Campaign: ?Zindagi Judi Hai Linc Se?
Brand: Linc Pen
Company : Linc Pen and Plastics
Agency: SQUIRKLE
The campaign:
The new 40-second television commercial launched by Linc Pen featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan picks ups various vignettes from the actor?s growing up years and how they are linked to Linc Pen. The film opens with the actor lost in his childhood memories. He scribbles his initials ?SRK? with Linc Pen, writes a note of apology to his favourite teacher, he even remembers writing a love note to his sweetheart and smiles at the memories attached to it. He signs his film contract with Linc Pen. And one night when the actor is surrounded by a battery of cameras a familiar face puts forward a familiar piece of paper for his autograph. The lady is his teacher and the piece of paper is the apology note that the actor had written.
Background music has a Hindi song, with strong lyrics and a hummable tune.
Our Take:
The Indian pen market is extremely competitive and cluttered with the presence of brands like Linc, Reynolds, Cello, Today?s, Add Gel, Rotomac, Flair, Stic and hundreds of small-scale players. And in a feat to stand out in the clutter most of the brands are endorsed by top-notch celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and others. Linc Pen signed Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador in September 2008. But experts say the effect of this endorsement was realised only from the first quarter of financial year 2010 (Q1FY10), when the company managed to clock around 20% growth in topline.
This new ad comes in at a time when the company has already registered its brand in more than 50 countries worldwide, while it sells its products in 20 countries. The ad is one of the better ones in the category in recent times after the Mont Blanc television commercial of 2009 that featured Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Linc Pen is also a supplier to global retail giants like Walmart, Asda and Tesco for their private labels and with Khan?s interanational popularity this commercial has the potential to become the company?s global campaign.