MxMIndia

Category: DEBRIEF

  • DeBrief: It’s raining MCPs!

    [youtube width=”300″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9XOvpyFm8E[/youtube]What’s with male deodorant brands? Why are all of them based on the idea of insulting women by projecting them as mindless sex objects? What sort of male chauvinist pigs do they target? Do the MCPs constitute such a vast populace? To be honest, I am left quite flummoxed by the advertising in this category.

     

    I suppose Axe started it all but their ads are at least a little more tasteful. The bad copycats have used this route with the one-point agenda of treating women as sex slaves to beastly men. The latest brand to join this flesh party is Killer.

     

    I watched three commercials. In one, the killer dude has just finished a sex romp with a very pleased girl. He then proudly tells her the next romp is with the girl’s sister. And the pleased lass looks even more pleased to hear that! In another ad, he effortlessly picks up two girls from the streets, and no, they aren’t hookers. And in the third one, the killer picks up a sexy chick from a laundromat. Simply by talking dirty.

     

    Completely pathetic advertising. Makes you want to reach for the barf bag. Additionally, if all male deo brands have the same positioning, where’s the brand differential? How will I recall Killer at the retail outlet if all deo ads look like clones of each other? So, not only is the advertising repugnant, it’s also senseless from the marketing point of view.

     

    PS: At this rate, I may quit using deos altogether! Meet me at your own peril, man.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): -5

     

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief will appear twice a week- Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • After the first exposure, you will reach out for the zap button on the remote control. Because it’s laboured, un-engaging and witless.

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: Good strategy, poor creative

    There’s a new commercial on air for Parker Pens. And it stars brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The creative thought is this: ‘What the world calls a pen’. And it’s a correct one. Because as we all know, pens as a category is on a fast decline on the product life cycle chart. There will come a time when the pen will become a historical product, much like the typewriter. So it makes sense to make the brand synonymous with the product, to own the category, and thus at least be a leader for as long as the product survives. I completely agree with this strategy.

     

    But the creative fails to leave a mark. Bachchan is seen sitting inside what looks like a hotel lobby. And he’s got the whole range of Parkers spread out on the table. What is he, a pen seller? That’s not explained. Suddenly, a firang arrives and asks if he can borrow a pen. But instead of lending him one, Big B begins educating the gent on how Parker is pronounced in various nations. Exasperated, the man asks for a Parker, which is immediately handed to him.

     

    Boring creative. After the first exposure, you will reach out for the zap button on the remote control. Because it’s laboured, un-engaging and witless. While I like the idea of getting the brand to be the hero, so that consumers ask for it at retail outlets, sadly the commercial is very dry. And no, Bachchan has no role to play out here… he’s forced in, as he usually is in ads.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. For a sound strategy.

     

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief will appear twice a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • While I understand the desperate need for a lifestyle approach to paints advertising, there is a crying need for originality in this category.

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: Dulux lacks colour

    Dulux has come out with a bad copy of the Asian Paints idea. While I understand the desperate need for a lifestyle approach to paints advertising, since the functional route won’t work in this category, there is a crying need for originality in this category. Because that’s the only way to induce brand connect for paints.

     

    Dulux’s new commercial says ‘Apna Rang Chhalakne Do’. It features actors Shahid Kapur and Boman Irani. Irani is finicky about the red colour he wants, and is seen giving hell to his painter on the exact shade. Suddenly, Kapur waltzes into his house, with Irani’s daughter in his arms, wearing what is called a ‘Rascal red’ tee. This follows a sequence of some very trite banter between the characters, till we are told Kapur is a doctor! Wow, we are impressed!

     

    Not only does the ad immediately remind you of the Asian Paints ‘Mera wala blue’ campaign, the execution is so dull, boring and well, colourless, it puts you off despite the presence of movie actors. The conversation is forced, the humour contrived. In short, the commercial is a dud any which way you look at it.

     

    The least Dulux ought to have done was to come up with a more interesting tribute to Asian Paints.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): A BIG ZERO. In Rascal red.

     

     

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief will appear twice a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Anil Thakraney’s ad reviews now on MxMIndia.com. Every Tuesday and Thursday.

    Introducing: DeBrief: Anil Thakraney’s ad reviews

    Adman-turned-journalist Anil Thakraney reviews ad creatives for MxMIndia.com. You may love them or hate them, but you simply can’t ignore them… all written in an inimitable style.

    The reviews will appear 104 times a year. Every Tuesday and Thursday.

    If you’d like him to review your creatives, just email us at editor[at]mxmindia.com with the subject ‘Debrief’

    Meanwhile, please feel free to comment on the ads as well as the reviews… here’s your chance! 

     

    Volkswagen Jetta: India is shining. But reader… please buzz off!

    The Volkswagen guys were back recently with another kick arse print media innovation. Which basically meant buying out the front page of the daily newspapers, thus rodgering the readability. (Who cares for the reader, anyway?)

    This time it was for their brand new premium gaadi, Jetta. The newspaper arrived shining, quite literally. The front page was printed on a glossy, steely, mirror-like paper. The message: ‘Time for Volkswagen. Time for the all-new Jetta’. You will recall in the past Volkswagen has put out a ‘speaking’ newspaper. On another occasion they got proprietors to dig large holes inside their newspapers. (Who cares for the reader, anyway?)

    Yes, as in the past, the latest gimmick worked. Jetta got noticed and instantly became the talk of the town. Also, I suspect the high-gloss, snazzy, over-the-top page would have, in particular, appealed to the small and medium level businessmen. Who have all the bucks but are likely to be low on taste. In other words, the key target market for Jetta.

    And yes, the readability went for a toss because of the mirror work. (Who cares for the reader, anyway?)

    Rating: Since I am not a Jetta buyer (I am into Tata Nano): &%@% &^#!

     

  • Airtel’s idea has caught on with the so-called Gen Next, and the internet is buzzing with it. A total winner, to put it simply.

    Anil Thakraney’s DeBrief: Very cool stuff!

    I regard ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’ an outstanding idea. Because of its simplicity, its honesty, its spirit, and most importantly because of the advertiser’s sharp understanding of today’s youth. Airtel’s idea has caught on with the so-called Gen Next, and the internet is buzzing with it. A total winner, to put it simply.

     

    And I eagerly awaited the next stage of the campaign, and was curious to know how they’d take this concept forward. It’s a tricky one. We have often seen in the past that the mother ad is launched with a bang, but it eventually ends up as dull 15 second edits. And I must say Airtel doesn’t disappoint, the new short films, highlighting various features, look like chips of the ol’ block.

     

    I watched two ads. In one, some friends get together and make frantic car race sounds on their mobile phone, in an attempt to mislead their pal into thinking they’re at the F1 race. The dude obviously gets very pissed off on being left out. The other one is funnier. A bunch of guys arrive inside a parking lot to find the windshield of their car smashed. The worried owner asks he pal to call the cops, but the kanjoos chap gives the police station a missed call! This ad sells the night-time calls plan.

     

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTqHoFTx0tI[/youtube]

     

    I like these ads. Not only because they are humourous, but also because the approach is kick-arse. The friends don’t do positive deeds in the ads, in fact they react negatively to their buddies. And still, they are zaroori! Brilliant thought. This little twist makes the ads charming to watch.

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4.5. Keep ’em coming!

     

     

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief appears twice a week.

  • Honda Brio: Not a Love Story (with apologies to Ram Gopal Varma!)

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: All you need is…

    The Honda guys have finally realized there’s an aam aadmi in the Indian market. So they’ve launched a hatchback called Brio, and it’s affordable. (Jazz, their other hatchback, is much too ridiculously priced… one can buy a nice sedan at Jazz’s price point.)

     

    The positioning for Brio is rather interesting… ‘Brio loves you back’. The commercial features a guy and his girl romancing. At the same time, the bugger also romances his Brio. This love-all saga goes on till the poor guy discovers his lover has been cheating on him. But instead of burying himself in booze, he returns to his car. Why? Well, because as the ad says, Brio loves him back!

     

    Despite the fact that the desi middle class doesn’t buy cars for love… they buy them mainly for economy and resale value… I think the concept of love does have potential. But the execution messes things up, because it’s a convoluted tale. The ad has to establish love between the two human beings. Simultaneously runs the story of the chap’s love for his car, and this requires many car shots to be showcased. And in this dual love story, things get rushed through, the cutting is too fast, and the victim is emotion. And what’s love without emotion?? You only see a mish-mash of many visuals. To make things worse, the video don’t sync well with the languid, easy paced background score.

     

    Bottom-line: Promising idea let down by a not-very-smart script.

     

    [youtube width=”450″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQJ4OOupGHE[/youtube]
    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1.5. Didn’t feel the love.

     

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief appears twice a week.


     

     

     

     


  • For a new online shopping portal, it’s critical to come up with a clutter-breaker, which Yebhi has done.

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: Wacky and effective!

    Apparently you can purchase many goodies at a new portal called Yebhi.com. (I like the brand name, very imaginative.) And ‘great rates’ is their USP. To communicate this promise, they have come up with a completely hilarious ad.

     

    There’s this lucky dude who’s hit a gold mine. Nearly electrocuted at an ATM machine, his daddykins goes through a magical transformation. The ol’ man now coughs out currency notes. In other words, he’s become an ATM machine himself. Naturally, his loser, good-for-nothing, wastrel son is elated. And the lad goes on a mad shopping binge, with his ATM daddy coughing away wads of rupees. Great idea. Every loser’s dream come true. To have a dad who’ll keep showering money, no questions asked.

     

    And the execution is wacko, it’s full-on entertainment. Full marks, I say. For a new online shopping portal, it’s critical to come up with a clutter-breaker, which Yebhi has done. Also, the message is single-minded: You don’t have to be a lucky son to get lucky at Yebhi. Should get the portal lots of hits.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”300″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWpNrrImxbA[/youtube]
    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. I would have given it 5 if they had featured a mantri’s son. In which case the daddy works like an ATM just by winning an election. No need for electric shocks! 



  • How do I gift stuff to anyone if all my savings have been burnt on getting KLPD*? Still, three ads caught my attention.

    Debrief: The Diwali Special

    By Anil Thakraney

    Diwali special

     

    Not much Diwali themed ad action this season. Guess because the sentiment is a bit dull in the market place, thanks to the heavy inflation. How do I gift stuff to anyone if all my savings have been burnt on getting KLPD? *(For the one-track mind wallahs, that’s Kerosene, LPG, Petrol, Diesel.)

    Still, three ads caught my attention. The Cadbury’s ad I have already dealt with earlier. The other two are from Coke and Big Bazaar.

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    [youtube width=”320″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfH9hm9Ea7o[/youtube]
    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. Only for the jingle. Watch this commercial with your eyes shut, and it works rather nicely!

    Coke: Great audio, poor video

    To begin with, there’s no direct connect between a soft drink and Diwali. No one gifts a cola on D-day. Unless, of course, very subtly the Coca Cola guys are asking us to do just that, since we are all so bloody broke! Coke’s ad wants us to light ‘two extra diyas’ this Diwali. I suppose this is an extension of their ‘open happiness’ idea. And the execution involves kids lighting diyas at their regular haunts. College canteen, girls’ hostel, on the wall that serves as ‘stumps’ for their cricket matches, etc.

    I think it’s a nice idea wasted on juvenile imagery. Coke should have taken the ‘share happiness’ route and come up with situations that are touching and emotional without being heavy. ‘Khushiyaan baanto’ as a concept lends itself to emotion very well. Even the jingle is warm and tugs at the heart. But the silly visuals leave you cold and detached. I suspect this is what happens in the desperation to feature kids at all costs. Even accepting that, surely there’s more to youngsters than canteen and cricket.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5. For the advertiser’s deep empathy with the target consumers. 

    Big Bazaar: Relevant and thoughtful

    It’s a simple, no-frills Diwali commercial. And you know what? It works perfectly well for me. Because the idea and the execution reflect a clear and sharp understanding of Big Bazaar’s core target market.

    The TVC features a teenage girl inside her home. She looks fed up of her regular salwar kameez, and yearns for a stylish one she spots in a magazine. The setting and the casting clearly tell you this is a lower middle class household. However, her dad, who’s decorating the house, smiles and tells her: ‘Diwali aa rahi hai’. And yes, it’s time to hit Big Bazaar and get hold of that salwar kameez, and more!

    Good one. I like the fact that Big Bazaar is totally clued in on their key customers, which is the middle and the lower middle class segment. And this results in an engaging, warm, and very relevant communication. Big Bazaar and the ad agency will definitely not win any awards for this effort, but the store will surely get many footfalls this festive season. And in the end, that’s what really matters.

  • Micromax is notorious for over-the-top and often offensive advertising, so this commercial came as no surprise to me.

    Debrief: A shining ad!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Here’s the Micromax ad that did not leave actor Shiney Ahuja very amused. And he’s taken legal action against the advertiser.

     

    Now, Micromax is notorious for over-the-top and often offensive advertising, so this commercial came as no surprise to me. It sits in well with their brand personality. A young lady excitedly tells her female friend that her hubby, whose name is Shiney, has bought her a new Micromax Bling handset. And she’s surprised to find that the naughty Shiney has bought the same instrument for her pal too. But she gets the shock of her life when the housemaid declares Mr Shiney has bought one for her too!

     

    Hahaha. I think the ad is very funny and very Micromax. I like advertising that cleverly ties in the brand’s message with current affairs. It just makes the communication that much more engaging. It’s a pity that Shiney Ahuja lacks a sense of humour. Also, if he had kept quiet, some people would have noticed the ad. Now that he’s protested, many more will. Enjoy!

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBascDwOIiQ[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): Full 5! I am still laughing! 

  • I like the idea of taking a quiet break from life, of taking some time off on a hurried day. And a nice, delightful dessert goes well in that situation.

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: Nice idea

    McDonald’s has launched an icy new dessert called McFlurry. I did try it out the other day and was left quite unimpressed. Would like to discuss that in detail, but since I don’t get paid to do food reviews, let’s cut to the chase.

     

    The idea is ‘Slow down in life with McFlurry’. The commercial features very busy people taking a leisurely break over a McFlurry. Essentially corporate execs and other rushed souls. I like the idea of taking a quiet break from life, of taking some time off on a hurried day. And a nice, delightful dessert goes well in that situation. The execution is cool, too. A laidback jingle, assorted people cooling off… the commercial does catch the spirit of slowing down. The situations could have been more interesting, but that’s fine. That can be corrected as the idea evolves. So, all in all, a good one.

     

    However, here’s a request for McDonald’s: They must make it clear that the McFlurry is a ‘take-away’ dessert that people must purchase and scoot. And that’s because youngsters and families often spend hours doing time-pass at McDonald’s over a single Fanta, happily ignoring the long queues outside. And forgetting that McDonald’s is a ‘fast food’ joint. With ‘slow down’ as the message, I fear these guys will hang out over a McFlurry for hours together!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3tK9K6W_po[/youtube]
     Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Good idea. Neat treatment.

     


  • Full credit to the ad agency for making Birla Cement’s comatose promise come alive.

    Debrief: Berserk advertising

    By Anil Thakraney

    A very boring product offer: Use Birla Cement Wall Care Putty to prevent your walls from chipping and flaking. It’s the sort of brief that would put many creative directors to sleep. Given that, full credit to the ad agency for making such a comatose promise come alive.

    The commercial features a man combing his hair as he notices that his pet parrot has started ‘shedding dandruff’. Panicked, the chap informs everyone in the neighbourhood, and it quickly becomes a huge story. Naturally, television channels get into the act, and soon the whole of India is mystified by the parrot that sheds dandruff. Finally, the parrot spills the beans. The chipping walls in the house have flakes falling on its head, which results in the parrot having to constantly shake its head to dust them off. Like dandruff. The message: ‘Chahiye papdi se chhutti, lagao Birla White Wall Care putty’.

    [youtube width=”375″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTzNnl2qXw&feature=related[/youtube]Good fun, I am all for the absolute madness in this commercial. A dull product like wall putty needs some serious clutter-breaking advertising in order to get noticed. And Birla Cement has achieved that. Also, the TVC nicely reflects the dumbing down of the television media, and that makes the ad even more entertaining. Wonder if editors of channels like India TV, Star News and Aaj Tak would cringe a bit when they broadcast this ad. They should.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5 Good example of how to get excitement going on a boring product.

  • Anil Thakraney reviews Bisleri's new 'Stay Protected' commercial.

    Anil Thakraney’s Debrief: Senseless fun

    Mineral water brand Bisleri has released a brand new commercial. ‘Stay Protected’ is the message. While the message sounds all serious and professional, the commercial is a riot.

    Two chaps emerge out of a painting and decide to go on a boat yatra. The treatment is part animation and part live action. On the high seas, they run into a she-monster and her baby. The baby tries to gobble down one of the dudes on the boat, but he gets stuck in the baby monster’s mouth. Mommy monster grabs the Bisleri bottle from the other chap’s hand, and uses the water to help her baby swallow down the ‘meal’. The she-monster, in a gesture of gratitude, not only returns the Bisleri bottle to the lone survivor, it also spares his life.

    Haha, it’s both funny and corny. Kids will like this cartoon story. And I appreciate the effort to inject some fun into what’s just a brand of water. However, here’s a red flag: Mineral water is a very, very low involvement product category, and consumers don’t really suss the brand name before purchase. So while it’s great to do a fun story, should the focus not be on communication that tells us what makes Bisleri special and different from other brands in the category? So that I have a clear reason for demanding Bisleri from the grocer, rather just any mineral water. How can I ‘stay protected’ through a fairy tale involving sea monsters??

    Bottom line: I am all for mad. But madness with method. Not plain mad.

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2 (For the cute animation.)  

    Anil Thakraney’s ad review column DeBrief will appear twice a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays.