Every week, I attempt to share a compilation of compelling creative ads with a comment or two. Sometimes one come across ads which immediately evoke an urge to share; but mostly one has to sift through several ad portals to shortlist a handful – pretty much like how we simply ignore most advertising. Here are a few which caught my eye:
Fevicol: sofa
Industrial product advertising is traditionally considered to be ‘boring’. Glue used by carpenters would easily qualify as a boring category. On top of it the need for advertising in mass media to target end users (who have little or no say in the brands used by carpenters) of furniture buyers seems baffling. But Fevicol, a leading adhesive brand in India and its agency Ogilvy have been defying conventions for years. They have created compelling, entertaining advertising for Fevicol with a single minded focus of dramatising ‘unbreakable bond’. Strength (and hence durability) maybe a generic benefit of the category but the manner in which Fevicol has consistently told entertaining stories around it, make it distinctive and a cut above. Another hallmark of the ads has been the inherent ‘Indian-ness’ of the story and execution. Here’s the latest from the Piyush & Prasoon Pandey brothers. Loved it.
Agency: Ogilvy
Google Pay: celebrating India’s payments
Utility brands like Google Pay need two kinds of communication: tactical and thematic. The former would be feature-benefit focused aimed at inducing trial, loyalty etc. The latter is about giving a larger-than-life role to the brand in our lives – beyond just enabling quick payment on the phone to others. This thematic film pays tribute to achievers, across various fields in India and the role a ‘payment’ made in their journey.
The shorter edit highlighting the story of Sachin Tendulkar and his coach also makes for compelling viewing.
Walkers: too good to share
In the food & beverages category, taste plays a critical role in brand choice (duh). Since it lead to a craving, common themes in this category are: ‘you will go to great lengths to get it, ‘you can’t stop at one’ and ‘you will hate to share it’. A new ad from Walkers in the UK does the last bit well – especially since the protagonists are adults trying to ‘steal what seems to be brand for kids.
Agency: AMV BBDO
The National Golf Foundation: Welcome to Golf
How do you get new users to come into your fold? With ‘golfing’ as a brand, the National Golf Foundation has created a campaign to encourage people to take up the sport. Interestingly, the barriers sought to overcome are not daunting ones – but stereotypes and perceptions. As the microsite says:
Starting anything new is tough. There’s new information, new situations and new challenges, which combine to create uncertainty and self-doubt.
Source
Golf is no different. The sport presents its own share of hurdles.
Some are more practical, like not knowing how or where to get started. Others are perceptual – reasons, real or imagined, that make golf seem unapproachable. And then there are the emotional obstacles, those having to do with going outside our comfort zone to try something new.
The campaign includes print and TV work taking on such perceptions.
Agency: TDA_Boulder
Clio Awards: 60 years
To commemorate 60 years of the Clio Awards, the foundation has commissioned a painting honouring advertising’s famous personalities, icons, mascots and advertising ideas from the past six decades.
Am not sure if I can spot anyone or any campaign from Asia – can you?
Electrify America: Normal
The first ad agency I worked for (the legendary Trikaya Advertising) followed a 5-10 principle (at least talked about it in pitch presentations). By way of explanation, ‘strategy’ (or what to say) in advertising can either score a ‘zero’ (which means it is a wrong strategy) or a 5 (which means it is the right strategy) – there is no scope for a ‘somewhat right’ strategy. The creative idea and execution then take that several notches up – getting an appropriate score, upto a maximum of 10. In a related context, many have spotted advertising which is pretty much the same as a brief – i.e. there is no major leap or creative idea which takes the proposition forward. Doe this belong to that category too?
Agency: Eleven. More from the campaign here.
Which one was your favourite? Comment in.
