Baba ki bijli ka jalwa
Advertiser: Havells
Baseline: Committed to Save Energy
Agency: Lowe Lintas
4Ps B&M Take: Self-styled godmen in India have an inherent tendency to remain in the plush air-conditioned environs of their palatial ashrams enjoying rich food and wine with their moneyed and powerful devotees, while the aam junta stands outside in long queues waiting endlessly for a just a glimpse of their messiah in human form. But not Havells’ Bijli Baba who walks the streets amidst common people lighting up bulbs, lamps, fans, mixers and just about every electrical appliance with only a flick of his right hand. That’s the power idea behind Havell’s latest advert which tells the story of a man who acquires super human ‘electrical’ form after being struck by a lightening. The so-called Bijli Baba – complete with his electric, white robe amidst the dark, sombre background visuals – acquires quite a fan following amidst the junta due to his godly ability of lighting up their lives. The film ends with reminding audiences that since there is no such Bijli Baba in their life, they therefore need to conserve electricity. Oh, and that Havells products help them in doing just that. Great advert, nice concept, well executed and very believable Bijli Baba (he even has a background story of being struck by a lightening). But the only drawback of this one is that the message that Havells products help save on electricity comes a bit as an afterthought. The creativity behind this one – we feel – has taken precedence over the brand message of energy-saving. Not that the advert in itself is a wasted effort. The film and its memorability will go a long way in reemphasizing and underscoring the awareness and recall value of brand Havells. Energy efficiency of Havells product line up? Naah!
Super cool or super dud?
Advertiser: CELKON MOBILES
Baseline: “Kar do sabki bolti bandh”
Agency: Cornerstone Sport & Ent.
4Ps B&M Take: Middle order batsman Virat Kohli does not seem in the best of form these days – whether on field or off it. We are not referring to his lackluster performance in the ongoing India-England ODI series only. We are talking about the bashing he is receiving on social media for the lady killer avatar he has donned for the recent advertisement of Celkon Mobiles. The ad has Virat Kohli showing his friends how to win over a girl by using his Celkon cell phone and how he dupes her into sharing her phone number, name, photo, and address using data services on his cell phone. Cool right? Uh, not quite! First, the idea has been done to death – and with much more finesse by other mobile phone and services brands. Forging connections and friendships is obviously not as difficult in the post mobile phones and data services world. Secondly, the timing sucks. When the nation is outraged over rapes and molestations that are taking place in alarming proportions across the nations, is it wise to have a storyboard displaying ‘ladki patane ka tareeka’ (sic)? Worse, the guy endorsing such gibberish is none other than a youth icon with a large fan following. Dear Virat Kohli, there is a very thin line between funny and offensive and this act sure falls in the latter category. Yes, you are looking as cute as always, but there are already enough psychos out there in the world without you teaching them more methods to ‘patao’ the fairer sex.
