MUMBAI: The latest buzz on Zee TV?s Lux Dance India Dance is superstar Salman Khan?s visit on the sets of the show to promote his film Veer! The 3 mentors ? Remo D?souza, Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapur had left no stone unturned to ensure that their favorite superstar was left completely speechless on watching the spectacular acts they had choreographed to songs from his films!

Known for his trademark mischievous sense of humor, Salman had the audience in splits with his wisecracks throughout! He naughtily told his fans how Grand Master Mithun Da (who plays his father in Veer) once pointed out to a crew member of the film with a balding pate, grey hair and a haggard, wrinkled face, saying ?Salman, that?s my batch-mate!?. He went on to compliment Dada about how well he has maintained himself over the years, managing to look only 27 even today!

As if he wasn?t done with spilling the beans on Dada, Salman carried on to tell the audience how Mithun Da, being an excellent cook, used to make the next day?s food for the entire unit of Veer every night and workout in the kitchen with dumb-bells at the same time! The Chef with dumb-bells, eh?

Watching the enthralling performances put together by the contestants of Lux Dance India Dance, Salman decided to shake a leg too. So he got up, went on stage and jived to ?Love Me, Love Me, Love Me? alongside thrilled contestants Vandana & Kruti. Seeing Salman move so well, Master Terence Lewis was keen to see him perform an aerial act with cables like so many of Lux Dance India Dance contestants do. Salman was hesitant at first but gave in when Terence said, ?Salman, you are very strong. I?m sure you can do it!? Watching Salman in mid-air, performing as he hung on to cables, was a delight!

When some of the acts featured the boys lifting the girls high up in the air, Salman confessed, ?Guys, now this is something I just cannot do! I may lift really heavy weights, bench press more than most men do but I can never lift a woman that high up in the air.? Humility, thy name is Salman!

Master Remo D?souza has put together a breathtaking act featuring his contestants Bhawna and Shashank as beautiful fishes in love, swimming and gliding in the ocean world. Terence Lewis had Kunwar Amarjeet and Shakti Mohan bring the romance of Salman?s popular Aankhon Ki Gustaakiya alive with a beautiful aerial act. Geeta?s salsa act to one of salman?s personal favorite tracks featuring Dharmesh, Binny and Kishore was a hit too. The superstar is said to have stood up, applauded and saluted the talented young dancers and their mentors after seeing the beautiful performances.

Do not miss a series of spectacular performances to songs from Salman Khan?s movies in a ?Salman Khan special? episode of Lux Dance India Dance on Friday, 22nd January.
 

MUMBAI: CNN.com is premiering two new web-exclusive video series through content partnerships with Vice?s VBS.TV, overseen by creative director and renowned film director Spike Jonze, and Sub Pop Records, it was announced today by KC Estenson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. Both series ? ?VBS.TV on CNN.com? and ?Indie Asia: On Tour with Handsome Furs? ? will be available globally on CNN.com, as well as via the CNN App. for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the US.

These new series help fulfill the site?s promise of adding more diverse voices and a range of perspectives to complement CNN?s in-depth global news reporting.
?When we unveiled the new CNN.com, we wanted to showcase CNN?s in-depth reporting, as well as introduce a new range of voices to our users through strategic partnerships,? said Estenson. ?Indie Asia will provide users with a unique cultural travel log of Asia, while the original storytelling from VBS.TV promises to bring the CNN.com audience smart, alternative documentary-style videos.?

VBS.TV on CNN.com
Every Wednesday beginning on the 20th January, CNN.com will showcase select original content from VBS.TV, known for capturing exclusive feature stories and in-depth interviews through a unique lens and story-telling style. The first episode, ?Vice Guide to Liberia,? documents Vice Founder Shane Smith as he travels through the war-torn country, interviewing ex-war lords and residents who are struggling to move past a decade of violence.

?Most people who hear about this partnership will think, ?Vice and CNN, hmmm... That‘s an odd pair of bedfellows for you.? And you?d be right. The ?Hipsters? Bible? hooking up with the World‘s News Leader is a bit odd,? said Smith. ?But as our company began to evolve and cover stories around the globe, CNN was our first and only choice for a partner. In a world of hyper-partisan opinion-led ?news,? CNN?s credibility and reach put it in a class by itself. We couldn?t be more excited with a partner unless it was Jimi Hendrix (nod to all the Baby Boomers out there) joining our rock and roll band.?

Available at www.cnn.com/VBS, each episode in the series will be accompanied by photography from the field as well as a first-person narrative to bring the story into full context.

Vice launched VBS.TV in 2007 and is overseen by Jonze, founders Smith and Suroosh Alvi, and executive producer Eddy Moretti.

Indie Asia: On Tour with Handsome Furs
Sub Pop?s indie rock band, the Handsome Furs ? made up of the duo husband and wife team of Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry Cox - documented their travels during their first tour across Asia with two Flip cams for a new series entitled ?Indie Asia: On Tour with Handsome Furs.? These self-described travel nerds share the fun, excitement and drama of visiting new places, meeting new people and tasting new foods in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand with the CNN.com audience.
?As a compact, nimble and experience-hungry two-piece, there are few touring bands more adventurous than Handsome Furs. It?s a real honor to be associated with such an amazing rock band, one so bent on bringing their wholly unique music to such far-flung parts of the world,? said Jonathan Poneman, Sub Pop founder and CEO. ?Likewise, it?s an amazing opportunity for them and Sub Pop to be able to share Handsome Furs? experiences with the millions of people CNN.com reaches every day around the world. In the end, that sort of connection ? on record, at shows and now on CNN.com ? is the whole point.?

The Asian tour featured in the series is in support of the band?s second record, Face Control, which got an 8 out of 10 from indie tastemakers, Pitchfork.com and other critical acclaim. Boeckner is also a member of indie rock break out band Wolf Parade.

Available at www.cnn.com/IndieAsia, a new episode of Indie Asia is slated to appear regularly in the travel section of CNN.com beginning on Thursday, 21st January.
 

MUMBAI: Worldwide Media Pvt. Limited, the Times Group- BBC Worldwide joint venture today announced a continuation of its long term sponsorship agreement on the Filmfare awards with IDEA Cellular Ltd., to present the 55th Idea Filmfare Awards. It?s time to gear up for this year?s most sizzling event ? The Idea Filmfare Awards 2009; a time when your favorite stars walk down the red carpet for India?s oldest and most coveted cinema awards.

Recognizing and honoring the best talents in the Indian film industry, this year will mark the 55th year of Filmfare Awards and the second year of its association with the pan-India mobile operator, Idea Cellular. The fastest growing mobile company has been recently conferred the prestigious ET ?Emerging Company of the Year Award?.

Scheduled for the 27th February at the famous Yashraj Studios in Mumbai, the 55th Idea Filmfare Awards looks forward to bringing you yet another dazzling show acknowledging achievements of our stars with glamour, great performances, suspense, excitement and a thoroughly entertaining evening. With a plethora of films lined up to prove their worth to the black lady, this year too promises to be a power packed show. Once again, the black lady will have a touch of yellow, as the Idea logo will continue to don the most coveted Filmfare trophy. 

Continuing the rich legacy of being Bollywood‘s most significant and unbiased honor, this year once again will see nominees being chosen through audience poll. Through this polling, Indian cinema audiences will get a chance to voice their opinion on who they feel, deserve the revered title and recognition of a ?Filmfare Winner?, in their respective categories for the year 2009. This year, the response has been overwhelming, with audiences voting through postal mails, mobile and online media. 50% weightage will be given to polling results and equal weightage to a specially appointed panel of judges known for their unerring judgment in the choice of the winners.

Speaking on the occasion, Tarun Rai, Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Media Pvt Ltd. said, ?It?s time, once again, for the biggest awards show of the film industry ? the Idea Filmfare Awards. We will raise a toast, as we have for the last 55 years, to the immense talent of our film industry. We have had a successful partnership with Idea Cellular and, along with them, hope to make the Awards show even bigger this year.?

Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, IDEA Cellular said, ?Brand IDEA always associates with champion ideas to offer unique user experience, and entertainment, to our 58 million subscribers, across India. Our continued association with the prestigious Idea Filmfare Awards is a testimony of the brand?s promise to offer the best-in-class entertainment, through our reach and connect with the audience, across the length and breadth of the country. This year again, IDEA will bring stars and the best of movies, closer to our customers, through the 55th Idea Filmfare Awards?.

Idea will offer rich content on the mobile platform, around the 55th Idea Filmfare Awards, for its 58 million subscribers. Idea Cellular will also introduce a range of VAS products and contests, specially designed around Bollywood and Cinema. Idea contest winners will get to attend the Idea Filmfare Awards ceremony, sitting alongside Bollywood?s most sought after celebrities. Select customers will also get to Meet & Greet Bollywood stars, as part of the brand association with Filmfare.
 

MUMBAI: Navia, the OOH arm of Starcom Media Vest Group added yet another feather to its cap with its awareness-campaign for the launch of the 3D movie ‘Toy Story2‘ from Disney Studio highly which is acclaimed as one of the most popular animated features of all times.

As part of its strategy, the campaign entailed the use of chosen sites to achieve the maximum spread and create an impact with a limited budget. Key sites across the city were booked for the campaign and one site was prepared for the high visibility innovation. The selected billboard was put out at Juhu to target both movie trade as well as potential viewers. 

The creative was adapted to highlight the three- eyed character as the Protagonist and execute a not-to-be-missed innovation by making the alien character come alive, what with the animated eye-popping dimension of the character and the ubiquitous antennae which caught the attention of passersby. The proximity of the campaign-sites to hangout areas and educational institutions also ensured high visibility and word of mouth for ‘Toy Story 2‘.
 

MUMBAI: The resounding tune of Louis Bank‘s "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" capturing the voices of India‘s best vocalists and celebrating the diversity of Indians is back after a hiatus of 26 years, only this time, in a completely new avatar. Brand Equity reminisces the past and gets you a first sneak peak of the new version.

How did that little roadside corner-shop grow up to be the big thing in the distribution world? The limelight now shifts from air conditioned malls to the extremely modest paan-bidi shop. Brand Equity explores the growth and expansion of these so-called ‘tapris‘ and chronicles their importance for the sale of cigarettes, shampoo sachets, confectionary, chocolates and mobile top-ups. 

The IPL fever is here again and how! Twice as big as before and back home in India. That is the thought behind the new marketing campaign that ushers the much awaited ‘Season 3‘. The official broadcaster Max is all out to capture that mood. Brand Equity takes a look at the 8 part series that will soon hit the tube and finds out what happened behind the scenes at the high profile IPL auctions

To stay abreast with all the latest trends, strategies and developments in the world of Marketing and Advertising, keep watching Brand Equity, only on ET NOW.

Brand Equity airs on ET NOW at the following times:
Wednesday, 20th January 2010: 07:30 pm & 10:30 pm
Saturday, 23rd January 2010: 10:30 am 02:30 pm & 10:00 pm
Sunday, 24th January 2010: 11:30 am, 2:00 pm & 09:00 pm, 11:00 pm
 

MUMBAI: Rediffusion Y&R appoints Seema Rajarathnam as General Manager, South, Rediffusion Y&R Public Relations. She will be working out of Rediffusion Y&R?s Bangalore office.

Divya Radhakrishnan, President, Public Relations, says, ?Seema is an experienced and highly motivated marketing communications professional, with a strong client servicing and business development background. In the course of her 11+ year?s career, she has secured, built-up and maintained corporate client relationships to meet business objectives.?

On her new appointment, Seema Rajarathnam, General Manager, Public Relations, South, says,? I am delighted to be a party of the Rediffusion Y&R Group. I look forward to working on building, managing and expanding the brand portfolio that Rediffusion Y& R PR has to offer.?

Seema has garnered good experience across different client verticals ? Corporate, Retail, Lifestyle, Beauty, IT, Health and Sports. Her last assignment was with Euro RSCG, where she was instrumental in setting up the Bangalore branch of Euro RSCG PR. She has worked with numerous brands including Lacoste, RPG Cellucom, Jockey, Pratt and Whitney to name a few.