The automotive industry has been a fast progressing sector in India. From scooters to cars to even commercial vehicles, customers now have the option of choosing from more variety offered by various manufacturers. In 90s, however, this vertical was limited to only a few Indian manufacturers and their vehicles. Despite lesser competition, some of these companies came out with TV adverts that connected with the country’s population and left lasting memories. Some of them rose to become integral and eventually a part of the history of the Indian automotive sector. We have compiled a list of some old commercials from that bring back a nostalgic value and are bound to take you back into your childhood.
Royal Enfield Bullet Old Ad
Royal Enfield is a brand synonymous with the thumping sound. Although the current versions have been swapped for the inverted gear and brake setting, the thump is still present, somewhat. Unlike its name, the Royal Enfield Bullet wasn’t meant for speed, but for laid back cruising. In India, the motorcycle is known as a big motorcycle and is bought for its road presence. That is precisely the sentiment that has been encashed upon in this commercial ad. A train approaches a rail road crossing but unlike the regular scenario where vehicles would wait till the train crosses the rail road, a flipside happens for the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra. The train stops, making way for the Bullet Electra and the ad ends with a person not on camera saying ‘Everybody Makes Way… For the Bullet’.
Hamara Bajaj TV Commercial
If there is one brand that was not just a two-wheeler company but a national family mover during the 90s, it was Bajaj Auto. The Chetak, Cub, Super and Priya scooters along with other two-wheelers from the Indian company garnered huge popularity thanks to its affordable ownership cost and practicality. These qualities struck the right chords with the country’s growing middle-class of the time. Later, a tie-up with Kawasaki also helped Bajaj in moving to the motorcycle segment and introduce some good two-stroke motorcycles like the KB 100 RTZ. This ad reflects the same connect of the Indian middle-class with Bajaj products and the way these vehicles became an integral part of their families, mostly due to being a family-mover.
Suzuki Samurai TV Commercial
The Suzuki Samurai was a motorcycle, which the company claimed to have ‘No Problem’. A commercial ad was made basis the same where a passerby looks at the Suzuki Samurai and starts to appreciate the motorcycle. This passerby mistakes a Japanese gentleman standing next to the motorcycle to be its owner and enquires about its power, mileage and finally a test ride. The gentleman in question says ‘No Problem’ to each of these questions and the passerby sits on the motorcycle and goes for a ride. Little did the poor fellow know that the Japanese was appreciating the technology of the motorcycle which wasn’t his and the ad ends with the actual owner of the motorcycle running after it.
Suzuki Shogun Commercial
In this ad the Suzuki Shogun, a 110 cc 14 hp two stroke motorcycle is going unrealistically fast passing a car of a poultry farmer who is carrying chickens. The motorcycle whizzes past the car and the chickens fly out. In continuation of the unrealistic pattern, the motorcycle zooms past a house where a person is sitting comfortably on his rocking chair with a dog sitting next to the man. Apparently, the house does not have electricity, but as the motorcycle passes, the house is lit again. The Shogun was one of the few motorcycles to compete with the iconic Yamaha RX 100 along with the Kawasaki-Bajaj RTZ 100.
Maruti Esteem Dad in a Good Mood Commercial Ad
A father comes to pick up his son from school, who is upset about his grades in the progress report card. The kid is about to pick up a piece of chocolate kept in the car when the father asks if he got his report card and how much he scored in which subject. All turns out good as the father, after listening to the progress report says ‘There’s always next time’ despite the low scores. Why? The child saw his father being at peace while driving the Esteem. The sedan was offered with a power steering, power windows, a factory-fitted AC at an affordable price point. Although these things are common nowadays, in the 90s, these features were considered a luxury.
Kawasaki-Bajaj RTZ 100 Ad
A desert where a person is eagerly waiting for something important at a train station is the start of this ad. It continues with a train coming in a distance which comes to a stop and a ramp is dropped. The person’s attention turns towards what is coming out of the container. It is the RTZ 100 and the person starts running towards the motorcycle as if he had been waiting for it since long. The Kawasaki-Bajaj RTZ 100 was a long-awaited launch at its time and this ad conveyed the message that it is finally here and one can book it. After its launch, the motorcycle competed with the likes of the Suzuki Shogun and Samurai.
Hero Puch 2-in-1 bike
When the Hero Puch was introduced, it was sold from the angle where it offered the performance one would expect from a motorcycle while offering best in class fuel efficiency of 91 kmpl. Although the actual vehicle can be best termed as a moped and not a motorcycle, the fuel efficiency figure, affordable price point and appreciable performance for its time made it popular with the middle-class families. The ad is anchored by Shahrukh Khan in a double role!
Hyundai Santro Shahrukh Khan Ad
By 1998, the superstar, Shahrukh Khan, started his road to fame. In this ad, he is seen marketing the Hyundai Santro and the actor is accompanied by a golden retriever dog. He explains the attributes of the Hyundai Santro which was the most powerful hatchback back in the day as it was the first MPFI or Multi-Port Fuel Injected car in India. The ad ends with Shahrukh Khan and the dog having a conversation (Er.. okay) where the dog says (Yes, he says) to the actor that it is a complete family car. The idea behind the ad was to showcase that the Hyundai Santro (First Generation) is a car for the entire family and the ‘tall-boy’ offered more space. This also meant that occupants sitting in the rear bench would not be cramped for space, however, in the practical world, this was not entirely true. If a tall person would sit in the front seat and the rear occupant is also above six feet, knees of the passenger sitting at the rear would sink in the front seats’ recline.
Videos Courtesy: Youtube
