for a bit). I know what I’d do. I’d bring back gladiators, like in Rome. It’d be like the biggest party and in the centre of it all there’d be dudes fighting lions and two-headed jackals and shit…

Wow. That’s something. Two-headed jackals. You realize, of course, that you’ll have to push the boundaries of medical science to develop a two-headed jackal? Maybe a wait of some 10-15 years in development.
Yeah, but it’d be cool though.

Abhineet Singh is a Strategic Planner at W+K Delhi

Behaal (I am like this only)

       

        I voted for them.
        I jump traffic lights.
        I bribe traffic cops.
        I don't care about my neighbour.
        I ignore dying farmers.
        I jump queues.
        I ask politicians for favours.
        I watch hysterical TV reporters 24/7.
        I waste water.
        I get upset when terrorists get too close to me.
        I blame everybody else.
        I am an idiot.

        iamlikethisonly.co.in

Care: An Artist’s Initiative (Postponed)

Taking Our Best Shots

One month after getting cameras for Diwali, there was no better way to celebrate this one-month anniversary than to take lots of pictures and share them. So, we asked everyone in the office to shoot everything and anything they wanted and share their favourite picture with the rest of us. After five days, four e-mail reminders, two verbal shout-outs and a technical snag, we managed to get 25 pictures.

Amsterdam: Prasad

Rembrandt's etching machine: Prasad

Chasing Thakur: Annalisa

Family Guy: Bala

The 76-year-old Marathon Runner: Evelina

Band of Brothers: Hanif

An Aerial View of Bangalore: Hanif

Health Check-up for Rs.10/- Only: Harish

IAF 737 Holding for Takeoff in Delhi Fog: Mohit

Leaving Portland: Rajesh

Spelling Check: Molona

Bheja Fry: Molona

Gujju Wedding: Nirmal

Auto-rickshaw Driver: Nusrat

Ancient Well: Rocky

Puppy Love: Sahiba

CTU Bus: Shuchi

Sunlight: Sunil

More directional art

While the Metro construction threatens to bring traffic to a standstill, it's good to know that at least the sign painters are having a ball. Bringing some much needed mirth to these grey, foggy winter days. Here's the second installment of trippy directional signage. Some of these were taken on the Ring Road near Golden Dragon restaurant and some near Saket.

Navigator Music Video Launch Party

Last Thursday, W+K Delhi celebrated the launch of the Navigator music video. With a 200-name-long guest list (that kept increasing), 250 litres of alcohol and live performance by Jalebee Cartel, the party went on till 5:00 am. Amazingly, on Friday morning, the attendance in the office was 100%.

Viral (Nokia) and Gunjan (Campaign India)

V. Sunil and Ambrish Arora (Architect)

Amitabh Kant (Joint Secretary of Tourism) and Arun (DLF)

Bombay Electric's Priya and Deepak

Artist Shanta Rao and her partner

Designers Rohit Bal and Malini Ramani with a tall friend

Model Joey Matthews and hair-stylist Ambika Pillai

Nusrat and photographer Bharat Sikka

V. Sunil and VJ Juhi

Jalebee Cartel doing what they love

Screening of the video

W+K releases music video for Nokia Navigator

Sometime back we made a commercial for the Nokia Navigator involving crowded streets, birds and horses. The track that formed the soundtrack to that commercial was released seperately by the creators, electronica act Jalabee Cartel. It went on to become a massive hit on the club circuit. And even inspired a video by close friend and photographer Bharat Sikka. A party at Marut Sikka's kicking bar Magique will mark the official launch today. (Please note: Entry by invitation only) Indian viewers can see the video on VH1 and W+K people can sample it when we upload it to W+K radio shortly.

 
CD Packaging

La Traviata

Last weekend, La Traviata came to town. Opera is not exactly common in Delhi, so everyone in the office wanted to go. Our resident Milanese, Annalisa went to considerable trouble to get tickets for everyone in the office. And the three who made it on Sunday were treated to a spectacle. The theater was packed, the audience enthusiastic and the romantic drama was moving. Many elegant ladies wrapped in their sarees cried at Violetta's desperate "Amami Alfredo!", which is something that doesn't happen that often (the sarees at the Opera, not the tears). Momo (who, for the record, wasn't wearing a saree) said she also was very, very touched, but some idiots sitting behind her kept giggling through the show, so she felt rage rather than anguish. Many thanks to Annalisa who arranged the tickets. Those who took tickets and didn’t turn up have to buy her lunch next week. And we’re not talking Subway sandwiches.

Go slow

Directional signage near Yusuf Serai.

Russell Peters in Delhi

So a bunch of us went to the Russell Peters show…a 15 minute jaunt from the office turned into a 45 minute ordeal with most of the time spent waiting in the car right outside the venue fighting for an inch of space. Parking was a nightmare that included the usual fender-bender, a threat by an oldish lady to slash our tires if we parked in front of her building, and a 20-rupee goodwill fee to some dude who promised to protect the illegally parked car. The show was as expected – funny.  With the brunt of the jokes directed at the Chinese, the Irish, a 17-year-old token Canadian white guy, and aunties that “ear-muffed” their kids every time RP cussed.

Preview of Prasad's new work

Prasad's fascination with apocalyptic scenarios has resulted in a series of five beautiful new pieces using charcoal and pastels on paper. The collection is titled 'Promised Land' which Prasad employs with heavy irony when showcasing these nihilistic themes envisaging political, social and economic destruction.

The Battle Of Megiddo, charcoal and pastel on paper

Before he embarks on an extended tour of Europe with his new collection, Prasad had a small preview of 'Promised Land' along with his collection of posters from earlier this year, at the W+K office.

Prasad's work will be part of an exhibition of Indian artists titled 'Everything'. It will be on display on Saturday, the 8th of November from 1700 to 2100 hrs (drinks, food and music till late) at Westerhuis, Westerstraat 187, Amsterdam. The exhibition continues till the 6th of December (Wednesday to Saturday, 1100 to 1800 hrs).

Prasad Raghavan is Creative Director at W+K Delhi

Sahiba gets her first bribe

Kay Communications sent over a small Diwali 'gift' across to Sahiba last week. Overcome with emotion, Sahiba said she'd like to thank Bala and the Finance people at Nokia without whose help this would not have been possible.

Diwali Party

All the big punters were out in force yesterday with an extended Flash session that was part of the Diwali celebrations in the office. Spring rolls, fried chicken and a free flow of booze helped. There was a lot of yelling (mostly Parul), Roshan danced and Nusrat kept begging Bhushan for a hug. Everybody got Canon Digital Cameras as Diwali gifts. Pretty decent ones too. Ironically, with 20 odd cameras in the office, these blurry iPhone pictures are all we have for the blog. But they capture the general mood nevertheless.

Nus has a secret admirer

Wow. And we thought old fashioned romance was dead. Special delivery for Nusrat today – a massive bouquet of red flowers. And a box of Lindt too. No note either.

GQ in India.

GQ launches in India. Minus the style.

Fate - new Nike spot

David Fincher directed this new spot for W+K Portland. It tells the story of the life-long rivalry of American Football players LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu as their destinies clash in an NFL football game. Soundtrack is a remix of “L’estasi Dell’oro”, (The Ecstasy of Gold), by  Ennio Morricone, written for The Good The Bad and the Ugly.

The Bullet Classic EFI

New release from the Royal Enfield factory. The Bullet Classic EFI. Unfortunately not available to the Indian public as yet but it’s on sale in international markets.

U.S. and India sign historic nuclear deal

“The United States and India signed an accord Friday October 10 that allows American businesses to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India, reversing a three-decade ban on atomic trade with the fast-growing nuclear-armed Asian power. The U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, the result of three years of often frustrating political and diplomatic wrangling, marks a major shift in U.S. policy toward India after decades of mutual wariness. India has faced a nuclear trade ban since its first atomic test in 1974 and has refused to sign nonproliferation accords."

A tremendous boost for our energy sector, which has been groaning under the heavy burden for nearly a decade now. Pranab Mukherjee also says it will aid rural development so an Indian Springfield may well be a possibility in the near future. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. The United States navy has been running nuclear power plants in all of their submarines for 60 years because they are the cheapest, most efficient source of power that allows them to stay under longer with no emissions. France already has 80% of their total power coming from nuclear power and they have the second lowest emissions in the world from what we've heard. Fingers crossed.

Post production just got easier

If you live in India and haven't heard the buzz around Blue Frog lounge lately you should probably just go kill yourself. What used to be a grimy shithole somewhere in Bombay, has caught the attention of not just the local in-crowd but has garnered great reviews from hip magazines all over the world. It's a live performance space, state-of-the-art sound laboratory, a production unit as well as a label to promote all kinds of new, “genreless music”. We've been spending a lot of time there lately and thought we might do our bit to plug for Blue Frog.

and this is just the recording studio. They're actively promoting an album by a band that goes by the ridiculous name of 'Sha’ir + Func'. We haven't heard them yet so it's probably too soon to knock them.

37 pictures the world must see

Tonight these pictures will be projected in some 50 cities all over the world. Spread the message. Stop the disease. (We recommend clicking on the arrow at bottom right of the screen to enlarge it.)

We grope male models

Celebrity male model Milind Soman visited our office today causing little or no hysteria among the staff. Except one of our girls who thought the cool thing to do would be to run and feel him up. We've kept her in chains ever since. We won’t mention the name. All we can say is that it wasn’t Molona. She was too busy calming herself down with comfort food. Soon to be launched is a campaign to ‘Save Molona From Processed Food’

W+K resigns Starbucks account

This just in. W+K Portland resigns the 20 million dollar Starbucks account. Pretty ballsy move considering the current climate in the US. Doesn't impact Delhi in any way, since Starbucks haven't begun colonising India with their overstuffed sofas as yet. What does impact our office however is the disappearance of the Chaiwallah/ Omelette-wallah downstairs. We're hoping it's just a Navratra phase.

You can follow the Starbucks story on Adweek, The New York Post and Advertising Age.

Nik Daum

Ex-colleague from W+K Portland who visited India recently. His blog makes for interesting reading. His take on Delhi is hilarious. Some splendid pictures too.

And you thought Nokia were just into cellphones

Seen at Palika Bazaar today.

15 minutes with Parul

Parul Sharma was born 13 August 1983. Same day as Sridevi. She’s a Delhi girl, born and raised in the capital.

First Job > Sahara Airlines. She’s traveled all over the place on account of her stints with Sahara and IndiGo. She didn’t mind her previous job too much but says it isn’t her cup of tea. Too many angry people asking for stuff. All the effin time.

Childhood Ambition > An astronaut but changed her mind later because she didn’t like the outfits.

Fondest Memory > Her wedding day.

Favourite Book > Her latest obsession is British author Sophie Kinsella. She finds the lead character Rebecca Bloomwood hilarious and cites Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice a real role model.

Last purchase > A pair of musical hairbands as a farewell gift for her new BFFs Lucia & Himali (Tom & Joe).

Predictions > In the future, Shah Rukh will opt for major facial reconstruction and turn into a vague, creepy thing like MJ. Noida will become cool. (Thinks for a minute, then changes her mind.) Noida will never be cool. She likes trains and thinks Laloo will make the Railways really snazzy.

If she were made Queen for a day > She would give 90% off on all big cars. Only to women. She also clarifies that it would apply only to the BMW 7 series, Audi Q7 and A8 and the Mercedes S Class. Cause all the other cars are just crappy.

Did we mention she’s a Delhi girl?

Parul is Executive Assistant at W+K Delhi

An artist has to suffer for his art

Just to let everyone know Hanif is not going to speak to anyone today as he is on a vow of silence. Nusrat has already made him break his vow once and he threatens dire consequences if anyone tries it again. Which is an open invitation for anyone with time on their hands to have a go at making him talk.

Client meets client

Steve had heard so much about Royal Enfield that he just had to go out there and see it for himself.

Left to Right: R.L. Ravichandran (CEO, Royal Enfield), Steve Harfst (COO, IndiGo) C.S. Suresh and Kartik (both from Royal Enfield)