Art advertising is revolutionising brand communication: Ronitaa Italia-Dhanu, GoodHomes

India is a land of diversity, with 22 major languages and more than 720 dialects. And in a land of diverse languages, expressions and cultural mix, there is one thing which is understood and celebrated by all. ART.

Art makes you experience the beauty of freedom, the power and joy of self-expression, and the fun of giving concrete picture to your mind, ideas and inspiration. It cuts across all languages and barriers. It is no less than any carnival of our country.

And in one such initiative, GoodHomes joined hands with Hafele to rejoice the art in India. Organised since the year 2012, it is an annual art initiative that aims to celebrate all forms of art and change the perception that Art is meant only for the elite.

The activity powers a three day long celebration of art, exploring the possibilities of blurring the boundaries between art and the common man. The art festival has been successful in promoting art at all levels through various art installations by artists that are young and old, rich and poor, Urban or Rural.

Prominent names from the art industry such as interior designer Brinda Miller, Kanika Bawa, Jaideep Mehrotra, Arzan Khambatta, Paresh Maity, Tushar Joag, Pradeep Mishra, Prabhakar Kotle, Prajakta Potnis, has been on the forefront supporting this unique Art festival promoting art in all forms.

Adgullys gets into a conversation with Ms. Ronitaa Italia-Dhanu, Editor of GoodHomes at Worldwide Media Private Limited (WWM) where she speaks up about GoodHomes Art Festival, Art in India, Art advertising and much more….

Adgully: What are the key differentiators this year?

Ronitaa Dhanu: Each year, the initiative endeavors to come closer to its purpose, which is to bring art to the people. This year we will see a more collective and enhanced efforts towards taking art out of the structured formats of the galleries and planting it right in the midst of the people. That is exactly what our location stands for — Worli sea face. The structure in itself is a marvel and resonates well with the aesthetics thus, making it an apt choice to exhibit various forms of art. Similarly, last year we did it at Carter Road Bandra west.

AG: What is the target audience for this activity

RD: Since GoodHomes for Art festival is all about forming a connect between art and common man, we aim at bringing together anyone and everyone who has an inclination towards art.

AG: What are the key art forms you focus on?

RD: Art comes in myriad forms, we have worked with paintings, installations, performance arts, interactive arts, visual arts, digital art and photography. Some of these art forms will also be showcased through stupendous installations by noted artists who have been associating with GoodHomes for Art Festival for years.

AG: What is the media mix for this initiative

RD: Like every year we aim to go all out and reach out to the maximum and make it an even bigger and successful event. We have adapted a 360-degree marketing approach that includes Digital, Radio and our in-house brand GoodHomes magazine for print.

AG: Apart from Hafele, can you name other partners with whom you have associated?

RD: Having right brands as partners on board makes for a successful property. Since the inception of GoodHomes for Art festival we have received support from some of the most established brands who share the common virtue of promoting art.  We have had successful client integrations with Bed Bath More, Asian Paints and Nerolac. In 2014, for the 3^rd edition of GoodHomes for Art Festival we set up an art Lounge in association with Bed Bath More and Space 118 at High Street Phoenix. The following year, we successfully executed an interactive event with Shibani Jain of Baaya Design and Warli Artist Mr. Ramesh Hengde held at the Asian Paints Store in Bandra.  

AG: Tell us about your association with Hafele and if you can share the structure of the partnership?

RD: Hafele and GoodHomes have had a long partnership especially when it comes to GoodHomes for Art. Mr. Juergen Wolf, MD, Hafele India, is passionate and supportive of art which is often seen in Hafele ‘s product range as well. They have been our partners for the last 4 yrs.

AG: Can you tell us about the growth of the art festival since 2012

RD: When we started out with GoodHomes for Art, we worked on bringing people into the galleries, engaging them in a discourse with patrons and curators. Over the last few years, we have successfully managed to take art itself outdoors, and make it accessible to the common man. Ultimately, it is a reaction from the layman that the artist is looking for as the end result. We have also opened up popular sensibilities to art by getting them to participate in workshops and interacting directly with the artists themselves. In the last couple of years, we have worked with entire neighborhood communities, like the Carter Road Residents' Association in Bandra, to take on an entire area and create a vibrant cultural environment where people can actually engage themselves with artwork. To put it all in a nutshell, every year, we have pushed the envelope further to involve and engage more and more people with our initiative.

AG: Art in India. How it has evolved over the years?

RD: Art, by its very nature is a reflection of its time. In that sense, it is constantly evolving, right from the various principles and types of art, to the acceptance and appreciation of it. The best part however, is that a lot of collaborative effort is being made within independent communities to bring art and its awareness to the people. Take for instance the Kochi Biennale and what it is doing to put Indian artists on the international map.

AG: How has art advertising changed in these years

RD: Art is the most efficient way of conveying a brands message across the target audience as it forms a strong connect with the consumer. For instance, the various on-ground activities that we executed with brands such as Bed Bath More, Space 118 and Asian Paints invited consumer participation. This helped immensely in creating a brand recall value in the minds of the consumers. Thereby, we can safely mention that art advertising is revolutionizing brand communication in an effective manner.

AG: Way ahead

RD: Goodhomes for Art will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with artists, gallerists and art patrons and do what we can to further our cause — democratize art, open it up for public appreciation. Also, we look forward to a continued association with Hafele that echos our agenda behind organizing this Art festival effectively through its brand proposition.