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!