MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    For the 100th edition of Freaking News, some TV awards

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Outright, hands down, CNN-IBN wins the award for Silliest Debate Topic Ever On A Monday Night: “Is Yuvraj Singh the next Lance Armstrong?”. For those who have been living on Mars, cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been under treatment for cancer in the US and has just returned to India. A long recovery period lies ahead. Ace cyclist Lance Armstrong, a tour de force on the Tour de France, won his battle with cancer and didn’t let it affect his sporting prowess and achievements. Surely however, it is far too early to comment on Singh’s condition and future at all, although there must be every hope for a full recovery and return to form. Under the circumstances, this kind of discussion appears insensitive and illogical.

     

    * * *

     

    The Earnest Sadness In The Face of Terrible Facts award for Monday night goes to Arnab Goswami and Times Now on the discussion about a spurt in incidents of violence committed by teenagers. Goswami rued that the motto of “Simple living and high thinking” no longer made sense to the post-reforms generation and participants talked about how the drive for money and success had skewed values for young people. There was a pall of gloom all over the Times Now set as actors ruminated on the terrible effects of money and lack of supervision on young people. I had to use at least three hankies. Note to self: keep a box of tissues next to the television.

     

    * * *

     

    The award for showing Immense Fortitude In The Face Of Severe Provocation is shared jointly by Nidhi Razdan of NDTV and Sagorika Ghose of CNN-IBN as they attempted to control Trinamool whatever-he-is Derek O’Brien as he defended his Supreme Leader Mamata Banerjee from the wicked media. First on NDTV and then on CNN-IBN, O’Brien shouted, flustered and blustered his way through as he got angrier and angrier that anyone had dared to criticise his Supreme Leader. Razdan had him first and she barely managed to get him to stop talking so that the other guests could have their say.

     

    By the time he reached CNN-IBN, he had worked himself into a fine rage. He then “had words” with a CPI spokesperson which descended to phrases like “You are not the king of me” being bandied about. He then called Lord Meghnad Desai ‘Lord Swarj Paul” which led to another bout in which O’Brien emerged bloody. Then he and Desai got into another spat.

     

    All in all, Ghose was out-shouted and had to use her diplomatic skills (come on, we’re all born with them) to stop her guests from killing O’Brien. Even Dexter seemed kind and gentle after all this.

     

    * * *

     

    After all that, Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show on Comedy Central gets the award for Restoring Sanity to News Analysis as he took on the shooting of American teenager Trayvon Martin by a Neighbourhood Watch member George Zimmerman in Florida. Stewart asked all the questions that anyone following the case wants answers to.

    Phew.

     

  • I wasn't even aware that Cag awards still exist. They've become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago

    Anil Thakraney: Cag awards: Need to be revived

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interesting story on Cag awards in mxmindia. Here’s the link in case you missed it:

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/04/why-cag-has-stopped-awarding-seniors/

     

    To be quite honest, till I read this particular article, I wasn’t even aware that Cag awards still exist. They’ve become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago. In fact, I often used to wonder what went wrong.

     

    Once upon a time, Cag awards were the most respected and the most wanted in the ad world. Creatives used to value them hugely. Unlike the Abbies which were perceived to be commercial in nature, and therefore lacked the value of Cag awards.

     

    The difference between the two was essentially what happens with film awards. Those in the popular categories and those awarded by the critics. The latter is more valued by the film frat. According to the story in mxmindia, what led to the de-valuing of Cag awards is that scam ads slipped in, and the scamsters robbed the awards of the credibility they possessed. A pity, really. Because in my books, Cag had the opportunity to be that ONE awards competition which most ad people would continue to covet and which would truly reflect their skills.

     

    Surely the entry of scamsters could have been controlled. It’s not so difficult to do.

    All you need is a copy of the media plan and a letter from the client. To kill the whole idea because of that makes little sense to me. Also, GoaFest charges heavy fees per entry. And therefore its revenues are dependent on the ad frat. This makes the organizers powerless.

     

    In my interview with Shashi Sinha, he mentioned that given a choice he’d invite clients to the jury team, but the creative directors won’t allow it. What Sinha didn’t say openly is that the real control lies with the creative directors so there’s nothing he can do. They pay for the festival, right?

     

    Cag could have been that organization where there are no entries. Or the entries aren’t paid for. Like the film awards. Where the jury members select the winners on their own. And this allows the organizers to run the show in their way, on their terms. Minus all the scams and controversies that have been known to dog GoaFest.

     

    And Cag could so easily have found sponsors who desire to be associated with a clean, respected ship.

     

    In fact, I believe this can still be done. It needs just one entity/organization to revive the awards and make them the most valued in the Indian ad world.

     

    * * *

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxjz_P3yjwM[/youtube]

    PS: Brilliant commercial from Land Rover. What a refreshing way to advertise a powerful SUV. Says so much about the brand without having to pack the ad with the usual, tired, vehicle-in-action shots.

     

  • News, Copyright issues and a more gorceful role by AROI are some changes that Tarun Goyal wants in the radio industry

    The Anchor: Tarun Goyal on 4 things that should change in the radio industry today

    By Tarun Goyal

     

    1. Radio must have full-fledged news:

    Radio should be allowed to air news freely. By allowing the private radio stations to air news limited to only AIR is not sufficient, radio is a local medium, it must be given a free hand to broadcast news.

     

    2. Copyright issue must be resolved:

    The Government of India must make the copyright policy clear. The government should come out with a formula on revenue share basis as this will change the way the dynamics of the industry. We are sharing 4 per cent of the revenue with the government ofIndia, so why can’t we share the revenues with the music companies? I believe this model can solve most problems facing the radio industry today especially in programming.

     

    3. Government must be more supportive:

    The government should be more supportive in formatting their policies for radio because the government spending on radio is not sufficient enough for the growth of the industry.

     

    4. AROI should be more assertive

    Although the AROI is functioning well, the change I would like to see is that AROI should pursue be more assertive in meeting the needs of the radio industry. The AROI must function more aggressively and the government should also take the body seriously as AROI is a body which was formed by the radio broadcasters.

     

    Mr Tarun Goyal is the Founder, Director of Radio Chaska

     

  • Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. People will either recall Salman and his antics, and forget all about the brand, or the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall

    Debrief: Yatra.com: Dangerous strategy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Totally filmi commercial from Yatra.com, the travel portal. They have hired the services of Salman Khan and have packed in all the masala Sallu bhai’s flicks contain. And of course, the macho hero does what he does best in his movies: Act himself.

     

    Salman plays some sort of a travel agent who spends all the ad time making fun of a partner/customer over the wig the man is wearing. Basically all the nonsense Khan indulges in on the big screen. Of course, we have no idea how Salman fits into Yatra.com and how exactly we get better deals. What happens in the ad is what happens in Salman’s movies: He totally hijacks the show.

     

    Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. This is like a loaded dice that can swing any which way. People will either recall Salman and his antics and forget all about the brand (what Yatra.com does for you gets lost in all the filmi drama). Or, the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall when one is planning to travel. He could improve the brand saliency. Only time will tell Yatra.com if they’ve benefited from the actor or if they’ve pissed away a whole lot of money.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75PU4RwdXJU[/youtube]

    Just one small side observation: A little birdie tells me the middle aged hero has got hair weaving done inDubai. In which case, should the joke not be on him? 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5 Marks only for the entertainment Salman provides.

  • With advertising, brands can rationally differentiate themselves by highlighting their unique selling points which makes it stand different from other brands

    The Anchor: Sanjeev Singhai on 6 reasons how brands benefit by specific ad solutions

    By Sanjeev Singhai

     

    1) Advertising informs and educates

    Advertising delivers news around the brand to consumer. explains how brand is the best fit around taste, value for money or lifestyle that the consumer is looking at, thus making it easy for consumer to make the purchase decision. It can also be used to explain complex product feature or clarify consumer doubts around the brand or raise awareness among consumers about the new variety or categories of products and services that the brand has to offer.

     

    2) Advertising differentiates

    With advertising, brands can rationally differentiate themselves by highlighting their unique selling points which makes it stand different from other brands, making it easier for a consumer to make a purchase decision.  It also stimulates competition in the marketplace and allows space for the category to grow.

     

    3) Advertising persuades to purchase

    Advertising aims at persuading the potential customers, impacting their intention to purchase the product. Advertising attracts attention towards a product, and by sharing its unique features, advantage and benefits, creates desire to have the same and finally induces consumers to visit the market and purchase the same. Advertising has psychological impact on consumers. It influences the buying decisions of consumers.

     

    4) Advertising drives sales

    Advertising not only creates an emotional connect between consumer and the brand but can also be used to support the sales promotion efforts of the brand, allowing it to make positive contribution in sales promotion. Thus advertising help brand contribute to company’s growth and profitability.

     

    5) Advertising creates demand (drives trial)

    Advertising spreads information and encourages consumers to ‘try’ new products. Such advertising leads to product trials, thereby leading to creation of new demand. Various promotions are offered to consumers in the initial period giving them an inertia to try the new product and generate positive response which helps in creating new demand from non-users and build a relationship with brands.

     

    6) Advertising helps brand reinforcement

    Advertising helps in reinforcing brand’s name and image to the public, which can be part of a long-term marketing strategy. For example, when Nestle produces an ad for Aata Maggie, it is not only telling the benefits of that product but is also keeping the Maggie brand live in the minds of consumers, which can also help the sales of its other products. Advertising help build brand image with distinct personality of the product. Advertising builds brand image and this develops consumer loyalty towards a specific brand.

     

    Sanjeev Singhai is Business Director – Indian Sub Continent, Buchanan GroupIndia

     

  • This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story

    Anil Thakraney: What lessons have we learnt from Aarushi?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Aarushi is back in the news. And it’s quite obvious that the media heat on the 2008

     

    Aarushi Talwar killing in Noida has kept the investigation going. Just as it happened in the Jessica Lal murder case. If the media hadn’t given so much attention to this crime, Aarushi’s X-file would most likely have been closed a long time ago. So far so good.

     

    However, the manner in which the electronic media has covered the story in the last four years has been nothing short of unfair and unethical. It’s one thing to put pressure on crime investigation; it’s another thing to break every single tenet of journalism with impunity. I recall the two extremes that were played out on the TV channels in the aftermath of the murder. On the one hand, there were the Star News reporters busy re-enacting the murder and virtually declaring that the parents were the killers. On the other hand there was Sonia Varma of NDTV in a chat show with Aarushi’s mom, not just bonding with her but making every visible effort to make the lady appear victimized. And in between these two extremes there has been a whole lot of speculation raging on, and every single news channel is guilty of it. What took the cake was the narco-analysis tests of the suspects being freely broadcast for public consumption!

     

    No, I am not saying for a second that the intentions of the anchors/reporters were motivated. But it is equally true that without realizing it, they have been sending all good journalism practices for a toss. This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story. This sort of a public tamasha doesn’t happen anywhere in the world media, apart from a few yellow tabloids.

     

    Click on the image for larger view

    No, after four long years, we still don’t know who killed Aarushi. Maybe we’ll never know. But thanks to an over-excitable media, many reputations have been tarnished forever. Question is: Have we learnt our lessons? I suspect not. I have a strong feeling that in the mad chase for TRPs we will make the same mistakes all over again.

     

    Sad.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Fantastic press ad. Reminds me of the golden days of Trikaya andEnterprise, when the agency writers would churn out stunning prose. This advert kills all the myths that float around about press ads. That people don’t read long copy. That you have to say things straight and quick. That press ads are at best a reminder medium. All nonsense.

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    [MJR] Katju rides to the rescue of the press!

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Thursday/Friday was one of those rare news cycles where TV and print appeared to agree with each other – at least when it came to the Supreme Court’s upholding the Right to Education Act and the reservation of 25 per cent of seats for the economically backward in non-government schools.

     

    Arnab Goswami of Times Now right off the bat said any opposition was elitist and demonstrated the deep rich-poor chasm in this country. This line is in keeping with his “simple living high thinking” mantra unveiled a few days ago in a debate about teenage violence. Other channels also presented the same line of thinking. This made life a little uncomfortable for those outraged that rich kiddies now had to sit next to the children of their domestics – although no one said that quite so openly, of course.

     

    Even as opponents of the idea went on about increase in fees and so on, no one quite bought it.

     

    Friday morning’s newspapers followed the same lines – with particularly vociferous arguments in favour of the RTE plan and with some tough words for those against it. For a middle class readership, it is class prejudices which are first priority and the media has certainly picked up on that without pandering to it.

     

    As the judgment sinks in, it can only be hoped that newspapers (TV cannot do it) delve deeper into the implementation of the act and keep track of what is actually going on. Sticky points include minority institutions and boarding schools which are currently exempt from this provision, what happens to a child after Class VIII and improvement of facilities in government schools.

     

    * * *

     

    Press Council chairman Markandey Katju has jumped on to his white horse and charged to the rescue of the freedom of the press. The Press Council is going to the Supreme Court to challenge the Allahabad High Court’s decision to stop the media from reporting on troop movement. The media, so upset has it been with the temerity of the Indian Express to carry the controversial story about fears of an army coup in some government circles, has remained largely silent on the court decision.

     

    This is an interesting maturity test for the media. Its compulsions to tailor material to reader demands and provide infotainment aside, there is also a larger role regarding the safeguarding of democracy and being a general watchdog. Patriotism in the media context does not mean bowing before every institution – it means quite the opposite.

     

    I cannot say this better than Katju himself: “…the Indian Army is not a colonial army, but the army of the Indian people who pay taxes for the entire Indian defence budget. Hence the people of India have a right to know about army affairs, except where that may compromise national security.”

     

    As Katju points out, the media has this freedom under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.

     

    Hear hear!

     

    * * *

     

    The media’s role in the Aarushi Talwar murder investigation remains questionable. It has swung from one extreme to another, drawing its own conclusions, dramatising the life and death of the young girl and encouraging the investigators’ own bizarre behaviour as a result.

     

    Right now, some in the media seem to have decided that the parents of the girl are innocent and being unduly targeted. Open magazine has carried a long article by historian Patrick French claiming this (he is a patient of the dentist couple).

     

    Unfortunately for everyone concerned, the courts will base their judgment on evidence collected and presented.

     

  • It’s not a fun thing that’s happened, but AN Chorreachose to add his two-bit on what could be (and what should’ve been) done for the Imagine announcement to not happen.

    Anchor: 5 ways how Imagine could’ve survived

    By AN Chorrea

     

    It was indeed shocking to see Turner cease all operations of Imagine TV with effect from yesterday. My considered view is that Turner Broadcast could’ve managed to see Imagine survive the Great GEC Race and also thrive by any of these five programming tweaks.

     

    1. Rakhee round the clock

    Rakhee Sawant may have got into the limelight thanks to Bigg Boss on another GEC, but it’s all the crazy things that she did on Imagine that caught the world’s imagination. And made her a household name. So, wouldn’t it have been a great idea to have Rakhee and Rakhee along all 24 hours?!

     

    2. Reality round the clock

    Imagine isn’t the only channel which is into reality shows… almost every channel is. But remember they started out with one, albeit for just a week. Methinks heavy doses of Rakhee Sawant, Rahul Mahajan and all other types of international and desi formats would’ve got it all the ratings!

     

    3. Maximum Mythology

    All channels have mythologicals, but given its superior rendering of Ramayan and later Dwarkadheesh Bhagwan Shri Krishna and more recently Mahima Shani Dev Ki makes one wonder that if Imagine aired only mythologicals round the clock – with lavish sets, et al – wouldn’t it have worked in its favour?

     

    4. Supernatural mumbo-jumbo

    I am sure you’ve seen Raaz Pichle Janam Ka, the primetime show that’s a reality show showing the practising of past-life regression. The programme is quite engaging leading us to suggest that the channel should’ve gone in for all the supernatural, astrological and other bizarre stuff for at least 18 hours a day. And for the other six hours: more supernatural stuff. Possibly TV shopping for gizmos that can help you cross all barriers in life.

     

    5. Get the original Jhatka from Pogo

    For a man who stole everyone’s hearts in Fauji, Shah Rukh Khan has had a  easonably awful track record on telly ever since he became a superstar. KBC with him as anchor was no great shakes and Paanchvi Paas on Star Plus and Zor Ka Jhatka on Imagine were disastrous. It would’ve perhaps been nicer if Imagine could’ve got Pogo to part with its version of Takeshi’s Castle. While the show’s fun, it’s Javed Jaffrey’s commentary that does the trick and one can keep watching it endlessly. As the show’s name suggested SRK’s Jhatka deserved a kick at all the right and wrong places. Zor ka!

     

    AN Chorrea is a seasoned industry-watcher who writes under a pseudonym

     

  • Women in catfights, people having babies just to get Facebook likes, reporting gynae visits, discussing exes… such fun! The things people do for Facebook, says Rahul Kishore

    The Anchor: Rahul Kishore on 5 reasons why Facebook is such a stressbuster at work

    By Rahul Kishore

     

    Having joined Facebook four years back, and being active on it I can honestly say that not only is it a great stress buster at work…but helps me stay focused all day. The reasons are many…

     

    1. It cuts out other forms of relief which are detrimental to one’s health

    Smoking for example and endless cups of coffee or both. I don’t need to walk out to the terrace in dusty Gurgaon to look around while taking puffs out of a cigarette. Nor do I need caffeine to get me through. I don’t smoke though…

     

    2. It helps me stay in touch with my friends and some important associates

    Feel the need for a chat? Just log in…of the 15 odd friends logged in, you will definitely find a reason to chat with atleast two, if not three…this chat could at best be five minutes. Sometimes with more than one person…Lightens the mood and energizes one to get back to work with gusto.

     

    3. Helps me stay young

    While reading others’ status updates you are able to relate a lot more to the younger lot. Comment on something, and they fire back almost instantaneously. The repartee has to be swift and sharp. I win on most occasions…in fact all! 🙂

     

    4. Good for a laugh

    Laughter is the best stress buster of all. I see the photos and the updates and sometimes laugh uproariously. Women in catfights, people having babies just to get Facebook likes, reporting gynae visits, discussing exes…such fun! The things people do for Facebook!

     

    5. Great way to stalk your exes

    Others’ exes too…see how they shaped up 20 years later…how fat, how bald, how old they look. What are their kids like? Where do they party and holiday? Are you better off without them?

     

    Rahul Kishore is Senior Vice President, Mogae Media

     

  • Imagine's fictional shows were completely me-too, and most of their reality stuff was a huge disaster. In such a scenario, Imagine's closure does not surprise me at all…

    Anil Thakraney: Lack of imagination

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Even a kid will tell you that there are just toooo many TV channels inIndia. Both, entertainment and news. And even as talks of a shake-out have been doing the rounds for years, more channels are waiting to start operations! Like everything else inIndia, it’s a mad house out there.

     

    Quite obviously, there can be place for only so many brands. The advertising pie is limited, and it cannot be shared by so many hungry mouths. And in the Indian context, a vast majority of a channel’s revenues come from advertising and not through subscriptions. In such a scenario, Imagine’s closure does not surprise me at all… in fact, I wonder what took them so long.

     

    As for the many other struggling channels, they are fortunate to be run by very deep pocketed suits. But those deep pockets, like Turner’s, will dry up at some point. It’s a matter of time.

     

    Imagine came on to the scene in 2008, when the Hindi GECs market was already divided between Star, Zee and Sony. Each had already established itself, and all three channels enjoyed viewer loyalty. To break into this extremely capital intensive and crowded house, Imagine’s only chance was to unleash kickass, totally offbeat programming. ‘Shock and awe’ ought to have been the mantra. 2008 was also the time when the nation had begun showing early signs of tiring of Ekta’s traditional saas bahu sagas, and there was a huge opportunity for Imagine to be the game changer that the market wanted.

     

    Alas, it was not to be. Imagine’s fictional shows were completely me-too, and most of their reality stuff was a huge disaster. ‘Swayamwar’ was perhaps the only ‘hatke’ programme, but in the GECs biz model, reality shows and movies are, at best, jam servings, laid out to entice viewers to the bread and butter fiction shows. And if the latter is a thakela and done-to-death fare, the channel is sunk. Which is exactly what happened with Imagine.

     

    Make no mistake about this: Imagine’s problem wasn’t funds or staying power or distribution or even talent. It was very simply this: Lack of imagination.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: This is a memo Shri David Ogilvy sent out to his employees way back in 1982.

     

    On how to write. It’s fantastic. You will notice that his suggestions, in this day and age of micro blogging and short attention spans, are more valid than ever before.

     

    Link: http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/02/how-to-write.html

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    [MJR] Mamata’s antics dominate the news

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The strange doings of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee continued to dominate print, TV and social media. The arrest of a Jadavpur university professor for forwarding a cartoon about her was compounded by news of another arrest of another professor for protesting on behalf of slum-dwellers in Kolkata. On Times Now, one lone “sort of” Trinamool Congress-Mamata Banerjee supporter said yes, but, maybe, should not, but. In print, edits and edit page pieces have consistently made fun of her and social media has of course been rife with criticism.

     

    It is also true that a lot of this anger is middle class rage which does not always translate but it is interesting nonetheless.

     

    Mumbai newspapers were not unnaturally taken up with Monday’s autorickshaw strike which crippled the suburbs. In the north, it was the chief ministers’ conference on matters of “federalism” and their general beefs with the Centre. Beef is the wrong – or is it right? – word to use here as a “beef-eating festival” organised by Dalit students at the university in Hyderabad has led to near-riot conditions with the right wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad objecting.

     

    The Taliban attack on Afghanistan was an important part of the news cycle. The last couple of weeks have been minus the sort of media hysteria which has gripped us recently. This means that news can get its normal play without being whipped up and re-packaged as end-of-the-world scenarios.

     

    * * *

     

    The murky underbelly of fixers and operators which trawl the paths of Mumbai’s hopeful newbies searching for money, fame and glamour has been exposed by the three murders currently in the newspapers. Intriguingly, the same people are somehow involved in three deaths or connected at any rate.

     

    Although the cases have got much coverage, thankfully the sort of breathless hysteria which has coloured cases like the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj murders or the J Dey murder-Jigna Vora arrest has been missing here.

     

    * * *

     

    It was a joy to read about Nari Contractor by Makaran Waingankar in Tuesday’s Times of India in what appears to be a nostalgia series called “Bombay Boys”. Made a change from the sniping and/or hagiography about current players practised by some young sports journalists these days!

     

    * * *

     

    Also interesting in TOI is an interview with Google co-founder Sergey Brin about how apps are reducing web freedom! Since I am app-less am guessing I should celebrate my freedom!

     

  • Good stuff. The ad will appeal to the non net savvy folks too, and this could result in a huge boost in sales for Flipkart

    Debrief: Flipkart: Clever and entertaining

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Using kids as adults isn’t really a novel idea in advertising. But because it’s done well in this instance, ads from Flipkart are always great fun to watch. Flipkart is back with a brand new series of commercials, and the one I watched is quite funny.

     

    This time the theme is ‘Shopping ka Naya Address’. And it looks like Flipkart is out to nail folks in the non-metro towns as well with an old world Hindi film treatment. The ad features three generations of a family living together in a house. The grandson receives a pack via courier that contains a mobile phone which the grandpa has ordered. From Flipkart, of course. The boy’s father plays the cynic of the family, and he expresses doubts over online transactions. This makes his missus join in the conversation, and it all gets really amusing. As kids play elders, with all the make-up and expressions in place.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt18PjLzNcw[/youtube]

    Good stuff. The ad will appeal to the non net savvy folks too, and this could result in a huge boost in sales for Flipkart. The execution isn’t slapstick or over-the-top, and that’s why it works. The humour is understated and this makes the ad charming. And the kids have simply rocked it.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Smart marketing strategy. Cool creative work.