By Gokul Krishnamoorthy
Asahi System Windows | Noise Cancelling Windows
A good, fun watch that draws you in and keeps you there. The brevity helps. The premise of ‘noise cancellation’ is unmissable thanks to the plot. The approach reminds one of Saint Gobain India ads from another time. In the here and now, Asahi owns noise cancellation. For those looking for logic of some other kind, let’s touch base in 2024.
McDonald’s India | EatQual (2022)
EatQual is not an ad campaign but a special packaging launched to help the disabled feel equal when eating a burger. This needs to be underlined. Granted, it has allowed for a brand campaign, but that does not take away from the initiative. If you’re doing something good that can inspire others, it needs to be widely visible. In this particular film, as it had done earlier, the QSR brand depicts the disabled protagonist as perfectly capable of taking care of her needs. When it comes to the burger, EatQual helps. Sensitively done.
WakeFit | Home Time | Honest New Year Party Rant
WakeFit – or should we say Home Time – is at it again. The brand that gave us ‘Bhad Mein Jaa 2020’ returns with stand up to welcome 2023. This one, a timely take on new year parties and the alternative, comforts of home (aided by WakeFit). Roasting new year parties ahead of new year will resonate with many who prefer to wake up and wish the world in the new year. Even for the others, a good laugh is always welcome even if it’s at your expense (of Rs.9,999 a couple).
HP Spectre | Shine Bright
The one that got away: while we featured two films from the campaign earlier, we missed this one. And it is as natural and as good as the others. The choice of startup founder-partners for this storyline could have made or broken this campaign. The makers have scored on that front. The rest boils down to the writing and execution, which do not disappoint. This particular film’s pitch is about auto-lighting. It’s amazing how useful some of the new age features are, in keeping with present day needs. But they also need to be told in a manner that people watch – and get. HP does the job with Khattar and Bose.
Zee5 | Zee Cinema | ILT20 | Har Ball Bawaal Hota Hai
The timing is perfect, coming ahead of the IPL. The promo captures the raw intensity of grassroots cricket. For Tamil viewers, it might remind one of the movie ‘Chennai 600024’. This is perhaps an effort to showcase the tournament with a local flavour and draw in the Indian audience. That has been done exceedingly well. Plugging in SRK at the end to spell out ‘Har Ball Bawaal Hota Hai’ adds a lot of value. The writing itself is powerful and one hopes for the tournament’s sake that it lives up to the intensity of the promo.
HDFC Life | Annuity | Salary After Retirement
Retired folks and those about to retire tell us that it’s an entirely new phase of life. There is a sense of looking forward to it, say some, while others dread the thought. One primary driver of the latter is the lack of regular income for the salaried class. This film brings both aspects together beautifully to pitch its annuity product. To live a life of dignity after retirement, one must ensure adequate income. Enter HDFC Life.
Shadowfax | #DuniyaDekhtiRehJayegi
When you’re clear about what you set out to do, it shows. The objective of this campaign from the hyperlocal delivery platform is to get more partners on board. The messages are very clear: work on your terms, get up to Rs.35k per month, insurance, etc, and be the envy of the neighbourhood. This is told through the neighbour who walks in to boast about her daughter’s job, only to realise that her kid has been outdone by the Shadowfax partner next door. Elements like the exchange between the youngsters have been crafted to keep the viewer interested.
Shyam Steel India | #FlexiStrong
So Shyam Steel stays with its ‘Flexi’ premise. Rather different for the category and hence perhaps the investment in the stars. If the earlier film featuring the visitor was a whiff of fresh air, this one is simple and warm. A simpler rendition of ‘flexible’ still seems to do the job. It helps that it is set in winter.
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