Every day we come across hundreds of commercial messages. Only a handful are memorable. Here are a few creative ads which caught my eye, the week ending 8th December, 2017.
BBC One: The Supporting Act
Christmas is the season where brands belt out feel good ads with sharing, caring as common themes. Most of these ads tap into emotions, with very little rational feel to tug at the heartstrings. A new spot from BBC One, is spot on (pun intended) in that sense as it tells a sweet story of a father and daughter.
The film has several moments where just a single frame or gesture conveys a deep meaning. The little girl’s frustrated expression when she notices that her dad has ignored her again, the subtle shift in focus to the father’s mobile phone showing a work-related call blurring the daughter in the background…were memorable for me.
Agency: BBC Creative
Lyft: Drive Toward Your Goals
Apparently, Lyft mandates all employees to spend four hours every three months experiencing what drivers do on a daily basis. This helps them better understand the motivations behind someone signing up to be a driver with Lyft. A new film showcases the various goals towards which Lyft drivers are working towards. I loved the split screen visual idea where the match cuts drive home the point.
Vertex watches
Luxury brands have their own code of marketing – creating an aura of exclusivity is one of them. Even if the brand is not for everyone, sometimes it pays to be visible to a wide audience as it creates an aspiration value. That’s the reason why a Rolex watch or a super-premium fashion brand advertise in mainstream magazines and dailies. And then there is another category of super-premium or luxury which does not advertise at all – its halo comes precisely from that position as it will be known only among a handful of connoisseurs. Watch enthusiasts are a group who go beyond just possessing several brands – they would know the product story and and legends associated with the brand. Vertex Watches from UK is likely to be one such brand – known only to a handful. It’s back story is fascinating as it was part of World War II.
Founded over a century ago by Claude Lyons in London’s jewellery heartland, Hatton Garden, Vertex quickly grew to become one of the most successful watch companies in Great Britain.
During the Second World War the British Military selected Vertex, along with eleven other leading watchmakers, to supply the army with a new watch built to an exacting bespoke design. The specifications were precisely what you would expect of a military watch – waterproof, luminous, regulated to chronometer level and rugged. On top of that, the dial needed to be black with arabic numerals to maximise legibility.
This select group have became known as the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
A new print campaign for the re-issue the M-100 classic watch brings alive its story in a compelling way.
I must admit that these print ads reminded me of the 90s advertising from India, especially the ones Trikaya was famous for.
Agency: Grey, London
Point S: car maintenance
While it may seem like an obvious thing to say, television is an audio-visual medium, where I would place emphasis on the ‘visual’ part. Many of the ads however are glorified radio spots as they feature just talking heads with no visual device to engage the audience. A few such ads are effective but the reliance is a lot on the audio message getting through. In that context, ads with relevant, memorable visual devices stand out. Here’s one for a Canadian car maintenance brand dramatising the effect of being asked to do a tough chore – a deflating experience. Nicely done.
Agency: Publicis
Myntra: product returns
I liked these set of ads from Myntra as they tackle a clear business need and are based on strong consumer insights. The business need seems to be assurance the small town buyer in India who is perhaps new to e-commerce. One of their concerns with online shopping, especially with regard to fashion is that of returns. They may feel embarrassed to return the product for reasons they consider flimsy or may think the process must be really tough and hence needs influence.
Agency: Taproot Dentsu
Surf Excel: The Falling Test
I had seen this web video earlier too but is doing the rounds of ad blogs of late. 'Dirt is good' is a powerful position for Surf in the category, as it turned a common approach (of showcasing spic & span kids) upside down. It also delivered a higher-order benefit of letting kids explore the great outdoors, play and just act their age. This new 'experiment' extends the campaign idea by saying that 'if kids get dirty in learning to defeat failure, then dirt is good'.
Agency: Lowe Lintas
Google Maps: Look before you leave
I liked this campaign as it was based on a common practice in India: to assure someone that one will reach a destination in '5 minutes' knowing full well that it is an impossibility. The films urge one to check Google Maps to get a correct picture of the likely time for a commute. The consequences of not consulting the product could have been more dramatic, I guess.
Agency: Lowe Lintas
Which one was your favourite? Comment in.
