Brands that cut through: Springwel, Infinix, Samsung, Envy, Flipkart, Tata Play, Polycab, Ikea, Swiss Beauty, Medibuddy, Kotak Mahindra Bank. Delhivery, Blissclub, PhonePe, Poonawalla Fincorp, Fibe, Zebronics, Roff, Tagz Foods, Zivame, Mamaearth, Doublemint, HDFC MF, Bharat Matrimony, SBI Life, Galaxy.
Springwel | Teek Se Soya Hota, Toh Yeh Na Hota
“Had you slept well… ”. The benefits of a good night’s sleep is what the mattress brand is bringing to the fore here, by spotlighting the plight of those who didn’t get to sleep. The villain? An inadequate mattress. And Springel promises to deliver that with a slew of mattresses branded TruLove, TruComfort and so on, each with its own benefits. It does so with an excellent choice of ambassador in Boman Irani and a set of interesting scenarios. The lady in the lift, the office goer and husband and wife plots ensure that Irani’s presence is maximised.
Infinix | #BreakThrough
Evocative is not a word one uses often in the context of advertisements but would readily find a fit here. When brands choose themes like this, half measures and compromises often kill the essence of the plot. Infinix hasn’t resorted to half measures here. On the contrary, it breaks through with the characters on screen. The series of sub-plots flow seamlessly connected by the narration with the soundtrack playing an able second fiddle before kicking in harmoniously. This is a good watch that will be cheered on by the young with a point of view.
Samsung | #GalaxyF54 5G | Revolutionary Nightography
Who doesn’t like cat videos? Or a lost cat plot? Club that with night photography (read nightography) and you have a rather impressive spot here. There is no storyline except for the cat hunt and that augurs well for the product demo objective. And of course, it had to be shot well.
Envy | Nice Perfume
Envy. The word is the message. And it finds a manifestation on screen in the form of a jealous spouse. There’s a shift from the category code of attraction to build a positioning based on the brand name and that should be welcomed. Akshay Kumar and his partner make it an engaging watch. The script allows the message of ‘Nice Perfume’ to be repeated over and over – while being central to the storyline and hence not coming across as an irritant.
Flipkart | Har Need Ke Liye Best Deals
This ad will get noticed. And that is stating the obvious. The sounds and the moves make this a viewer magnet. Especially the Jackie Shroff film.
Tata Play Binge | Yeh Toh Bachcha Bachcha Janta Hai
‘Yeh toh bachcha bachcha janta hai’ has been brought alive with some flair, thanks to the lead pair, the kids and the plots. The characterisation is designed to evoke interest. The music classes and street cricket (with the stars in cop avatars) are built around the same premise – of Khan being clueless about what even the kids know. But the settings make you sit up and take notice, and then you want to let the kids finish their rendition. Tata Play Binge manages to keep it interesting, yet again.
Samsung | Galaxy Watch LTE | Leave Your Phone. Not Your World.
The singular proposition helps. Around that proposition, subtly, what one can get done on the watch while being away from the phone gets spelt out. And the premise has been nicely articulated.
Polycab Greenwire | Nursery | Aapke Sapnon Ko Rakhe Safe
The brand continues with its ‘Aapke sapnon ko rakhe safe’ premise which finds an intimate interpretation here, through a mother’s concern for her to-be-born child. The brand lights up the nursery as she is reassured about the child’s bright future. Nice interplay between ‘safety’, ‘future’ and ‘bright’.
Ikea | Come Home To Ikea
Furniture That Moves With You | Grows With You | Makes Space For You
Functional benefits have been articulated rather well as ‘Furniture that moves with you’, ‘Furniture that grows with you’ and ‘Furniture that makes space for you’. The brand continues to own ‘Come home to Ikea’ with this series that captures moments from every home and the role Ikea can play in making the home a better place. In fact, this series humanises the brand and its role at home better, IMHO, than what we have seen before.
Swiss Beauty | For All That You Are, For All That You Can Be
Apt use of celebrity, aligned with her personality. Taapsee Pannu is cut out for the script or the script was tailored for her – either way, it is on brand and pleasing on the eyes and ears. The vivid colours will make one take notice. The writing and picturisation elevate the film.
Medibuddy | #DoctorIn10Mins
A celebrity popping up to deliver the brand message is nothing new. So how it is done and in what contexts determine whether the format can stand out. Medibuddy manages to create contexts that are relatable and a differentiated entry for the star. Along the way, it also managed to tell people not to indulge in self-medication or get the pharmacist to recommend drugs.
Kotak Mahindra Bank | Kotak ActivMoney | FD-wala Interest Savings Account
The setting is rather extravagant and unusual for a bank commercial. It is obviously designed to get our attention. The casting works wonders. The script allows for repetition of FD vs Savings through the film, helping reiterate the message. Does the messaging get a little overshadowed by the action? Even if it does, the film manages to keep us hooked long enough to drive home the message.
Blissclub | Activewear | Buy & Try For 100 Days
Over-the-top humour done right can work wonders. Try as you might, this activewear will last – that’s the message. The visuals needed to play on the ‘try as you might’ and they do with telling effect. Every message of an offer tempts the protagonist into trying to rip / damage her Blissclub activewear. Message resoundingly delivered, with a few smiles thrown in.
Delhivery | The Answer Is Delhivery
Simple idea, delivered with interesting visuals and sound. A reassuring promise from Delhivery, driven with a good measure of warmth.
PhonePe | What’s In A Number?
I wish this ‘social experiment’ format didn’t exist. Then people might be forced to do advertising that stands out and still makes the point about the perils of sharing one’s number to buy motor insurance – like earlier ads of PhonePe managed to. That said, the directness of the message set in a store environment, seems to work here. I still think this could have been an ad in the same setting instead, executed quicker for better impact.
Poonawalla Fincorp | Boman Ki Pyaari
How do you keep loans interesting? And funny? Hire a funny man and keep the writing funny. The ‘Boman ki pyari’ gaddi and his character are bound to evoke a few laughs. The plot flows smoothly to the daughter and her cake biz. Enter Poonawalla Fincorp, that saves the gaddi. Full marks for trying – with a reasonable degree of success.
Samsung | #GalaxyA14 5G | At just ₹ 44 Per Day
Certainly gets your attention with ‘Rs.44 per day’. Some youngsters I checked with loved the idea (offer) and wanted more details. Alas, the fine print was too small to read. That said, the half burger without the patty does get your attention. The brand manages to rush through the phone’s features before you can think of switching.
Fibe | Aapke #PaiseWaliVibe
The films spell out the option of (near) instant loans with slice-of-life plots. The humour route bodes well for the brand giving it some noticeability.
Zebronics | Ab Home Ko Banao Home Theatre
So real that you feel the story – sounds like a familiar arc, but comes alive here with a star to boot. Should get noticed and then some.
Roff | #MagarKiJakad
How angry do you get when the tiles start popping up because they aren’t stuck well to the floor or the wall? From experience, I can tell you that it is infuriating. The visualisation of this angst is certainly over the top in order to get one’s attention. The casting is on the money.
Tagz Foods | No Mooch Bani Breaking News
Nice use of celebrity here. The Gabbar’s mooch plotline sets things up nicely to make the product pitch, which otherwise would have read rather blandly as ‘Less oil, less fat, phir bhi tasty’. The TV news anchor intro adds the intrigue value.
Zivame | #MeetYourRightFit
It’s not often that an OOH campaign finds its way here. It’s not often that a lingerie brand engages with hard hitting visuals to portray paint points with lingerie either. Zivame brings them alive on OOH sites with this campaign. #MeetYourRightFit fits the bill perfectly.
Mamaearth Onion Shampoo | Baalon Ki Strength Ka Raaz – Pyaaz
The grandmother-granddaughter banter and product recommendation would have been just that, one more of many from the factory, but for the celebrity power this packs and their acting skills. What also helps in good measure is the strength demo on the onion, a refreshing addition.
Doublemint | Thandi Si Sharaaratein | #StartSomethingFresh
Stays in the delightful ‘Ek ajnabi haseena se’ music video zone that I think kick started #StartSomethingFresh. Comes close, stays fresh.
HDFC Mutual Fund | #ZindagiKeLiyeSIP
Thank him for his tough love and discipline.For investing in your future, one day at a time. Just like an SIP. One feels those last four words linking fathers to SIPs and the follow up message asking one to invest in SIPs, following in his footsteps, could have been framed a bit more subtly. Except for that, this works well playing on ‘tough love’ and ‘discipline’ that one readily associates with parenting. The father-daughter scenarios work well to establish those characteristics.
Bharat Matrimony | Sorry For Making You Cry
What does a daughter’s wedding mean to a father? What emotion does it evoke? The brand sweetly apologises to fathers for making them cry as their daughters get married. An above par social media message on Father’s Day from an online matrimony brand.
SBI Life | #PapaHaiNa | Maine Papa Se Seekha
The play is on the things we consciously and unwittingly teach our kids. A determined daughter fighting to get back to training after surgery, going against her CA-turned-state soccer coach father, makes for a fantastic storyline. It has been nicely told, aligned with the brand’s ‘Papa Hai Na’ theme.
Galaxy Milk Chocolate | Chocolate so Smooth, Pleasure Lasts
Imminently watchable with lovely music and a dancing diva visibly delighted by the chocolate she devours. All of it makes for an interesting package. The dance never ends and the spotlight is on her as the soundtrack speaks of afterglow – the link to ‘Chocolate so Smooth, Pleasure Lasts’. Layered, but rich and alluring.
(First published on FE BrandWagon Online. Powered by ClutterCutters.in. Feedback: Gokul.Campaign@gmail.com.)