I wish I had made these
Two of Chraneeta Mann’s favourite ads include those for Maruti and Max New York Life Insurance (MNYL). She says, ?Maruti has often surprised us with ads that suddenly hit a note of brilliance compared to the rest of the advertising done on the brand. The ?Kitna Degi?? fuel efficiency campaign was one such nugget. It tapped into an insight that was so absurdly Indian and so absurdly simple. It hit home across all strata, all age segments and I doubt if there was a single Indian who didn?t grin when the punchline kicked in. It was one of the few campaigns where any one ad film out of three did not seem to be a laboured extension of the other two. They all worked. They all made you smile.?
She finds the MNYL ad ?heart-warmingly different and insightful?. ?This ad was about the irritated wife waiting for her husband who seems to have rediscovered ?aawaaragardi? in his old age again. It was unapologetic, an unashamed non tearjerker, had a really well-crafted script and was a welcome departure from cheesy visuals of old people at amusement parks. Retirement, instead of seeming like a looming symbol of life coming to an end, suddenly seemed so much more fun instead,? she says.
Thank god, it isn?t me
She says, ?The ad that tops the list in terms of senseless creative is the JK Cement red bikini ad. The ad had absolutely no relevance to the product and the voice-over saying ?isme vishwass hai, isme kuch khaas hai? defied all logic. But strangely, what the 10-second ad did do was spark off a WTH (What The Hell??) response from consumers and industry alike. Was it about sleaze, was it about cement breast implants ? JK Cement was a riddle the world was trying to solve. Did it work after all??
She thinks that the MVL Tyaagi Baba TV spot is another ad that seems like a wasted opportunity in a category that often allows one to do some really interesting work. ?The storyline was predictable to say the least and the execution seemed quite run-of-the-mill,? she says.
Chraneeta Mann is currently the executive creative director of Rediffusion Y&R and heads creative at the Delhi office.
She has been in the advertising business for the last 15 years. Mann started her career as a junior copywriter at JWT. She has been involved in the launch of Airtel and has worked for more than seven years on the brand. More recently she has left her creative stamp on LG, ?Zoot?campaign of MTS and the launch campaign of Tata Nano.
Mann has worked on various brands such as Sony Ericsson, Honda Car & Motorcycles, Daikin Air conditioners, Iffco Tokio General Insurance, Suzlon Wind Energy, Nomarks, Taj Group of Hotels, GPI ? Four Square, BPL home appliances, Ole soft drink in Sri Lanka, Lanka Tourism, Maruti Suzuki ? Maruti 800, Corporate, Gypsy, Indus League Clothing, W store for women?s wear.