By Gokul Krishnamoorthy
Prega News | #SheCanCarryBoth
Prega News makes another statement on another special day with this film, on a critical issue almost every working woman grapples with. It unequivocally puts out the brand’s perspective on the subject while celebrating women who carry off career and motherhood without compromising on either. It’s hard to fathom this kind of an exchange between strangers. But the thought deserves appreciation.
Tata Pravesh | Soch Badlo
If one thought she was getting things ready for the husband to get to work, that’s exactly what the brand wanted us to believe. It’s that chain of thought that is challenged by the film. It opens doors to open minds.
Star Sports | Tata IPL 2022 | Bahanebaazi Ab Normal Hai
MS Dhoni as a bus conductor and as the old man at home works yet again for the IPL, this time with the Tata tag. Star Sports has hit the sweet spot with ‘Bahanebaazi’. The proposition has legs and offers a lot of scope.
Zomato | Superfast Delivery | Pizza (Telugu)
The brand is building further on the slo-mo approach to delivering the ‘super fast delivery’ messages, with the same star, who is still the flavour of the season. The damsel-in-distress scenario is something Indian cinema – at least a lot of filmmakers down South – seem/s to have moved beyond. But it helps Zomato make its point.
Hindustan Unilever | #BinBoy
A much-needed message that is helped on its way home by the persistent young boy and quality of production. The device of ‘Bin Boy’ is a simple stroke of creative genius.
Kotak General Insurance | Drive Like A Lady
There is a consistently growing crop of inspiring stories in the news (and social) media that some brands have latched on to. Kotak General Insurance does that impressively here, while keeping the treatment real. There are still a thousand stories that could find alignment with a gamut of brands and help them resonate with consumers. Unfortunately, we don’t see them come to light because brands most often view stories from their lens and not that of consumers. Every consumer loves a story and kudos to Kotak for telling the world this lady’s inspiring tale, while staying on brand.
Pepsi | Double The Fizz
Salman Khan’s Prem meets the more recent Tiger in a filmy setting and it makes for interesting viewing, especially when the banter is around all things quintessentially Salman – including his single status. Things get nicely set up to let the world know that Pepsi now has more fizz – the only thing that has changed. Pepsi looks ready for the summer.
Coke Zero | Is This The #BestCokeEver?
#BestCokeEver? finds an Indian avatar and it is a refreshing audio-visual treat. This is a great device to get people to try the beverage, because there is only one way to find out when the answer is not thrust on consumers.
Edelweiss Mutual Fund | Bias Starts With Us
This works at multiple levels. When the erudite female leader of the company spells out this message, it hits you like a hammer. It’s sincerity is beyond question. The message in itself is unambiguous and profound. We gave bias a home. It’s now time to #BreakTheBias.
Hyundai | #TheDriveWithin | Smriti Mandana
#TheDriveWithin is a fantastic thought and getting the Indian cricketer to celebrate her true story is a winner. I must confess though that the opening of the film raised expectations a tad too much, for its own good. I’m hoping to see more along these lines.
7up | Fido ToThe Rescue | #ThinkFresh
Another smart piece of work featuring the super-smart Fido finds its way to screens ahead of summer. Thoroughly entertaining, young and spunky. In another word, refreshing.
Flipkart Seller Hub | Nirjhara Hai Tu | #RiseLikeHer
Flipkart is throwing its hat in the ring for Women’s Day to raise a toast to women entrepreneurs, with the story of a young woman who drives the material for her business to its destination herself, despite bad weather. I had to look up what ‘Nirjhara’ means. I must confess I stand impressed.
Greenlam | A World Without Glass Ceilings
Great intent; again something we tend to miss unless it’s in our faces. There are voices saying that she should have spoken up for herself, but we’ll let that go with a nod for the thought.
Earthi Ayurveda | Accepted As We Are
We are seeing trans persons and people with disabilities in work across categories, not all of which really have category connect or empathy, even. In some cases, it seems like exploitation.
In this case, it seems to be a public statement by the brand on the issue of mainstreaming trans persons into society. It has been articulated well and is a wake-up call on Women’s Day.
Cornetto | Will You Be My Cornetto?
We’ve seen enough ‘Make the first move’ spots, so the challenge must have been to keep it fresh despite the approach. A couple of good young actors and a ‘Will you be my Cornetto’ line help. Also puts the brand up front and centre.
Shopsy | Prices Aise, Lage Free Jaise
A time-tested price-led pitch has been made interesting by a familiar face and good use of humour. The effort that’s gone into the filmmaking pays off, making it an enjoyable watch.
Budweiser | Made Over Nights
I am among those who have pointed out the irony of having an IPL team called Royal Challengers when the whisky brand Royal Challenge is not allowed to advertise. I have not made the case for allowing alcohol advertising but pointed out that the ban is pointless unless you ban advertising of the brand, not just the product. Now here’s a non-alcoholic version of the beer brand. Does advertising it not promote the alcoholic beer brand? We’ll save that for later.
What the spot does is deliver. A wonderful thought that goes beyond word play to capture the rise of a star, with clever use of ‘Buds’ to boot.
FG Dog Health Cover | Good Dogs Can Make Bad Decisions
I spoke with a dog owner and she was not amused by the film. Another gave it the thumbs up. So here goes, knowing fully well that I could face flak from some when this is published.
This lighthearted take shows that anything could happen anytime with pets, highlighting the risk with a touch of humour much like life insurance spots or health insurance spots for humans have. It has also been crafted well. The use of soundtrack is clever and may have led to the ‘Bad Decisions’ line. Portraying the pets as ‘Good dogs’ will find favour with dog owners, especially ones who care enough about their pets to mull an insurance for their health.
SetWet | Aaram Se Impression Banao
Thoroughly entertaining ad film that should also be appreciated for excellent use of celebrity. The pitch remains about making an impression but it manages to get through the clutter with the ‘then and now’ plot.
Alpenliebe Eclairs Plus | #GhuleyTohDilMilein
Irresistible taste, interestingly conveyed. The ‘melt’ proposition gets underlined thanks to the gooey remains on the character’s face.
Fanta Apple Delite | With Apple Ki Bite
The crunch of an apple distracting everyone at an otherwise silent tennis match to convey ‘With Apple Ki Bite’ is a nice idea. As far removed from reality as it may be, it seems to work. That’s what matters.
Whisper | Keep Girls In School (2022)
Whisper is saying that we need to talk about periods in school. This ‘Missing Chapter’ pitch underlines how girls drop out from school because of lack of awareness on menstrual hygiene and access to products enabling that. The brand that has consistently championed the cause is moving things up a notch with the advocacy effort.
AU Small Finance Bank | #BadlaavHumseHai | Women’s Day 2022
Short, sweet spots that make the point without too much of a fuss. While we have seen a lot of work around Women’s Day, the connect of these spots with the brand’s core position of ‘Badlaav Humse Hai’ is striking.
Viviana Mall | #ShameBodyShaming
Stylishly shot and edited film urges the world to #ShameBodyShaming with examples. This is not a new thought but the slick presentation makes it noticeable and keeps one hooked.
Fresh2Home | #FindYourFreshWay
The prim and proper ‘lady-like’ era gives way to the here and now where a Fresh2Home indulgence can be finger-licking good. The brand is speaking to women and telling them to be themselves, without getting into sermon mode. The opening act gets you and the film keeps you.
Vivo | #JoyOfEquality
“It’s time to tell women to stop posing for society, because the only pose that matters is the one that shines with equality.” This message comes at the end of a series of thought-provoking situations, including some that we see and hear in real life. The smartphone brand’s association with the camera might just have gotten a little deeper in the minds of consumers.
BSC Women | Break The Hairarchy
Another societal expectation or “norm”, of women to be free of body hair, gets the boot. From BSC, which offers shaving products. Well played, well made.
Bharat Matrimony | #EqualForBoth
‘Happy Marriages’ are equal marriages. That’s what the brand has been espousing for long. This Women’s Day, it’s reminding us that the questions women have been asked for ages, must be asked of both husband and wife. Can’t argue with the thought.
BYJU’S | #HallaMachaDe
Reminds one of another e-learning brand’s spots that picked up footage from the IPL and worked wonders on them. In this case, it’s the Indian women’s cricket team that stars in the film for the spirited and rousing anthem.
Parcos Beauty | #IAmEnough
The cosmetics brand makes the statement #IAmEnough, showcasing women who tell us that they do not need to conform to expectations of society, underlining their individual identities. Stylised production backs the statement.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance | #WohSambhaalLegi
The second spot I have seen this Women’s Day that addresses the misplaced notion that women don’t make good drivers. The brand’s services have been cleverly plugged into the film to make it look natural.
Aadya #Candere | She #CanDare
A new collection that promises to be ‘As unique as you’ walks the talk with a diverse range of women in this spot. Even when there are women of different generations featured in jewellery spots, they tend to align with a certain kind of look. The women next door with their alleged ‘imperfections’ hardly find screen space in ads, much less in jewellery ads. By choosing to cast a variety of ‘normal’ women, Aadya stands out. They carry off the jewellery just as well as anyone else. And they are certainly more relatable.
(Curated by ClutterCutters.in. Exclusive to FE BrandWagon Online. To feature campaigns or add credits, kindly email: Campaigns@ClutterCutters.in / gokul.campaign@gmail.com.)