addendum

Addendum is a fortnightly 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.

Id Mubarak!

It’s the month of Ramzan and between the strict fasting and the amazing feasting the faithful embark on an ongoing journey to learn

taqwa , an over-simplified translation for which would be self-restraint. But along with this they are encouraged to do good wherever they can. All this then becomes the essence of the new digital film for Surf Excel created by the Lintas team in India. Why do I use the word “India?” Simply because this film was made in India for Surf Excel Pakistan. It’s a very well made film which charts the common Daag Acche Hain theme. Shot in the streets of Old Delhi, the film really comes alive because of its direction, casting and the whole mood of Lahore that it is able to re-create so well. A little boy in his brand new kurta decided to help an aged samosa seller whose handcart is stuck off the central market place. The samosas are sold, the kurta is stained but mom approves the helpful nature of her little boy. Though made for Pakistan it works admirably for Indi as well. The message, the festive look and feel, all contribute to make this a very interesting film. Great repeat value.

Open house

Airtel has, with one single message, stolen a march over all the other telcos. The new ad from Taproot Dentsu with stirring long copy (Ah! We needed that, Aggie!) comes like a breath of fresh air into an atmosphere of complete lack of confidence among customers that telcos are even interested in delivering on their claims. Name one individual who doesn’t curse in Mumbai on flyovers and certain signal-dark areas when the call predictably drops. Airtel now says it is coming clean and opening up their entire network for the customer to see. And the advertisement invites customers to collaborate with Airtel and help make it the best in the business. As an advertisement it is a winner. The copy is written very well, the message is direct. There is no scope for the arrow to miss the target. As a strategy, I’m sure Airtel has thought this through. But think about it. We already know where the dark areas are. So does Airtel. Now they are asking us to tell them stuff they already know. If Airtel knows where the low-signal areas are, as it honestly says it does, in the ad, why doesn’t it just fix the problem?

Live the experience

Airbnb has a TVC out that beseeches you not to “visit” Paris, or “see” Paris or even “do” Paris. They want you to “live” in Paris. In a genuine house where you can live the Parisian experience and not be just a tourist who stays in some sanitised hotel and misses out on the flavour of the place. And Paris is just an example. The ad then urges you to “live” in a host of places all over the world and experience life the way the locals do. It’s a nicely made “comfort” film. The sights and sounds are enchanting. And for those who came in late Airbnb offers you regular houses or even rooms in houses owned by regular locals and you can rent them and live there at rates far more competitive than what you would pay for a hotel. Plus the charm of doing a wee bit of cooking if you are in the mood for it adds to the experience. As a regular hotel room addict I must admit I was very sceptical last year when Srinivasan Swamy suggested we forsake the obvious comforts of hotels and stay in an Airbnb villa a short drive away from Cannes. Finally with great trepidation, Pradeep Guha and I agreed to let him book this villa for the three of us to stay in. What a lovely surprise I was in for! A huge villa, three large bedrooms, two lawns, a swimming pool, wi-fi, air conditioning, cable TV, the works! And a kitchen and dining room that we never used. I’m a convert. Back to the ad. A pat on the back for the TVC, and a kick in the butt for the director who showed someone kicking a Bactrian camel in one scene.

Hi-octane!

No, this is not for gasoline. But you have this young man speeding in a Lambo convertible and what looks like a dismembered alien craft is following him. After some good special effects, the “thing” locks on to his wrist and assembles itself into an Octane watch, from Titan. And the VO says, “Feel the speed”. Feel the speed? So the watch goes fast? And this kind of a film from Titan and O&M, boy that hurts!

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