Every day we come across hundreds of commercial messages. Only a handful are memorable. Here are a few compelling creative ads which caught my eye, the week ending 23rd February, 2018: KFC’s apology in the UK, Range Rover stunt in China and more.
1. KFC: apology
Apparently, chicken was in short supply recently in the UK and many of the KFC restaurants had to be closed for business. This obviously made it to the news as the public was outraged. It could have easily become a PR disaster for the brand. A print ad, meant to be an apology, became the talk of the internet. The clever word play on the brand and the simplicity of thought makes it compelling and brings a smile.
Agency: Mother, London
Someone over at Facebook asked me about the frequency of the ad (suggesting that simply making the ad is not good enough but a large number of people must see it). I think that’s missing the point. A single insertion in The Sun & Metro has got the brand some worldwide coverage and positive comments. No amount of paid advertising can beat that.
2. Bench: How long can you keep a secret?
Here’s an ad where the story is anchored around the product. The story, from Philippines, is that of a boy who leads a double life. His inclinations are contra to what he portrays in front of this father. Though I could predict the twist in the plot, the ad makes for a riveting watch.
3. Ida: chatbot for good
Many of us often get perturbed by world events and often want to contribute in some manner. Our contributions could range from donations to volunteer work. But human behaviour is such that our daily routine and other distractions come in the way of our intent. This insight is nicely captured in this ad for Ida – ‘the world’s first chatbot for good’.
Agency: BBDO, New York
4. Dr. Fixit: leakage man
When in advertising, we were constantly reminded of the fact that TV is an audio-visual medium. It seems like an obvious thing to say but very often brand owners & ad agencies treat TV spots like radio spots – heavy on audio and low on visual impact. Some of our clients would view an ad (during the approval process) with the sound turned off – to check if the message clearly comes through. In the context of a typical noisy home and the distracted viewer, a glorified radio spot on television is often a waste of money. Of course, there are examples of effective dialogue-driven TV ads too. In this context, I liked the visual hook of water leakage created in this ad to drive home the sales message of ‘5 point waterproofing’.
Agency: Ogilvy
In India, even run-off-the-mill product window driven ads are ‘engineered’ to acquire millions of views on YouTube. In that context, it surprising to find the ad has garnered only 2800 views at the time of writing.
5. GEICO: this is a GEICO commercial
The ads from GEICO have gained a reputation over the years of being quirky, humourous and more importantly, poking fun at themselves. Here are the latest set of ad which drive home the point in just 15 seconds in an entertaining manner:
6. Range Rover Sport: Dragon Challenge
Proof of claim through a real-world demonstration is not a new tactic. Range Rover Sport does it spectacularly in China. It has now become the first ever vehicle to climb the 999 steps of the Tianmen Mountain which lead up to Heaven’s Gate.
Agency: Spark44
7. Audi RS5 Coupe: final breath
Aspirational brands in categories where the desire factor is high have it relatively easier than brands in low involvement categories. An ad for Audi RS5 Coupe suggests that even after a life lived to the fullest, there will be a craving to own one.
8. ORKIN: termite jokes
The ads, from a pest control brand may not be laugh-out-loud funny but the creative strategy drives home the point: damage caused by termites is a serious problem.
Agency: The Richards Group
Which one was your favourite? Comment in.
