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.
Girl fun
Girls just wanna have fun, warbled the hit song many years ago. The world has moved on, but girls yet wanna have fun. And as they indulge in some harmless boy-gazing, today’s technology offers its own options. TrulyMadly, a dating app, is running a TVC that highlights the fact that most young girls, be it on a bus, in a classroom, a disco, even in the boss’s cabin, are looking out for interesting men to meet. And TrulyMadly has this dating app that makes it a one-stop “shop” where girls can “unsingle” themselves by feasting their eyes on some serious beefcake, or geeky, gawky, men in all shapes and sizes before making the next move. The film itself is nothing to write home about. The editing could have made it better, though the music and the song in the background are quite interesting. The film concentrates more on the build-up than on the dating app itself. I would have liked to know a little more about what a girl would see if she went to the site. But I guess if you drive traffic there, they will find out for themselves. As this is a film for girls made by a woman, it probably understands the needs of the customer better than any old man can. A word of caution, girls, exercise some old-fashioned wisdom while on any dating site.
The baap of all apps, Ask Me, is back, with Ranbir Kapoor as the bumbling boyfriend who tries to woo his girlfriend with the suggestions of random well-wishers. The result: he ends up at sleazy pole-dancing joints and gyms, where the young lady runs into a wall. And then when he cheerily visits her in hospital, everyone seems to know the right place to get the best choices. Everyone, except Ranbir. So they all hold out their smartphones and announce in unison that Ask Me is the baap of all apps. Nicely made film! But the last scene begs the question that if everyone except Ranbir knows about this app and exactly what it does, why advertise at all. Just call Ranbir and tell him! No, don’t do that. Keep entertaining us. We like the films.
A full life
It’s been sometime since we saw a real corporate film. Or a nice one at least. Abbott Healthcare has this adorable granny who decides she must get her little grandson to lend her his bicycle so she can tick off one more point from her wish list. And despite the youngster trying to dissuade her from cycling at this age, granny perches on the bike and gets pushed off down a sloping road. The next few scenes are a real delight to watch as one sees gran sailing down a deserted hilly road, the breeze in her face and the boost of good health in her attitude. And that’s the Abbott Healthcare promise, a range of products and services to help you live life to its fullest. The good production values, the brilliant acting by granny, a strong supporting performance by the youngster and general positive note that one notices buoy the spirit while watching this film. Let’s have some more of them, please.
What’s for dinner?
Lowe Lintas has this quirky set of TVCs for Faasos. They’ve really got the insight exactly right. “ Aaj khane mein kya hai? ” is something we have all asked a zillion times with vastly differing answers. And if you are young, single and working odd hours, the answers could get pretty bizarre. And the films try harder to be quirky and tell you that the “f” word is for Faasos, the mobile app that can give you a range of fast food through the day. So if everything seems right why am I not raving about the ads? Well, it’s like having all the right ingredients, the recipe stuck on a wall, and somehow not being able to get the dish to taste as good as it should. Maybe it’s the voice-over I don’t like? Or is it that they are trying so hard? You tell me. Write in with your comments.
Ramesh Narayan is a communications consultant. Mail your comments to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in