Percept ICE assisted Mercedes-Benz India launch the SL 350 and the GL 500 4MATIC at the Taj, New Delhi, further re-iterating their position of offering the widest product portfolio for the Indian luxury car market. The SL-Class, one of the most legendary cars in the Mercedes-Benz stable, derives its DNA from the legendary 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ and has always been a favourite among automobile aficionados across the globe. The GL 500 is amongst the most powerful SUV in Mercedes-Benz’s portfolio and it strengthens the company’s presence in the increasingly popular SUV segment.

Percept ICE’s scintillating launch event for Mercedes Benz showcasing the cars aimed at projecting individualistic dynamism of the brand with its handcrafted luxury and road dominating experience. The SL300 depicted the 2 in 1 concept portraying Perfection, Passion, Power, Success and Confidence and the GL500 depicted the car’s balance between ruggedness and luxury targeting consumers that love adventure, exploration, power and freedom

The Event concept was based around alter egos, as some Individuals are on the quest for luxury, convenience and style, while another segment is on a quest for adventure, freedom and power. Percept ICE unveiled the two most desired consumer alter egos while showcasing the SL Class and the GL 500. The concept had been developed with the objective of creating a central theme to highlight the two distinctly different cars being launched.

Commenting on the successful launch Ms. Meera Mull, Senior Manager – Brand Activation, Percept ICE said, “The launch of the super sexy Mercedes SL and GL cars was powered by an end-to-end LED in a watch-out format technology. The idea was to give the media a larger-than-life kind of feel of this exotic product. The graphics and the AV preceding the launch were designed to showcase the USP of the models and the brand positioning of these smoking hot cars. “

Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “The SL 350 and the GL 500 are two of the most popular offerings in our portfolio. Both the cars have unique USP’s. The SL-Class with its styling, performance and handling abilities has won hearts globally. We are glad to introduce the SL-Class which is sportier, aggressive, and of course packed with benchmark Mercedes-Benz safety features and technology. On the other hand the GL 500 being one of the most powerful SUV’s in the world is ideal to suit the tastes of the growing number of off-roading aficionados in India. I am confident that both the vehicles will woo auto enthusiasts, critics, customers and media alike.”

The SL Class complements passion, quest for perfection and pursuit of personal success while the GL 500 meets with the same sense of purpose when you seek to follow the road less traveled and fulfills your desire for adventure as you tread on the unbeaten path. Yet, both products are bonded with the same perfection, innovation and style that are intrinsic to the Mercedes brand character as a whole. Both cars have the same precision and craftsmanship that is signature to Mercedes and yet both have such contrasting spirits – like ALTER EGOS.
 

Mumbai: CNBC AWAAZ will honour ‘India’s Most Preferred Brands’ at the sixth edition of ‘Consumer Awards 2010’ to be held at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai on June 28, 2010. The theme of this year’s awards is aptly titled ‘Made for India, Made by India and Made in India’, celebrating not only the popularity of India’s winning brands but also honoring the people who have dedicated themselves to make these brands admirable in the minds of the consumer. 

CNBC AWAAZ, in association with India’s leading research organisation The Nielsen Company conducted a comprehensive research to arrive at a list of ‘India’s Most Preferred Brands’ perceived by the end consumer for each of the sub-categories covered in the study. The key objectives of the research were to arrive at a list of the ‘Most Preferred Brands’ as perceived by the end consumer for each of the sub-categories covered in the study and also identify the drivers that influence the selection of a particular brand in each sub-category. 

The research was conducted amongst 4000 respondents across 20 major cities and markets within the age-group of 18 – 45 years, both males and females belonging to SEC A, B & C households. A Random Sampling technique combined with an interview methodology (face-to-face interviews & questionnaire format) was adopted to conduct this research. Selected after such an exhaustive survey, the winners of these awards are thus the true and most credible reflection of the Indian consumers’ today.

CNBC AWAAZ ‘Consumer Awards 2010’ will felicitate winning brands from the following categories: Financial Services, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Retail, Telecom and Automobile. This year, the channel has decided to introduce new categories of awards focusing on individuals behind the success of brands- ‘Brand Marketer of the Year’, ‘Media Agency of the Year’ and ‘Creative Agency of the Year’. These awards seek to acknowledge the stellar efforts of the teams behind these winning brands that have made a mark in the worlds most dynamic and sought after markets – India. 

Speaking on this occasion, Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-Chief, CNBC AWAAZ, said, “India has evolved as world’s most dynamic market with respect to the emerging trends in consumer behaviour and the advertising and marketing landscape. It is amazing to see the phenomenal growth in the number of brand categories and trends in the last six years. Consumer Awards thus have transcended from being just an event into a concrete initiative saluting the Indian brands and the people behind them that millions of Indians have chosen to buy, to try, to experience and to own.”

To add to the excitement, CNBC AWAAZ also announced a quiz competition which will test the viewer’s knowledge about brands. The contest winners stand an exclusive chance to win Apple Macbooks, Plasma TVs, iPods and more. 

In addition, as a tribute to the men and women behind popular and successful brands, CNBC AWAAZ has created an exclusive property divided into four special episodes. The first episode will be a curtain raiser as an onset to Consumer Awards 2010. The second episode will discuss with CMOs, advertising agencies and media planners about their brands and their strategies to connect with their consumers.  The third episode will feature the winners of Consumer Awards 2009 as guests and the final episode will bring to light the winners of Consumer Awards 2010.

The internationally trained YSL makeup artist will visit different retail outlets, giving customers a chance to experience the thrill of being at “YSL Backstage”.

Mumbai: This season, YSL Beaute introduces another top- notch service to customers across India.  With “ YSL backstage”, make up fans visiting Shoppers Stop retail outlets  will get the opportunity to meet the YSL Make Up artist and receive a one-on-one makeup consultation and a complete make-over application.

Charmaine, who has been working with YSL Beaute, will be traveling to top retail outlets conducting makeovers as well as helping customers find their perfect colour harmony. Charmaine who studied at the Complexions International School in Toronto, a renowned make up school, has also been trained at the YSL International Makeup training centre where she has studied the YSL Makeup Technique.

During her tour, Charmaine will be introducing the New Spring Look 2010- the ‘it’ collection created especially for the free spirited Yves Saint Laurent Woman. Multifaceted and unique the Yves Saint Laurent woman is a dream.
 

Charmaine will be in Shoppers Stop Bandra from Friday 9th to the 11th. Shoppers Stop, Malad from Friday 16th – 18th April Shoppers Stop, Juhu from Friday 23rd – 25th April.

Book your appointment by calling Rachna on (022) (32189538).

New Delhi : Lilliput, a dominant player in the Indian Kidswear industry, showcased their Spring-Summer Collection ’10 at the Kids’ Fashion Show, held at Roots to Wings’ Annual Day Function. Kids were delighted to walk the ramp in smart Lilliput Collection which made them look stylish & fashionable. The Spring-Summer Collection flaunts the liveliness of spring and the warm kiss of summer. No wonder, the audience was surprised to see such little wonders walk the ramp with full enthusiasm & passion.

Lilliput Fashion Show witnessed 10 little champs displaying the fabulous collection ranging from ‘cool boy style’ for boys to ‘dressed up doll style’ for girls. The ramp walk of a charming little girl in ‘Glitter n Glam’ outfit can give any adult model a run for their money. A delightful little boy in colourful ‘Surfing & Monster’ outfit accompanied by an attractive girl in ‘Rainbow Spectrum’ dress made a perfect little pair of the show. The charm of the young models was enhanced by matching accessories like stylish fine flowery head band and baseball cap. The Spring-Summer collection is fresh and contemporary using fabrics like peached cottons suitable for the sultry weather.

Elated Ms. Seema Puri, VP – Design, Lilliput Kidswear Ltd. commented, “This Fashion Show provides an excellent platform for us to acquaint the audience with the latest range of our high-quality and designer collection which are available in the market at affordable prices. Children are influenced easily and on seeing these little models walk the ramp in new Spring-Summer collection, we are sure they would want to wear the range too. It gives us immense pleasure to provide an opportunity to these wonderful kids to showcase their talent.”

The ecstatic little models received a standing ovation from the audience who took everybody with awe by exhibiting the Lilliput collection in the most enthusiastic manner.

Ghaziabad : Fem Care Pharma, India’s leading & most trusted fairness bleach maker, has announced the launch of a mega beauty hunt in Punjab — ‘Fem De Sohney Sohney Mukhde’. This pageant — being organized to discover Punjab’s beautiful, flawless, fair face – will be conducted across the 5 cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Patiala and Jalandhar. The winner of the contest will be crowned ‘Fem De Sohne Sohne Mukhde of Punjab’ and get a chance to appear on mainstream television.

Announcing the launch of this initiative, Brand Head-Fem, Ms. Medha Mohan said: “This is a highly innovative and first of its kind initiative taken by Fem. Punjab is one of the most crucial markets for Fem and so, we have decided to identify a face that embodies the values of Fem – fair and glowing face – a face that can truly be called ‘Fem De Sohne Sohne Mukhde’.”

The beauty hunt would be conducted across the 5 cities through both beauty parlours and high-streets. About 15-20 beauty parlours in each city have been identified for the activity and promoters would be enrolling consumers at these parlours. In addition, a mobile canter would also be seeking entries at major markets and high-streets across these cities.

The shortlisted candidates would be invited for a city finale and the three finalists from each city would vie for the coveted title of ‘Fem De Sohne Sohne Mukhde’ at a Grand Finale scheduled to be held in Chandigarh on March 7, 2010.

The fifteen finalists will be groomed and trained in a professional way to walk in the world of glitz and glamour. After a two-day grooming and training session, the fifteen deserving gorgeous girls will compete with each other at the Grand Finale. “After Punjab, we plan to roll out this initiative in Maharashtra as well,” Ms. Mohan said.

Mumbai: Superbrands, the independent authority and arbiter of branding hosted a Tribute Event to honour India’s strongest brands for their achievements and excellence in branding at the Intercontinental, Lalit, today. Amongst an august gathering of corporate honchos, brand superpowers and marketing excellence, Superbrands also unveiled the 2009-2010 Superbrands book featuring the story of 91 of India’s strongest brands

In the six years since it was instituted in India, Superbrands has earned the proud distinction of being the one award that brands consistently use as a symbol of exceptional achievement and credibility. The Superbrands logo has been used in press and TV advertising; on billboards, annual reports, product literature, tags and stickers on products, stationery, packaging, even red herring documents.

Speaking about the event, Eamonn Sadler, CEO, Superbrands Worldwide Limited said, “Consumer Superbrands has always helped companies and brands create a discerning identity in the market. We are delighted to host our third tribute event to celebrate the success of India’s strongest brands, which are also some of the most recognised brands in the world. Consumer Superbrands is glad to recognize the country’s economy drivers and help today’s judicious consumers make an intelligent and educated choice amongst the multitude of brands available today”

Anmol Dar, Managing Director, Superbrands India, and chairperson, Superbrands India Council: “Even during recessionary conditions and budgetary constraints, Superbrands is continued to be seen as an important marketing tool and a worthy investment. As a result, Superbrands was able to achieve participation from 91 brands – exactly the same number it reached in 2007 when markets were surging forward.” He further added that, “Superbrands in its role as a brand arbiter, has been very successful in identifying the best brands and honoring the efforts that make them truly inspirational.”

Hundreds of leading Indian brands were evaluated by the esteemed Superbrands Council and 91 of the highest scoring brands were then designated as Superbrands. Only brands that achieve the level of recognition set by the independent Superbrands Council were eligible for inclusion in the Superbrands India book, which traces the history and achievements of each of the brands.

Superbrands began in the UK in 1994 as a radio show on GLR (now BBC Radio London). The show aimed at give ordinary consumers an insight into the significant brands that touched upon their lives. After the spectacular success of the radio programme, the Superbrands organisation was founded in 1995 to focus on promoting the discipline of branding and identifying and paying tribute to exceptional brands.

In 2002, India became the 25th country to officially join the nations running Superbrands programme. Now the consumer Superbrands logo is one of the most sought after marketing awards in India. The 2009/10 Superbrands Tribute Event was a true celebration of many of the country’s highest profile brands, and lived up to its global reputation as the “Oscars of Branding”.

Consumer Superbrands 2009 -2010 :

◦ACC
◦Adlabs
◦Anchor
◦Apollo Hospitals
◦Aquaguard
◦Archies
◦Arrow
◦Ashok Leyland
◦Avis
◦Bank of Baroda
◦Barista lavazza
◦Bata
◦Bharat gas
◦BILT
◦Birla White
◦Blue Dart
◦Boroline
◦Brylcreem
◦Castrol
◦Catch
◦Cello
◦Cinthol
◦Club Mahindra
◦Crocin
◦Crompton Greaves Fans
◦Crompton Greaves Lighting
◦Dainik Bhaskar
◦Dainik Jagran
◦Equal
◦Euroclean
◦Everest
◦Ezee
◦Faber
◦Femina
◦Filmfare
◦Finolex
◦Fortune Oil
◦The Taj
◦Gati
◦Gili
◦Godrej Expert hair Dye
◦Godrej Refrigerators
◦Godrej Security Solutions
◦Goodknight
◦Tata Tea
◦Tata Tiscon
◦Hero Cycles
◦Hindware
◦Horlicks
◦HSBC
◦Indane
◦Infomedia Yellow Pages
◦Jaguar
◦JK Tyre
◦Kajaria
◦Kerala Tourism
◦Kingfisher Airlines
◦Kitchens of India
◦Kitply
◦Kohinoor
◦Kurlon
◦Lenovo
◦LIC Housing Finance

◦Life Insurance Corporation
◦Luxor
◦Mahindra Tractors
◦MakeMyTrip.com
◦Max New York Life
◦Monte Carlo
◦Moods
◦Nakshatra
◦Nirma
◦Panasonic
◦Pillsbury
◦Prestige
◦Pril
◦Pritish nandy Communications
◦Raheja Universal
◦Reid & Taylor
◦Reliance Mutual Fund
◦Servo
◦Sintex
◦SOTC
◦STAR
◦Su-Kam
◦Tata Salt
◦Tata Sky
◦Tupperware
◦Unitech
◦Vodafone
◦Wills Lifestyle

Ghaziabad : Glamour, glitz & girls with a dash of Dabur Gulabari! Yes, the moment finally arrived with Dabur India Ltd. hosting the Grand Finale of its biggest beauty initiative in Uttar Pradesh — Dabur Gulabari Miss Fresh Face of U.P. 2009. After three grueling rounds at the grand finale, Rashmi Singh Somvanshi from Noida walked away with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a one-year modeling contract with Dabur Gulabari.

Sneha Shukla of Gorakhpur was adjudged the First Runner-Up and got a cash prize of Rs 30,000, while Geetika Rawat from Lucknow was the Second Runner-Up and took home a cash award of Rs 20,000. The contest had received an overwhelming response with over 5,500 entries from across Uttar Pradesh. The winners were chosen from among the 15 finalists who were chosen after several rounds of screening and auditions held across nine cities of Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Gorakhpur and Allahabad.

The Grand Finale of Dabur Gulabari Miss Fresh Face Of U.P. 2009 was judged by an independent jury, which included noted television star Twinkle Bajpai of Ghar Ki Betiyan Lakshmi fame and Asma Hussain, a talented fashion designer from Lucknow. This pageant has been organized to discover the fresh new face from the state, a face that embodies the core values of Dabur Gulabari – soft, fresh skin that glows like a Rose.

“We are immensely touched with the overwhelming response received during Gulabari Ms. Fresh Face of UP 2009. After one-month long auditions, we have selected 15 very promising, confident, bright and very talented girls who personify the values of Dabur Gulabari. Dabur Gulabari has always been associated with beauty and is the only personal care brand in India offering the goodness of rose for soft and fresh skin. With this pageant, we have taken Dabur Gulabari’s association with beauty a step further,” said Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Brand Head-Gulabari, Dabur India Ltd.

This glittering evening of the Grand Finale saw the 15 charismatic young girls dazzling the ramp showcasing a variety of dresses, followed by a Question-Answer session to impress the judges. Each of the promising contestants brilliantly vied with each other for the coveted crown, demonstrating their beauty and brains. The event reached its crescendo with the announcement of the winner.

“This initiative was also a unique way of spreading awareness among the beauty conscious women UP especially the young college-going girls. Hence, we had also organized in-depth grooming session for the finalists in Lucknow to educate them on various aspects of beauty care, ramp walking & grooming,” Mr. Agarwal said.

The Dabur Gulabari skin care portfolio includes Dabur Gulabari Rose Water, Moisturizing Cream, Moisturizing Lotion and a Premium Face Freshener Spray. Being a natural product, the Gulabari skin care range contains Ruh Gulab (Rose oil) and a dash of Gulabari rose water for the right moisture balance & that non-oily look. Offering the promise of ‘fresh, soft and rose-like glowing skin’, the Dabur Gulabari skin care range helps maintain moisture balance without leaving it oily. Besides protecting the skin from damaging elements of today’s environment and keeping it soft, the natural rose extracts in the Gulabari range also help remove dryness and dullness, giving the skin a rose-like radiance. No other brand today owns the Rose proposition, offering Dabur Gulabari the first mover advantage in this segment.

Bengaluru: McDowell’s Celebration, one of the top selling brands from United Spirits, is launching the biggest freestyle football extravaganza in India under the McDowell’s Freestyle Friendzy banner. An aggressive format of football that involves the expression of dribbling and other jugglery skills, McDowell’s Freestyle Friendzy will kick off from November 27, 2009, at a never before scale in 21 cities across India.

The event will bring the world’s top 6 freestylers together for the first time in India. The celebrity freestylers include Peter Kovacs -top Hungarian freestyler ,Nam The Man-the Irish freestyle icon, Palle -the freestyle champion from Sweden and one of the most influential patrons of this format, Daniel Rooseboom -the Dutch No 1, Nori-top freestyler from Japan and Jesus Gomez Moreno-the Spanish champion and Freestyle Fashion ambassador. The international freestylers will engage and interact with the local freestylers across India, with the finale to be held in Kolkata on December 18, 2009. The final winner will receive a free ticket to one of the most sought after league matches in London and other attractive prizes.

“McDowell’s Celebration is the proud pioneer of dynamic football formats in India. Freestyle Football is catching up as a rage amongst football aficionados across the world. With an over 10 year old partnership with India’s premier football club- Mohun Bagan, McDowell’s Celebration has left no stone unturned to promote football in India. McDowell’s Freestyle Friendzy is a natural outcome of this pursuit. We have yet again taken the lead to bring this innovative precursor to routine football to thousands of football fans in India. Never before has the country witnessed this massive showcasing of international football talent and hunt for Indian amateur freestylers. ” said Mathew Xavier, Business Head, United Spirits Limited. McDowell’s Celebration will soon launch India’s first Freestyle Training Video with the visiting freestyle champions. The video will be available at major sports and music outlets.

“We are encouraging amateur Indian freestylers to post their videos on www.freestylefriendzy.in to seek votes for skills and also help popularize the sport further,” added Xavier.

Also known as street style, Freestyle Football is extremely popular in North America, Europe and parts of Asia. A very popular sport amongst the youth, it is perceived to be cool, hip and fun. The celebrity freestylers will dribble, juggle and display tricks which will leave you spellbound. So look out for the McDowell’s Freestyle Friendzy arriving in your city soon.

McDowell’s No.1 Celebration Rum is the fastest growing top rum brand in the world. Celebration Rum was launched in 1991 with a modest beginning of a hundred thousand cases. Today McDowell’s Celebration sells in excess of 10 million cases with a reach across 12 countries that, makes Celebration the 2nd largest selling dark rum in the world.

Part of the McDowell’s franchise with the highest FMCG retail value of Rs 8300 crores*, Celebration Rum is the largest selling rum in India, with a market share of 52% and growing. The proud recipient of several prestigious awards, Celebration Rum owes it success largely to the high quality standards that McDowell’s No.1 Celebration Rum provides its consumers and this has been recognized at the highest International level.