The advertisement for Volkswagen included a voice chip pasted into 200,000 copies of the English-language Indian daily that activated as soon as the paper was unfolded. To say the initiative was a Herculean task is an understatement – it took 100 people three days to paste the chip into the papers – and it certainly provided a memorable surprise for readers.

"There were people who threw it down thinking something was wrong. Children started crying when they heard the voice. Our office was flooded with calls asking what was going on," says Kasturi Balaji, Managing Director of The Hindu.

"One person said, 'do you realize that someone with a weak heart might collapse on opening the paper?' We were happy that nobody keeled over. And Volkswagen was delighted, because they made some noise."

Mr  Balaji's  presentation on the unusual advertisement for Volkswagen, a recent entry into the Indian car market,  illustrates the innovation alive in newspaper companies today, as they seek to find new revenues from all of their offerings, both in print and digital.

"Advertisers need to be unique, to stand out," says Mr Balaji. "They are increasing pressure to provide innovative solutions."