Brands that cut through: Lux, Netflix, Wakefit, OnePlus, Hamdard Safi, Kia Sonet, Cricket.com, IPL, Star Sports, PepsiCo, Maruti, Spotify.
Lux | Chand Sa Roshan Chehra
We’ve seen celebrities in Lux ads for years now. Now, this is a film that makes you wonder why they didn’t think of something like this before. When you have popular faces, why not borrow a little more from popular culture? The choice of stars is perfect (for the Hindi spot) and the choice of music for the proposition of ‘moonlit glow’ is brilliant. In other languages, it is nice to see the effort in making a suitable choice of original soundtrack.
Netflix | Just A Story Away
A story on screen can take you where you haven’t been before. They can make you put yourself in the shoes of their characters and experience what they are going through. And those experiences can be extraordinary. In this spot, the OTT major says those worlds and experiences are ‘Just a story away’. Well said, Netflix. With a little help from its shows.
Wakefit | Artist Babloo
While watching this, I didn’t realise its duration for a moment. It didn’t feel like (nearly) five minutes. When you have people like Vijay Raaz, you can get away with this duration and more. The brand manages to ride on the ‘artist’ to get its message across. Let’s not forget to thank the art of creating a script tailored for the artist on screen. Wakefit might also have ended up warming the carpenter community to the idea of assembling its wares at buyers’ homes.
OnePlus | #UnitedByHope | #ShotOnOnePlus
The ‘Shot on..’ route is not new. This ‘Shot on OnePlus’ film has also been shot in the lockdown. With the documentary treatment and choice of subject and protagonists (Dinesh Karthik, Bhaichung Bhutia and Kubbra Sait included), the film stays interesting throughout its 37-odd minutes of runtime, making it a wonderful piece of genuine content. The brand has done well to keep itself out of the frame. It is just the enabler.
Hamdard Safi | Sachhai Andar Achhai Bahar
The spot packs some amazing stories, each one of which could be a film by itself. We have seen several brands aligning themselves with stories of people whose values they claim to share. This one also has the advantage of a proposition that works perfectly for the product and these real life heroes: Sachhai Andar Achhai Bahar. The film even seems to have been executed on a modest budget, which is great for the brand and the times. But as a result, does one feel these stories could have been told more engagingly? Possibly. But we’re not complaining.
Kia Sonet | #WildByDesign
The pre-launch teaser was promising and the launch doesn’t disappoint. The ‘wild’ car gets endorsed by wildlife.
Cricket.com | Game Badal Gaya
Cricket has changed. There’s no contest for that fact. I am yet to come across a brand that has used that as the central piece of its brand message. This one effortlessly says that cricket has changed, and urges fans to pick a new way to follow the new game. The changes that the game has gone through have been captured interestingly, to keep the viewer engaged till the end.
IPL 2020 | #AayengeHumWapas
When a central theme like #ComeBack is the mood of the nation (or world), one is not surprised that a genre like rap is picked for an anthem. Allegations of plagiarism aside, this anthem sets a slightly different tone for the Indian Premier League than those of yesteryears. It is more in touch with now, even if it seems different.
Star Sports Select | Sunday Night Football
Talking of stars, is there anything Ranveer Singh cannot pull off? Star Sports creates an interesting plot for him to promote the Premier League (Sunday Football) here.
PepsiCo | Lay’s Khulega Data Milega
The two PepsiCo brands have managed to make a free-in-pack announcement interesting with a bit of thought and celebrity power. Set in the context of the lockdown and cooking, the spots seem a bit more relevant than they would have otherwise.
Maruti Suzuki | #CalculateKiyaKya
A few passenger carmakers – including Maruti Suzuki – have discontinued the production of diesel vehicles. So it makes sense for the market leader to drive the market for petrol vehicles by comparing the cost advantage of ownership and fuel costs for users, especially when the prices of petrol and diesel are so close. The timing is perfect and the pitch is interesting. These films should make people think, if they aren’t already.
Spotify Premium | All Music. No Ads.
A spoof on ads after a while. This one is for a premium, ad-free version of Spotify. It’s good to laugh at oneself once in a while. I wish this could have been funnier though.
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