MxMIndia

Tag: debrief

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

     

  • The jingle sucks, it's slow and drab, makes you feel sleepy, writes Anil Thakraney on the new Mahindra XUV500 ad

    Debrief: Mahindra XUV500: Lacks the ‘wow’ factor

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mahindra XUV500’s new ad is a classic case of noble intention backed by wanting execution. In short, operation successful, and you know the rest.

     

    It’s a good idea, perfect for a rough terrain SUV. A group of friends, a bit bored with life, zip off on a wildlife safari in South Africa. The setting immediately allows the vehicle to demonstrate its ruggedness. And once you’ve cracked that, it’s now all left to the execution. As the jingle belts out a sweet melody, our friends, as expected, encounter some wildlife. Giraffes, rhinos, wilder beasts, ostriches, etc. They finally have a close encounter with a cheetah, the ad’s show stopper, so to speak.

     

    Two problems with the execution. The jingle sucks, it’s slow and drab, makes you feel sleepy. When it should have been adventurous and uplifting, given the setting. They should have used one of those superb Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara songs, that would have worked nicely for pals on a long journey. The other problem is with the wildlife sighting. It’s either a cut-paste job, or the editing is poor. The encounters with animals don’t look real at all. An idea like this needed a ‘wow’ treatment; it should have had us on the edge, especially when the cheetah mounts the Mahindra XUV500’s bonnet. Because it looks like cinematic trickery, the TVC leaves you unmoved.

     

    Sad, really. They ought to have pulled all stops to make this idea rock. Instead it remains at the average level.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Good idea. Deserved kickass execution.

     

  • It's superb because it strikes at the heart of the tournament; the IPL is more fun than games, it's an outdoor party where everyone is legally allowed to make a complete fool of themselves

    Debrief: IPL: Tamasha full-on!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good fun campaign from Sony MAX for IPL 2013, I love it. And I say this despite the fact that I abhor this format of ‘cricket’, if it can be called that. That’s because the campaign is tailor made for this pyjama sport.

     

    The punchline sets the tone straightaway: ‘Sirf Dekhneka Nahin’. It’s superb because it strikes at the heart of the tournament; the IPL is more fun than games, it’s an outdoor party where everyone is legally allowed to make a complete fool of themselves. And for a change, a celebrity has been cast intelligently: Choreographer Farah Khan.

     

    Khan visits people’s homes/offices, and encourages them to not just watch the IPL, but dance wildly as well. She, along with her equally peppy ‘live band’ companions, shows people the right moves, and this makes the ads entertaining. In one commercial, Khan demonstrates to some serious officers how to celebrate when a player hits a boundary. This leads to madness in the boardroom. In another ad she gets some rather ‘healthy’ kitty party ladies to let off steam, causing an earth shaking situation, quite literally.

     

    Haanji, lots of masti, naatak and mazaa, which is the correct route for IPL. Khan does a fab job as the loud, energetic dance master, she is like this in real life too, and therefore she performs effortlessly. Her madness rubs off on all the others. Also, must say the script is well crafted, the junta will enjoy this comic stuff.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5. Perfect approach for tamasha cricket

     

  • I am all for crazy stuff. But the crazy must fit into the brand promise smoothly, else it's a waste of time. People, break the clutter by all means, but break it with an intelligent method

    Debrief: Havells Fans: Stupid pun

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Havells Fans’ advertising usually shines, but their new ad makes you squirm. No, they haven’t done anything safe, the ad still tries to stand on the legs of an offbeat idea, but on this occasion the idea sucks.

     

    The TVC is set inside a marriage registrar’s office. A just married couple has arrived to ‘regularize’ their shaadi. The clerk is noting down their details, and she assumes that the bride will now adopt her in-law’s family name. But the ‘forward thinking’ groom corrects the lady. He declares, quite proudly, that it is he who shall change the family name, and not his newly minted missus. As you begin to wonder where this is going, we are introduced to Havells Fans. The connect? It’s in the punch line: Hawa Badlegi.

     

    Now that’s a really desperate pun if there ever was one. It’s forced, it’s juvenile. I can imagine a trainee copywriter being put under pressure to come up with something funky, and he/she pulls a stunt with ‘winds of change’. The fact that this nonsense turns into an ad is a compliment to the ad agency’s selling abilities.

     

    Don’t get me wrong, I am all for crazy stuff. But the crazy must fit into the brand promise smoothly, else it’s a waste of time. And punning, to my mind, is usually the work of a lazy creative person. People, break the clutter by all means, but break it with an intelligent method.

     

    By the way, it’s an excellent ad for a marriage counsellor.

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Forced pun. Doesn’t work.

     

  • This ad will appeal to a wide spectrum of audiences, from a memsaab looking to renovate her fancy house to a village carpenter. Indeed, that seems to be objective… they want to make Greenply a mass brand

    Debrief: Greenply: The magic is back!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Another good ad from the makers of Greenply, those folks who usually back solid creative work. Yup, they did put out a really horrendous TVC in 2011, which featured a really crappy New Year party, but things are back on track. And the promise is still the same: Durability.

     

    The new ad features actor Arjun Rampal playing a magician. The trick is simple: He inserts old objects into a wooden box, and they come out looking brand new. The commercial traverses his journey from a village jaadugar to an internationally acclaimed magician. And covers his entire lifespan. As Rampal becomes old, there are aspersions cast on his credibility. So in his last show, he puts himself inside the box, and emerges as a young Rampal. Timeless, always new, just like Greenply.

     

    Nice. This ad will appeal to a wide spectrum of audiences, from a memsaab looking to renovate her fancy house to a village carpenter. Indeed, that seems to be objective… they want to make Greenply a mass brand. Also, signing up a Bollywood actor seems to be an effort in that direction, though I didn’t see the need for a celeb. It’s a strong idea, and would have worked regardless. Anyway, at least they roped in an unusual actor, Bachchan or SRK would have totally killed this ad.

     

    All said, good to see Greenply back in form. Hope to see even more sizzling work in the future, but minus a celeb.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qhyysDxzko[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Entertaining and single-minded

     

  • Much-needed outrageous advertising will quickly get Quikr.com into the consumer mindspace, writes Anil Thakraney

    DeBrief: Quikr.com: Madness pays

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Quikr.com, the online classifieds portal, has taken the best route to promote itself: Disruptive advertising. Makes a lot of sense. Because when you don’t have very deep pockets, and you are a new brand which uses new tech, you need to shake mass consumers out of their set habits.

     

    The promise, of course, is simple: You can sell anything through Quikr.com. Their new TVC is literally a riot. There’s a huge mob on the streets protesting against corruption (Anna Hazareji deserves some credit for this ad), there’s threat of violence, and the situation looks pretty grim. One police inspector climbs his vehicle to take control. But instead of asking people to behave, the officer says he’s planning to shift his residence, and if anyone is interested in buying his used household goods. One dude from the crowd suggests Quikr.com. The internet video has already scored lakhs of hit, so clearly the disruptive route is paying handsome dividends for the advertiser.

     

    Good work. This sort of outrageous advertising was needed, and it will quickly get Quikr.com into the consumer mindspace. It’s a lesson for all those small advertisers who continue to play safe in their ads, not realising that’s the worst thing they can do for their brands.

     

    Also, there’s a creative tool Quikr.com uses, which I really like. They don’t ask you to call them, they ask you to give them a ‘missed call’. This ‘missed call’ stuff is a very, very Indian thingy, the junta loves it, and Quikr.com should make it their own, it shouldn’t just be a baseline. In fact, they should create entire ads around the ‘missed call’ theme, will be hilarious.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OvHnHK2QSQ[/youtube]

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Perfect strategy. Disruption works.

     

  • Because the insight is superb, viewers will enjoy this ad and connect with it. After all, not appreciating the partner’s problems is a ghar ghar ki kahaani

    Debrief: Idea: Rides on insight

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Terrific consumer insight in the new Idea commercial. Which is that busy couples often quarrel with each other because they don’t understand one another’s work/life pressures. In the TVC, a smarty son tries to sort their differences by secretly exchanging the cell phones of the bickering parents.

     

    And so, the hubby gets a firsthand knowledge of his wife’s assorted problems: Bai calling to say she’s gonna vanish for a few days, watchman calling to say there will be no water supply for days, etc. And the lady is made aware of the various stresses in her man’s life: A demanding boss, panic in the office, etc. Of course, the realisation leads to love and peace in the household. Goes very well with Idea’s theme: An Idea can change your life.

     

    Good commercial, but its power lies in the idea, not the execution. The editing is a little sloppy (the section which deals with the couple taking calls is too hurried and therefore little registers), and the casting could have been better. The man is a well known film/TV actor, they needed a new face. Also, and am sorry to say this, the child looks a tad repulsive, they needed a darling out here, a daughter would have been a better option.

     

    But because the insight is superb, viewers will enjoy this ad and connect with it. After all, not appreciating the partner’s problems is a ghar ghar ki kahaani. In that sense, it’s a good job done.

     

    However, here’s an alert for anyone who tries this experiment with his/her family: It could lead to an instant divorce, as extra-marital affairs get exposed. You are warned! 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0YNN62gf8[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Nice idea. Could have been executed better.