MxMIndia

Category: DEBRIEF

  • Anil Thakraney finds the new Hajmola ad quite a flop show.

    Indigestion!

    Dabur Hajmola: Ad hazam nahin hua!

    Dabur has come up with a very ambitious idea in an effort to expand the market share for its digestive tablet brand, Hajmola. So far, if I recall correctly, the tablet was pitched at the over-eaters and the greedy pigs. But now Dabur wants you to have a Hajmola after every meal and snack! In short, they expect to net a whole lot of new consumers, many of who may never even have heard of the brand.

    Now when marketers attempt such a Himalayan task, it’s paramount that the advertising shines for them to harbour any notions of success. Sadly, Dabur has released a safe, dull, regressive commercial for Hajmola. It’s back to the ‘Desh ka choice’ route of the eighties. The commercial features all sorts of people eating all sorts of things and then topping it all up with a Hajmola. From burgers to paani puris to idlis to samosas to kebabs. ‘Hajmola kare khana complete’ is the new tagline.

    Total flop show. A tired idea and an even more tired execution. This is the sort of stuff we have seen over and over again. When what was needed out here was some advertising magic to go with such an ambitious project.

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 0. Got a bad digestion!

  • If a trainee copywriter came to me with such a script, I would recommend the chap to a psychiatrist.

    Debrief: Unbelievably silly of Volkswagen

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    So, the madness that Volkswagen is notorious for in the print medium (remember speaking newspapers and pages with holes?) has spilled onto the television medium. Except, while the print madness at least got the brand to be discussed, the TV ad is so stupid, you can only scoff and wonder what the hell the Volkswagen guys are up to.

     

     

    The commercial I watched deals with some ‘unbelievable’ offers on their two brands, Vento and Polo. It features a cross dresser at the car showroom, and he/she keeps harassing the salesman about the offers. And the latter, quite exasperated, berates the customer for repeatedly asking the same questions. This weird exchange goes on. The idea is this: Because the offers are so incredible, you won’t believe them and shall keep confirming them at the showroom.

     

    Completely ridiculous advertising. While I am all for mad, it has to be fun mad and not juvenile mad, if you know what I mean. Not only does this ad repel you, it also tells you Volkswagen thinks their consumers are morons and that the company salesmen have the right to treat them poorly. Let me also add this: If a trainee copywriter came to me with such a script, I would recommend the chap to a psychiatrist.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5):  A BIG ZERO. The joke’s on Volkswagen. 

  • Anil Thakraney reviews ads twice a week. In his inimitable style.

    Birla Sun Life Insurance: Realism works

    Birla Sun Life’s ‘Protection Solutions’ financial plan seems to be targetted at the reckless urban youngsters who don’t plan for their future. And prefer to live for the moment. The TVC tries to strike at this flippant, carefree attitude to life.

     

    The ad features a young couple walking in the rain, as they look for a cab. The girl cribs a bit, so the hubby reassures her he will soon buy a car, as his promotion is round the corner. Meanwhile she too has some good news to announce but no, it’s not what the excited chap thinks. A baby isn’t on the way yet, but she has got an increment in her salary. As this banter goes on, the man narrowly misses being run over by a speeding car, much to the relief of missus. The message: ‘Kahin aap apne sapno ko kismet par to nahi chhodh rahe?’

     

    [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/31714764[/vimeo]

    Well, there’s nothing new out here in terms of the strategy. Fear factor and human emotions as a route has been used ad nauseum in the insurance category. However, must say the execution is nicely done. The young couple looks like regular folks you’ll walk past on the streets, and their mannerisms/conversations are very real. Also, they act very naturally. The use of realism should work for the brand… middle class young Indians would empathise with the couple and the situation. A fine example of how good execution can lift an otherwise over-used approach.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5):  3. But full marks to the ad filmmaker. 

  • Vijay Mallya has fallen into a self-created trap. Because the Kingfisher airline is a brand extension of the high selling and very profitable Kingfisher beer, it must carry forward the brand values of the latter.

    Debrief: A wing and a player

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Many experts (and non-experts!) have given us their views on the Kingfisher airline mess. Many reasons why the airline is in trouble have been speculated upon. And all this while the man in the hot seat, Dr Mallya, only posts pissed-off tweets. But doesn’t tell us what really is going on.

     

    Here’s my theory, and I put it out despite the fact that I know as much about the airline industry as Rakhi Sawant knows about nuclear physics. And I do so because I believe the main problem isn’t really about the business itself, it’s about branding.

     

    Yes, Mallya and gang have messed up on the running of the company. Yes, they could have handled flight scheduling better. Yes, they should have hired better talent at the top, and yes, the government’s unhelpful policies have added to their woes. But the real problem is that Dr Mallya has fallen into a self-created trap. Because the Kingfisher airline is a brand extension of the high selling and very profitable Kingfisher beer, it must carry forward the brand values of the latter. Any deviance from those would hurt the beer brand, because they share the same identity.

     

    Now, Kingfisher beer is synonymous with good life and high living. And has been so for many years. If the airline goes totally cheap and down-market, it runs contrary to the mother brand’s values. I suspect this is the battle that Dr Mallya lost, because it has conflict embedded within. With the downturn in the economy, spiraling cost of fuel, heavy taxes on airline travel and some serious competition in the sector, downgrading Kingfisher airline, cutting off all the frills, was the order of the day. What Dr Mallya did instead was to spend more on comfort, food, service and entertainment. And sent the operational costs crashing through the roof. He HAD to do this because the Kingfisher brand = Good life. He had no choice. Dr Mallya cuts the good life on the airline, it comes straight back to haunt his cash cow Kingfisher beer.

     

    Make no mistake about this: Dr Mallya is no spring chicken when it comes to dhandha, he runs a massive, very profitable liquor empire. He knows a lot about costs, revenues and bottom-lines. Where he went wrong was in the branding strategy. That trapped him big-time. He ought to have coined a new, independent brand name for the airline. A stand-alone brand that fights its own battles and is unburdened of any legacy. In which case Dr Mallya could have taken tough decisions on his airline. He could have gone really low-cost, and may well have been saved from the miseries he’s facing today.

     

    Perhaps he should have called it ‘Deepika’ airline. His equally flamboyant son would have approved! 🙂

     

    ***

     

    PS: Very happy that the media left Baybee Bachchan alone. Maybe Justice Katju has got to them. Maybe the broadcast editor’s guidelines were taken seriously. Maybe an earlier post from me opened their eyes (hee hee). Whatever. But this incident could well be a turning point for Indian journalism. Let’s hope so!

  • Vodafone must realize that simple need not be boring.

    Debrief: Zzzzrfan Khan

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Vodafone has decided that people with, let’s just say ‘limited means’, but with a mobile phone in hand must do more on their phones than just talk.

     

    This makes sense. A whole lot of Indians at the bottom of the telephony pyramid use basic handsets and are averse to experimenting with features. They are happy to use it purely as a speech device. If some of them convert and do more voice-based things, it expands the market. So no issues with the strategy.

     

    In order to communicate this to the lower end of the consumer spectrum, Vodafone has gone back to the ‘aam aadmi’ actor: Irrfan Khan. A series of TV commercials have been unleashed. I watched two. In one, the actor cribs that people invite him to parties just to get an update on the latest Bollywood gossip. And he says they should use their Vodafone connection for their gossip needs. In the other one he complains that his missus cooks cauliflower all the time. When all she has to do is use Vodafone to learn new recipes.

     

    Now while I understand that the intent is to keep the communication simple given the target audience, that does not mean the ads have to be dull and witless. The problem is the scripts aren’t funny, and the continuous stand up drone of Khan can get really irritating after a point. And even if you are the sort who smiles at such stuff, you will not do so on the second exposure. Also, for some strange reason, Irrfanji mumbles his way through the ads, as if they woke him from deep slumber. I had to watch the ads many times to even comprehend what the man is saying.

    Bring the Zoozoos back, I say!

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Only good for putting you to sleep.   

  • The whole anti-corruption crusade of Tata Tea is getting cornier by the ad. And the juxtaposition of tea-making with nation-building is completely hilarious.

    Debrief: Tata Tea: ROFL!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Remember that offensive cad in the Tata Tea ads, the one who’d smugly ask us to ‘Jaago Re’? Well, mercifully he’s been given a break in the new TVC created to celebrate 25 years of the brand. Now the message is ‘Soch Badlo’, and there’s a lady protagonist.

     

    But the anti-corruption tirade goes on. A cynical man cribs in his living room that corruption will never end in the nation, and that basically India is doomed (my thoughts exactly!). He then turns to his wife and demands a cup of tea. The missus uses the opportunity to teach him a lesson. And she delivers a long lecture about how preparing tea is like changing the state of the nation. A convoluted metaphor about boiling water being the raging nation or some such gibberish.

     

    I don’t know whether the makers of the ad intended this as a desired response, but I was left laughing out loud. Because the whole anti-corruption crusade of Tata Tea is getting cornier by the ad. And the juxtaposition of tea-making with nation-building is completely hilarious. Plus, in all this pagalpanti, the tea story gets buried somewhere.

     

    Yes, some soch needs to badlo out here. On the part of Tata Tea managers and their ad agency. They should leave the anti-corruption drive to Anna saheb. And stick to selling us chai.

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. The marks are only for some good laughs!   

  • The contrast is endearing – that of a desire to look beautiful. And a real life that's full of stress. Good show!

    Debrief: High on Mia empathy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interesting TV campaign from Tanishq for their new sub-brand called Mia. Mia is a jewellery brand targetted at working women. I suppose it’s meant for lady execs who usually wear imitation jewellery at work. And yes, I do think there’s a separate market for this segment. Jewellery pitched for use during momentous occasions like marriages, etc, can’t be adorned for daily wear. Good marketing strategy.

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Sound strategy backed by relevant creative.

    And what’s even better is that the creative work shines. There are three commercials on air. The idea is this: A female executive feels really happy when she wears her jewellery. Even if she’s stuck in a boring workshop. Or can’t find a parking place at the office building. Or gets a poor increment. The format of each commercial is that in the beginning you see the woman delighted at wearing her jewellery. And later arrives the twist of an ‘unhappy’ work situation.

     

    I like this campaign. For two reasons. One, because of the sharp understanding of the working woman by the advertiser. Which is that whatever be the work pressures, however sadela her job might be, a woman would want to look pretty at workplace. Two, the execution is steeped in reality. Yes, highly boring workshops and car park mess are realities we all totally identify with. The contrast is quite endearing. That of a desire to look beautiful. And a real life that’s full of stress. Good show!

  • Instead of unleashing boring stories of healthy electrons and neutrons inside the cooking oil, Fortune has gone all out to win the housewife's heart.

    Debrief: Cooking emotions

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Here’s another tear-jerker. And if you are an emotional fool (like me), you will rush to your nearest grocer to pick up cartons of Fortune cooking oil. And when the emotion involves a mother/son situation, an advertiser can be pretty sure it’s a safe bet.

     

    Fortune’s new commercial features an elderly mom who whips up delicious food for her merchant navy officer son. Since the officer won’t get a holiday to visit home, she lands up on the ship to celebrate his budday. And then, of course, it’s the predictable re-union.

     

    Smart move. Instead of unleashing boring stories of healthy electrons and neutrons inside the cooking oil, Fortune has gone all out to win the housewife’s heart. And the cleverest thing about the ad is the soundtrack. It’s the classic song from SD Burman: ‘Meri duniya hai maa’. It’s the sort of song that will move a heartless, emotional geek, leave alone an already teary mother.

     

    However, I must add that I didn’t get the same emotional high that I did from the recent Cadbury ‘Lonely maa’ ad. Here, the emotion seems to be a bit contrived and forced, and I suspect the person to blame for that is the ad filmmaker. Somehow the tears get diluted in the translation of the storyboard. Tells you how important it is to cast the right director.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Most of those marks go to Burmanda.

  • The humour is weak and the novelty value of a rusk biscuit, the 'crunchy and juicy' promise, gets lost somewhere in, well, outer space.

    Debrief: Rusky business

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Britannia claims their new biscuit called Britannia Rusk is crunchy and juicy. And it’s difficult to find such a taste anywhere in the world. And so, the creative takes you out of the world. Into a spaceship.

     

    In the TVC, a young astronaut takes a tea break and munches on Britannia Rusk. Suddenly, literally out of the blue, his entire family arrives to share the biscuits. Mom, dad, granny, even the kaamwaali bai. The message: Britannia Rusk brings the family together with its sensational taste.

     

    While I like the unusual setting of a spaceship, which will help the commercial get noticed, there are two factors that weaken the communication. Even as family bonding is demonstrated, the novelty value of a rusk biscuit, the ‘crunchy and juicy’ promise, gets lost somewhere in, well, outer space. Since rusk is a relatively new breed of biscuits out here, the initial advertising ought to have focused on product attributes rather than lifestyle. Secondly, the humour is weak. The maid’s appearance will bring a little smile, but that’s about it.

     

    All said, the TVC will arouse a little curiosity but may not be effective beyond that.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. The strategy needs a rethink.

  • Indian parents in general do not bother to teach good manners to their kids, and this is amply demonstrated by the little ones at public places.

    Debrief: Thank you for the lesson

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Tata AIG Life Insurance has released a new TVC to hawk their children’s ‘Gyankosh’ insurance plan, and I totally like this one. Instead of promising that our children’s future will be safe with Tata AIG Life, and that they’ll grow up to become doctors and engineers, the focus is on inculcating the right values in the kids.

     

    The commercial features a young family at the dining table. When the servant arrives to serve food to the kid, the dad demands that he must say thank you to the house help. The spoilt lad refuses, but the dad puts his foot down. Finally, after much prodding, the kid says thanks to the servant and learns a lesson he’ll hopefully never forget in his life. The VO explains that parents must focus on the right upbringing of their children and Tata AIG Life will worry about their future.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Hc7JcNLuc[/youtube]

    Good one. Very refreshing and unexpected communication. And very relevant for our times. Because Indian parents in general do not bother to teach good manners to their kids, and this is amply demonstrated by the little ones at public places.

     

    In addition the message emphasises the company’s core brand values. I also like the thoughtful execution… specially the part where the mother does not interfere when the dad is teaching his son a lesson. Wonder if all moms would do that in desi households.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Also works nicely as a public service advert.

  • Good, clean commercial from the makers of Nutrine Mahalacto. The main appeal lies in the fact that they have made a very routine announcement appear interesting.

    Debrief: Cute, cool and sweet

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good, clean commercial from the makers of Nutrine Mahalacto. The candy is now 20 percent bigger in size, and this needed to be communicated in the new TVC. Frankly speaking, it’s a rather boring offer, but to their credit they have managed to make it sound like fun.

     

    Animation has been used to make the Nutrine Mahalacto candy bar come alive as a spunky little character. The candy spots a goblet of milk on the dining table, and using a straw as a pole vault, it dives in. It then gobbles down the milk and becomes bigger in size.

     

    Not an award-winner by any stretch of imagination. It’s a simple story, but it’s been cutely told, the animation is cool too and most importantly: the kids will enjoy it. They are the target audience for the brand, and so that’s all that matters. To me, the main appeal lies in the fact that they have made a very routine announcement appear interesting.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Good animation.

  • Anil Thakraney finds the new Tata Docomo ad peppy, alive and full of masti

    Tata Docomo: Old idea, fresh play

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Tata Docomo has done one rather smart thingie. Instead of using Bollywood stars to connect with the whole of India (their appeal down south is always suspect), they have created two commercials specifically tailored for the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu consumers. Using the local movie stars: Ram Charan Tej and Vijay. This should help immensely in building a bond with the locals.

     

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNiUp0b0c4U[/youtube]

    The commercials are however not based on a new concept. It’s the same old ‘always stay connected’ idea. In the TVC, the film star, who’s the protagonist, laughs when his neighbour, a young lad, hits a girl with a water balloon. The girl in turn calls and energizes her tens of pals to seek ‘revenge’. This follows hordes of people chasing our hero till he gets hit by many balloons. Not only is the idea not fresh, it seems to have been inspired by Airtel’s ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hai’. In short, too much deja vu out here.

     

    Having said that, must confess the execution is peppy and alive, and full of masti. It is also the sort of script that, I imagine, will appeal to the southern audiences, so good show on that front. Neat job done by the ad filmmaker.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5. The marks go for good treatment