BackOn the spot | Great ads not on the list
On the spot | Great ads not on the list
PremiumSantosh Desai, CEO, Future Brands
Sometimes, writing this column is a deeply depressing job. Trying to pick out three half-decent ads among a bushel of mediocrities is an uninspiring exercise. What makes it worse is that there are a bunch of great ads on television that somehow are not part of this month’s list. So here’s waiting for next month. In the meantime, chew on these:
Well tried, so half begun
Lowe Worldwide
The idea that global events affect local lives is, by itself, difficult to argue with and it does allow BBC to play a role in our lives. The stories are well told and the matrimonial search ad, in particular, rings extremely true.
Great casting and a real ear for authentic dialogue. The end bit which ties in the brand is decidedly clumsy and takes away from the overall effect. I guess, well tried is half begun.
Passably funny, just time pass
Bingo International Cream & Onion
Ogilvy and Mather
Not my favourite Bingo ad by a long shot, but passably funny. The fraud ‘phoren damaad’ (foreign son-in-law) routine is funny in an overdone Hindi serial-with-laugh-track kind of way. Time pass.
Reconciliation of the old and new
McCann Erickson
On the face of it, there is not much to say about this ad. However, as a campaign thought, the idea of a coconut oil moving into the contemporary space without a trace of self-consciousness is a very big step for the category.
In ‘Gorgeous hamesha’ (gorgeous always), we see an effortless reconciliation of the old and new, as well as the outward and inward. For years, hair oils have struggled to find a vocabulary rooted in today, while being true to their essential promise. A powerful example of how language can help create new worlds for a brand. Not a great ad, but a great solution.
Turkey of the month
Beyond absurd
Rediffusion Y&R
The contenders—Colgate MaxFresh, with the tired routine of a woman in uniform being turned on by something inconsequential eaten/worn/sprayed/applied by an inconsequential jerk; Tata Sky, for reducing Aamir Khan to the act of imitating himself, and Cadbury Perk, for concocting a wildly improbable story out of empty chocolate packs.
The winner—LG Frost Free Refrigerator, for creating the most culturally uneducated ad seen in recent times.
In a country obsessed with fresh, hot food, showing a husband putting together dinner entirely out of the fridge for his wife who is coming back home, and trilling “dinner’s waiting" is bad enough, but for him to say “dinner’s still waiting" when he finds out that she has been delayed by a day is beyond absurd.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
