Addendum is a weekly column that takes a sometimes hard, sometimes casual, sometimes irreverent, yet never malicious look at some of the new or recent advertisements and comments on them.

As cat.a.lyst completes one year in its new avatar I would like to see what this means for all of us. Yes, a renewed commitment to bring you nothing but the latest and the best, with whatever is making news and what will make news very soon. A conscious effort to make sense of trends so that you stay ahead in this dynamic, fast-changing world.

I believe cat.a.lyst has delivered handsomely on all these points. Yet, as an industry person, to me, what makes this newspaper and this supplement stand out tall and proud is its honesty, credibility and in-depth features. I have been privileged to be one of the contributing columnists and have experienced the dedication, capability and good intentions of those who bring out this supplement week after week. I salute them and all you wonderful readers who are our raison d’etre .

Insurance is a tricky subject to advertise. General insurance is normally taken for something you’d rather not think about. And pray you never have to use. Life insurance is not just a great savings instrument but also a fantastic hedge against the uncertainties that life can lob at you at any time. This is the essence of what Birla Sun Life Insurance is trying to put across with a rather long film by Taproot.

It begins with a doctor pronouncing to a young father that his son is autistic. And you are delicately introduced to the life of a single parent committed to giving his autistic son the very best that life can offer. The story moves over milestones in the child’s life, the highs and lows the father faces with grit and compassion. It gives us a realistic glimpse of what could go wrong, what could be made right by the sheer courage of human endeavour, helped along with good financial planning.

This is a very bold film. Portraying a child’s natural behaviour itself is a challenge. Getting an autistic child’s behaviour in a manner that is realistic but delicately filmed is a tall order. A challenge that Taproot and Birla Sun Life have met with great panache! Even the other touches, like a male single parent, are unique and the acting of the father was just right. All in all, a very good film that exhorts the viewer to make her life secure using life insurance.

Double the fun

Double the fun, for a limited period only. That’s the McDonald’s promise with its new TVC created by Leo Burnett. The film has a peppy song and a very youthful look as different situations are shown where two of the same things are definitely more fun than one. I’m not too sure of the scene with twins, who could be double-trouble, but the fun element works right through the film mainly due to the song. So if you are in the mood to get two patties at the cost of one, for a limited period, run out to your favourite McDonald’s outlet and let the fun double.

Take your pick

Everyone’s got promotions going on. Pizza Hut is offering flavours of the world that are so tasty you are spoilt for choice. There’s a choice of Roman, Pakistani, Turkish and Mexican flavours in your pizzas. So O&M have created this TVC where Sushant Singh Rajput, the actor, sits across a bevy of beauties, one at a time. No, they are not identifiable as Mexican, Turkish and so on, but you get the message, right? In case you didn’t, there’s a song playing in the background, an old hit ,“ Kisse pyar karoon ”. Slightly tweaked so you don’t call them copycats. And so the dilemma of choice is presented with alternate girl friends. Well, if you like diverse flavours in pizza, who’s to fault you for the same in girlfriends, or boyfriends, for that matter? If you still don’t understand the comparison, join the gang. And will someone tell me why Sushant winks at the end of the TVCs? There’s another one, a face wash commercial, where too he does it. I guess he has a sexy wink.

Ramesh Narayan is a communications consultant. Mail your comments to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in

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