All advertising should be entertaining: Mukund Olety of VML India

The great Indian festive season is around the corner. One of the biggest festivals of this season is Navratri, a time when the country decks up to celebrate dance and music, including Garba and Dandiya Raas, traditional dance forms from Gujarat. Last year, one song that made everyone dance across different corners of the country and later transcended borders was 'Khalasi.' The song told the tale of the limitless sailor who sets out to explore the shores of Gujarat. How do I know this? I did not, at least not until today. I Googled it, like many other non-Gujarati-speaking folks. However, the song has found a permanent place in my heart, and I did perform amateur Garba last Navratri.

The meaning might be lost on me, but the music brought me closer to the subculture that was emerging on the internet. It goes without saying that Coke Studio Bharat understood this power of music and tasked creative agency VML India with using this power to awaken forgotten languages.

VML India collaborated with up-and-coming Gujarati artists like Aditya Gadhvi and Achint Thakkar to create 'Khalasi' – a song that entertained and served as a cultural statement. By further collaborating with influencers, choreographers, and singers, along with the topicality of Navratri, a nine-day Gujarati dance festival, Coke Studio Bharat and VML India got a billion people to dance, sing, and celebrate in Gujarati.

This campaign, Sing to Remember, went on to secure silver and bronze metals at Cannes Lions 2024 in the PR and Entertainment categories. In our latest episode of The Inside Stories, we speak to Mukund Olety, CCO of VML India, about the changing definition of creativity, the need for entertainment in all campaigns, the importance of work culture that fosters creativity, and more, using the Sing to Remember campaign as an example.

Edited excerpts: 

Can we go back to the very beginning of this campaign? Where did the idea come from? What was the brief shared, and what was the objective? Walk me through the process.

Coke Studio, our client, has a set of six to eight songs every season. We not only work with Coca-Cola on Coke Studio but also publish those songs and make them come alive on different forums and platforms. This was the very first year of Coke Studio Bharat, and this recognition gave us that much-needed glory and a sense of validation that we’re doing the right thing for the brand.

The thinking was simple. We live in a land of languages, but how many of these languages do you really hear on a daily basis? How many of these pop cultures go beyond their specific regions and are heard at a national level? A large part of our songs are in English or Hindi, and maybe a bit of Punjabi. If you’re in South India, you might listen to a few more South Indian languages, but it’s still very restricted to your own space. I had not heard of a Gujarati song before. How many times do you hear an Assamese song, an Odia song, or a Kashmiri song? There is space for regional artists to make their mark at a national level with a platform such as Coke Studio. This not only elevates the stature of regional artists but also gives languages a platform to shine. Pop culture has a role in keeping languages alive, and what greater pop culture is there than music? If you use music to enrich a language, spread the language, and keep it alive, that’s the best part about this campaign and this platform.

Every campaign is presented as a case study in front of the jury. Can you tell me how important the case study is and does storytelling matter in this case study?

Case studies are crucial. We live in a world of storytelling. It’s not just the content itself but also the story behind the content. How do you bring that to life for a set of jury members who might not be from your culture or country? How you tell that story is important. Especially for Indian case studies, cultural context becomes extremely important and is often tucked away in written forms. Being on the jury, I can tell you that unless it’s in the case study, it’s very difficult to make that mark. There are 1,300 pieces that we judged as a jury. How many times do you actually go and read those forms for the cultural context? If you like the case, you would make the effort to read all the details about it. It’s important to mention cultural context in the case study itself. You need to create an interesting piece of work, whether it’s an ad, a piece of content, or social media content. It’s the same thing—how do you make a piece of content interesting for a jury? If the campaign was interesting, the case study will be interesting. If the campaign was not interesting, it’s challenging to make the case study interesting.

You were on the jury this year, judging the health and wellness category. Can you tell me about your experience?

This was my first time judging at Cannes Lions, and it was a very different experience compared to other shows. The process is highly systematic, with a percentage of entries moving up to metals and a percentage of those going to gold. There is a lot of rigor involved in shortlisting pieces and deciding which of the top 10 can be condensed to six and ultimately awarded gold. It forces you to make tough choices. Another positive aspect of being involved in health and wellness was the opportunity to see a diverse range of categories, from film to film craft, outdoor, and social mobile. There were two pieces from India that made it to the shortlist, and my role as an Indian on the jury was to provide the cultural context necessary for the jury to appreciate the work. Both pieces won awards—a gold and a bronze. Being on the jury and knowing that a piece of work you selected will inspire many people is a great feeling.

Do you remember your first campaign that won at Cannes?

Yes, it was a Young Lions piece for child labor. It wasn’t a lion but it was a piece that took me to Cannes. It was a print ad and this was a competition run by the Times of India. I was lucky enough to be chosen and to go there.

Did winning this trophy open any doors for you?

I wouldn’t say winning opened a door directly. It enriches and inspires you, and it elevates your quality of thinking. This reflection in your work can open many doors in the future.

You spoke about how validation goes a long way in this industry, but rejection is also a part of this industry. How did you deal with rejection, and do you have any tips for agencies that did not come back with a shortlist or medal this year?

I don’t see it as rejection but as a learning experience. Winning at Cannes is a bonus. If your work wins hearts locally, that’s a success. Resilience and continuous improvement are key. If you win in your marketplace or the hearts of people and don’t win a Cannes Lion, it’s still okay because you know it’s great work.

Going back to the campaign, the campaign won in the entertainment category as well. What do you think about India's approach to entertainment advertising?

All advertising should be entertaining. The difference is whether the content is sought out or people are willing to pay for it. Coke Studio is pure entertainment. You search for those songs and seek that content. We need more of this approach in various media. We’re good at entertainment in films and music, but we need to bring that quality into the advertising industry.

With the body and spectrum of work at Cannes, what did you think about India's performance and representation at the festival?

Broadly, the takeaway from Cannes this year was that big winners were clients willing to have fun and break their self-imposed restrictions. For India, it wasn’t the brightest year. We didn’t participate as a contingent but as agencies. Some years are better for individual agencies and some years are muted. I wouldn’t say it was a good or bad year for India. It was great if you did quality work that won the hearts of people.

You mentioned how client relationships play a huge role in winning and leading to a brilliant campaign. Can you tell me about the relationship that you share with your client?

No great work can happen without a great client. Coca-Cola is a great example. They are brave, hungry, and always seeking greatness. They push for elevated thinking, and the byproduct of that is a Cannes Lion. The relationship with WPP through Open X and Studio X has been recognised with awards, indicating that the choices being made are right.

You mentioned validation again and there are different forms of validation in this industry. Can you speak to the importance of validation?

All of us seek validation in some form. Awards show forces us to evaluate creativity because it pits one piece of content against another. It helps measure how a piece of work pushes the industry forward and inspires others. Validation is great because it brings inspiration to do more great work.

Were there any campaigns at Cannes this year that made you feel, "Why didn’t I think of that?"

Yes, there were tons of pieces. From Coca-Cola, the 'Thank You for Co-creating' campaign was such a simple idea. It just made me feel personally, why didn’t I think of that? 

Can you tell me how teamwork matters in campaigns?

The team led by Apar and Vaibhav, along with others in the office working on Coke Studio, is part of the WPP OpenX Studio X model. The result of their collaboration is great work.

As the CCO of VML, how do you inspire and motivate your team to create brilliant work?

Inspiration comes from everyday interactions, organizing forums, and observing each other. Inspiration can come from what you’re reading, watching, or experiencing. Agency culture plays a huge role. It influences how bold and creative you can be.

Do you think the Indian advertising industry is sometimes blamed for working just for awards? What would be your advice to agencies with this mindset?

Do great work and awards will follow. Focus on solving client problems creatively. Seek problems and find solutions. Awards will come if you solve problems in a creative manner.

Can you offer advice for young agencies entering Cannes for the first time?

Start early, test your work in local and regional shows first. If it’s great work, it will shine through. Create content that speaks to people. Awards will follow if you focus on creating great work.