With apologies to none at all
By Vikas Mehta
A friend last week commented about the Indian Premier League (IPL) last week in a WhatsApp group. He likened the matches to the Roman colosseum where gladiators entertained thousands of cheering spectators to some gory spectacle. I was amused at the description and when I see the likes of Head, Abhishek, Salt demolish the bowlers, I feel for the bowlers who seem to be like the fodder served up for the kill, so that the spectators enjoy them being torn apart.
And I feel the same when I see the ads on IPL. I visualise the various brand teams saying, ah! The gladiator season is here. We have an opportunity. Tens of crores of Indians will be watching the gladiators from the comfort of their homes. One opportunity to catch maximum number of Indians for 7-8 weeks. So, let’s make ads. We have 15-20 second slots. These are breaks in between the gladiator entertainment. Let’s give them some philosophy in the breaks. They are saturated with entertainment so let’s make the ads philosophical. These will stand out in all that entertainment gore.
That is how, my dear readers, we see ads with such deep philosophical messages. I mean, how do you explain a brand like Pepsi, which all about irreverence, being a rebel, thinking out of the box, who use a Bollywood celebrity like Ranveer Singh, whose personality fits the personality of the brand to a T, suddenly spout lines like jitna bhi loud ho duniya ka shor, sunen sirf dil ki. Kyonki yeh dil mange more. There is nothing else, just the beleaguered celebrity spouting these lines on a mobike. Seriously, is that what’s Pepsi is about? Is Pepsi happy giving this speech to the Gen Z?
Or take Parle. It tries to be funny in its execution, sorry, not funny, but slapstick. But the message it is giving is that Parle is about quality. Parle is about variety. Parle is about bharosa. Parle is about kuch naya. Parle is about sabki pasand. I seriously think they should have a contest asking viewers writing in and suggesting some more attributes that can be stuck to Parle. Here is my contribution. Parle is boring. Parle is unexciting. Parle is a yawn. Parle puts me to sleep….
And then we have category which I think excites Gen Z the most. Financial apps which help you invest and make money. Actually, this category scares me too. Since I interact regularly with MBA students across the country and also with MBA aspirants, I have been noticing that a huge majority of these students invest in capital markets. To understand this better, I did some simple research. Between mid of January to end-March I was in touch with 315 such students. A staggering 263 out of these boasted of investing in stocks, derivatives and in options. That’s more than 80%. And these were not just kids from big cities but were from towns like Bheemavaram, Jhansi, Siliguri, Erode, Jhalawar, Latur etc also.
The interesting part was that many of these were not from any financial background. But YouTube Videos and financial influencers had enticed them into making a quick buck. They did not understand any financial terms. Many could not differentiate between asset and liability or debit and credit. And yet they were following graphs and charts on you tube. Suggestions and tips from influencers. And most of them were happy that they had made good money on amounts ranging from fifteen thousand to a lakh.
So, tell me, will an app like Groww not be wanting to rope in such students who will soon be earning and who may want proper financial guidance? And what does Groww tell them? Jo Groww karte hain woh life mein grow karte hain. Doosron ki nazar mein bade ho jate hain. Khud ke pairon pe khade ho jate hain. (Those who use Groww, grow in life. Become big in the eyes of others. They stand on their own legs) Nice philosophy. Nice emotion too. But is that good enough? Is capital market investment just feeding into your ego of coming to age only. And isn’t that what all financial apps and YouTubers and influencers want you to think. Upstox, on the other hand. does not spout philosophy but makes a bold statement (catches the attention of Gen Z, I say old chap) Kit kit hatiye. Stop the chatter, invest in mutual funds through Upstox. Sorry to pick up on the line from Sholay, but what did they think. Gen Z khush ho jayega, shabashi dega aur Upstox mein invest karega?
If a brand like Pepsi was disappointing another brand which didn’t disappoint but actually shocked was Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. A brand which changed the way Indians looked at and consumed chocolates. A brand which gave us the hugely entertaining kya swad hai zindagi mein. A brand which made us include chocolates as a part of our sweet tooth habit with kuch meetha ho jaye (a popular idiom which means let’s have dessert). A brand which took CSR to another level with use of technology during Diwali in the last 3-4 years with Kuch meetha ho jaye, kuch accha ho jaya. That brand made such a flat, uninspiring and philosophical ad like #Thankyoufirstcaoch. The idea is not bad but the execution is very unlike Cadbury.
Please, someone also explain to me what does the sound of India means? Jindal Steel has an ad which shows the various use of steel. From big to small. But then comes the philosophy of sound of India. The steel of India. Let me guess. Sound of India is construction happening all over India? India’s infrastructural boom? That makes sense but the ad shows even small things like hair clip or a nail or even a dancer’s headgear. So, what’s the sound of India? Philosophical nationalism for the sake of nationalism. I would any day still swear by Tata Steel’s We also make Steel or SAIL India’s There is a little bit of SAIL in Everybody’s Life. Not seen these? Watch here.
And this philosophy mania has rubbed on some old advertisements being re telecasted during IPL too. Even the much-reviled apology of the pan masala ad featuring Sehwag and Gavaskar now spouts a line at the end which says har generation ka alag hai andaaz lekin sabke anokhe swad ka ek hai rang. Loosely translated: Every generation has a different style but in terms of taste it has the same colour.
Am sure by now you are done with my pessimism. But it’s not all gloom and doom. I have already mentioned in the past about the Dream11 ads. I was also impressed with Rupay UPI Link credit card as well as the Make My Trip ads. These not only continue to entertain but have distinct messaging. You haven’t seen these yet? Go watch. And then of course, don’t miss the new Cred ad too, starring Warner with Rajamouli
Thank God for some advertisers wanting to still give some gladiatorial entertainment and not spouting philosophy.