Every week I attempt to curate a list of clutter-breaking creative ads. And occasional commentary on the business of advertising. This week, ads from British Airways, Sennheiser and more caught my eye.
British Airways: Business Class
One of the hallmarks of super-premium and luxury segment in any domain – be it hotels, cars or airlines is to convey a sense of exclusivity to the core consumer. In hotel brands we see that in the form of separate floors, concierge services and such like. A new campaign from British Airways promotes its business class service with cues of privacy and exclusivity – creating a mood which is very different from the economy class.
Agency: Uncommon Creative Studio
Swiggy Instamart: Groom
‘Get anything under the sun delivered fast’ is a generic feature of quick commerce brands, claimed with a generous dose of exaggeration, of course. The role of advertising is to then tell an engaging story which dramatizes the claim and conveys a benefit. A new film from Swiggy Instamart tells an amusing story of getting it wrong with the ordered item and correcting the mix up, just as quickly.
Agency: Moonshot
Sennheiser: long lasting battery
Sifting a feature and its consumer benefit can be tricky. Sugarless chocolate is actually a feature. The benefit for a diabetic is guilt-free indulgence. A new ad campaign from Sennheiser for its Momentum 4 Wireless with a 60-hour battery life is conveyed by claiming that it outlasts your ‘battery life’. Is it a benefit or falls just short of a creative leap?
Agency: Ogilvy, Amsterdam
Hinge dating app: moment I know
Among dating apps, Hinge app has a refreshingly different positioning. While others focus on helping you find the right match, Hinge twists the same plot as ‘the app which is designed to be deleted’. The conclusion that it helps find the right partner quickly and hence there is no need for it, is made in the viewer’s mind. A new film zooms in on the moment when a Hinge user realizes that they don’t need the app: short & sweet.
Agency: Birthday
Specsavers: Cineworld collaboration
Back when ad agencies used to be truly integrated i.e. have the media planning & buying team under the same roof (and brand) as the creative team, creative collaboration was seamless. Very often the media team came up with ideas on smart use of a medium- be it print, radio or outdoor. The rise of TV and the separation of media brands from the ‘creative agency’ has its pitfalls. Now media brands not only operate in a silo but often become creative leads – interpreting the brand idea across platforms. The latter development is not such a negative development as it can lead to unconventional use of a medium. A new initiative for Specsavers is a collaboration with a cinema brand where the core idea of ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ is brought alive in person at the stage of the hall.
NS Now: soccer everywhere
Sports fans have a fanatical following of a game. It appears that the game is perpetually on their mind. In India, it is common to see cricket fans get into an imaginary bowling action at work or home. A campaign to announce that ESPN is now available on NS Now appeals to the soccer fan who ‘sees’ the game everywhere.
Agency: Digitas
Chitale Bandhu: 75 years theme film
A 7-minute web film which holds one’s interest? That in itself is a cause for celebration. A new theme film to celebrate 75 years of Chitale Bandhu which is a strong regional food brand has been doing the rounds on social media. While it features a celebrity endorsement, the story is not around him but woven around a professor and the values that he passes on. Unlike most ads, the twist in the tale is in the middle of the film, while the latter half attempts to force fit cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s values. Yet the film works thanks to some great acting, a sense of anticipation of ‘what next’ and a link back to the importance of heritage.
Agency: Setu Advertising
Parle G: Teacher’s Day
You know an ad is popular when it makes way as a WhatsApp forward. A new film from Parle G, meant to coincide with Teacher’s Day has found a fan base on social media. While the central premise is sweet, I thought the film fell a tad short of being great. The link back to the brand and its ‘G maane Genius’ proposition is a bit tenuous. Even if the claim is ‘when we succeed, it is not us, but our teachers’ who are the happiest. That’s why, they say “Genius wahi jo auron ki khushi mein paaye apni khushi” the connect is a bit stretched. Nevertheless, the core plot has an universal appeal. More importantly, nothing beats users liking the ad in droves.
Communities in Schools: The Longest Roll Call
Visual metaphors or hooks work best in an audio-visual medium like TV. A giant roll call of students is used to convey the problem of students being absent for their classes at school.
To raise awareness about chronic absenteeism, we printed 15 million names on a roll call sheet – one name to represent every chronically absent student in the U.S. Watch to learn about the challenges that prevent students from attending school.
Communities in Schools claims that ‘when CIS is present, 99% of our students show up prepared and ready to learn.’
Agency: SS+K, New York
Virgin Broadband: Walrus Whizzer
Quirky, even bizarre plots work in creating consumer engagement, especially when the claim is not specific. A new film for Virgin Media dramatizes ‘smooth experience’ by having a walrus as a protagonist. Don’t look for logic – suspension of disbelief at work.
Agency: VCCP, London
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.