130_Robin Bains_Ad Analysis

AD ANALYSIS-1

TUM CHALO TO HINDUSTAN CHALE

 

It’s been more than 20 years till where I am able to toil my memory, heard endless speeches about patriotism and love for nation. Some were actually very impressive and others were just a plain copy of some speech that everyone must have heard somewhere. But one thing that I cannot deny that no matter how cliché those speeches or words were, they always left a mark in my mind. I always love my nation and I always believe that I owe a lot to my country.

But one advertisement that left a very deep impact on me and indeed most of the people around me is “Tum Chalo to Hindustan Chale” campaign by “Times of India”. The advertisement tries to portray the following issues:

ð  The Power of Unity

ð  How we should love our nation

ð  If things are worse than its only we who can make a commendable change

ð  We should not wait for an opportunity and should do the best there and then

ð  Last but not the least that it is at the end “OUR NATION”

ANALYSIS

1.    TARGET AUDIENCE:

                  The target audience here is general Indian public, since it is a national daily and its aim to reach every Indian household. To enlighten every Indian with the correct and best news happening globally and present the thoughts in such a way that everyone must be able to associate oneself with the news and get the idea of how the happenings matter to one.

The methodology used is incomparable and shown in the simplest possible style.

2.    Objectives:

               There are two objectives that are associated with this advertisement:

i)             Times of India is Nation’s newspaper and they want to increase their sales by striking the cord of National Integration.

ii)           They want to communicate that since it is not that if you are alone then you cannot cause any change. One should take the initiative and if you are correct and ethical then everyone will definitely follow you.

DAGMAR Analysis of the advertisement:

Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results. The approach involves setting specific, measurable objectives for a campaign to determine if specific objectives were met. Specifically, DAGMAR seeks to communicate a specific message through four steps:

·         Awareness - making the consumer aware that the product or company exists

·         Comprehension - letting the consumer know what the product is used for

·         Conviction - convincing the consumer to purchase the product

In this advertisement they have met the goal to meet both their objectives. After this advertisement there was a substantial increase that was seen in their sales and also I have met people who were really moved by this advertisement. Seriously all respect to the add maker.

3.    How is the execution done?

The advertisement is a 2 minutes long one and can be divided into various phases:

Phase I: There is traffic jam, as a big tree has fallen down and has blocked the way, a common man says to the traffic police in frustration, “It ain’t going to work this way”. The traffic police man just ignores him. Alongside the road there is a police van in which a police office is enjoying a sound sleep on duty. The most frustrating part is when there is a special vehicle that is arranged for the politician, who was also stuck in the same jam and that fellow shamelessly go and take the vehicle. People in general are just waiting as if some Messiah will come and some they and some people are even complaining about the country in general.

Phase II: It suddenly starts to rain and everyone run to a shed. A little boy who wants to go to school, but put his school bag down and takes the initiative and try with his full strength to move the tree (of course the chap is too petite for this activity). Everyone starts to notice him and were really moved. He was even joined by some street kids and they were enjoying the effort they were putting. Now a lot of people gets the courage by the heroic act of this boy and everyone come s and join had in this effort.

Phase III: Now there are almost 50 odd people who try to move the tree and they put in their full effort and were eventually successful in moving the tree away and clearing the way. All of a sudden sky gets clear and sun shines even brighter and everyone even comes and congratulate the boy for his heroic act. Everyone who thought that nothing could be done were witnessing this event in a surprised mode.

“All in all a superb way to show the power of love for nation and power of unity”

4.    Appeal:

There are two aspects of appeal highlighted in this advertisement that is:

I)             Rational: Highlighting the impact of a start.

II)           Emotional: Since it highlights the power of unity and national integration.

5.    Message Structure:

The idea was to inspire people to visit the polling booth and cast their votes to make justifiable use of their democratic rights. The Lead India anthem will go down as one of the most prominent ones in the history of ad campaigns in India.

They want to communicate that since it is not that if you are alone then you cannot cause any change. One should take the initiative and if you are correct and ethical then everyone will definitely follow you.

So this is the overall analysis of the advertisement and this advertisement has really served the purpose of its objective.

AD ANALYSIS-2

KUCH LOG SUMO CHALATE HAI

It’s been few of those advertisements that has evolved into striking the cords of emotional quotients of people, their strengths, their responsibilities, their duties, their believe and their values. The product was presented in a way that only people with these strong strengths can actually affords this product called SUMO not financially but emotionally.

The advertisement tries to portray the following issues:

ð  How responsibilities are big challenge

ð  Till what point can you go for your duties

ð  Can you be what you actually are?

ð  Above all do you have the courage to drive SUMO

ANALYSIS

1.    TARGET AUDIENCE:

                  The target audience is those Indians who despite being betrayed by situations, their duties have put in hardships in their lives and those who dare to be them. Those which such qualities deserves a SUMO

The methodology used is good and shown in a very simple way.

2.    Objectives:

               There are two objectives that are associated with this advertisement:

i)             To highlight the strength to SUMO by striking the emotions of people.

ii)           So that they are able to associate the product in a  better manner.

DAGMAR Analysis of the advertisement:

Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results. The approach involves setting specific, measurable objectives for a campaign to determine if specific objectives were met. Specifically, DAGMAR seeks to communicate a specific message through these steps:

·        Challenges shown in responsibilities, by showing a window taking the responsibility of entire family.

·        Showing the conviction of a Doctor who has to go to a village in rainy season to help a lady who is in immense pain and about to deliver a baby.

·        To showcase the simplicity  of a person who is still down to earth even though he is quiet affluent.

Though the Ad was not that affective at that time but even today when I talk with someone about this ad they don’t have to toil their memory much and they are able to recognise it in a single shot.

3.    How is the execution done?

The advertisement is a 2 minutes long one and can be divided into various phases:

Phase I: Shows a window in her mid 30s who instead of portraying her helplessness in front of someone is taking the step ahead and takes the front step for her family and is a real hero in life. She was shown driving her family in night to some place.

Phase II: Shows a doctor who has just returned home from a full tiring day and receives a helping call. The doctor drives all the way in heavy rain to help the lady. This shows the strength of commitment.

Phase III: Finally shows a affluent lad who always remembers his old tough times and does not hesitates to stop his SUMO to help the roadside kids to climb his SUMO and take out the entangled kite from tree.

“All in all a superb way to show the strength, commitment and simplycity”

4.    Appeal:

There are two aspects of appeal highlighted in this advertisement that is:

I)             Rational: Highlighting the impact of a start.

II)            Emotional: Since it highlights the power of commitment and dedicated.

5.    Message Structure:

Overall if feel that the way the narration is done is superb and should have been taken in the best of the ways. All in all a good advertisement and motivates many to never hide from duties.

Introduction To CBMR, Rahul Raisinghani_124

Ad Analysis 2 – P&G’s “Thank You, Mom!” Campaign during 2012 London Olympics

By Nakul Patel (Roll No. 92)

The showpiece of the London 2012 campaign was a 2-minute commercial by award-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu, titled Best Job (above), which was filmed for P&G on four continents with local actors and athletes from London, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles and Beijing. It was a repeated campaign which was introduced originally during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The P&G Thank You Mom campaign recognized and celebrated the moms behind the athletes by thanking moms for all they do, and was a part of P&G’s worldwide partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was the biggest campaign in P&G’s 175-year history, and ran through the end of the Olympic Games.

P&G also sponsored more than 150 athletes, who will be featured in advertising and retail campaigns to generate sales and donations that will help support youth sports. Among the world class athletes sponsored by P&G and its brands were:

•  Michael Phelps : Head & Shoulders
•  Paula Radcliffe : Fairy and Pampers
•  Roger Federer : Gillette
•  Jessica Ennis : Olay
•  Lin Dan : Gillette

Ad Analysis

Target Audience & Objective

This is one ad for which you cannot have a target audience. This ad was aimed at everybody and nobody. The main motto of the ad was to build the brand, and connect every single viewer of the ad to the Brand. It wasn’t a “brand-centric” ad that used network television commercials to demonstrate how its products are superior to rivals.

We can crack this in reflection of the two properties – brand prominence and brand self-connection.

Brand Prominence – The idea of brand prominence is that the cognitive and affective bond between the brand and self is reflected by the perceived ease and frequency with which brand-related throughts and feelings are brought to mind. P&G’s campaign will be accepted by most of the population regardless of ages, gender, and race.

Brand Self-connection – A consumer forms a sense of self with the brand by incorporating the brand as part of self. Briefly, the consumer will link himself or herself cognitively to the brand. P&G “Thank You Mom” can be regarded as an extension of the successful establishment of brand-self connection. In this commercial, the brand doesn’t appear until the every end with the logo and proud sponsor of mom as the ending. Most of use will link the brand to self as a kid or as a mom.

The commercial starts with a serial of shots that kids show up in different Olympic occasions from press meeting to the start point of the game. Then a worried mom’s face shows up in the auditorium. At the end of the story, it appears a line of text “to their moms, they’ll always be kids.” By perceiving the self representation from the campaign, consumers establish cognitive links to connect the brand with self. It reminds people of the moment when their moms were watching their performance or competition in the past. In addition, emotional resonance of mom’s love will also be aroused. Though cognitive in its representation, this brand-self linkage is inherently emotional. The connection could be established successfully because it not only represents an individual as kid or mom but also makes it meaningful in light of motherhood. Therefore, consumers complete the process of brand-self connection emotionally and cognitively.

Execution

The Thank You Mom campaign was brought to life through a variety of media channels and in-store with a worldwide retailer program which began in April and will run through August. Olympic Games-themed P&G branded products were featured in millions of stores across the globe. As a part of the P&G Thank You Mom campaign, P&G committed to raise $5 million to support local youth sports programs in many countries.

A clever stratagem to establish an emotional connection with the consumer, P&G indeed touched on possibly the most sensitive and strongest of relationships. It worked quite well too because everyone wants to show their gratitude to their mothers. With a copy that brings a lump to one’s throat, this P&G advert did work really well.

Ad Analysis 1 – “1984”: Apple's Macintosh Commercial

By Nakul Patel (Roll No. 92)

1984 is an American television commercial that introduced Apple’s Macintosh computer shown first time at 1983 Apple Keynote. This ad has been many a times touted as “possibly the best ad” of all times. It was directed by Ridley Scott and went on to win many awards, including –

·         2007: Best Super Bowl Spot (in the game's 40-year history)

·         2003: WFA—Hall of Fame Award (Jubilee Golden Award)

·         1999: TV Guide—Number One Greatest Commercial of All Time

·         1995: Advertising Age—Greatest Commercial

·         1995: Clio Awards—Hall of Fame

·         1984: 31st Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival—Grand Prix

Before we go on to discuss the specific marketing elements in this analysis, let us first understand the premise and promise on which this ad was based.

The Plot

To continue with the analysis, it is important to gain an overview of the plot.

Thomas and Hayden wrote up the story of the ad: we see a world of mind-controlled, shuffling men all in gray, staring at a video screen showing the face of Big Brother droning on about “information purification directives.” A lone woman clad in vibrant red shorts and a white tank-top (bearing a Mac logo) runs from riot police, dashing up an aisle towards Big Brother.

Just before being snatched by the police, she flings a sledgehammer at Big Brother’s screen, smashing him just after he intones “We shall prevail!” Big Brother’s destruction frees the minds of the throng, who quite literally see the light, flooding their faces now that the screen is gone. A mere eight seconds before the one-minute ad concludes, a narrator briefly mentions the word “Macintosh,” in a a calm but triumphant restatement of that original tagline: “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ’1984.’” An Apple logo is shown, and then we’re .

Background

The background of the whole spot is the intertextuality with George Orwell’s Novel “1984”. The images of the spot are an allusion to the novel, which describes the year 1984 as a dark future, with the dictatorship of the television screens from “Big Brother.” The idea behind the spot is to present the end of the ruler ship of “The Big Blue” (IBM) and it puts a lot of effort in creating very strong polar oppositions of good and bad.

The spot itself is a pure atmosphere-advertisement, which means, that it does not give a rational reason to legitimate a purchase. This was very unusual for the time. Advertisement spots of other computer companies, like the IBM spot from 1986, in which a Charlie Chaplin lookalike thinks about the reasons to buy an IBM-PC, where based upon the idea of delivering reasons for a purchase.

Ad Analysis

The technical codes of the spot are, for the time of the release, very modern. Fast cuts show the “hero”, the armed force and the huge screen from different camera angles. It also takes advantage of very obvious social codes: The dark troop of soldiers with their masks and scary outfits form a strong contrary and a binary opposition to the athletic woman in her bright dress and her wafting blond hair. These connotations make it very easy to differentiate between the “good” and “bad”.

The verbal codes are also clearly used as signifiers to help the audience understand the bad “Big Brother” that dominates the market, controls everything and uses its power for evil purposes. When the screen explodes a cool, charming voice introduces Macintosh. The whole spot is a connotation that anchors Orwell’s dystopian Novell in people’s minds in relation to IBM computers.

Target Audience

The spot demonstrates Apple’s position on the market, and its relationship to its customers during this time very well. Apple is a small, unknown company, especially amongst the 'non-techies'. It was not usual to have a personal computer in your household in those days. The fact that the spot was broadcast at a major sports-event shows at which target audience it was aimed.

The demographics of the audience were from a broad age range and focused on the average income range. The whole idea that personal computers were available and simple enough for non-techies, had to be brought to the average person. People were very critical with computers, they were very complicated and inaccessible.

The advertisements clearly targets a very specific field of cultural-code. The spot can only be understand by someone who has heard of Orwell's novel, ergo is a part of the western society. To someone who grew up somewhere else, without ever reading Orwell, the clip will not suggest the expected meanings.

Objective – Message

Answering “Why it won’t be like 1984?”

Before we try to understand the objective of the ad, we must first also give attention to an important aspect of the ad, i.e. timing. The ad was aired for first time during the Superbowl. It can be assumed that most people in America were tuning in to their television sets at the time this commercial was aired (a strategic marketing strategy of Apple). The intended audience is quite similar to the actual in this case, knowing that the intention of the company was to sell the advertised product and reach as many people as possible, not just to the tuned in viewers. Because the Superbowl generates such a large prospected audience in America, the kairos of Apple’s commercial were spot on.

However, we can further turn our attention to what was happening outside the United States. The timing appeals to the foreign affairs of 1984. In the advertisement, we see a powerful, totalitarian looking figure trying to persuade the masses on a giant projected screen. At the time this commercial was aired, Americans were still conflicted with the governing ways of communist nations. Further, we see a young woman running up to this figure swinging a hammer (possibly symbolic of the hammer and sickle associated with communism). She sends the hammer flying into the projection, which seems to eliminate the authority and leave the masses left with their own free thinking instead of brainwash. At the end, the Apple advertisement textually refers to George Orwell’s 1984 and culturally connects to the audience. As many are and were aware, the novel entails the use of technology to control society in a negative fashion. The connection to 1984 paired with the foreign communist movement in action at the time perfectly play on the pathos of the audience as well as their presuppositions. Americans were sensitive to the idea of being completely controlled by one ruler, and Orwell’s 1984 further added to the fear by causing everyone to think technology was evil and would destroy American society. As a result, technology formed a negative stereotype.

Thus, the main purpose of Apple’s advertisement was to banish said stereotype held by the audience and assure them that the happenings in 1984 would never actually happen. Technology was something new and scary back then, and people did not know what to expect. The commercial really took a risk in gaining the audience’s trust for their product–after all, how did viewers really know whether or not Apple’s technology would be unlike 1984? Through the use of rhetorical pisteis in a television advertisement genre, Apple went out on a limb to persuade the masses to enter the ‘tech’ era.

Execution

Message Format

While the images of the drones marching, the tyrant on-screen, and the girl with the sledgehammer are powerful and unforgettable, the coloring of the images is what makes them so powerful. When the people marching or the tyrant are shown everything has tones of blue and grey, while shots of the girl have full color. Even more so the girl’s clothing is bright, colorful, and very athletic looking while the people in the crowd are wearing thick, grey uniforms. The coloration of the shots is important because it works on multiple levels. The grey and blue tones on shots of Big Brother and his followers let the viewer instantly recognize Big Brother as the antagonist and the crowd as a brainwashed mass. It also lets the audience know that there is no individuality in this group. If the appearances of the crowd weren’t enough they are given uniforms of the same bland grey color to make sure no one sticks out, they are all the same. In contrast the bright colors on the girl let the audience know she is the protagonist, and that she is going to liberate the people from the control of the tyrant. In this way the girl is unique, and original, exactly what Apple wants to be seen as.

Apple wants to be seen as the beacon of originality, and by this they are appealing to a persons want to be unique and outside of the crowd; it is a pathos appeal, an appeal to emotion, and it works because of the powerful images present in the ad. No one wants to be just one in the crowd, and no one wants to be controlled but that is exactly what the consumer is if they don’t buy an Apple Macintosh. This ad focuses on those who want to be different, and it makes them feel like the way to be different and unique is to buy the upcoming Mackintosh. For those who don’t necessarily care about being different, the ad taunts them by calling them mindless followers of the big corporations. It doesn’t come outright and say it, but it is implied. Apple uses this kind of appeal because a lot of the appeal of Apple products themselves is that they are slicker then the competition. This appeal matches how Apple wants to present itself in everything it does, unique and different from the rest, and therefore better.

Message Source

The images in Apple’s 1984 ad are allusions to George Orwell’s famous novel 1984, in which the Dystopian nation of Oceania is governed by a suppressive totalitarian government. The tyrant in the ad is representative of the Big Brother character in the novel, the dictator of Oceania, and in the ad this character is meant to be representative of Apple’s competitors, particularly IBM. The crowds of people who have been brainwashed by Big Brother are the consumers, mindlessly being controlled by the big computer companies. They wear grey jumpsuits with shaved heads and have no distinct features to separate one from the other; even their genders are left ambiguous. The girl with the hammer is the protagonist of 1984, Winston Smith, and in the ad she is Apple, the underdog come to save the people from the oppressive tyrant that is Big Brother, or in reality IBM. She wears attire fitting that of an Olympic athlete, bright orange shorts, running shoes, and a white tank top with the Apple logo in cubist artwork. Through use of allusions to 1984 the images and the setting in the ad are given depth that is normally unobtainable in a thirty-second ad.

Message Structure

Apple’s 1984 ad takes advantage of George Orwell’s beloved novel 1984 and its setting to create one of the most successful ads of all time. Powerful images of drones, tyrants, and a lone hero captivate the audience and Brilliantly weave characters like Big Brother and Winston Smith into an ad about personal computers. The greatest aspect of the allusions being made in this ad is that the viewer doesn’t have to understand the allusions to understand the ad. There is depth in this ad that could only have been accomplished by using a novel such as 1984 as a backdrop. Everything in this ad can be attributed to 1984, from the images to the dialogue, and it is all the better for it. Take away 1984 and this ad will lose everything that has made it a cultural icon. Through the use of a brilliant pathos appeal combined with the powerful images and dialogue, Apple’s 1984 ad is one of the most effective ads in history.

Message Content

By completely ignoring any focus on "reason", the spot solely signifies that by buying the product you are escaping the world of control and unison to finally become free. This message is a myth that the images create. The advert produces connotations of freedom and passion towards independence.

Message Impact

When the ad aired, controversy erupted — viewers either loved or hated the ad, and it spurred a wave of media coverage that involved news shows replaying the ad as part of covering it, leading to estimates of an additional $5 million in “free” airtime for the ad. Fortunately for Apple, all three national networks and nearly 50 local stations ran news stories about the ad, some showing the entire spot, barely a few hours later. This gained Apple publicity worth many million Dollars. Apple’s announcement that they would never broadcast the spot again fed the following media frenzy even more. “1984″ become a cultural event, and served as a blueprint for future Apple product launches. The marketing logic was brilliantly simple: create an ad campaign that sparked controversy (for example, by insinuating that IBM was like Big Brother), and the media will cover your launch for free, amplifying the message.

Social Impact

Ted Friedman, in his 2005 text, Electric Dreams: Computers in American Culture, notes the impact of the commercial:

Super Bowl viewers were overwhelmed by the startling ad. The ad garnered millions of dollars worth of free publicity, as news programs rebroadcast it that night. It was quickly hailed by many in the advertising industry as a masterwork. Advertising Age named it the 1980s Commercial of the Decade, and it continues to rank high on lists of the most influential commercials of all time [...] '1984' was never broadcast again, adding to its mystique.

"1984" became a signature representation of Apple computers. It was scripted as a thematic element in the 1999 docudrama, Pirates of Silicon Valley, which explores the rise of Apple and Microsoft (the film opens and closes with references to the commercial including a re-enactment of the heroine running towards the screen of Big Brother and clips of the original commercial). The "1984" ad was also prominent in the 20th anniversary celebration of the Macintosh in 2004, as Apple reposted a new version of the ad on its website. In this updated version, an iPod, complete with signature white earbuds, was digitally added to the heroine. Attendees were given a poster showing the heroine with iPod as a commemorative gift.

Analysis of advertisements_Rahul Raisinghani_124

1. Analysis of Orbit advertisement

Introduction
Orbit is one of the world's largest selling chewing gum brand.In India, the brand shares the market leadership with Center Fresh brand.Orbit was launched in India in 2004. This was India's first Sugar free chewing gum and together with Perfetti's Happy dent  this brand has rejuvenated the chewing gum segment in India.Orbit can be termed as a functional chewing gum. The brand when launched differentiated itself from the existing chewing gums with its "sugar free"property. Globally the Orbit brand adopts the tagline "For a good clean feeling no matter what" in India, Orbit uses " for healthy teeth and prevents tooth decay " as its main message.Orbit White launched their most popular advertising campaign with the “Cow” series.

The following is an analysis of the first advertisement in this series.
The advertisement showcases a mad animal specialist, Dr. Bhatawdekar, whos peaks in ‘Butler-English’. He expounds the special quality of Orbit White Chewing Gum that whitens the teeth of a cow that previously had yellow teeth. His conclusion is that if it works for the cow, it’ll work for you too.This commercial tries its hand at humor in drawing attention and generating interest. It succeeds to quite an extent in this intention, but also fails at few places.The caricature of the doctor succeeds exceedingly well.

Brand Recall:
Viewers immediately recall the product, the brand and the entire advertisement on any reference to Dr. Bhatawdekar. The product and brand are duly highlighted. They are not lost during the telecast of the advertisement. The commercial’s message is wound around the product, making the product and brand as much a part of the advertisement as the rest of the characters and the concept.

Humor
The advertisement also successfully plays to the sense of humor of the viewers. Any reference to the product results in immediate association to the doctor and his cow volunteer. This gives viewers a light-hearted view of the product. Nonetheless, there have been instances where the sentiments of viewers have been hurt. In such cases, it seems that the concept that starts out as funny, turns out to be a gross miscalculation of the sense of humor of the viewers The characterization of the doctor and the way he speaks in English can be construed as offensive by many viewers. Since the doctor is a deliberate attempt at making fun of bad grammar, viewers who are insecure of their oral abilities may find the advertisement offensive. Overall, the advertisement has no class. Viewers can be put off by the commercial on grounds that it displays no sophistication. The attempt at humor can be seen astending towards slapstick comedy – and a very poor attempt at that.

Positive angle
However, the advertisement does not fail completely. The product and brand areimprinted in the minds of the consumer. Any reference to the product brings remembrance of the humorous advertisement. And consumers purchase the product,even if only out of a sense of absurdity

2. Analysis of Samsung Hero advertisement

This is advertisement that Samsung has come up with with its brand ambassador as Aamir khan.
Advertisement clearly shows that the phone is classy phone having all the features that are required in the phone.
It shows how the music played by it can change the mood of the person who was sad just few minutes before.

Brand Connection
By making the Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador has worked a lot in the favor of Samsung. Initially Samsung did not have any big name as its brand ambassador. By as soon as Aamir Khan started promoting advertisement of Samsung, there was not of connectivity among the people and the brand Samsung. That was  start of the rising of the Samsung in India.

Perception
The general perception of the Samsung hero in India is of low budge of phone. But when the advertisement shows that Aamir Khan using it, advertisement has good effect on the people. It gives the perception that if since a big person like Aamir Khan can use it then why not us.

After the series of advertisement that Aamir Khan did with Samsung. Both the names are generally seen together by the audience.

Motivation
This advertisement gives the motivation to the customer that even a small product as phone can bring happiness in your life by its unique small small feature.

Overall this advertisement marks the rising of the Samsung as a brand  in India. And after that there was no turning back for Samsung.

Analysis of advertisements_Naveen Tiwari _095

Surf Excel Advertisement – Daag Ache Hain

The recent Surf Excel commercial featuring a teacher and her student is similar to its predecessors and tows the same line that one need not stop living life to the fullest fearing dirt and grime on clothes; in short –”Daag Achche Hain“.

Take a stroll down memory lane and you could recollect countless detergent commercials which showcased unhappy housewives toiling hard with grime on clothes. And then would come the detergent brand bringing happiness along with it by removing all the dirt in a flash!

This line of thought was shunned with a radical and new course by Surf Commercials that clothes are bound to get dirty but that should not hamper living life the way one should i.e. to the fullest!

The recent new commercial of Surf Excel portrays the efforts undertaken by a student to help his teacher get over the grief over the loss of her pet. It also brings out the respect and care that the student has for his teacher.

The story line shows that the teacher is very upset as her dog passed away and doesn’t come to school. So her student tries to pacify her and bring a smile on her face by mimicking a dog’s gestures. He gives a ball in the teacher’s hand and asks her to throw the ball so that he could go and fetch it just like her pet ! Ignoring his dress which is all white, he goes around in the muddy garden to fetch the ball and gives it to his teacher and she plays with him just as she did with her dog. In the process, he makes his dress dirty, just to bring a smile in his teacher’s face!

The commercial is short and well shot and executed. It somewhere also brings the emotional connect between a teacher and her student and their ability to share the joy and sorrows with each other. The innocence of kids is shown well in the advertisement which also highlights the thought process of children that transcends materialistic aspects like dirt and grime on clothes hindering their daily activities.

PERCEPTION - Earlier mom used to feel disgusted when they saw mud soiled clothes of their children and reprimanded them from playing, precisely that mentality was challenged by HUL in its advertisement, breaking the current perception and making dirt and playing as good.

MOTIVATION - Surf always enjoyed special connect with Mom's, but now it was motivated by the early influencer in buying decision ie the children. It motivated them to play and then recite to mom that "daag ache hai" , playing the emotional connect to dirt and stains.

Surf Excel’s two recent commercials are focusing on the aspect that stains are good and that children are bound to make their dress dirty. So living life with dirt without fearing it!

Thums Up: From 'Taste the Thunder' to 

'Live the Thunder' 

In its new campaign, Thums Up, a brand that stands for 'Bold Masculine Leadership', encourages its loyalists to seize the day by saying 'Aaj Kuchh Toofani Kartey Hain'. Now the Thums Up Man is no longer 'Chasing the Thunder'; rather, he is 'Living the Thunder'.

One of India's most resilient soft drink brands, Thums Up has rolled out its new campaign for the summer season, in which the brand challenges its loyalists to push the envelope and do something daring or 'toofani'. The campaign introduces the brand's new tagline, 'Aaj Kuchh Toofani Kartey Hain'

Through this campaign, Thums Up, which still carries its iconic 'Taste the Thunder' catch-phrase, urges its consumers to 'Live the Thunder' and unlock what it calls 'the new code of masculinity'. Specifically, this year's proposition is 'Live like Thunder'.

Conceptualised by Leo Burnett and produced by Nomad Films, the television commercial features South Indian actor Mahesh Babu, who has been endorsing the brand in Andhra Pradesh for a while. Accompanying him are Dhaval Thakur (winner of Khatron ke Khiladi 2011), Sahil Shroff (actor) and Angela Jonsson (of Kingfisher Calendar fame).

A counter-intuitive break from Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar - a face that loyalists have grown to associate with the brand and its action-packed image - the current film sees these four youngsters perform daredevil stunts that reflect the brand's persona.

Brand Thums Up has always had a strong resonance with action, energy and a go-getter spirit. Also, it has always been fiercely male. In its previous brand films, it's always the man who performs extreme stunts and participates in a rough-and-tumble chase. The female character is more of a bystander or someone he comes huffing back to with the Thums Up bottle in his hand. This is probably the first time that a girl is in the thick of action, along with the men. Does this mean that the brand is widening its traditional masculine image to include women in the brand space as well?

Sainath Saraban, executive creative director, Leo Burnett, answers, "Women comprise over 30 per cent of Thums Up's loyal consumer base. Despite being a masculine brand, Thums Up appeals to the rugged and active side of women through its communication. We're comfortable using women in the communication, but how we portray them is what needs to be given careful thought in order to stay true to the masculine brand character of Thums Up."

The thought 'Aaj Kuchh Toofani Kartey Hain' is based on the insight that today's youngsters crave for the admiration of their peers and want to lead the pack. "Building on this insight, the campaign marks another milestone in the evolution of the Thums Up Man - from the 'Angry Young Man' to the 'Cool Risk Taker' to the follower of 'Playful Mastery' and finally, to the advocate of Bold Masculine Leadership," conveys the brand team in a press note.

Saraban adds that when he wrote the copy for this ad, he "simply transported the Thunder within the bottle, to the Thunder within oneself."

Regarding the insight, the Coca-Cola spokesperson tells afaqs!, "This campaign takes the 'I will do anything for my thunder' attitude to the next level. It's all about inspiring leadership and leading the pack by doing something 'toofani'."

Besides TV, this campaign will include social media, outdoor, radio and on-ground initiatives.

Does the new proposition take the industry by storm (no pun intended)? afaqs! finds out.

For starters, starring Mahesh Babu in a mainstream television commercial may well be a lost cause because non-South Indian/non-Telugu speaking consumers of Thums Up residing in metros such as Mumbai and Delhi. 

did not recognise him for the star that he is. Using him in markets where his celeb-quotient is low, if not nil, is being frowned upon. But that's not all, the industry veterans tell us.

Satbir Singh, managing partner and chief creative officer, Euro RSCG India says that the ad is a departure from what Thums Up advertising has traditionally been -- while earlier, the character went to extreme lengths to get hold of a bottle, here, he starts with one. "That used to be the greatest differentiator for Thums Up," Singh observes, adding, "I wish it was retained. The change is distracting."

He reminds us that taking a swig of the drink being advertised and then jumping from various heights is something we've already seen in commercials for Pepsi's Mountain Dew that carried the tagline 'Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai'.

Singh predicts that while the younger generation may not be too judgmental of the ad, the older consumers with years of nostalgic baggage will.

According to Gautam Talwar, chief strategy officer, Rediffusion-Y&R, the new tagline 'Aaj Kuchh Toofani Karte Hain' serves to successfully establish a connect with the target segment - the youth. "We call this the generation of 'experience junkies' who go to various lengths to achieve larger than life experiences," he opines.

However, he doesn't think this is the best interpretation of 'bold leadership'. "There are many more relatable or even aspirational interpretations of bold leadership that could have been used. Also, I am not sure if this is what the youth of the country are looking at as the next level of an adrenaline rush," he adds.

On the evolution of the Thums Up Man, Talwar says, "It's an obvious logical move on the part of the brand but the real question is - 'Is it differentiated?'." More than a new interpretation, Talwar sees it as a move to merely refresh the old communication.

Analysis of advertisements_Pulkit Goenka _115

The commercial shows a cheetah running in all its gusto, and one of the models following it on a bicycle. Finally, the lad jumps on the cheetah and traps him. Then he puts his hand inside the cheetah’s mouth...straight down to his stomach, and pulls out a can of Mountain Dew. “

Bad Cheetah” - he says. The other guys watching him say to each other - “

Cheetah bhi peeta hain !” 

Then they show the cheetah with all the spots gone except for a few spots which spell out - Do the Dew.

Motivation: This advertisement motivates people to let go of the fear and be adventurous. Through the medium of a soft drink, the company tries to sell itself by saying that the soft drink would instill the ability in the consumer to run faster. The consumer will be equipped to face challenges in his life.

Perception: The perception of the general public is ignorant. They do understand that by having soft drinks, one does not get the courage to face leopards or run like them. They are smart enough to understand the loophole of the advertisement.

The commercial fails to follow some vital rules of advertising. There is absolutely no brand positioning. Which bracket of people is it targeting? What benefit is it giving you?

Secondly, their models seem possessed, running around jungles with colourful clothes, jumping on cheetahs and shouting at the top of their voices. The viewers have no point of reference to identify themselves with either the product or the advertising tone.

Thirdly, there is no advertising message – at least nothing that makes any sense. Why would anyone want to drink something that a Cheetah allegedly drinks? How did the Cheetah get hold of the can of Mountain Dew in the first place? In fact, this advertisement has more environmental and wildlife ramifications than any connection with the product.

Fourthly, it is a very paltry hand at humour. If the intention of the advertisers was to excite the audience and make them laugh, they have failed miserably. This advertisement has induced to people only to switch channels because of its senseless advertising message, theme and conception.

Fifthly and most importantly, the advertisement says nothing at all about the drink, except, of course, to extol its endearing quality it to Cheetahs. What is the taste? Does it quench your thirst? Does it make you feel cool? Is it refreshing? 

If this advertisement is remembered at all, it is remembered for all the wrong reasons. From the very beginning of the Mountain Dew’s ad campaign, it has come under some very serious firing. When they launched their first ad featuring the infamous slogan – “Do the Dew”, other aerated drink manufacturers immediately saw its potential by piggy backing on the fame and releasing a parody. The parody achieved what the original never did. Today, viewers instantly relate this slogan to “No do here, go do jhaadi ke peeche

”The Mountain Dew advertisement did catch the attention of the viewer the first time it was aired. It did not generate any interest or desire. It crashed so bad that not only was the ad campaign scrapped, so was the product. Even if bottles of Mountain Dew line the shelves of stores today, its sales barely make a dent in the profits of the company.

Gillette is a brand of Procter & Gamble currently used for safety razors among other personal hygiene products. It is one of several brands originally owned by The Gillette Company, a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was acquired by P&G in 2005. The Gillette Fusion is a five-bladed razor released in 2006. There are two different versions of the Fusion available: the Gillette Fusion and the Gillette Fusion Power.

With the release of Gillette Fusion, P&G also launched their new advertising campaign called “Gillette Champions”. The following is an analysis of the first advertisement broadcast in this series. This advertisement features the Gillette champions -- Tiger Woods, Thierry Henry and Roger Federer. The commercial is called “Today” and all the three Champions explain how important it is in their professional and personal lives to ‘Be Your Best Today’. The advertising campaign exploits the influencing power of brand ambassadors.

Motivation: Gillette showed all the champions of the respective sports under one umbrella endorsing its product. People who follow such sports have a great image about these sports person. There are a group of people who find them as God. It will surely motivate them to use the product endorsed by their idol.

Perception: The way the product is endorsed by the champions, it shows that everyone has to be their best every day. They should shave daily and stay clean. Hygiene is one issue they have raised and it has surely worked in their favor.

The Gillette ‘Champions’ are Roger Federer (No.1 Tennis Player), Thierry Henry (No.1 Football Player) and Tiger Woods (No.1 Golfer). The Indian campaign is varied to include Rahul Dravid to cater to Indian sensibilities. The advertisers try to use the concept of transference or association to enhance the image of their product and brand. The attributes of quality, performance and excellence exuded by these personalities are projected onto the product and the brand. This builds brand image and a favourable attitude towards the new product.

A sense of polish and “class” underscores the entire advertisement. It plays on the viewers’ “feel-good” sensations. The advertisement comes across as smooth and urbane. However, it does feel as if the advertisers are trying too hard by roping in three (or four) brand ambassadors. Most advertisers feel that having celebrities or stars advertise their product influences the consumers more than an advertisement that does not feature them. But, there is something called too much stress on the influence of brand ambassadors. There seems to be little relevance amongst the slogan, the advertisement and the product. Gillette may be the best a man can get, but how does that help the ‘Champions’ in their respective sports?

Form a logical standpoint, how does the new razor blade assist the players? The audio of the advertisement bears little or no relevance to the advertising message. The advertisement talks about focusing on the present, but says nothing about the new blade. Nevertheless, overall, the advertisement comes across as suave. The brand image of Gillette is maintained and even enhanced by this advertisement. The advertisement succeeds in generating a desire and action to purchase in spite of the drawbacks of the advertisement.