Brands that cut through: CEAT, ICICI Lombard, GoDaddy, Vedantu, PharmEasy, Saffolalife , CRED, OYO, Saregama, Lenskart.
CEAT SecuraDrive | #DontBeADummy
It’s evident that Ayushmann Khurrana’s publicity machinery is working well, but from the ads on show, it seems like the other three As – Aamir, Akshay and Alia – and Ranveer Singh are ruling the roost. Aamir Khan, for one, has been spotted in a lot of the commercials releasing lately for some top tier brands. The latest is CEAT Tyres. It’s nice to see the fit – only he could have pulled this off this well. Or was the role written for him? Either way, this is a winner.
CEAT has always taken the road of warning us about idiots on the road and this one takes the ‘dummy’ route. It manages to thus retain the humour that helped the brand stand out amongst tyres with muscle and those that helped one go the distance. Aamir (the dummy) chooses to hop on only if the tyres are safe. CEAT, meantime, rides safely on the ‘A’ Khan.
ICICI Lombard | Karo Temptation Ko Fight, #RestartRight
A conflict between the heart and the head manifests as one between the stomach and the heart here. This film touches on one of the largely untold positives of the lockdown – consumption of healthy home food. Once the lockdown ends, ICICI Lombard urges viewers to resist the temptation and keep their health in check. Perfectly aligned with its #RestartRight proposition.
GoDaddy | Complete Online Business Solution
This must rank as one of the rare campaigns that manages to use Dhoni interestingly. The films are fresh, humorous and spot on. Viewer engaged, entertained and message delivered.
Vedantu | Samaj Aayega Maza Ayega, Maza Ayega Samajh Ayega
Aamir Khan does it again, this time for Vedantu. The setting brings back memories of a recent mobile handset campaign featuring Aamir and a young lad. But the similarity ends there. The casting works its magic yet again and the proposition is very crisply articulated – and repeated for recall.
PharmEasy | Still Easy
AR Rahman’s intro for the ‘Take it easy Oorvasi’ track has been the mainstay of PharmEasy’s campaign for as long as one can remember. And this is a nice lockdown iteration of the same – drawing on everything from WFH to washing dishes and DIY that have lost their novelty with lack of choice. The brand makes this look easy.
Saffolalife | #CareForHerHeart
A brand that has owned the conversation on heart health has every right to address its audience on World Heart Day. It chooses to speak for ‘her’ heart this year through this insightful film. The stress of the lady of the house is often not construed as stress or given its due. It is perceived as the norm that women are destined to endure but it can take a toll on them. This was a good way to wake us up to that social truth.
CRED | Not Everyone Gets It
When one saw the first spot in this series featuring Anil Kapoor ‘auditioning’ for the CRED role, I kept thinking that this might be hard to outdo. Enter Bappi Lahiri. Mission accomplished. Differentiation has its peerless benefits.
OYO | #ChalPahad
Without the music, this would be nothing but a series of clips, pictures and chat messages on a Whatsapp group strung together. With the music, it takes a different, wholesome avatar and one doesn’t really mind the video elements. It makes sense for OYO to stay invested in such content in sync with travel unlock if it intends to stay invested in its category.
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Saregama Carvaan | Sangeet Ke Suron Se Bandho
This film draws on a truth that anyone with elderly folks locked down during the Covid19 pandemic can relate to. We have witnessed firsthand that it has been easier to keep children locked down, but not those experiencing their ‘second childhood’. Truth be told, it has been very harsh on the elderly. Offer them a little solace, says Saregama, by saying, keep them bound by music. Music that they will relate to.
Lenskart BLU | Nazar Ghati Durghatna Ghati
Cricketing bloopers married to a slightly modified idiom should help Lenskart during the IPL. Getting real match visuals makes all the difference.