Work That Speaks | Ad Reviews | 13 To 19 April 2022

By Gokul Krishnamoorthy 

TVS Eurogrip | #WhistleThroughEveryTurn  

A befitting follow-up to the brand’s ‘For a country full of turns’ work, these shorts with MS Dhoni and his CSK teammates are refreshing despite being in a familiar zone. The brand stays with the ‘turn’ and goes full circle. 

JioSaavn | #FindYourDhun 

From a spirited and soulful music video celebrating the myriad ‘tunes’ of India with Shankar Mahadevan to the story of the Kacha Badam dhun and other iterations, the brand’s #FindYourDhun campaign strikes a chord. The larger idea of celebrating the tune is original and appealing. That a tune can connect going beyond language is an universal truth driven home rivetingly in the short spots.   

Bajaj Fans | Silent & Powerful | Fan Nahi Fantastic 

The fans are so silent that you can hear the bug’s banter. They are so powerful that you can dry yourself after a shower (with your clothes on) under them, instantly. Hard to miss the messages.   

Ajanta Shoes | Pairon Ki Sunoh 

A lovely teaser and follow-up do the job for Ajanta Shoes, in style. Without much fanfare or complications, the smooth and crisp messaging hits the spot. A case where the spot could not have worked without the celebrities. One remembers seeing Saurav Ganguly in the brand’s ads of the past. Parineeti Chopra is a welcome addition for this exchange that needed two stars. The line ‘Pairon ki sunoh’ had a nice ring to it in past work too. Now it comes to life in a well-written film.

Reliance Jewels | Rannkaar | Kann Kann Mein Karigari 

But for the brand inserts and jewellery, this would simply be an awesome piece of content that one willingly consumes. A tribute to the craftsmanship of Rann. Because it’s such a rich film that draws you in and keeps you there with the magic of sight and sound, you don’t mind the brand being there. Once again, Reliance Jewels brings the inspiration behind a collection alive in all its splendour.

VIP | Wedding Favourites (2022) | #PyaarWahiSochNayi 

What an idea. VIP as a brand has attempted to own the wedding luggage space, after addressing the workation audience a few months ago (see below).  

The wedding collection film makes one cringe at some of the social realities we (still) live with: the bride is told her duty is to take good care of her husband and she is also expected to give relatives some ‘good news’ soon. The brand manages to seamlessly weave itself into the plot thanks to someone who offers the couple a couple of bags, and tells them that this is the time for them to wander the world. The brand just made itself a lot more endearing, especially to the young.

Sunfeast YiPPee! | Loot Maal 

Who was behind the heist? MSD confesses to the crime. Over-simplistic? Perhaps yes. Works? Yes, because the promo is called ‘Loot Maal’. 

KreditBee | Loans Anytime, Anywhere 

These funny commercials get the message of ‘easy loans’ across alright. The situations seem natural and are drawn from everyday life. The treatment seems familiar, replete with head-bobbing made famous by some other ads. While the ads do the job, I wonder if any brands in this space are viewing news about app-based loan providers cheating consumers as a threat to everyone in the category, including the credible ones. Perhaps there is a need for them to allay fears? Perhaps it is an opportunity for differentiation.

Bombay Shaving Company | Back-Pro | Shakti Kapoor

Shakti Kapoor in his funny man avatar tickles the funny bone yet again. After scoring as Crime Master for Disney+ Hotstar, here he plays himself. And he finds a solution to remove the hair on his back after a few laughs – at his expense. Great casting, good show.

Thomas Cook | #IndiakaForexSpecialist

In every family, there’s a role to be played by each person when it comes to a holiday. (In this case, it’s foreign holiday, because the product is forex.) That seems quite natural and relatable. The characters and dialogues are interestingly written and the actors pull off thoroughly professional performances. Once it’s established that there’s a specialist for every job, Thomas Cook is introduced as the forex specialists for every family’s travel. 

Dollar | Upar Gaya | #FitHaiBoss

This would not have found a place in this column but for the chat I had with a few native Hindi-speaking young men. If the brand is speaking to them, this works wonders. Akshay Kumar, the action, the mild titillation at the end, all add to their viewing experience. Their fascination with the ‘Dollar upar gaya’ plot contrasted with my cynical view of it. We listen and learn. 

Nerolac Excel Mica Marble Stretch and Sheen | Paint Plus 

Those in my age group might remember the ‘I’m taking it with me to Japan’ jingle when viewing this. The resistance that the paint offers to extremities comes alive in this spot. Thanks to Japanese tech.

Volkswagen Taigun | #HustleModeOn

I must confess that I did not identify the protagonist as the star that she is when I first saw this. Be that as it may, the challenges that a working professional has to take up everyday find a partner in the new Taigun here, with enough windows to showcase the car.      

Symphony Jumbo Air Cooler | Garmi Ko Karo Symphony

Path-breaking idea? Hardly. But you don’t need one when the agenda is to remind people of the hardships of summer and offer them a cooling solution that costs just as much as a fan (to run). Well, the latter part is a bit of an add-on, but the rest of it is good enough to keep you watching till the end. 

Vimal | #BoloZubaanKesari

One must thank the brand for changing the creative after what seems like an eternity. Cricket break ad viewing just became a tad less cumbersome.   

(Curated by ClutterCutters.in. Exclusive to FE BrandWagon Online. To feature campaigns or add credits, kindly email: [email protected] / [email protected].)

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