Every week, I attempt to share a curated list of best new creative ads. This week: Flipkart SASA LELE sequel for it sale, KitKat ‘Break Mode’ packaging, a theme ad for Hornbach, a DIY & home improvement retailer from Germany, ChatGPT and more.
Flipkart: SASA LELE is back
As I said about Flipkart’s 2025 sale ad, it’s a tough brief’. Most sale ads from aggregator brands are merely a display of a catalogue especially in print. Last year, Flipkart broke the mould with a TVC that ‘paired’ quirky items from the sale – all set to a quirky jingle. The coined term of ‘SASA LELE’ itself is a head turner and this year’s version has plenty of interesting silliness (‘laptop crop-top’ and so on) listing the various items on sale. Overall, an engaging film that would hold my attention on TV or digital.
Agency: Kinnect
KitKat: Break Mode
The ‘have a break’ property of KitKat is so powerful that it can lead to so many creative possibilities. The latest is not an ad but a packaging idea: a KitKat wrapper that blocks your cell phone signal. The idea sits so well with the brand proposition and a universal consumer truth of seeking digital detox, a break.
It looks like an oversized KitKat wrapper, but it’s actually a Faraday cage, or a conductive enclosure designed to block electromagnetic fields. While Faraday cages are most commonly used in medical labs, data security applications, and to protect electrical equipment, KitKat’s spin on the tech turns it into a pouch that renders your cellphone unusable.
Agency: VML/Ogilvy
Some might call it a stunt for winning awards as the number of such wrappers made available is likely to be limited. So it is not as if tens of thousands will begin to experience the ‘break’ from mobile notifications. But I thought it is still commendable since it is for ‘real’ brand (not an imaginary service or product), extends the brand proposition and further strengthens the break = KitKat idea across the globe.
ChatGPT: one step ahead
I wondered aloud on social media on how people use LLM tools nowadays- almost like a companion or guide asking for opinion and solutions rather than merely seeking information. I joked that, going by the ads, consumers seem to be asking questions like ‘How do I mend the relationship with my neighbour after our altercation over his dog having pooped in front of my gate?’. ChatGPT, which until recently was generic to the category opened their campaign in India with the ‘Bala vs Waterfall‘ ad which depicted a more realistic and believable situation as a use case. Three new films from the series are on air which set up the ‘problem’ well and bring a smile with the solution.
Agency: Hue & Why
Hornbach: it’s a board
Copywriting for TV commercials is a unique art, bit different from writing for print or outdoor. It’s not just about word play – it’s a combination of script writing skills and an ability to hold attention leveraging the impact of an audio-visual medium. Many of the TVCs on air are more like radio spots with two people just talking – they lack visual engagement. A new film from Hornbach is an ode to the creative possibilities of a simple wooden plank – a board, and how it can find so many uses with only one’s imagination.
Agency: HeimatTBWA
Goibibo: deals featuring celebrities
I was initially a bit hesitant to include this in my list as it could be seen as just another ‘deal’ ad featuring celebrities. But putting myself in the shoes of a regular consumer, probably looking for travel deals this summer, I would perhaps enjoy watching Sunil Grover as Trump as the actor’s mimicry talent has been in the news of late. So it is relevant use if celebrities in a category that is cluttered and has brands like MakeMyTrip endorsed by big celebrities.
Specsavers: should’ve gone to
The iconic tag line ‘Should’ve gone to…’ is now so powerful and equated with Specsavers that the brand can afford to mask the brand name itself in the line.
TESCO: the fruit giant
I have observed that films & TV shows from the west show consumption of veggies as some heroic task that needs much persuasion and goading. A new TVC to highlight TESCO’s ‘Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme’ creates a gentle Fruit Giant who distributes fruits & veggies to kids in his own ‘charming’ way. The entire package dovetails into both ‘Need anything from Tesco? and ‘Every little helps.
Fevicol: eyeing the chair
It’s election season in India and what better metaphor than a ‘seat’ to drive home the product story of Fevicol, the famous adhesive brand? While it may not take forwards the ‘unbreakable bond’ of Fevicol (cueing durability) the setup of ‘grass is greener’ and angling for a seat or chair is apt for the category, the brand and the larger context of media attention. Loved it, though works best in Hindi and not so well in regional languages like Kannada.
Agency: Ogilvy
Which one was your favourite?
