A majority of advertising is simply ignored – they are not even noticed. That’s why ads which get noticed amidst media clutter and better still be remembered, talked about and shared need to be celebrated. My weekly compilation of clutter-breaking ads (and occasional rants on advertising) is a small tribute to agency teams everywhere.
Kerala Super League: episodic fun
League championships have long created fan following. The popularity of IPL in India has spawned a new wave of rivalry too. While non-cricketing leagues have not gained that kind of passion in India as yet, it’s good fun to see a series of ads for Kerala Super League starring some celebrities from the state. The inclusion of Shashi Tharoor is a smart move as he has a fan following outside the state too and his by-now familiar eloquence in English is used to the hilt. The characteristics of other stars such as Prithviraj and Sanju Samson add to the fun quotient in this episodic series.
Agency: Toki Creatives
Ford Pro: tongue in cheek exaggeration
As I have said before, benefit laddering – okay just ‘exaggeration’ is a common technique in advertising. The attempt is to focus on on feature and stretch the benefit to the ultimate. Of course, there is always the risk of sounding incredulous depending on the category (remember the famous cartoon from Tom Fishburne with ‘world peace’ as the extended benefit of a corn chips brand?). ‘More power’ is the promised benefit of Ford Pro and in typical wry humour from Britain it promised deliberately impossible exaggerated benefits, bringing a smile on our faces.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
ICC: Will to win
Anthem films for sports tournaments are a tough brief. One expects adrenaline pumping music, fast paced editing, montage and an upbeat track. A theme that holds it all together is a bonus. A new film for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 ticks all these boxes and some. I quite liked the silhouette treatment of the players and its usage with live action visuals. To me, the shadowy outline of players when they were nameless, unrecognised and the transformation to globally acclaimed stars.
ChatGPT: everyday prompts
Admittedly, the adoption of AI tools has changed the way people search. Thanks to media inputs, YouTube trainings and some marketing initiatives the queries are not just about seeking information. In the Google search bar it was common to ask straightforward questions like ‘what is the capital of <country>?’. Now, the LLMs are being treated like companions who can guide one through situations and learn new skills. The effort from DDB Mudra for Meta where a young kid gets help on making bicycle ‘cool’ captured the use case well. A new set of ads from ChatGPT follow the same in a more understated, subtle manner cueing that the tool can be used for everyday situations beyond just informing.
Agency: Isle of Any
Wild Stone: smell like a man, man Indian version
Old Spice’s ‘smell like a man, man’ gets a desi twist in this ad for Wild Stone soap, shaming men who use ‘women’s soap’. Interesting that the segment is being opened up again. In the 1990s there was Aramusk promising ‘extravagantly male‘ as a benefit.
DoorDash: talking bags
What I liked about these set of films (16 in total apparently) are three things: (a) they break the category clutter of food delivery advertising (b) the ‘talking delivery bags‘ can be distinct creative assets for the brand and (c) the format lends itself to several platforms such as TV, YouTube and Instagram using several features or themes. Just one quibble – if you miss the audio, you miss out on the fun.
Agency: DDB
Google Pixel 10: not plain vanilla
The running joke among Apple haters is that there is nothing substantially new with the latest models of iPhone as compared to the previous one. Google’s Pixel rides piggyback on that thought with a clever dig about a new ‘Vanilla Pro’ in a double barrelled messaging which makes fun of the iPhone lacking capabilities in AI, which admittedly competition is far ahead on.
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.