Lifebuoy se haath dhoye kya?

Today's ad is not a TVC, but it is a clever way of marketing, very opportunistic and very very innovative. 

Every one knows that as I write this, Mahakumbh mela is being held in Allahabad where millions of pilgrims have gathered to bathe in the sacred river of Ganga. The sheer number (80 million people expected in 2013 kumbh at Allahabad) represents huge challenge for the government to manage this event. While the government and security agencies were busy ensuring the organization and safety of the visitors, it was obvious that every business will try to cash on this readily available audience in every possible manner. The hoardings, banners, pamphlates etc are age old techniques, but still employed in this Kumbh. 

However, there was some innovation too. The creative agency Ogilvy thought differently. Instead of rushing for the ad space at the hoardings and banners, their creative team came up with idea of reminding the consumers about the product at the most appropriate time. Now, that is a task. How could you find out what is the right time for pitching the product for such a large number of folks? How do you ensure that you get the eyeballs? And how do you make an impact? For a product like Lifebuoy, the team found the answers very cleverly.

The Ogilvy team put up an idea to stamp every roti that was to be served in the Kumbh area with a message:

लाइफबॉय से हाथ धोये क्या?

Now that is something! Every person who is served this roti, will ensure that he has washed his hands before eating!!

Photo credit: Economic Times

HUL, the owner of the brand "Lifebuoy" made special heat stamps to make an impression of this message and hired 100 promoters to stand in 100 kitchens across the mela. This simple trick is helping the company to reach millions of people at fraction of the cost should they have utilized conventional channels!!

Here is the video covering this creative:

Hats off the creative team!! 

Tum chalo to hindusthan chale...

In 2008, Times Of India had launched a campaign to choose a leader from Indian masses. To quote ToI:

The point of the campaign, however, was not purely about identifying a winner . It was more about providing every right-thinking Indian a chance to step out of the comfort zone and take on the task of stewarding the nation. It was a clarion call to be the change that we expect in Indian society; an opportunity for citizens to shrug off their indifference and put a shoulder to the wheel.

To publicze this "Lead India" campaign, a TVC was launched and had appealed a lot to all of us. 

A tree has fallen on the road blocking the morning traffic. Almost everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination - school kids want to reach their school, other folks want to reach their office, a politician wants to reach somewhere. Everyone is stuck. Police are probably waiting for some help to clear the road and in the meanwhile actually taking a nap. You can hear people cursing police, the country and all sort of things. 

In all this chaos, a boy peeps out of the bus and sees that there's some problem and wants to know what it is. As he approaches the obstacle, suddenly rains start. Everyone runs to find shelter, but that doesn't deter this kid. He is thinking something and looks decided to do something. He drops his school bag and approaches the fallen tree. And all of a sudden he starts pushing the tree. Obviously, he couldn't move it, but he appears to be all determined to move the tree come what may. 

And in the events that happen immediately after this is the real motivation. A gang of kids playing on the road join the hands with this school kid. The tree gives a damn to the force exerted by these kids, but now kids have started enjoying the rain as well as the togetherness. It doesn't matter to them that they don't even know each other. Their only motive seems to be to move the tree. Everyone on the street is watching this and is taken by surprise. And then the team starts growing, people start joining one-by-one - gents, ladies, young and adults, without any hesitation. And as can be expected, the tree eventually gets lifted by this unity and the road gets cleared.

The entire scene has beautiful song in the background which reads:

फलक पकड़ के उठो ,
और हवा पकड़ के चलो ,
तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले 
तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले ॥ 

लगाओ हाथ के सूरज सुबह निकाला करे,
हाथेलियों में भरे धूप और उछाला करे । 

उफ़क के पाव रखो , और चलो अकड़ के चलो 
उफ़क के पाव रखो , और चलो अकड़ के चलो 


फलक पकड़ के उठो ,
और हवा पकड़ के चलो ,

तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले 
तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले ॥ 

Amazingly done ad, beautiful lyrics and music. In just about two minutes, it tells you complete story of what unity can do!! and to do something meaningful you don't need any power or need not be of any particular age or caste or religion!!

You can watch it here:

Telephone Exchange - IDEA Cellular

You are going to love this TVC, especially if you are a couple with double engine, I mean both of you earning.

Just watch it...

A little more...

When you get a little more, it definitely gives a pleasure whether you are kid, an young person or a senior citizen. Everyone tries to maximize their earning at every possible occasion.

This is the theme of new Aircel TVC campaign which is kicked off in 2013. 

A cricket match is going on between two teams, it is under arm cricket, probably getting played in some lane of a town. The match is towards the end and the team who is batting needs only few runs to win. So the fielders are all for saving even the singles. The dialogues are conveying you all this. 

When the batsman hits the ball, it was sure to have only one run - no less no more. And the fielder in all his hurry, stops the ball and throws it back to the non-striker end. And guess what - no one fields it there and the batting team gets another run!!

Look at the joy of both the batsmen, their dance (should I say belly dance;) ) and the guilt on the face of the faltering fielder, amazing expressions. The narration continues that Aircel is giving extra talking time worth Rs. 150/- for a recharge of just Rs. 135/-

थोड़ा extra मिलता है तो ..

अच्छा लगता है ना ?

Here is the video:

Bournvita question

A little boy asking so many questions that mom has no option but to study herself to answer those questions from the little boy!!

Bournvita has made a good TVC out of this common situation. Kajol, the mom in this TVC, is continuously reading something, mugging up some sentences etc and at the end she feels happy that she has learnt those things. Quietly she pops up into the room and sits next to the kid.

The kid was waiting for mom to appear and as soon as he sees her, he says - "Mamma, I have a question..." Mom was anticipating the same question which apparently the kid had asked earlier and Mom utters - "there are 'countless' stars in the sky".

The kid without changing his expressions, simply says, I had found it yesterday itself. Now tell me why there are only 28 days in the month of February?

Now the mom is dumbstruck again and mumbles ... Umm, I'll tell you later...

समझदार moms चुनती है Bournvita Lil champs अपने 2 से 5 साल के बच्चों के लिए ।

थोड़ी मेहनत तो आपको भी करनी पड़ेगी ।

Although the expressions by Kajol are very superficial/artificial, Bournvita definitely has picked up the story that every parent goes through. What is your Bournvita Question?

Axis Bank - Badhti ka naam zindagi

Do you remember the story you might have studied/read during your college days? A stranger places an order for Rolls Royce in sluggish economy in a town and that order manifests in a series of spendings from people getting affected by that order. Unfortunately I don't remember the name or author of the story, but this latest TVC from Axis bank reminded me of that story.

The TVC beautifully portrays how a bonus of Rs. 1,00,000/- helps so many people affecting their lives positively!!

A young couple receives bonus or Rs. 1L and plans a vacation to Himachal Pradesh. That triggers shopping for winter clothes and thus increasing the sales of the shopkeeper. Shopkeeper, in all his upbeat mood, doubles his order with the manufacturer. The manufacturer, already contemplating for this order receives the confirmation and hires a young female, which happens to be her first job.

Eventually, she books a new home through Axis bank home loan, moves in and brings her mom in the new home. Happy mother getting acquainted with the new lifestyle, also learning to use the ATM to withdraw money, starts decorating the new home. When she pays for the carpet she bought, the sellers calls up his home in some village in Himachal Pradesh and gives her a good news that he is sending money for his son's fees.

Little kid leaves for the school happily and crosses the Axis bank ATM on the way. The young couple which had planned the vacation in Himachal pops out of the ATM and feels happy to see the kid happy, unaware that their spending has helped this kid indirectly!!

जिंदगी के highway पे कोई अकेला नहीं बढ़ता ।

Watch it here: