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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  Spot Light | Commonfloor.com
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Spot Light | Commonfloor.com

It's well executed but does it convey the message?

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Realty check

Reviewer: Nima Namchu

The creative head and executive creative director at Cheil India Pvt. Ltd, Nima Namchu has 19 years of experience in advertising. He has worked with brands such as Sony, Indian Oil, MasterCard, Google, Reebok and General Motors.

Nima Namchu.
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Nima Namchu.

CAMPAIGN

The ad for Commonfloor.com, a property listing, buying and selling portal, by JWT is a spoof on the 1980s’ B-grade Bollywood horror film. A young couple looking for a home walk into a dingy, derelict house. An old watchman shows them around but they soon realize that the watchman is the ghost of the man who used to live there. The wife screams dramatically while the husband takes out his phone, which has a Commonfloor.com app, and flashes it at the ghost to “destroy" him. Tag line: No darr, find ghar (don’t be scared, find a home).

Your first thoughts on the campaign?

It’s a very funny, clutter-breaking campaign, no doubt. The first time I saw it I thought the agency and production guys would have definitely had fun making this ad. At the same time, I think that buying or selling property from a consumer’s point of view is a hugely tedious task and is a very important decision for consumers to make, and the ad captured that element well but with a funny twist.

What would you have done differently?

I would have never worked with this concept. As the category—house listing and property market—is a pretty important decision for any consumer, I would have sought a more serious or problem-solving concept rather than a wacky one.

From an execution point of view, how does the campaign fare compared to the creative concept?

I think the film is executed very well , the whole idea of making a spoof of a B-grade Bollywood bhoot movie is just very funny and appealing. The agency and production house have definitely done a good job putting this film together.

Does the whole concept of borrowing from B-grade Bollywood movies work for a brand that is advertising for the first time on TV?

Well, I think that’s where the film lags slightly. What does it eventually convey about the “brand" per se, apart from being a very funny film, which viewers will remember no doubt, but will they be able to distinguish it for the brand and what it has to offer? I’m not sure. It’s a concept that gets noticed, it’s good to make that noise, and a lot of dotcoms are increasingly using that tactic as part of their communication strategy to get heard. I can’t pick any faults in the script and execution but is it a right communication to convey a brand message ? I’m not sure.

Any other property portal ads in India or internationally that have caught your attention?

No comment.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suneera Tandon
Suneera Tandon is a New Delhi based reporter covering consumer goods for Mint. Suneera reports on fast moving consumer goods makers, retailers as well as other consumer-facing businesses such as restaurants and malls. She is deeply interested in what consumers across urban and rural India buy, wear and eat. Suneera holds a masters degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi.
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Published: 15 Aug 2014, 07:53 PM IST
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