CRED ‘Chacha Chaudhary & Suppandi’, Air New Zealand and other creative ads of the week

December 5, 2021

Every week, I attempt to share a compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads. Occasionally I share views on ad industry matters. This week’s compilation includes new work from CRED, Air New Zealand and more.

CRED: Chacha Chaudhary & Suppandi

Once you’ve built a reputation or created a monster hit, expectations go up and sequels are compared to the original – be it movie franchises or ads. CRED is perhaps in that spot (no pun intended). While I am still fuzzy about the utility value of the app (has not evoked a must-use feeling in me though I enjoy the ads) the demographic target seems to be spot on. The appeal to those who grew up in the 90s and are at a position in life to have disposable income sits in well with ‘spends = rewards’ proposition.

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and that’s the reason why watching Rahul Dravid, Bappi Lahiri, Venkatesh Prasad or Kumar Sanu brings a smile among the intended target audience. Of course, the packaging and the ‘story’ (if it can be called that) matters. I thought the Jackie Shroff one was a dud as neither the celebrity nor what he is known for was anchored on a strong association. The latest one features Chacha Chaudhary and Suppandi (voiced by Raghubir Yadav and Suresh Menon) and is a slick, enjoyable animation. Not sure if it will make me stop using my bank’s native app to pay credit card bills, but it’s a fun watch nevertheless.

Production house: Bakarmax

Air New Zealand: magical delivery

Airline safety videos were once a passport to (ok, sorry) internet fame. Just the novelty of seeing ‘different yet fun’ videos to ask people to wear seatbelts or show where the exit signs are, got them noticed. Air New Zealand was among the first to create such content which added a cool-quotient to the brand. A new Christmas-themed ad does the same for the brand as it highlights how it helps Santa get into Aotearoa – the Māori name for New Zealand. I loved the little touches – dig at Australia, cueing of an air craft with the cabin crew call button, the all-too-familiar ‘you are on mute’ while on a video call and the visual cues to suggest lots of cargo space to carry heavy loads.

Agency: Bastion

DirecTV Stream: The One

‘Coming together of two worlds’ is an idea that sits well with a service that also allows users to watch both ‘live TV’ and ‘on-demand’. As with the earlier spot, this one too features Serena Williams in two contrasting worlds – a tennis court and Matrix, the movie. Sure to bring smiles and drive home the point.

Agency: TBWA

Central Black Midnight Sale: guilty free shopping

I love brands which take a light-hearted approach (obviously not when it involves serious issues) especially for topics such as promoting ‘sale season’ at a mall. In November 2020, Central Black created a spot dramatising the lengths to which two friends go to, in order to outsmart each other. It is based on a real insight as consumers crave for great deals in sales. A new spot is anchored on another great observation: some of us feel guilty about buying stuff we don’t really need. It is addressed in a laugh-out-loud spot where two friends ‘justify’ reasons for going to a sale. As an aside, it is another example of well-crafted advertising from Thailand.

Agency: WolfBKK

ITV: Get Britain Talking

COVID-19 and its aftermath has created so many communication opportunities which makes business-sense for brands, without coming across as irrelevant or opportunistic. ITV in the UK has been investing in the ‘Britain Get Talking’ idea urging people to communicate, as a mental wellness initiative. It seems even more relevant this season after a tough couple of years:

Talking and listening can ease stress and reduce anxiety. The best gift we can give to the people we care about this festive season is listening when they need it most. After the last couple of years, we could all use an ear. Give yours this Christmas.

It is brought alive cleverly using a bevy of TV stars who get a patient hearing from a makeup artist whose turn to ‘be heard’ comes eventually.

Agency: Uncommon

IKEA Japan: Tiny Homes

Tiny living spaces are common in Japan. IKEA, the iconic furnishing & furniture brand has created a brilliantly quirky spot featuring Blåhaj a soft-toy shark who is a real-estate agent. His mission is to give an IKEA-furnished small apartment in Tokyo for rent as he finds suitable tenants for it.

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo

Government of Quebec: watch out COVID-19

A great advantage of video (which was only TV or cinema back in the pre-digital world) is the audio-visual impact. In a spot to convey that 5-11 year old kids will now be vaccinated, a spot from the Government of Quebec uses music to great effect. In tandem with the visuals it makes for great viewing.

Agency: Cossette

Battlegrounds Mobile India: game responsibly

I am not a gamer myself (except for some interest in word games) and can’t relate to the obsession some have for violent games. Anyway, game addiction is a real issue and Battlegrounds Mobile India has created a spot urging gamers to ‘play in moderation, maintain a healthy game-life balance and spend quality time in the real world’. The creative device is interesting – sounds of gunfire interrupting the regular activities of the family around a gamer. ‘When it comes to a conversation on Responsible Gaming, there’s no real benefit in talking down. People don’t like to be preached to‘ says the agency and the contrast between regular activities and the gamer’s aloof life comes through well.

Agency: DDB Mudra

Sebamed: conditions apply

Advertising is largely ‘suspension of disbelief’. While no one expects a judge to rule on shampoos, personifying an ‘asterisk’ – commonly seen with ‘conditions apply’ on products, refreshing and drives home the point that there are no quick fixes for hairfall control.

Agency: The Womb

Sekonda: no time for nonsense

‘No time for nonsense’ is a superb summation for a watch brand which ‘positions the beautiful simplicity of Sekonda watches as a strength‘. Apparently, there has been some negative publicity in British media about politicians having multiple jobs. In a smart topical ad and media placement(right next to an article about Theresa May making £850,000 a year from a second job), Sekonda says it does only one job. Loved it.