Meghna.Sharma @expressindia.com
The Ad
The film opens with a child returning from school and telling her mother how one of her friends could not make it to the school because of dengue. The child then goes on to ask her mother, how can one get dengue in a day? The mother, played by Madhuri Dixit Nene, replies that one can get dengue in a minute and how mosquitoes are too fast for one to notice. Hence, one needs to be prepared by being faster than them. The TVC ends with the shot of the new Mortein Insta range of liquid vaporisers.
Target Audience
Over 22 year-old mothers in the demographic SEC A, B and C.
Business Objective
To relaunch Mortein and position ‘Mortein Insta’ as the leading mosquito repellent in the pest category and establish market leadership by highlighting the product innovation. The TVC is to the point, almost to a fault. It delivers information related to dengue and how one can protect her family by creating a need for a faster solution for dengue prevention with Tez machar ka tez ilaj.
Competitive Edge
As Mortein completes 25 years, the brand has got aboard actor Madhuri Dixit Nene as its brand ambassador. With most mosquito repellent brands not opting for a famous face — apart from Godrej which used Vidya Balan for its mosquito repellent cream — and depending on a ‘normal’ family, the brand hopes to make a dent in the market. The brand believes that the actor will inspire mothers across the country to choose a 100% faster solution against mosquitoes.
Tone of Voice
Informative
Verdict
The dirty animated mosquito, named Louie, is what one thinks of when spoken about RB’s Mortein. This impish little brand ambassador for years has now been replaced by none other than the ‘know-it-all mother’ Madhuri Dixit Nene. In recent years, her face has become synonymous with the good and healthy products in the market. Be it an ad for Maggi Oats or Aquaguard, the actor is mostly portrayed as a know-it-all and caring supermom who the mere mortal mothers should learn from. The ‘It’ girl of the ‘90s has now put her might behind healthy snacks and making kids healthier as younger actresses have taken over other categories.
The new Mortein TVC follows the same tried-and-tested pattern — a child with numerous questions and a supermom with all the right answers. In its new campaign, the brand aims to spread awareness about the vector-borne diseases and how inspired mothers should pick the sabse tez solution. However, the TVC comes across as being far too preachy. The execution is plain and does nothing for the brand apart from leaving one exclaiming, “Oh, it is her again!” In short, Louie will be missed.
Rating: 3/10
@meghna0101