Category: MAM

While the night sleeps in murky shadows and an old couple remains wrapped under the warming quilt, suddenly the mature clock, standing alert on the bedside table, screeches out loud to say… its 1am.

The old gentleman wakes up, fills a glass with water, walks across the bedroom into his gloomy balcony and pours the liquid down the parapet. He then walks back to his warmed up bed and slips into his deep dark slumber once again.

Two hours later, the clock screams yet again. Its three o’clock now. The grayed gentleman steps down his bed, carries the same glass brimming with water to the balcony and drains it down the parapet one more time. This is followed by his sleepy walk back to his “gentle waiting” bed.

Well, the story doesn’t close here.

Two hours later, the timepiece shrieks yet one more time…only to hint at the “dawning” morn. It’s five. Mr. Grandpa sits upright on his “waking” bed, fills up his glass with water yet again and repeats his actions religiously.

Hey!!! What’s wrong with this gentleman? Why does he keep waking up all the time to empty his water-filled-glass down the parapet?

Do any of you know the reason? No!! Well then, let Ad Pick unfurl the suspense to you…. This aged gentleman actually keeps pouring water onto the watchman down below. Why!!! Because the “nuisance” keeps dozing off at an interval of every two hours. After all, this primitive chap has to save his “only home” from all the “evil souls” that keep hovering around his sole abode!!!

Review: This ad, coming from the house of Rediffusion, is definitely an immediate hit…and why would it not be!!! After all, it catches upon the human “touch-cord” just right. All through the ad, nowhere will you hear a single jingle or voiceover struggling to state the obvious facts; there are no declarations given. There is only one single thought revealed… a thought that breaks into silent whisperings…a thought that blows into the viewer’s eye to say… “Don’t be afraid. Reliance is here to protect your home from all evils. Reliance is here to provide you with the best watchman you could have ever found…Reliance’s HomeProtect policy.”

The TVC is stupendously well-crafted and is definitely a visual retreat. Many times we have heard people say, “Action speaks louder than words.” This ad truly stands firm to re-endorse the statement.

Hence, this TVC is indisputably a true treat to all viewers. Hats off to all!!!

Agency: Rediffusion
Running time: 60 seconds
ITV rating: * * * * *

Well, it seems that Bollywood’s most versatile actor, Aamir Khan, has taken up a resolution to portray characters that are completely deviated from all forms of mediocrity and normality. At least that’s what the latest Tata Sky television commercial firmly stands to state.

The commercial showcases a bride and a groom (both enacted by Khan, mind you) under a huge word conflict on their wedding night. Reason???

Well, while the bride, Mrs. “NRI Khan”, aspires to get the best global DTH technology with UK’s BskyB, the groom, Mr. “Desi Punjab da Khan”, prefers integrity and trust over anything else and that can be personified only through India’s trust brand Tata.

Khan keeps juggling between his masculine and feminine self, while the squabble between the two halves continue.

However, after a heated row, the couple realises that their argument is completely futile. Why? Well, because with the marriage of Tata and Sky to form Tata Sky, they both get what they eventually want…trust and top-of-the-line technology, translating the fight into a win-win situation.

Review: Ok!!! Do you people know why this TVC was launched? No! Alright, let Ad Pick unfurl the secret to you.

Tata Sky is an amalgamation of the Tata Group and the Sky brand, owned by the UK based British Sky Broadcasting Group. However, since a lot of consumers believe that the word ‘sky‘ in the brand name implies to the satellite service that comes from the sky, Tata Sky decided to educate people about the brand origins through this campaign.

Ok, now that Ad Pick has unveiled the top secret to you, allow Ad Pick to also resolutely state that not only has the 70 seconds TVC succeeded is educating the consumers about the brand origins of the DTH service provider, but has also entertained the viewers with absolute effect.

Well, with Khan’s “pink and Punjabi versatility” endorsing the brand, education and entertainment had to go hand in hand. Don’t you think?

Three cheers to all!!!

Agency: Rediffusion DY&R
Production house: Aamir Khan Productions
Running time: 70 seconds
ITV rating: * * * *

Hey!!!

Did you know that Bank of India has appointed tiny little secret messengers to eavesdrop on all those clandestine financial worries that hinder aspirants from dreaming high and then whisper them into the Banker Uncle’s ear so that he can resolve all issues and help them reach the sky?

No!!! Well, you urgently need to check out the latest TVC on Bank of India. Not only does it talk about all those secret agents, but also unveils to you one.

Mr. Jasoos (messenger), the youngest member of the family, confidently and purposefully strolls into the bank to meet his Banker Uncle. He walks up to him and silently whispers into his mature ears the torrid arguments between his father and elder brother that reveal the problems in financing his brother’s college education.

On hearing this, Banker Uncle without more ado lands up at their “troubled” house to calm the situation, armed with the “elixir”; the “life saving” weapon…well, the ultimate education loan.

The boy‘s father is elated at finding the “perfect” solution to his financial worries. His son can now not only aspire to rise in life but also reach glorious heights.

However, there is but one question that keeps stalking Mr. Papa’s mind…how can his long lost banker friend come to such an immediate timely rescue of his when he had not spoken about his predicament even once to him!!!

Well, all of you know where the answer lies…right? It lies in that tiny “chota jasoos”, the little curious messenger, who keeps his Banker Uncle abreast will all the financial worries of his family so that Mr. Banker can come to his family’s immediate rescue.

Whoof!!! Finally the tension has been dispelled and laughter restored once again.

Review: This ad, coming from the house of Rediffusion/DYR, does not scream to reveal the product’s brand proposition; it does not bark out loud any of those inscrutable jargons of funky technicalities; it also does not inflict itself with any possible “power” syndrome.

The ad is absolutely about emotions…it’s about relationships; and that’s where the connect lies. Nowhere in the TVC will you find the product shouting about its “exclusive” qualities. Rather, you will only witness the “calm and patient” creative work silently enlightening the viewers with the “intentions” of the product…building life long relationships with its customers and saving them from all worries.

Well!!! No fire breathing stands, no funny lines – its what-you-see-is-what-you-get. After all, in a world that’s all about people connecting and sharing, why say no to lifelong relationships?

Agency: Rediffusion/DYR, Mumbai
Production house: Red Ice
Running time: 60 seconds
ITV rating: * * * * *

Are you adequately insured?

Is your insurance amount good enough to take care of all your future needs?

Do you treat “life insurance” not just as a mere tax saving and investment tool but surely something more than that?

NO!!!

Well, it seems that the K.I.L.B. virus has infected you too. Ok!!! Now, this is really serious. Please pay heed to what Ad Pick says. You urgently need to undergo a thorough checkup with Dr. Irfan Khan at Aegon Religare Life Insurance “hospital”.

What!!! You don’t know what K.I.L.B. is!!! Have you not seen the latest Aegon Religare ads where Dr. Irfan Khan talks about the dangers of this disease to the “infected souls” inside a “closed” elevator and a “running” train?

In these ads Dr. Khan educates the “victims” about K.I.L.B., an abbreviation that stands for “Kum Insurance Lene Ki Bimaari.” According to Mr. Doctor, the symptoms of this disease are seen in people who are “underinsured”. He explains that people who buy small things like groceries for daily use according to their need but consciously ignore to buy insurance for their future needs are highly inflicted by this illness.

To further confirm his statement with the “ailing lot”, Dr. Khan signs off by saying that taking less amount of insurance is nothing but defeat as it does not solve the very purpose of “insurance” anyhow.

Well, now you know why Ad Pick wants you to visit the doc immediately?

 

Review: There was a time when life insurance was bought not to save one’s family from uncalled for “disasters” but to save one’s ass from tax paying. However, now it seems “times are a changing”.

Through these newly launched ads, conceptualised by Contract Advertising, Aegon Religare wanted to inform, educate and impress consumers about life insurance. Well, Ad Pick must say that the ads are really impressive. Unlike other “insurance” ads, these ads have a different brand proposition altogether: UNDERINSURANCE. This is because Aids or cancer kills only the infected person, but “underinsurance” kills the entire family.

Wow!!! What an IDEA!!!

Ok! Now let’s come to the most impressive element of the Aegon Religare life insurance ads: Dr. Irfan Khan. Not only does Dr. Khan’s candid talk and expressive manner attract viewers’ attention unarguably well, but his core presence alone manages to hold on to the eyeballs of these viewers till the very end. When a TVC is produced, it‘s very necessary that the characters chosen for the TVC are absolutely appropriate…and Irfan Khan’s supreme natural gestures only qualify him further to be chosen for the Aegon Religare’s Life Insurance commercials.

Well done Contract!!! Definitely good work.

Agency: Contract Advertising
Production house: Apocalypso Filmsworks
Running time: 45 seconds
ITV rating: * * * *

Hey, don’t you think its just time to don a new look!!!

Don’t you think its just time to “reflect upon your reflection” once again!!!

Don’t you think its just time to see a new you wink back, only hinting to churn out those high voltage rock notes that were once so easily formulated when your younger fingers hit the strings so hard!!!

Don’t you want to fly high like that pilot who flies so smooth across the ink blue sky!!!

Don’t you want to wear that long king’s robe and rule the universe Alexander style, holding the “wooden sword” that you once carved out from an almost rotten bark when you were a child!!!

Oh come on!!! Its time to be born…born again. Its time to look at your new reflection everyday; to allow the “new you” smile in a gleeful way.

Even Aamir Khan suggests the same in his new Titan TVC.

Aamir is always ready to explore and express a newer side of him and he asks you to do the same. He wants you to drop by that unknown destination; he wants you to make mistakes and not learn from someone else’s. He wants you to live new roles everyday…he wants you to be born everyday.

After all, you are not a definition that Google can throw up in a jiffy. You are also not a term in Oxford Dictionary’s word list.

Review: Well this Titan ad, coming from the house of Ogilvy & Mather, certainly relives Aamir’s TZP philosophy…live life everyday; be born everyday…love yourself everyday. Nowhere in this ad do we get to hear inscrutable jargon of funky technicalities. It’s about emotions and our basic desires and how Titan is a part of every moment of yours when you want to look beyond yourself.

Through this TVC, the company wanted to make the customers look at Titan as a brand with a deeper connect in their life. It wanted to infuse the product with a new burst of energy, energy that will take the brand and the category away from the traditional dilemmas like modern v/s traditional. And surely Ogilvy & Mather has done a fantastic job at reflecting that theme through this TVC.

It not only has hit upon the busy and monotonous lives of all individuals just right, but has also infused the Titan range into the ad very intelligently and impressively.

Of course, Mr. Brand Ambassador and his natural attempt at portraying the simplicity of the idea is definitely an add on. There are no fire breathing stands taken by Aamir in the ad. Its only simple talk, so simple that at some point all viewers realize how complicated one’s life has become.

Three cheers to all!!!

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Running time: 60 seconds
ITV rating: * * * * *