Creative Euphemism

The Economic slowdown has seeped into TV advertising, and we’re not just talking budget cuts here, we are talking about communication across categories which is exploring this current slowdown and leveraging it to strike a cord with the audience.

Ads such as Havells & Airtel are a case in point. Thier advertising blitzkrieg which we often witness during IPL matches showcases the slowdown theme in their creative idea – something topical for consumers to identify with.

Havells- Shock Laga!

Ad 1: One ad has chatting employees going into a shock (with their hairs standing on end) when a peon puts up a notice of ‘No Increment’ on the notice board. The next sequence is that of a duo in a coffee shop getting shocked when a newscaster on a TV set nearby announces the news of a market crash.The third sequence highlights the essence of slowdown - cars being replaced by cycles, and cycle peddlers riding down in a shocked daze as the VO concludes that one has already received a shock with the ‘recession’, but to avoid receiving an electric shock, one ought to use Havells.

Ad 2: similar sequences, including one in which a real estate dealer proudly puts up a board quoting the offer price for a property. The shock of the slowdown forces him to slash prices up to a point where he even puts up his shop for sale.

Airtel: How Romantic

Ad-

in a recent commercial for its offering ‘My Airtel My Offer’, has the slowdown woven in its creative message. The film opens with actor R Madhavan trying to distract actor Vidya Balan, who is engrossed in a newspaper, with his romantic text messages. Vexed with the downturn, she questions him on why is he is wasting money, when everywhere the slowdown gloom is only getting people to cut back in various ways. With another call to her mobile phone, which she unconsciously attends, Madhavan informs her – Pyaar main cutbacks nahi hone chahiye (There should be no cutbacks in love).

Verdict


Slowdown is a big reality and surely nobody is in the denial mode, however excess use of this topical conversation can be a bit dangerous, you wouldnt want your customers to absorb pessimism outta your communication. Also communication which is sometimes too much on the face (Havells Shock laga tune...is a tad too much for me)is a complete put off.

During the economic downturn, consumers are looking at the best value for whatever they use. If the products are actully adding to the total customer delivered value (by either reducing the cost of by givint additional benefits), they should definately communicate about the same, but subtely...consumers are smart enough to get the message, trying too hard makes them feel dumb! Apart from striking a cord due to the on going scenario, the consumers would sincerely be interested in something that eases their burden.

Lets keep watching who else leverages this Creative Euphemism!

Out of The Box Ads [Part 1]

Advertisers are often criticised for over exploiting the art and "leeching" out the fun from the communication.Rather that over the top or rather intrusive approaches,an out of the box approach which the consumers dont expect might just work fine.Catch them off gaurd and surprise them when they didnt expect anything and...Voila...you might just end up converting a prospective buyer into a loyalist.But off course after saying this, the medium of expression should have a logical semblance with the product or service being offered. Many a times out of the box ideas hit the wall because they are either too out of the place or do not connect with the audience.The key over here is: "Dont try too hard".Your customers are intelligent enough to grasp what you want them to convey.Catch them at the right place at the right time and half your work is done.Apart from this i personally feel that subtlety is an unexplored art.Dont say too much,Let the consumers get hitched to the idea,let them explore on their own and make out what needs to be communicated.This gives them a feeling of being mature,intelligent and approriately receptive to the communication.In India per se,subtle communication is far too ignored.But i cant complain as there are pretty differentiated socio-economic factors in our country which ask for rather in your face communication(which is at times is screaming!)In some mature markets the art of subtleness is well appreciated.Here are some of the ads which i find extremely intresting and creative.

A straw being used for communication of a gymnasiun is extremely well thought of.The part of the straw which folds shows a woman's body being streched backward.It demonstrates the benefits at the same time it conveys to the audience that joining a gym and working out was never so easy.Another example is of messages being printed on the eggs!Who ever thought of that! every morning when we either go out to buy eggs or they get delivered to your doorstep,you never expect anything flamboyant out of it.But surely eggs provides a rather fresh approach to convey some information againts its passive white shell.CBS has definately won some eyeballs with this strategy.Another winner for unconventionally placed ads is Ford motors.For its cargo trucks, they advertised on match boxes! the box when opened,showcased how ford trucks come with extendable cargo beds.This is pretty immpressive stuff.It actually engages audience in the communication and makes sure that the intended message in conveyed in the right fashion. Watch out for more posts on Out Of The Box Ads...

The Mad Mad "Ad" World

Have you ever noticed why are people associated with advertising industry so different or rather try to be different all the time? I mean they really show you in your face that they belong to the ad world? Or they want to reiterate the fact that belonging to the advertising community is a REAL BIG DEAL. Or does the naive profession makes them the way they are.They incessantly blame it on the industry, for their lifestyle,attitudes,apprearance,dark circles,erratic outbursts,addictions,Break-ups,Hook ups,Stress,thinking,or rather lack of it...just about everything!I have cemented my opinion from way too many sources...Finally i was of the opinion that an individual looses his/her own identity once he/she enters the cosmos of the ad world.Another rather lame thing that’s associated with this nonstop blame game is "CREATIVITY". I miserably fail to understand that how is creativity related to a person being so affected or rather disillusioned in the ad world.I can vividly recollect my encounter with a person from the industry.It so happened that this Gentleman,was supposed to teach us fundamentals of advertising as a profession in our MBA course.We were briefed that he had his own agency,was doing well for himself and was a respectable ad veteran. Never having heard about him,we were waiting anxiously in the class on the scheduled date and I, in my over fertile mind had secretly formed an image of how this "ad guy" would be.With the Flamboyance of Alyque Padamsee and wit of Piyush Pandey & rather "visible" body of Prahlad Kakkar all throw in together.I was anticipating a pretty dramatic encounter.Cut to- a rather small looking,fragile creature entered the room.I mistook the person as a peon...but after seeing him "formally" dressed i was forced to think otherwise. He cleared his throat and introduced himself as the speaker for the session.I was so damn disappointed.My one and only chance to meet an ad junkie had sadly vanished.I made sure that the disappointment did'nt show during the session.After the "mind-impersonation debacle" i concentrated on what he had to say...Needless to say this encounter initiated my mixed opinions about ad guys.Not all are in your face.And certainly not the guy who lectured us.He was so humble and soft spoken.But at the same time he was also very articulate and Creative.Probably he was the "OUTCAST".There might one in a thousand cases of guys being sober,well dressed,tidy and well held up in ad community.However,i feel lucky to have encountered the "Rare Specie".By the way did i mention...intrestingly the guy who took the session was the man behind the historic "Raymonds-Complete Man Campaign"...Maybe he was too affected by his own Campaign!!!