Saturday, April 19, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Top Ads
Brand: AirtelAgency: Rediffusion-DY&RIn its latest ad, Airtel, yet again, rides on emotions and relationships. A schoolboy enjoying the rain calls up his father so that he, too, can listento the sound of the rain over the phone.
Brand: Asian Paints Royale PlayAgency: Contract AdvertisingThe ad shows sibling actors Soha and Saif Ali Khan at a show where Soha appreciates a painting which Saif fails to understand. However, he impresses his sister by creating a beautiful pattern on the wall when he paints it with Royale Play.
Brand: Pepsi MyCanAgency: JWTPepsi’s latest advert is all about chutzpah and individuality. The ad shows a boy sidelining actors Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham, asking them to step aside while he continues on his way to a vending machine and a new Pepsi MyCan
Brand: Lay’s Spanish Tomato TangoAgency: JWTActor Saif Ali Khan and his friends climb to the top of the college bus, only to find a group of girls already there. The girls, initially peeved, relent when the boys give them a taste of Lay’s latest offering.
Brand: Tata SkyAgency: Rediffusion-DY&RThis ad just puts the message across simply. Actor Kirron Kher reads a letter from a satisfied Tata Sky customer, which spells out one of a million reasons for subscribing to Tata Sky services.
Brand: Aviva Life InsuranceAgency: PublicisThis ad shows a child telling his father what he wants to become when he grows up. After much deliberation, he has decided to become a cricketer. The way to budget for this and achieve it is by securing the child's future with Aviva Little Master Plan.
Brand: Axis BankAgency: Ogilvy & MatherThis ad, announcing of UTI Bank features two identical create confusion teacher and to drive home only the bank's changed.
Brand: TideAgency: Leo BurnettThe latest ad of Tide, with its rose and jasmine fragrances, rides on the element of fun. A man in a white shirt is surprised to see people in dirty clothes praying for sunshine. All that is needed is the new detergent, which has the power of the sun-‘Sooraj ki shakti’.
Brand: Bingo/Red Chilli BijliAgency: Ogilvy & MatherLike Bingo's other ads, this one, too, talks about Bingo's perfect combination. A man invents a combination of man and fire engine and fails-but Bingo's new combination of red chilli and potato chips does not fail.
Brand: Sunfeast SnackyAgency: FCB-Ulka AdvertisingThe ad shows an angry Diya Mirza being offered a Sunfeast Snacky biscuit by Shah Rukh Khan. Mirza's temper mellows as she enjoys the biscuit and Khan's antics. “Crisp, karara Sunfeast Snacky. Namkeen aur chilli flakes...ke saath,” says the voice-over.
Keep on talking
FCB Ulka used the insight that people with prepaid connections are economical with words
Mobile service provider Tata Indicom's new television commercial for their Unlimited Tata-to-Tata Talktime Voucher has been voted the best ad in Mint's monthly ad survey. Created by FCB-Ulka Advertising Pvt. Ltd for Tata Teleservices Ltd, the ad features a young woman talking nineteen to the dozen into her cellphone, only to end her high-speed dialogue abruptly when the stopwatch says the time's up. Brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Kajol steps into the frame to tell consumers about the new Unlimited Tata-to-Tata plan that allows consumers to talk endlessly, without worrying about crippling mobile bills. Creative director Haresh Moorjani tells us how they zeroed in on this concept. Edited excerpts:
What was the client’s brief?The brief that we got from the client was that they were launching a recharge voucher, which would give the user unlimited Tata-to-Tata talktime. Our creative, then, was based on consumer insight that mobile users, especially those with pre-paid connections, were always scrimping on words while talking on the mobile because they were scared they would run out of talktime. Not only would the conversations be awfully restrained but consumers would also speak really fast, trying to squeeze in lots of information, in as little time as possible.
How did the team zero in on the campaign?We went through the brief and based our creative on one simple insight-that people are quite economical with their words when they are on a pre-paid connection. So, we did think of different situations, where the casting, location and scenario kept changing but the core idea - that people are careful about their talktime-remained the same. So, one scenario was a guy in a hostel, while another featured a girl in a park. However, we decided to shoot indoors due to poor weather conditions. That is the ad with the girl in the locker room.Critics maintain that the campaign and promotions would have worked better if the agency had tapped Kajol as an actor rather than “waste” her talent as the endorser?We have looked at Kajol as the voice of reason who comes in at the crucial point when the protagonist is facing a ‘problem’-whether it's limited talktime, poor network quality or a slow Internet connection. Also, it's not like she's just coming in at the end with the solution. If you look at the previous ads on poor network connectivity, especially the one with the bride and groom, Kajol is present through and through. That is the role we have envisaged for her in our commercials. And results show that this is working well for the brand.
Unlimited mobility
Some of the most popular advertisements are not necessarily known for their superb creatives. They make it to the top because they are able to strike a chord wth consumers and communicate simply.The Tata Indicom film, which topped Mint's survey for August, proves the point, yet again. It scored the highest in brand recall and awareness, the two factors which decide the reach of the advertisement. Around 94% of the respondents surveyed remembered the Tata Indicom advertisement, showing a girl in a locker room chatting on her cellphone with a stopwatch in hand because she is worried her limited talktime will run out. The use of an actor as a character rather than a celebrity in the series of Tata ads has worked.
Top Ads
Brand: Infomedia Yellow PagesAgency: Ogilvy & MatherA shopkeeper's assistant directs the goons robbing a store to the Yellow Pages when their gun gets stuck. The voice-over says: It's good to help others
Brand: I-PillAgency: Network AdvertisingA woman mimes her worries about pregnancy to her husband as a voice-over details the benefits of emergency contraceptive pills.
Brand: Hutch Prepaid CardAgency: Ogilvy & MatherAnother in the “Who doesn't want a little extra in life” series, this clip shows a customer bullying his barber into giving him an add-on neck massage.
Brand: Bingo Mad AnglesAgency: Ogilvy & MatherSome combinations work, some don't. You can't ‘combine’ a brother with a pop-up toaster. But Bingo's khakra-tomato flavour? It works.
Brand: Motorola Moto Razr 2Agency: Ogilvy & MatherA man on a train inadvertently slits a woman's dress with his Razr. The two then duel, using their phones. The ad ends with the signature, “Hello Moto!”
Brand: VisaAgency: RK Swamy/BBDO AdvertisingJackie Chan can't qualify for the Olympics, but still gets there-“Easiest way to get to Beijing Olympic Games. Visa.”
Brand: Bingo Premium SaltedAgency: Ogilvy & MatherA scientist puts a man through a blind test, under varying levels of duress, and he decides that the brand's potato chips are the crunchiest, each time
Brand: Candyman LicksAgency: FCB-Ulka AdvertisingA prospective groom, a suitable girl, a child-a naughty take on the line, “Swaad (taste) so good, bachche ban jaye (kids become) too good.”
Brand: Reliance MobileAgency: Leo BurnettThe sponsor of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup plays on the short format game with the line: “Chote match, bade sapne (short matches, big dreams)”
How the café idea clicked for Indicom
A lot of research has gone into making the Tata Indicom Plug2Surf Whiz ad, says its maker
Mobile service provider Tata Indicom's ad for its high-speed Internet device, Tata Plug2Surf Whiz, created by FCB-Ulka Advertising Pvt. Ltd, features a group of girls at a coffee shop. One, a model, gets a call from her agent asking for her photographs immediately. Brand ambassador Kajol steps in to offer them the new Net device. Nitin Karkare, chief operating officer, FCB-Ulka Advertising, tells us how the team zeroed in on this concept. Edited excerpts:
What was the client’s brief?The brief was quite simple: The number of people using laptops is growing rapidly, as is the need for good wireless Internet connectivity-that is why the company launched Tata Plug2Surf Whiz.
How did you zero in on this ad?We decided not to just promote the service. In the Tata Indicom ads, we have always highlighted the problem consumers face with other service providers. A service like this could be life altering. The urgency of the matter is communicated when the girls say “Now? How?”. The whole idea was to dramatize the problem and come up with a solution. While we could have executed the same idea in a corporate set-up, likeability is a very important consideration. The scenario of the girls at a café fit right in. It was something our consumers could identify with. And, the concept worked for the clients, too. It went like a hot knife through butter.You have a dedicated team that researches consumer insights on the brand. How does it work?The first step is asking consumers what they like and don't like about the product. We then base the creative on the aspects they like, and do a creative pre-test with a storyboard.That is when we assess factors such as likeability and comprehension. Another pretest is done before the launch. This process is extremely long, but we are adequately staffed to meet deadlines.
The smooth connect
For the second month running, FCB-Ulka Advertising Ltd has grabbed the top honours in Mint's monthly television ad survey.This time, their ad film for Tata Indicom's Plug2Surf Whiz scored the highest in both brand recall and awareness. On awareness, the commercial scored 86%, way ahead of runner-up Ogilvy & Mather Ltd's flick for Infomedia Yellow Pages. Also, as many as 71% of the respondents could recall the brand, compared with only 67% who could name Infomedia.Interestingly though, the ad film featuring Tata Indicom's brand ambassador, actor Kajol, ranked much lower in ad diagnostics. In terms of softer issues of enjoyment, likeability, belief and claim, the repondents ranked the Tata Indicom ad at the No.9 spot, with an average score of 81. The top slot went to Havells’ CFL lamps, with an ad diagnostic score of 86. The ad film-set in a Tibetan village where a little boy is declared the Rimpoche (Dalai Lama incarnate), thanks to the glow of Havells’ CFL lamps?was liked by many, but it did not aid brand recall or awareness. It ranked No.16 in the ad reach index.
Top Ads
Brand:
Cadbury’s Celebrations Rich Dry Fruit CollectionAgency: Contract AdvertisingBrand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan meets up with an old classmate. The line: Aisi mithas jo banaye dosti ko khas.
Brand: Reliance MobileAgency: Leo BurnettA montage of questions-from, ‘Does she love me?’ to ‘Am I looking fat?’-with the voiceover: Bol India bol. Unlimited free local calls on Reliance.
Brand: LG RangeAgency: Lowe LintasActor and brand ambassador Abhishek Bachchan talks about bringing new life to Diwali, with LG's range of household durables.
Brands: Maruti Zen EstiloAgency: Ogilvy & MatherA police officer is so busy admiring the features of the car that he fails to notice his daughter is in that car, eloping with her boyfriend.
Brands: ICICI Prudential Retirement SolutionsAgency: Lowe LintasA man wants to “retire” from the alarm clock-his wife tells him exactly how much it would cost to realize his dream.
Brands: Dish TVAgency: Lowe LintasActor Shah Rukh Khan tells the world not to settle for second best, including poor quality cable TV transmission-go for DTH instead.
Brands: Idea CellularAgency: Lowe LintasActor Abhishek Bachchan as the sarpanch provides a novel solution to caste rivalries: People should be known by their mobile numbers, not names.
Brands: Parle Kaccha Mango BiteAgency: Everest Brand SolutionsA boy decides the argument between mango and candy - candy wins. The voice-over? It's the inimitable style of Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.
Brands: Amway Personal CareAgency: RediffusionDYRA woman wants to look younger, a boy wishes to be taller, a toilet seat and an exhaust fan need cleaning-Amway products promise solutions for all.
Kennel capers
‘We used the pug as a link between the old brand and the new one-it was a simple, charming story’
The winning ad for mobile service provider Vodafone Essar Ltd was created by O&M India Ltd and features the trademark Hutch pug leaving his red kennel, only to find a bigger, better one on his return. The Hutch brand icon settles into his new Vodafone kennel quite comfortably, indicating a smooth shift to Vodafone. Group creative director Rajiv Rao tells Mint how
What was the client’s brief?The brief was simple: to launch the Vodafone brand. We couldn?t just go ahead and launch the brand. The idea was to communicate the change in brand to consumers. To tell them that brand Hutch was now going to be known as Vodafone. That is what we wanted to communicate.
How did the team zero in on the campaign?We decided to keep the communication as simple and uncomplicated as possible. We were absolutely sure that we wanted to use the pug, which was synonymous with brand Hutch. In the past, the pug was used to make that seamless transition from brand Orange to Hutch. We used the pug as a link between the old brand and the new one, this time round as well. And, I think it worked beautifully. It was a simple, uncomplicated, charming story. Even the music in the background, which is the original Hutch You & I jingle, was tweaked a little to make it sound fresh and happy... to signify a new beginning. These are also the values that brand Vodafone stands for internationally.Critics say the ad campaign isn't a patch on the campaigns you have put out for Orange and Hutch.The response to this campaign has been very positive. We really didn?t want to try too hard and complicate the whole thing. I guess people were expecting more. The story, about the little boy and the pug that follows him everywhere, was essentially a network story. This campaign was about how the network had found a new house.
Winning the name game
When respondents in India's metros were asked whether they could recall an ad featuring a pug, an overwhelming majority of them remembered not just the clip, but also that the Hutch pug had switched to Vodafone. Scoring high on both brand recall and awareness, Vodafone's television commercial topped Mint's ad rankings for October, with an ad reach index of 85.The highly visible campaign heralding the global telecom giant's entry into India has topped the ad diagnostics chart as well. Everybody liked it and believed its message. The trademark pug even managed to slip past superstar Amitabh Bachchan's latest clip for Cadbury's Celebrations Rich Dry Fruit Collection. Woven around a witty script involving Bachchan in search of his schoolmate ‘Lalten’, the Cadbury ad came second with an ad reach index of 74. It slipped, however, in the ad diagnostics index, scoring low on believability and claim. Reliance Mobile's Sawal campaign, riding on a series of quirky questions, came a close third with a score of 71 in the ad reach index. Ninetyeight per cent of those who saw it liked the ad, but only 86% believed it.
Top Ads
Brand: ICICI Prudential Health SolutionsAgency: LowePart of the “Jeete Raho” series, it shows a husband realizing the need for health cover after watching a teleserial.
Brand: Nescafé MildAgency: Capital AdvertisingA late night exchange between a radio jockey and his father sets off the tag line: “Ek cup baaton bhara (a cup full of conversation).“
Brand: Maruti SwiftAgency: Capital AdvertisingThe boss slips out of office to take his junior’s car for a spin, giving his more expensive one a miss. “Technology you love to drive,” goes the voice-over.
Brand: Parle Milk ShaktiAgency: Produced by Black Magic Motion PicturesM.S. Dhoni effortlessly lifts a sofa, with a grandmom on it, to look for car keys. The message: Get used to extra strength.
Brand: Cadbury Dairy Milk Éclairs CrunchAgency: Contract AdvertisingA couple collide while running across a field in Bollywood style. Some things should be enjoyed slowly, is the advice.
Brand: Vodafone Call FilterAgency: Ogilvy and MatherAn animation clip demonstrates how the Vodafone service helps block unwanted calls when you don’t want to be disturbed.
Brand: Maruti Suzuki WagonRAgency: Hakuhodo PerceptA reporter rescues an actress from the paparazzi, speeding away in his car-only to ask her for an exclusive interview.He ends up getting it.
Brand: Parle Krackjack CrispyAgency: Ogilvy and MatherA namaste with just one hand can have the opposite effect of what’s intended. Two is better than one, goes the voice-over, announcing a cream variant.
Brand: Parle Gol Gappa (candy)Agency: Grey WorldwideA man on his way to work is amazed to see everyone he passes by eating gol gappas. He only understands why when his boss gives him one.
Top Ads
Brand: Vodafone prepaid cardAgency: Ogilvy & MatherIrrfan Khan compares using an exhausted recharge card till its validity ends to pushing a car low on petrol. He then says the validity on a Vodafone card can be carried over
Brand: Dabur ChyawanprashAgency: McCann-EricksonAmitabh Bachchan explains why a boy needs to be given Chyawanprash by sending the mother to school and putting her through the exertions of school life.Amitabh Bachchan explains why a boy needs to be given Chyawanprash by sending the mother to school and putting her through the exertions of school life.
Brand: Tanishq diamond jewelleryAgency: Lowe LintasNafisa Ali is the centre of attention at her farewell, wearing the diamonds her daughter gave her. In a role reversal, the daughter is asked to dance by an elderly gentleman.
Brand: Sony Ericsson Walkman phoneAgency: Saatchi & SaatchiBrand ambassador Hrithik Roshan pairs up with a girl at a club, and they dance to a range of tunes, from hip hop to salsa. The voice-over says: “I love to shake up my music.”
Brand: Titan RegaliaAgency: Ogilvy & MatherAamir Khan visits a French studio, and is told that the pieces of art on display are not for sale. When the artist admires his watch, Aamir sends it with a note saying, “Not for sale”.
Brand: Bournvita SuperchargersAgency: Ogilvy & MatherThe ad features two finalists from the Cadbury Bournvita Confidence Academy reality show on Pogo, with folk singer Ashraf Khan challenging Kabir Aurora to dance to his song
Brand: HDFC Standard Life pension plansAgency: Leo BurnettA retired gentleman is shown telling his wife they will have to get rid of the maid to save money, only to surprise her with flight tickets to Singapore.
Brand: Chocoduet AlpenliebeAgency: McCann-EricksonMr Munch, the crocodile, is shedding tears and listening to sad songs, but cheers up when actor Kajol feeds him the candy. The two then dance to a catchy jingle.
Brand: Cadbury 5 Star Fruit & NutAgency: Ogilvy & MatherThree boys, new to Mumbai, spot the chocolate bar in a shop. Two of them bite into it and disappear, leaving the third to pay up. The voiceover: “Jo khaye, kho jaaye”.
The right pitch
‘After the product was repositioned, it was clear that the brand would have to talk to the family’
The Hindustan Unilever Ltd television commercial for its soap brand Lifebuoy has been voted the best ad in Mint's monthly ad survey.Created by Lintas India Pvt. Ltd for the consumer products company, the ad features a neighbour complaining to the mother of a boy who had picked up a grubby puppy off the street. The mother, a doctor, however, says children should be encouraged to do the right thing-especially with Lifebuoy soap around to take care of the germs. Lintas’ executive creative director Amer Jaleel tells Mint the story behind the ad
What was the client’s brief?Lifebuoy is the only health soap that stands opposite to beauty soap brands. The focus was to underline the difference between the two.
The brand, which was positioned as an allmale brand a few years ago, has softened its stand. Will we see more changes in brand strategy in the days to come ?A few years ago, the brand communication which focused on health and hygiene, moved from talking just to men, to talking to the entire family.After the product was repositioned as a family health soap, it was clear that the communication would have to talk to the family.So, the germ story has evolved over the years, from an all-male campaign, to those featuring experts such as doctors, and the latest one-“Koi dar nahin!”-featuring a generation of young people that is not scared to change the world.Every six months, we launch a new commercial. Over the next year, each variant of the brand will have its own story to tell, and each story will be carried forward with a series of commercials, which will focus on its strengths.
Making a clean sweep
Liking an advertisement does not ensure brand recall. This month again, Mint’s survey of new advertisements reveals a wide gap between the brand recall scores and softer factors such as likeability and believability.The Lifebuoy Liquid advertisement that topped the charts with a reach index of 86 ranked fifth in ad diagnostics with a score of 85. Similar is the case with many other ads in this month’s survey. HDFC Standard Life pension plans scored the highest in ad diagnostics, but ranked eighth on the ad reach index. Though 98% of the survey’s respondents liked the advertisement, only 79% could recall that it was an HDFC pension plan ad. Also interesting is the fact that as many as six ads in the top 12 in brand recall are personality (mostly actors) driven. Whether it is Irfan Khan talking about Vodafone's prepaid scheme, Amitabh Bachchan promoting Dabur Chyawanprash, or Aamir Khan selling Titan watches, these advertisements made more of an impact on consumers.Actor Kajol's pairing with Mr Munch the crocodile, however did not work its magic the second time around for Alpenliebe's Chocoduet. It secured ninth position-down from the No.1 slot, the animated crocodile had won in July for Alpenliebe milk chocolate candy.
Keeping it simple
How the idea that ‘barriers are what you make of them’ helped make the Airtel ad a winner
Telecom firm Bharti Airtel Ltd’s new television ad, which topped Mint’s monthly ad survey, was created by Rediffusion DY&R Pvt. Ltd. Amitesh Rao, its national business head, explains how the campaign took shape.
What was the client’s brief?We wanted a campaign that would go way beyond the kind of communication we have been seeing in this sector. In the past, Airtel campaigns had underlined the power of expression, such as the one featuring world leaders. There was a need to produce an iconic campaign like that. A campaign that has stature and scale, and establishes the brand's credentials beyond product and service. So, the brief essentially was to convey the thought: Communication dissolves boundaries.
How did you zero in on the script?This campaign is not about a particular situation or context, it is about people. So we picked a neutral context, which would not lend itself to any association, and focused on the core idea. The original script went through a lot of editing. It started out as a fairly complicated script around these two little boys from countries which were at war with each other and with fathers who felt strongly about the situation. We explored several routes but at the end, the only thing that mattered was the simplicity of the message.In the end, we took everything but the two kids out of the script.
Some say featuring teenagers who knew the significance of those boundaries could have strengthened the message. Comment.If we had used teenagers, then it would come across as a conscious decision to communicate, to build bridges. But we wanted to focus on the idea that “barriers are what you make of them”. And to a little kid, the space between those two boundaries looked like a good place for a game of football. It is a pure thought, there is no construction behind it. They are clueless, and their actions are spontaneous, none of them are thinking like Miss World and consciously communicating to bring world peace.
Flying high on brand recall
voted the best. Bharti Airtel Ltd’s latest television advertisement-featuring two children on opposite sides of an international border getting together to play football in the no man’s land-has scored the highest (93 in ad reach index) in brand recall and awareness in Mint’s survey of top ads in December. The ad from the cellular services firm scored a high of 99% in likeability, but slipped slightly on the believability and claim criteria. Its evocative tag line, “Barriers break when people talk”, was believed by 81% of those polled. The runner-up in December’s poll is ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd’s Health Solutions. The insurance company extended its life cover tag line “Jeete Raho” (made famous by its in-film placement in Cheeni Kum), to its health insurance offering in a seamless series. Featuring a couple who go for health insurance after watching a television serial, the ad clip captured eyeballs, matching the Airtel ad’s awareness score of 95%, but got 86% of the votes in brand recall. In ad diagnostics, or the aggregrate of scores on softer issues such as likeability, enjoyment, claim and believability, the ICICI Prudential ad notched 84 points, compared with Airtel’s 88 points.
Top Ads of the Month Jan 2008
Brand: Nestle MunchAgency: JWTActor Rani Mukherjee sings of the country of crunch. A building collapse, a cricket shot, a military salute-all end in a crunch, and a jingle: “Yeh desh hai crunchy, crunchy sa”.
Brand: LIC CorporateAgency: RK Swamy BBDOA montage of visuals of the LIC man-shielding children from sudden rain, securing belts on a merry-go-round, giving helmets to the elderly. All showcasing the promise of protection
Brand: Surf Excel Quick WashAgency: LoweA boy who has got his clothes dirty disarms his mother, sympathising with her plight, playing doctor and offering his prescription: Use the Surf Excel sixer pack for six days.
Brand: Pond’s Age MiracleAgency: Ogilvy & MatherRed tick marks float around women in a restaurant, a couple in a corridor, a pregnant woman exercising. Voice-over: About 99.9% of the women who took on the challenge are satisfied.
Brand: Nokia MMSAgency: Bates IndiaActor Shah Rukh Khan declares Nokia a friend of 10 years’ standing because it has helped him share some of the special moments of his life with loved ones.
Brand: Nokia 1208Agency: Bates IndiaAn elderly lady successfully plays saviour when battery failure leaves a bus stranded at night. Her “torch” cellphone helps her call for a new battery - and provides light.
Brand: Kinetic SYM FlyteAgency: Ambience PublicisActor Bipasha Basu, riding a red scooter, pulls the plug on an assembly line of pink “girlie” scooters-today’s girls, she declares, are neither girlie nor delicate.
Brand: Reliance Mobile BlogAgency: Mudra CommunicationsThe world comes calling on a girl seated on a park bench. The star attraction: her diary, which transforms later into a mobile phone. The voice-over: No strangers on MBlog
Brand: Cadbury WowieAgency: Ogilvy & MatherA boy is reading, and eating chocolate, when he is transported to a chocolate castle. He runs into ghosts-but the glowing cartoon characters on the chocolate wrapper help him ward off the threat.
JWT India saw the ad for Kurkure Xtreme as the perfect opportunity for the brand to take a leap
The FritoLay Division of PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd's television ad for the Xtreme variant of its snack brand Kurkure has been created by advertising agency JWT India Ltd. The ad features brand ambassador Juhi Chawla jumping off rooftops and performing other stunts to reach the Kurkure delivery van. In the ad, the actor's sudden ability to perform these stunts has been powered by one bite of the snack's flavours, which has her craving for more-lending itself to the tag line: “Seriously thoda zyada”. Creative director Sonia Bhatnagar takes us behind the frames of the advertisement.
Edited excerpts:What was the client’s brief?Since this product was meant to be an in-and-out flavour launch (would be in the market for two to three months), the client obviously wanted us to make sure the extreme flavours flew off the shelf. They wanted us to create a strong impact during the short stay of Xtreme, so that it stays in the mind of consumers. They gave us a lot of freedom to do what we thought was best, while staying true to the full-on taste the “electric nimbu” and “risky chilli” flavours promised.
How was the brief executed?We saw this as the perfect opportunity for the brand to take a leap, literally. So, the concept we went with was of a family on holiday in Jodhpur, where the housewife, Juhi, takes a leap off the fort in true extreme-sport style. I think the rest of it just flew as we took off on the name Xtreme, which is exactly what our clients wanted us to convey. Everything was unique about the shoot. Jodhpur had never seen anything like it. All of Jodhpur was on holiday that day and we had the toughest time taking the simplest of shots. The film was directed by Abhijit Chaudhary of Black Magic Productions.Isn’t the concept of jumping off buildings to reach the product delivery van similar to rival CocaCola India Inc.’s brand Thums Up ad featuring actor Akshay Kumar?See, the whole idea is to do a take on all things extreme. That includes James Bond, Jackie Chan, Bollywood action movies, the works. If Akshay Kumar is a part of that world, it will seem like we're taking off on him, too. But that's hardly the intention. The differentiating factor is obviously Juhi! Nobody's ever seen her jump off a chair, let alone a fort wall, over a cannon. Good old, smiley, bubbly, housewifey Juhi goes extreme... just for these flavour
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Virigin Ads
Virgin Mobile sets foot in India with 2 great TV advertisments
Image from Wikipedia
I have said this repeatedly earlier and I am saying it again. I love Indian TV advertisements. They not only pass across the message in those limited 10 seconds, but the fun element in it keeps the viewers wanting for more.
The 2 recent addtions to my favorite list are 2 maiden ads released by Virgin Mobile to set their footprint in India. Both of them are very funny and leaves viewers craving for more.
Funny ads
Every now and then I get on Youtube and search for new advertisements coming on Indian television. Most of the times I find quite a few interesting and appealing ads. I have earlier shared some of my favorite advertisements appearing on Indian TV.
I can say without a doubt that Indian ad agencies have some of the most creative and talented people around ! It is attested by the fact that now global companies are approaching Indian ad agencies to handle their media campaign.
You can find many funny and best indian ad videos in YouTube
From Down Under, with finesse
Vinay Kamath
Meet Danny Pope, cinematographer for many Indian commercials, including those for Fevicol and Hutch.
Danny Pope. Heard of him? It's a good bet that not many would have. But, mention some of the more memorable television commercials in Indian advertising of late like the Hutch boy-and-dog TVC and the Fevicol bus ad or the Chevrolet commercial, and if you were told that it was Pope, a 44-year-old Australian cinematographer, who shot those TVCs, recognition would be easier. Among the top cinematographers in the world for commercials, he brings to his work, according to ad film-makers like Rajiv Menon and Prakash Varma, who he's filmed for, a great deal of meticulousness and technical expertise. "He's able to translate the mental picture on the director's mind into film," says Varma, who's shot the Hutch commercial with Pope in Goa. Film-makers are using talented cinematographers like Pope for the fresh perspective he brings to a commercial, which comes out of his experience of shooting around the world. In Chennai recently to shoot a Titan commercial for Menon, Pope took time off to talk to Catalyst about his Indian experience. Excerpts:
How did your Indian affair begin?
I did a commercial for Live-in jeans in Sydney with an Australian crew for an Indian agency and director and that was the first one I did. Later, I worked on a couple of other commercials; one was for Lakme and the other Levi's. When I finished a little stint in India and went back to Sydney I was asked whether I would like to work on another Indian commercial, but I was fairly busy at that time. They asked me if I would see the reel of the director and I had a look at it and it was brilliant - this was Prasoon Pandey's (Corcoise Films) reel. I then worked with him for a Wills cigarettes ad; we shot all around Sydney and we got along well. The next project he asked me to work on with him was for Fevicol, so I came over to shoot in Rajasthan. I met Piyush (Pandey, group president & national creative director, O&M)), and we all went and shot the Fevicol ad together and it then went on to wi<15,3m>n the Silver Lion in Cannes. I loved shooting that commercial, it was beautiful.
Then I did a Grasim suit ad with Prasoon, then one for Limca and a motorbike commercial for Bajaj Pulsar. After that I got a call from Prakash Varma and we then did the Chevrolet ad in Rajasthan, which was a really difficult ad to make because of the dusty terrain.
So, I had a nice thing going; I was working with two of the best directors, Prasoon and Prakash Varma; then we did Hutch together with Prasoon and Piyush. So, what's really brought me back here is the Titan ad I'm doing for Rajiv Menon.
The Hutch ad that you shot is among the most endearing commercials seen in Indian advertising. How did you manage to get the dog to follow the boy around faithfully?
That ad was shot in Goa. We first had a little snouted dog which came with its dog handlers. The first shot we wanted was of the dog taking a straight run to the beach, but it never did anything like that. The dog didn't look nice anyway, apart from not performing and we were at it for hours. And here I was, trying to catch the overcast light for the shoot. This dog just wasn't doing anything right. So, we had a bit of panic on hand because we wasted hours on the first day. We needed to find another dog; that was a big call; we were stuck in Goa and we needed a new dog the next morning. So, everyone started hunting around. The production team did a great job in finding the pug, Chika. I saw the pictures and said everyone would fall in love with the dog.
The next day we arrive on set and found that it was a Goan couple who had this dog and we didn't have to go anywhere for one. We allowed the dog and the little kid, Jairam, to spend some time together and they became friends and it would follow the boy everywhere and all we had to do was shoot. Every shot was done in a couple of takes; the dog was really lovable; in fact when he was climbing stairs, his stomach would drag on the stairs — he had such short legs!
At the end of the commercial we needed to show the boy and the dog asleep. We had worked both really hard and Jairam fell asleep instantly. And then we put the dog beside him to see what he would do and even the dog fell asleep immediately. Being a pug, he started snoring as well; he was so tired! Trying to get a dog to do that is really difficult. Some things just work out well; we were blessed, that was a really lovely shoot.
What about the Fevicol ad, was that a difficult shoot as well?
That shoot went off very well. In fact, it won the Silver Lions at Cannes. We shot the ad in winter so the lighting was quite perfect. We just had four pieces of polystyrene to bounce light. We wanted the bus to bump around a bit, so we dug small ditches for it to go through while ensuring the lighting was uniform. It was very simple and we really enjoyed the shoot. The actors too were fantastic and sat patiently for hours and hours.
You've been around the world to shoot various commercials, what are the most memorable ones?
Oh, I think the Fevicol and Hutch ads are right up there among my best. I've shot around the world; I like shooting in Europe but I like coming back to India as well; it's going places. The clients are willing to trust the agency and the agency is trying to come up with innovative ideas. They like a bit of fun; Indians enjoy their cinema and their commercials; there's a big passion for cricket and cinema so the audience knows the celebrities in the ads too. Sydney is a different market altogether. I've shot in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai often, and Europe, of course, when it comes along. I've shot for Qantas; recently I've done a big ad for Petronas in Cambodia ...
How do you rate Indian advertising on technical aspects?
You've got better equipment here now, the best that's around; I won't be surprised if India wins an award in the foreign films category soon at the Academy Awards. India is in the news and becoming popular all over. Even in London you can watch Bollywood movies in cafes. Your cinema is going places and its commercial directors are right up there. I will see more quality advertising coming out of India; I love coming here because of the freedom that you show in your cinema. I come from Sydney, which is more restrained. Indians like their story-telling and fun in their advertising and that's making Indian advertising further itself because the Indian people watch a lot of commercials and movies and people need to lift the bar, otherwise they're not going to like it. But Indian directors are able to adapt, their ads are not always up to story-telling; some of them are making very stylish ads as well. They've got a compositional balance.
The directors you work with compliment your meticulousness and technical expertise. Where did you have your training as a cinematographer?
I had all my initial training in Australia under Graham Lind, who was probably one of Sydney's best commercial photographers. I was taught by him; he had an outfit called Rosswood Productions. Later I worked with Peter James, who shot movies like Driving Miss Daisy and then Andrew Lesney, who won an Academy award for The Lord of the Rings. I used to operate as a cameraman with them and then for products like watches and foods I picked up the skills from Lind; you don't want to forget such skills even if I like shooting ads like Fevicol in Rajasthan.
The work that I've seen from the commercials shot by Indians are wonderful. I admire their work. I think they're doing well and that's why I think I'm lucky to be working here and with them.
Do you see yourself shooting in Indian commercial cinema?
Indian cinematographers would probably do it better than me; but I'm open to offers. I don't know whether it would be a traditional Bollywood movie; the films I've been talking about are a little more offbeat, a bit more of the cross-over movies, with a Westernised approach, a real story with a situation as opposed to the normal Bollywood film. I am interested in doing an Indian film because I'm getting to know the place and people and eventually I expect to be doing it. If it's the right project and right director ... I have to be prepared to change my business around. I'll probably lose money on it because if I stayed on in Sydney I would be pretty busy with more commercials and I would probably make more money. But as I get older, I guess I would be doing work which satisfies me more. (Laughs heartily) Who knows, we may be doing an interview again after I've shot a commercial film!
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now in india ads are becoming more attractive and innovative ads.. its started from "Alque Pademse" now many people are maintaining that trend
my first with this blog
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here u can find news and happing things in the field of ads in india
i have hobbe of ads( abt making and filming news)
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