Here Wego Again!

What's with all the two wheeler clients? A few weeks ago I went on a fast against one bike ad that confessed it to be a cleverly filmed deception! And now this! So you make a claim, then disprove it. And then consumers are supposed to miraculously start trusting the brand with their life (literally, as we all know the safety record of two wheelers). So we are to believe that Wego has won those awards? Or has it? Who are we to trust?

Many years ago, Jerry Della Femina tried playing with truth for Isuzu. He found a clever way of using the fact that car salesmen, in those days, were generally understood to be cheaters and liars. Supers in the Isuzu ads informed the viewers when Joe Isuzu, the spokesman, told a lie and when he did not. Thus the truth, or shall we say brand propositions, got drilled down into the viewer's subconscious and worked wonders for Isuzu. Here is one of the commercials that I could find on Youtube:

 

Compared to this, the Wego ad is just a hollow attempt at situational humor. When it first aired, I ignored it, but now it is too much in the face. I am feeling a bit weak after the 3 week fast against the Amrutanjan ad, but Anna's got to do what Anna's got to do! So I am going on another week-long fast against this mindless use of humor in advertising. (I am telling the truth).

Jai Jerry Della Femina, Jai Hind.
-Anna.

Let there be light (CFL, preferably)

Last week I had made up my mind to go on a month long fast against that ad with a WIRSSC. But this week I am revising my plan. Now I will fast for just 3 weeks. Why? Because I happened to see a commercial that shed some light on the situation of advertising creativity in this country. And it is encouraging. Here is the illuminating commercial...

I think it is a good sign that advertising itself is mocking advertising clichés. I just have one question, though. Why can't this commercial have the same production values (execution finesse) as the fairness cream ones? Or is it that CFL lights do not spend as much on advertising as fairness creams?? But let's be fair to those who have written the script (I understand that every good script has many fathers - real as well as hierarchy driven - hence the plural) and say, good job! You have saved a few antacids in my medicine box!

Jai Lee Clow. Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Some Tricky Questions

University of Advertising
Department of Behavioral Studies.
Paper: Cognitive Analysis

Instructions:
* Please attempt any 10 questions.
* If you are a female, don't bother answering anything. 
* You can only view the following commercial 100 times before answering.
* Abbreviations used: WIRSSC (Woman In a Red Saree Showing Cleavage)















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Q1] What is the product being advertised?

Q2] The WIRSSC throws some suggestive glances at the guy. What is she suggesting?

Q3] See the picture below. What is WIRSSC holding in her hand? (this is not a trick question. She is really holding something in her hand. You are advised to see the picture again)

Q4] Look at the eye-tracking map below. Guess the age of the subject studied here.
a) 10 b) 20 c) 25 d) 30 e) 40 f) 60 g) Does it really make a difference?

Q5] The guy tells his wife to sleep on the top berth.
Does he realize that WIRSSC's husband will also be doing the same?

Q6] When the WIRSSC says "Tumhe aaram mil gaya" There is a crawler product shot.
How many times did you notice it out of 100?

Q7] How believable does the dialogue "Tumhe aaram mil gaya, mujhe aur kya chahiye" sound?
Does it seem like it was something else and then changed to suite the TV channel's family programming where this ad is placed?

Q8] When the guy's boss says, "Uff yeh sirdard", the guy immediately thinks of WIRSSC.
If the boss had said something else, such as, "good morning" wouldn't the guy still start thinking of WIRSSC anyways?

Q9] Did you actually see the commercial post the office sequence?

Q10] Casting: Why wasn't the boss a woman?

Q11]  Justify in less than hundred words why the office sequence is included in this commercial?

Q12] Have you ever noticed any WIRSSC during your train journeys?
If yes, how many times did she cared whether you exist, let alone you having a headache?
If No, well, join the club.

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I am on a month long fast against this ad which was done for some product. Can't remember what that was.

Jai Sigmund Freud. Jai Hind.
- Anna.

In your dreams...

I remember, when I was young, a boy named Mukesh used to live next-door. He used to tell me how he dreams of becoming rich and one day having a whole building to himself in the heart of Mumbai. I dreamt of the same thing. I mean, I dreamt of having a whole building to myself, not Mukesh.

His dream was not his alone; it was mine as well. But he went on to help his father in business and I went to an advertising agency. Sigh! At least he must be doing well for himself.

The other day I spotted this hoarding by Union Bank and I was reminded of my friend Mukesh and his dream. 

But what I really don't understand is how the unfulfilled dream of Ajit Tendulkar is connected to Union Bank!

I mentioned this to one of my disciples and he said that I have got it all wrong and I need to improve my English. I told him that since I am a public figure, improving anything is detrimental to my image; therefore it is the bank that needs to improve their English.

I am skipping dinner over this. And no dinner for my disciple either. About time he improves his behavior.

Jai Frank Jefkins, Jai Hind.

 - Anna.

Kavita Matlab Coca Cola

As per my general knowledge, Diwali is festival of lights. It is not about saying thanks. Yet the youngsters in this commercial seem to be lighting two lamps for everything that helped them along the way. Why can't they give away coke bottles Instead? They give one precious bottle to a woman, that too in return of a few more lamps! The VO seems like taken from Prasoon Joshi's writing pad when he was not looking! And why two lamps? Oh, I get it! 'Ek diya' would have sounded a bit odd...

I am not going on any fast. It's Diwali, for crying out loud! I will just say, 'Doh aur laddu, iss ad ke naam.'

Jai Thomas Edison. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

Looks Fast (One)

There are some commercials that leave you amazed. At the technological wizardry. At the production quality. You ask how did they do that? How must have they shot it? And then there are some commercials that leave you with questions. Questions like what are they trying to say? What are the consumers supposed to think of the brand? Is there anyone checking the logic behind these 'kickass' ideas?

The new Pulsar commercial is both. More the latter than the former. Because it actually shows how the stop motion was created. And the consumer goes, "Ah! So all this is fake! Very clever! But what do you mean? Does Pulsar need all this around for it to look fast while standing still? Is your ad a lie? A deception? Or do the other bikes deceive? And why am I spending so much time analyzing a television commercial? Experts say that as an average consumer, I don't deeply study ads. I just make up my mind about the brand and move on! Alrighty, then. Pulsar = Fake."

Now hold on, before you start doubting this simplistic analysis, take a look at this commercial. This one is also trying to say that the vehicle appears to be fast even if it is standing still. Now tell me what must have gone through the consumer's mind after watching this.

I am going on a day long fast against the Pulsar ad. I was going to say three days, but since the production values are not so bad, my team has requested me to take it a little easy.

Jai David Ogilvy. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

Who's child is it anyway?

Why does it have to happen? You buy a great commercial from a small but effective agency. You also buy in to the concept, and then completely screw it up by asking your totally-depending-upon-your-revenue-hence-incapable-of-saying-no kind of big agency to create another commercial based on the same concept?

After buying "Har ek friend zaroori hota hai" from Taproot, They have made JWT create this banal version of it for Airtel Digital TV. Where is the fun which they had with Kanjoos Friend and other extensions? Now here the agencies were different, and reputed creative forces in their own right, but the client was the same, so I am going to blame the client.

Of course, JWT would be most unwilling to add to the glory of the campaign which is not theirs anyway! Bharti Airtel should have given even the Digital TV account to taproot! Or ask JWT to create a fresh new campaign for the digital TV business. This multi-agency practice has only one victim - creativity.

Who owns a creative property? The agency who creates it? The agency who has to follow it? Or the client who is paying for it? Who's baby is it? I know this is a difficult question to answer.

Here I was, thinking "what a nice commercial, it will surely continue to be entertaining in every avatar" but I was sadly mistaken.

Sorry for a harsher than normal tone of voice, but it hurts more when you see a good ad getting a beating. I am going to fast for three days and would go for Tata Sky who have a much more entertaining commercial based on the same proposition.

Jai Jay Chiat. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

PS: Here are the two ads I was referring to for the uninitiated...