Finger Lickin Good?

The above picture showcases 2 different specimens of Human Hand, the one on the left shows the median nerves which are responsible for the supply function and determine the growth of the fingers. The hand on the right shows certain area of hand covered in Blue, suggesting area of heightened sensation. When a certain area of the hand (or that matter any part of the body) is continuously made to do certain chores repeatedly, the physical appearance of the same can be altered (Now…now...Don’t let your over fertile imagination work just yet!!!Lolz) Finally someone is paying tribute to Darwinian Thesis of evolution centuries after he proposed it. Mudra (Ahmedabad) has quite cleverly/clichedly used the hyperbole route in its creative execution to build awareness for the brand "Nilon Pickles"

The Ad

The ad shows a young man with a peculiarity: an elongated index finger. The story tracks various life stages of the man as he emerges a winner in several situations because of his strange finger, such as winning a swimming race, fixing a showpiece for his girlfriend or handing her a rose to proclaim his love for her.

The climax explains the protagonist’s secret: he loves Nilon’s Pickle since his childhood and his elongated finger is the result of his licking the pickle off his finger!!!

The shocker!

According to Sanjay Menon, executive creative director, Mudra, the ad is a product of a small testing exercise within the agency to find out how people consume pickle. “Even though a bowl of pickle was kept on the table with a spoon, everyone tasted the pickle with their index finger!This led the team to the creative idea. Definately no brainer there!!!The more general observation that encouraged the creative team to tread in this direction was that when one relishes the food they eat, they tend to lick their fingers so as not to waste even a bit of it. To establish a connect to that fact, Mudra took the exaggerated route of the long index finger.

Creative Leap

finger licking is synonymous to pickle, and pickle is synonymous to Nilon’s...Yawn...Yawn...

Sniff...Sniff...Plagiarism???

One may recall that internationally, Heinz ketchup had created a commercial not too long ago, which had a man undergo an operation to elongate his finger just so that he can dip it in a bottle of Heinz and lick off the last few remnants of the ‘impossibly thick’ ketchup (What and Idea Sirje!). Of course Creative directors will rubbish any similaries (Read: no one would even know about the Hienz Ad...so who cares anyways?) and of course they will be ready to tout that Indians have the upper hand here...licking fingers being our national etiquette!!!

Serious Stuff

The pickle sector is a Rs 1,500 crore market, out of which only Rs 400 crore falls under the organised market segment. Sanghavi claims that Nilon’s has a 20 per cent market share in the organised sector and it aims to increase the market share by 4 per cent in the next five years by alloting a media budget of 10 Crores for 2009.


I Opine...

Personally i feel the insight and execution were good, however the ad does not stand out in terms of treatment.Another point on the positive side is its much relieved departure from showcaseing old grannies or mommies passing on the secret Achar Recepies...But lastly i guess one has to wait and watch id Nilon can fight it out with other established players and more importantly the unorganised segment. Strong brand recall (which they will definately build) shold translate into sales (read:theoratically great communication is aimed at driving better off take afterall)

Lolz!!!

What will people say to shop keeper..
Khariddar : O Bhaiya.. Nimbu ka Achaar dena..
Shopkeeper: Kausa Doon Sarkar..
Khariddar :Aare Bhai.. Woh hi 'Ungali wala achaar:)

NILON'S ACHAAR... ZUBAAN SE DIL MEIN UTAR JAAYE"..."SWAD KA ASAR DIKHE UNGLI PAR".