“Making advertising great again": TUNE's quest for timeless storytelling

New Delhi: “If the world of content is an ocean, then we are the dolphins.” This is how TUNE, a creative agency, defines itself. 

To create ad campaigns with guts and not just with algorithms, TUNE was started by Tuhin Arya and Neel Nigam, who now serve as Chief Creative Officer and Chief Content Officer at TUNE, respectively.

Built with a “lot of heart,” we asked the duo about how TUNE came into its inception.

And, Arya said, “We started the parent company Bandstand Media a decade ago to cater to the video requirements of brands. We have worked with more than 200 brands across categories such as Sugar Cosmetics, Bombay Shaving Company, and DSP Mutual Funds. 

We were doing film campaigns with the brands, but we missed out on controlling the brands' overall communication strategies. This made us think that we should do something about it, and that's how TUNE came into existence. We realised that TUNE would engage with brands for longer periods, allowing us to take control of the entire brand communications and strategies, not just film campaigns.”

TUNE goes with the tagline “TUNE isn't just an agency; it's what happens when the storytelling evolves.”

Elaborating on the concept behind the tagline, Nigam said, “The idea to start Tune was to make advertising great again. When we speak about the evolution of storytelling, we mean going back in time to the best practices. While everyone talks about moving forward, we believe that revisiting the golden years of advertising is essential. 

We believe that legacy brands have become what they are because of such timeless strategies. This is something that has been missing in advertising for a long time. Our approach is to focus on simple, powerful ideas that resonate with audiences, just like the legendary campaigns of the past.

While we acknowledge the importance of data and metrics and use them, we feel that we need to leverage and master them rather than be dictated by them. Brands often get lost in the rush to adopt every new trend, but this doesn't help the brand in the long run. Jumping on every new trend isn't sustainable; rather, a strategic approach is needed to truly benefit from technological advancements without losing sight of what makes a brand unique and impactful.”

Importance of longevity

Moving on, in the conversation, we asked the duo about the impact that short CMO tenures have on brand building, and Arya replied by saying, “Longevity is a significant factor, and it affects not only CMOs but also agencies working with brands. Over the past few years, brands have been shortening their tenures with agencies, seeking to explore newer options. 

This trend prevents agencies from working on a brand for an extended period. The same applies to CMOs, as there's a shift happening with people being impatient and not allowing agencies or CMOs enough time to spend with a brand and deliver results. This impatience is why hopping onto the latest trend seems to be the preferred approach.”

Vertical formats and creativity

Both Bollywood songs and ad campaigns (though not all) are created with vertical frames in mind, following a similar structure that includes a hook, a body, and a conclusion. Some experts believe this mechanisation has led to a lack of creativity.

So we asked the duo for their thoughts on how the vertical format is impacting creativity.

Refuting the claim, Nigam said, “Trends are good, but brands should not be overly focused on leveraging every trend. We are not against the formats, but not every brand needs to follow the latest trend. If an XYZ brand is doing something with Ganji Chudail, it doesn’t mean everyone else should too. If it aligns with the brand's needs and solves a purpose, then it’s worth considering. However, the brand language should be clear, and any collaborations should make sense for the brand's identity, especially when targeting specific audiences like Gen Z.

Regarding formats, the vertical format opens the door to creativity for us as creators. Today, most content is in the 9-16 format because it's easy to store and cost-effective. This format focuses on rich content and strong performances, making it challenging yet interesting for creators. It also allows for a lot of creativity while saving costs, which is why brands love using it. It’s essential to ensure that the content is captivating since the audience's attention is solely on the content.”

A full-service agency?

Moving on, we asked the duo from TUNE if they wanted to make it a full-service agency, and they said, “NO.”

Explain why, Arya said, “Right now, we are a creative agency plus a studio. As a creative agency, we offer everything that a social media agency does, from social media, ads, and strategies to campaigns. We have not limited ourselves to specific channels or formats; whether a brand wants to do something on a billboard, radio, or different platform, we are here to offer that. We don't want to be classified as just a full-service agency; we are happy being called a creative agency, a specialist.”

Production houses and budget cuts

Production houses are nowadays facing budget cuts, and brands are not willing to spend as much on producing content for the horizontal screen, so how does TUNE manage this challenge?

Weighing in on the discussion, Nigam said, “To address this, we have always been writing our own scripts for brands and doing things in-house. This means that margins and related issues are less of a problem for us, as we handle everything in-house. We have two studio verticals: Bandstand, which handles our premium film campaigns, and Tikdum Studios, which focuses on performance ads and functional products like thumbtoppers. 

These two studio verticals operate as in-house studios for Tune while continuing to function as independent studios. The problem arises when an agency has to outsource these jobs to a production house, as everyone then needs to maintain a certain level of margin.”

Adding to Arya’s words, Nigam said, “Today, it’s an open market, and the ones suffering the most are production houses that solely depend on agencies for work. Agencies have become smart, knowing that clients have reduced their budgets. As a result, agencies are receiving smaller budgets and are no longer outsourcing film and production work to other production houses because their margins are getting cut. 

The need to go in-house

Citing budget cuts, Arya mentioned the need to go in-house, as there is no standard budget in the market. 

He further noted that “for a project with an investment of Rs 50 lakhs, there are people ready to offer options ranging from Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 40 lakhs, with some even as low as Rs 5 lakhs. Thus, we are doing everything in-house. By creating content in-house and not depending on outsourcing or external execution, we save on costs and maintain margins.” 

“What brands need to realise is that for Rs 5 lakh, they should not expect world-class quality; they need to be realistic. Brands often feel that just because something is being created for digital, it can be done with a smaller budget with production quality equal to a Television Commercial (TVC). However, the budgets for digital are not equal to those for TVCs,” said Nigam.

To wrap it up in the words of Arya and Nigam, “It is high time that creative agencies own their content and go in-house; that is the only way to survive in this competitive landscape.”