There?s nothing path-breaking in this season?s IPL campaign except for the soundtrack which could turn out to be a popular ringtone
Campaign: Sirf dekhneka Nahi
Brand: IPL/SET Max
Company: Multi Screen Media (MSM)
Agency: JWT
The Campaign
The campaign includes two 45-second TV ads featuring Bollywood choreographer Farah Khan. In the first one, she walks into the conference room to see executives watching an IPL match on a television screen, while seated around the round table. Khan walks in with two men wearing brass band costumes ? one having a speaker as a backpack and the other with a turn table around his neck. She instructs the executives to get on the table and teaches them to celebrate a four by dancing to her signature steps. In the second ad, Khan walks into the living room of a family of three with her two sidekicks. Here, too, she instructs them on how to celebrate a six with special dance moves. Both ads end with Khan saying, ?Sirf dekhne ka nahi?, asking viewers to be a part of the IPL 6 frenzy.
Our Take
It’s Indian cricket’s million dollar baby, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is into its sixth season. IPL, like a stereotypical rich brat, has had its share of controversies, perhaps a little more than it had bargained for. Although a little jaded now as the novelty factor has tapered off, the greatest domestic sporting extravaganza is back with a new title sponsor, and of course, a new TV campaign. So star choreographer Khan has put on her dancing shoes in a series of TV ads, instructing signature dance moves to fans to celebrate a four, a six and a wicket (of these three, only the ads for a four and a six had been released at the time of filing this review). The ads have quite a bit of the Bollywood quotient ? like the IPL itself ? with music director-singer duo of Vishal and Shekhar creating the score for the campaign. The insight behind the campaign is that cricket is much more than a sport for Indians. It is a passion that excites us and makes us celebrate the game, by screaming, yelling, jumping and, as obvious in this case, dancing. The campaign will feature a series of three short films, three dance instruction videos and one big grand film, all featuring Farah Khan.
One has to admit that it is quite eye catching and has a quirky and groovy soundtrack. It’s a decent execution and exudes a zing that is difficult to ignore. But overall, the campaign fails to leave a lasting impact. If one compares to an earlier IPL campaign which showcased the event as a carnival, this new campaign doesn’t come anywhere close creatively. The only major popular takeaway could be the soundtrack. Don?t be surprised if cellphones around you start screaming the song every now and then. Maybe it was intended to be this way in the first place. The central message and brand communication is fine and the impression one gets after watching the ads is that SET Max is trying very hard to get prospective viewers to associate the brand with IPL. It’s like an effort to add spice and spontaneity into a relationship of a few years, that has lost its initial charm and excitement. But let’s wait for the whole campaign before passing a verdict on it. Till then, you might want to watch out for that song as the ringtone on cellphones around you.
