MxMIndia

Category: DEBRIEF

  • It's a good ad. For two reasons. One, we are talking real change out here, unlike the gassing that usually goes on over women's issues. Two, for a change, SRK has been used correctly in an advertisement

    Debrief: Tata Tea: Good use of Women’s Day

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Tata Tea, the brand that favours public service advertising, did a special number for Women’s Day. They roped in Shah Rukh Khan, I guess because of his popular persona of a ‘ladies man’. Well, at least they had some logic going, usually SRK is used mindlessly in all ads.

     

    So this lady journo has gone to interview Shah Rukh on Women’s Day. The hero belts out the usual stuff about the need for women to stay ahead of us ghastly men in all walks of life. The reporter stumps him with a deadly question (wow, that’s unusual for TV journos!). Why does the heroine’s name appear after the hero’s name in the movie credit titles? An unnerved SRK reaches for his cup of Tata Tea to clear his thoughts, though am sure he would rather have a smoke. And then our gallant hero makes a promise that from here on the lady actor’s name will appear ahead of his. Change made. Small change, and that’s the message from Tata Tea: Make small changes.

     

    It’s a good ad. For two reasons. One, we are talking real change out here, unlike the gassing that usually goes on over women’s issues. Two, for a change, SRK has been used correctly in an advertisement. He plays himself, and this interaction with a journo can easily be happening on the lawns of Mannat. Therefore the communication is credible. And credibility is a rarity in SRK ads. High marks just for that.

     

    However, what the star promises isn’t a small change, it’s actually a pappu change. He should have been compelled to promise that actresses in his movies will now get paid as much as he does. Now that’s the equality we want! Think it’s time for me to interview Mr Ladies Man. 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5. SRK used well. Good, topical idea.

     

  • This is your usual formula advertising. However, because they have used bird calls as the creative tool, the ad looks fresh and entertaining. Tells you how a simple device can lift an otherwise ordinary creative

    Debrief: SetWet: Quirky Cool

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The SetWet guys have released a quirky ad for their deodorant spray called SetWet Cool. Titled ‘Lovebirds’, a group of horny guys make bird sounds to attract the pretty ladies. Exactly like the birds do as their mating call. But our birds, oops, gals, don’t respond, though they seem to be enjoying all the attention. Then our hero arrives. The dude sprays SetWet on his hot bod, instead of making desperate bird calls, and naturally this trick works. He gets the chicks.

     

    It’s a typical before/after format, the sort we see in every other ad. Also, male deos have to show girls swooning, that’s part of the established template, and SetWet hasn’t deviated from it. In other words, this is your usual formula advertising. However, because they have used bird calls as the creative tool, the ad looks fresh and entertaining. Tells you how a simple device can lift an otherwise ordinary creative. And the bird call will help the brand get a distinctive personality, which is crucial in this noisy category.

     

    Still, one question remains: The models featured in the ad are all firangs. Wonder why this is the case. Surely Indians would connect better with fellow Indians. I can only hazard a guess. Perhaps the advertiser chickened out, fearing a backlash from desi feminists. However cool the idea might be, the situation does fall in the realm of eve teasing. And that is a very, very bad thingy in India these days.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyiBE9_Joeg[/youtube] 

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Smart creative device helps the ad stand out.

     

  • Is it entertaining/engaging, will people enjoy repeat exposures? If you are doubtful of this, trash the idea. The Frooti ad, after the first exposure, is very painful to watch

    Debrief: Frooti: Simple. But boring.

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    To Frooti’s credit, at least they haven’t put out a typical lifestyle ad. At least there’s an idea, which is the ‘drool’ factor. As in, when you are really hot and thirsty, you would stare longingly at the sod who’s gulping down a cold drink. But apart from that, the TVC goes downhill.

     

    So, SRK downs the drink, as some footballers and kids continuously stare at him. That’s pretty much all that happens. For some strange reason (perhaps because it’s a football field), they’ve used what sounds like a Spanish track, which is Greek to most of us, so it adds no value to the commercial. But the bigger mistake is that of using Khan. Because he’s over used and over abused in advertising (and media), the moment the film opens with him, you switch off mechanically. Given that the idea is so simple, they definitely needed a rarely used celeb, if at all.

     

    There’s another problem: When you decide to keep things simple, which is a good thing in advertising, the first question you need to ask yourself is this: But is it entertaining/engaging, will people enjoy repeat exposures? If you are doubtful of this, trash the idea. The Frooti ad, after the first exposure, is very painful to watch. Even you are a diehard SRK fan, which I am not. I think this very critical factor was overlooked at the storyboard stage, when it should have been on top of the agenda for a cold drink ad.

     

    Net net: Shah Rukh Khan just bagged another load of big moolah. And Frooti got forgotten in the bargain. Waste of money.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn6EzpB9KA[/youtube]

     

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

     

  • It's well conceived, many of us men would identify with these everyday life situations. Good idea and an equally good execution. This ad assures us that not all Indian men are bad guys

    Debrief: ICICI Prudential: Ad bhi achha hai

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Everyone I’ve spoken to likes the new ICICI Prudential commercial. And I agree with them. That’s because it rides on a tremendous insight: We men (at least some of us) gladly put ourselves in the line of fire to protect our near and dear ones.

     

    Themed ‘Bande Achhe Hain’, the TVC features a collage of such situations. An elderly gent comes in the way of the blazing sunlight on his wife’s face. A dude moves himself in the direction of the passing traffic to keep his lady partner safe. Another one prevents his missus from banging her head against an open cabinet, and so on. It’s well conceived, many of us men would identify with these everyday life situations. Also, what makes the communication strong is that most of us men don’t make a fuss when we do these helpful things, unlike the ladies, hehe.

     

    Good idea and an equally good execution. What I also like is the timing. With increasing incidents of rape and molestation in the nation, desi men are at the lowest point in terms of favourable imagery. This ad assures us that not all Indian men are bad guys. Nice to see a campaign that celebrates men, quite rare in this country, we guys usually (and deservedly) get trashed.

     

    If there’s one little problem I have, it’s the idea’s link with ICICI’s various insurance policies. That link is a bit tenuous, and the advertiser can only hope for a positive rub-off over a period of time. Of course, we already know that ICICI bank’s staffers are really achha bandas. Reportedly, they convert black to white, minus any fuss. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Hx2T4ciws[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5. Pleasing ad, strong on empathy.

     

  • You have to be crazy to even imagine that the multi billionaire Ms Chopra would ride a lowly scooter. I know her job in an ad is to look pretty and get the eyeballs, but shouldn't these guys pay at least a modicum of attention to credibility?

    Debrief: Hero Pleasure: Mindless celeb advertising

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    If you are looking for an example of totally daft celebrity-based advertising, then you are at the right place. Hero Pleasure is a ladies-only scooter, and the advertiser asks the right question: Why should boys have all the fun? Indeed why. But in response, you don’t get to hear an interesting answer. What you get instead is Ms Priyanka Chopra! Yikes!

     

    So the mega star cheerfully rides around town on her Hero Pleasure (no one recognises her, of course). She ends up shaking at a happening party with her dad (more yikes!), and makes fun of a chap whose mom is pissed off because he’s out late. Not only is the ad dull, it’s mighty stupid.

     

    But the bigger problem is in the casting. You have to be crazy to even imagine that the multi billionaire Ms Chopra would ride a lowly scooter. I know her job in an ad is to look pretty and get the eyeballs, but shouldn’t these guys pay at least a modicum of attention to credibility? Even if they HAD to use a movie star, why not cast a younger, fresher face, and someone whose personality matches with the brand. To my mind, the solution lies inside Chopra’s own household, her niece Parineeti Chopra. The way the latter has carefully crafted her feisty persona, she appears like someone who might enjoy the odd scooty night out. And because she’s a newcomer, the credibility factor gets some weight.

     

    And the ‘pretty face for attention’ theory doesn’t wash with Priyanka Chopra as she’s endorsing a hundred other brands. You have to wonder if some advertisers even bother to apply their minds before signing huge cheques in the name of the usual celebs.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB63G54LuaM[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Very poor casting. Boring creative.

     

  • Safety of women is now favourite dinnertime conversation; it was a matter of time before a public service campaign went on air. The Mumbai Police has come up with one, but it's a classic case of noble intention let down by dull communication

    Debrief: Mumbai Police: Weak & Ineffective

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, safety of women is now favourite dinnertime conversation; it was a matter of time before a public service campaign went on air. The Mumbai Police has come up with one, and there are quite a few commercials. However, it’s a classic case of noble intention let down by dull communication.

     

    The ads feature policemen talking directly into camera. They first address women, reassuring them that their complaints will be taken seriously. Later, in the same capsule, they address us deviant men, urging us to respect women. This simplicity and honesty sounds perfect on paper, but live action needs a lot more. There are many problems with this approach.

     

    For one, because each ad has been broken into two segments, as a viewer, I mentally switch off as soon as the second section starts, assuming that the same message is running in a loop. This is because the policemen, the camera angle, the set up… it’s the same for both segments. They needed to take care of this inevitability. Two, I don’t know if these guys are real cops, they look like small-time TV actors. Their names appear as supers, but this gets missed very easily. The fact that these are real cops ought to have been highlighted powerfully, credibility of the communication solely rides on that. And lastly, the treatment is ineffective because the creative is weak. As a citizen, I know this is not how cops deal with me in the police station, that all this nicety is only for the camera. Forget policemen, even the traffic cops are petty rude (ask the angry MLAs!). Which is why they needed a stronger approach, something that would make us sit up and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know the police is nice with women complainants!’. Perhaps they should have played out real experiences of women at police stations. As for the ‘stern’ warning to the goons, it’s so thanda, I can see them going ‘LOL’.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Tch, tch. A good opportunity wasted.

     

  • This is a full on art director’s commercial, very refreshing to see this come from India. And the folk song track provides the perfect canvas. Basically, it all comes together wonderfully

    Debrief: MP Tourism: Stunning Holi ad

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Excellent commercial from MP Tourism. This is perhaps the best Holi ad of all time. It’s a very simple idea: As visitors get hit by Holi gulal and coloured water, the material takes the form of important state tourism destinations. Such as the Kanha wildlife, the Sanchi Stupa, the Khajuraho artworks, etc.

     

    And therefore the fate of the ad lies totally in the magic that one can create with the execution. Must say it’s quite beautifully done. The special effects look very cool, and the treatment is arresting. This is a full on art director’s commercial, very refreshing to see this come from India. And the folk song track provides the perfect canvas. Basically, it all comes together wonderfully, and all the colour splash would add to the allure for a traveller, especially the firangis.

     

    I am not a fan of Holi, haven’t played it in many years. But this ad makes me want to take part. And yes, all the interesting tourist destinations are brought out naturally, without ramming them down our throats, and this makes you want to pay MP a visit. Plus it all ties in naturally with the Big Brand promise: ‘Incredible India’. What more can one possibly ask from a tourism ad?

     

    Good work.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LttnTnz8TXI[/youtube]

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 4. Another super MP Tourism ad.

     

  • The creators overlooked one very important aspect of light-hearted, quirky, cold drink advertising: The ad should leave a little smile on your face. If that doesn't happen, there's no question of feeling 'up'

    Debrief | 7UP: Not feeling up!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    7UP is back this summer with the same positioning: ‘I feel up’. But the commercial I watched did anything but. Because there’s a clear problem with the ad, and we’ll come to that shortly.

     

    So this young girl is accosted on a street by a Kathakali performer. He offers her a 7UP, switches on his portable deck, and starts grooving. Not to classical music, but to a mix of desi pop, dandiya, salsa and god knows what else. This scene naturally gathers a crowd around them, and for some strange reason, our girl feels ‘up’.

     

    Didn’t work for me, though. For one, the commercial tries very hard to be different in order to attract your attention. And that often puts you off as a viewer. The effort must never show, this should be a natural process. Two, 7UP’s earlier TVC with actor Sharman Joshi and a penguin was at least a little lively and peppy. This one leaves you cold (and that’s no thanks to the cold drink). Where the new commercial fails, is that while trying to be ‘different’, the creators overlooked one very important aspect of light-hearted, quirky, cold drink advertising: The ad should leave a little smile on your face. If that doesn’t happen, there’s no question of feeling ‘up’.

     

    A side-note: I would be shocked if, on a street corner, a strange looking character tapped me on my shoulder and offered me a free drink. And if I was a girl, I would flee. And then quickly Tweet/FB my experience. Now THAT would make me feel ‘up’. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfGlPwyN1_4[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1.5 Tries too hard to entertain. Fails.

     

  • Good work. In terms of both, the strategy and the creative. Well, the ad agency has delivered. Now it's up to the Goibibo team to meet their deadly promise

    Debrief: Goibibo: Good use of metaphor

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Sharp work from the Goibibo guys, and quite literally too! The strategic thrust is to diss the rivals and gain brownie points in the process.

     

    The setting is an operation theatre. A ‘patient’ is on the bed with multiple knives stuck into his back. When the surgeon arrives, our patient complains about being stabbed in the back by his regular travel agent/portal, that too on several occasions. On account of cancelled airline bookings, being offered horrible hotel rooms, etc. The cool surgeon, instead of operating on the poor fellow, digs the knives back into him, and recommends Goibibo.

     

    This wild approach will help the brand get a good recall when people plan their travel. One, because most people will have had all sorts of bad experiences on their journeys. And will report stories of the ‘missing in action’ travel agent when things went wrong. Therefore viewers will immediately empathise with this creative. As a new brand, Goibibo needed a platform like this to take off. I also like the use of ‘being stabbed in the back’ metaphor as the central idea. It gives the ads visual drama and helps build a long-term memory hook. And it makes the ads entertaining to watch.

     

    Good work. In terms of both, the strategy and the creative. Well, the ad agency has delivered. Now it’s up to the Goibibo team to meet their deadly promise. They let the travellers down, and Goibibo will have to be ready to face frontal knife attacks. J

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Edgy creative backed by sound strategy

     

  • A pat on the back to Blue Star for taking this dangerous route. Quite clearly, they have chosen clutter-breaking as the primary communication task, and the ad delivers on that score. The madcap work will get the brand noticed

    Debrief: Blue Star: Cool approach

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Haha. A cute ad from the Blue Star air conditioners guys… in fact, the crazy treatment tells me that advertising for this product category is getting precariously close to that of candy adverts.

     

    The idea is this: Keeps the boss cool. At home and at office. The message is delivered through jazz music. So the male boss acts like he’s maha agitated, and so does the lady at home. Their anger resonates to the beat of the tense music. Once the Blue Star a/c is switched on, both immediately cool down, and their body language matches with the now pleasant musical strains.

     

    A pat on the back to Blue Star for taking this dangerous route. Quite clearly, they have chosen clutter-breaking as the primary communication task, and the ad delivers on that score. The madcap work will get the brand noticed. It’s also treated well, there’s entertainment in-built within the idea, without the need for any spoken words. So that’s fine. But that still doesn’t change the fact that an a/c will set you back by thousands of rupees, and a consumer will surely want to know a lot more about the brand. Guess the Blue Star team is leaving that task to the showroom salesman.

     

    Net net: It’s a dicey strategy and can easily backfire. However, one must give the advertiser credit for taking that chance. Especially if they have nothing unique to boast about the product itself, and I suspect they don’t.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Risky ad but it does smash the clutter.

     

  • The zoozoos are still cute, but the situations can do with more laughs. The new crop of TVCs bring a little smile to your face, but they aren't hilarious

    Debrief: Vodafone: Zoozoos don’t make you LOL

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The IPL is here and so are the zoozoos. I think Vodafone is doing absolutely the right thing. By not overdoing these creatures, they’ve ensured the idea remains fresh. And unleashing them during the IPL makes a lot of sense, given the ‘full family’ audience this chaddi cricket attracts.

     

    The new season arrives with a slew of new ads. And this time they’ve come up with a new addition: Midget zoozoos, so to speak. In one TVC, the midgets transport an opera singer right to a fan’s doorstep. This sells music on the phone. Another ad features them indulging in celebrity gossip. Yes, it’s the same strategy; Zoozoo antics tied to a specific Vodafone offering. This route has worked for the advertiser in the past, no reason why it won’t work again.

     

    However, there’s a problem this time: In the ads I have watched so far, I found the humour quotient to be low. Of course, the zoozoos are still cute, but the situations can do with more laughs. The new crop of TVCs bring a little smile to your face, but they aren’t hilarious. I’ll give you an example: I still recall one of the earlier ads, where a family of zoozoos is seen howling and shrieking as they rush out of a room. We later discover one zoozoo has applied a face mask, and this drives them crazy. This ad promoted beauty alerts. It was just too good, I still laugh when I think of that situation. That’s the kind of fun Vodafone needs to revive if they want the zoozoos to pack in the same impact.

     

    A tip for the creatives: Write these ads from inside a pub, and not from your office.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Still cute, but humour needs to be upped

     

  • Anil Thakraney presents his views on the latest ads

    Debrief: Fastrack: Irreverence works

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Highly provocative ads from Fastrack. What I like about this brand is that it’s been consistently irreverent in its advertising, they haven’t shied away from controversy, rather, they very clearly court it. The new TV campaign has pushed things further by attacking social taboos.

     

    There are a few commercials on air, I have watched two. One features a lesbian couple coming out of the closet (quite literally). Another one deals with a chap flirting with his girlfriend’s mom. Both situations highly unacceptable in a conservative (at least on the surface!) nation like India. And therein lies the power of the campaign. Because their parents would reject such stuff, the urban youngsters (whom Fastrack targets), will love these ads. Kids today want to ‘move on’ (the brand’s tagline), they want to experiment, to be who they are. In fact, I would say ‘Move on’ is now an intrinsic part of regular vocabulary in Young India. I also like the funky soundtrack, goes well with the taboo situations.

     

    In short, here’s a watch and accessories brand that sells only attitude, they don’t talk technology or aesthetics. Correct approach, and with its consistency, Fastrack has managed to carve out a nice little niche for itself. I am already waiting for next year’s instalment. The creative team should keep an eye on National Geographic’s hot hot  programme called ‘Taboo’. Interesting stories get featured in it. Like a middle class couple who scavenge garbage for dinner, a woman who’s turned her mate into a dog… lots of exciting material to choose from. 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Great attitude. Cool execution.