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