Every day we are exposed to truck loads of commercial messages. A majority of them are simply ignored. Only a handful get noticed and stick in our minds. Here are a few which I noticed and liked this past week: Heineken’s #OpenYourWorld, MakeMyTrip’s ongoing series of films and more.
1. Heineken – Open Your World
Of late, when I come across a ‘made for web’ brand film I first check out the duration. Frankly, anything beyond 2 minutes dampens my enthusiasm and curiosity to watch it. It is rare that I go through the entire film, enjoy it and feel that it was worth the duration. Sometimes the film may start with an interesting premise but lose the grip halfway through – one just heads to the ending to figure out the twist or the conclusion. Heineke’s latest, at 4 minutes is a tad too long for my liking. And when they setup the protagonists with opposing views on a topic (climate change, feminism etc.) one could guess the role for the brand: Heineken kinda brings them together to talk things over a beer. Nevertheless, it is study in how a similar platform of a brand playing a role in dissent, as attempted by Pepsi, can feel more credible.
Agency: W+K, London
2. MakeMyTrip: Happy and Pinky
A series of films starring film actors Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, cast as characters (and not celebrities) have been on air for some time. What I liked about the series is that each ad focuses on a specific product feature and present the benefit in an endearing way (instead of doing ‘lifestyle advertising’ common in the category).
[bctt tweet=”The @makemytrip series focuses on a specific product feature and presents the benefit in an endearing way” username=”bhatnaturally”]The temptation to cast Ranveer and Alia as stars has been avoided and they make for a charming pair in the latest series. I particularly liked the one where they find out where Happy is from and the one where the WYSIWIG promise of hotel rooms is highlighted.
Agency: Publicis
There are a set of regional language films, but unfortunately the constraint of not being able to find new characters, actors for such means the magic isn’t the same. But I guess that’s the unique challenge for marketers and agency’s in India. It is difficult to find that one idea AND execution which can work across India with the same impact.
3. New York Times: Truth is hard to find
Both New York Times and WSJ have adopted similar strategies of late: to dramatise the work done by its team of journalists. The campaigns cue that finding and presenting truth is of utmost importance and the journalists go to great lengths to do so.
Agency: Droga5
4. Ceska Pojistovna: Pet Insurance
An insurance brand from Czech Republic, Ceska Pojistovna implemented an ingenious in-store marketing technique. They got a parrot trained to urge people to buy pet insurance when inside a pet shop. The parrot was inside a custom-made cage with a built-in tablet and a landing page that prompted visitors to buy the insurance. More here.
5. Pedigree – Pick Me
In a telling film of role reversal, this film from Pedigree dramatises what getting a pet can do to our ‘caged’ lives. Touching.
Agency: BBDO
6. Ryan Wellman classic taglines
Taglines were once considered an integral part of the brand communication. Some tagline have become so memorable and popular over the years that they are part of popular culture. Taglines work best when they are ‘ownable’ (though it is not a hard and fast rule). Nowadays, brands don’t seem to pay too much attention to tag lines and if they do, they get changed very often. Jargon and pompous claims which mean nothing are also part of the brand summation, business descriptions and so on. In this context, Ryan Wellman, Head of Copy at Wellmark, hit the nail on the head with his interpretation of classic slogans, if they were to be re-written today.
Source. Just brilliant. Absolutely loved ‘Beanfulness. Redefined’ ‘Delivering on expectations’ and ‘Pasteurisation for your utilisation’.
7. Clorox – Shine on
In an category where problem-solution approach is common, this is a refreshing take to ‘celebrate klutzy folk’.
Agency: FCB West
8. Shan Foods: #KhaanaWithParosi
This film from Pakistan has been in the news as an India-Pakistan collaboration. It is a sweet film, which is likely to make some folks emotional but I guess most viewers will know exactly what is going to happen without any twist in the tale.
Agency: Ogilvy (India & Pakistan)
9. HP: Roads that Honk
Another ‘act’ from a brand which is then marketed globally. This time there is a fit between the problem being addressed, the tech-led solution and the sponsor (HP Lubricants).
Agency: Leo Burnett
Which ones worked for you? Comment in.
