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Business News/ Industry / Spot Light | 2013 in advertising
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Spot Light | 2013 in advertising

Simple storytelling was back, in sync with a world that was connected and greedy for goodness

Ad film for TanishqPremium
Ad film for Tanishq

When story won over gimmicks

As a country where the middle-class market alone is larger than the population of many countries, our media landscape is a spotted tiger. There just isn’t another market as exotic. So when I try to look at 2013 and what I learnt from advertising this year, I need to first take a look at our context.

We are still dominated by mainline advertising media—print, television and radio—but critically influenced by social media.

We are in a happy place, with opportunity for all advertising ventures. We still enjoy our advertising. We gawk faithfully. And a vast majority of us still drink advertising to slake our consumerist thirst.

But if you pull back a bit, and run your eyes across our advertising, you’d home in on some changes—what seems to work, what seems to be growing, and what seems to be driving the future.

Mainline media no longer rules our world. Social media does. And everything, from advertising to entertainment to news, has come together as one common tsunami called content.

Most of it is muck, and it’s yucky; stuff that you don’t want and need to watch. Inevitably, overdose and fatigue will happen. In fact, I suspect we have reached a point where we are effectively weeding out chaff, even from our advertising. We seem to have eyes and ears for goodness. No more rabid claims, hyper products and quick-fix solutions.

Ad filem form Bournvita
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Ad filem form Bournvita

The advertising that’s pulling eyes out of our sockets seems to be loaded with truths, stories, and goodness.

Look at what we spoke about and shared around. Reunion by Google (India), Gundappa by Lifebuoy, Sprinter by Bournvita and Second Marriage by Tanishq.

They tell me that interesting storytelling is back. Simple, touching stories that appeal straight to the heart, built on insights from human behaviour and life. Whether it’s the story of how technology helps two friends to meet, how social customs and taboo are sidestepped, how children in rural India can live long and healthy lives, or how contemporary mothers work with their children to get them ready for competitive life.

None of these plots were invented. They have all existed. You have seen them in your own mirror, years before they became ads.

It’s not a surprise. In the context of all the ugliness we take in, from all sorts of feeds, human stories win.

The best content, regardless of its shape, size, length or origin, stops us, moves our soul and fingers to write good things about it, and send it onward to our families and friends.

Suddenly, in the midst of this interactive social media cauldron, no brand is bigger than people. The power of democratic media has made them realize they just can’t afford to play big brother. They could be taken down by one clever post. One nasty tweet. Anything. All it needs is a spark, and worldwide octane will catch fire. Everyone, especially brands, are now for the people, by the people, and of the people.

Ad film from Google India
View Full Image
Ad film from Google India

We are living in a time when the people of Delhi swept out its incumbent government, without the power of big money but powered by common people and their furiously clicking fingers. Not only did they like and share crudely put-together films, they rallied behind honesty. Packaging was inconsequential, as long as truth wasn’t suppressed.

This also means that in the advertising world, we are living in a time when huge production and fabulous computer graphics have little meaning unless they are relevant to the idea. The viewer doesn’t discriminate any more. Interesting content could come from anyone, anywhere.

Time, again, is no longer a limiting demon. The sacrosanct 30-seconder has fallen, and while it continues to be a necessity to define media budgets, even on the Web, great content isn’t limited by time any more. Time is merely the length required to tell the story.

No matter if your commercial is 20 seconds, 4.3 minutes or 22 minutes, as long as it is original, fresh, cardiac, non-clichéd, and interesting, people will find time.

One of the clear trends I have been able to pick up is the lack of the formatted product window, the shot which shows the product story. The Bournvita film is a classic—an absolutely no-ingredient story. I suppose it’s understood that it has vitamins and goodness. It certainly isn’t laced with whisky. I’d think the product window is a dinosaur.

Ad film from Lifebuoy
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Ad film from Lifebuoy

However, the important thing to take away is that products and benefits inspire all these stories. Without these, overtly or covertly, none of these stories would have been possible. The trick is to keep the product link and connect as natural as possible. The moment you get blatant, and the fine line between real story and product story gets skewed, the iron curtain will fall.

Craft is another area that’s getting redefined. The finesse in most films is so sharp that the craft does not show at all. Editing, casting, sound design, dialogue, timing are excruciatingly well-executed. The closer the story is to real life, the better the content.

Finally, I think clients need to be applauded. They understand the new audience, and they are ready to dance with them. Because unlike when brands drove one-way communication, these days all roads are two-way.

There’s traffic raging in from the other side, and if you don’t yield, you just might crash. Even if the advertising isn’t intended for the Web, it will find its way there, and it will get gutted or patted.

2013 has been an awakening. The advertising has been in sync with a world that’s faster, connected, democratic, and greedy for goodness.

I’d think 2014 would be a happier extension. There’s no other choice. Amen.

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Published: 27 Dec 2013, 07:42 PM IST
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