Sit down for coffee

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. Write in with either advertisements you wish reviewed or with your comments at addendum.brandline@gmail.com

Café Coffee Day (CCD) has launched what it calls its first ever TVC. Made by Creativeland Asia the commercial plays on the normal “Stand up for your rights” kind of sloganeering, turns it on its head and proposes you “sit down” for everything from love and issues to just chilling and relaxing. Shot in a rather innovative way that shows the film going viral as you see it, it has a nice song that reminds me of Heal The World in parts, but that song has probably inspired a hundred other songs. The full-length film, over two minutes, was nice to watch. I hope the edits are as interesting. Yet, the film-in-a-film technique was rather interesting. With Starbucks having landed, and Lavazza apparently not sure which way to go, CCD must have decided to dig in and appropriate the coffee café culture. A good beginning has been made with this TVC. Keep the space humming, guys!

What an Idea, honey!

“Hello pumpkin pumpkin, feeling something something, you are my honey bunny”. The most improbable words set to a catchy tune and positioned as a ringtone that is on everyone’s lips is something that not just brings a smile to my lips but keeps resonating in my mind long after I have heard it. That I guess is the power of even doggerel with a simple yet memorable little tune. And that is the simple yet effective idea that Idea Cellular has used to show you its national network. A plethora of people across India each bring their own unique accent and interpretation to this jingle, and somehow it seems to be eminently hummable any which way you want. Definitely a winner! Now if I can tune that out of my mind for a minute ...

Craziest ads in town

There’s this very angry grandmom who lets out a sustained yell that would make a banshee blush. And she’s very angry. Two vagabonds have snatched her purse and she’s not going to take it lying down. As she chases them with a determined look, the snatchers scream in fright as they try to make good their escape through the labyrinth of what looks like a good old-fashioned shanty colony in Mumbai. When the lady gets to them, she lets out another yell that would make a sensei proud, knocks them down and retrieves her property. As she’s doing that a super appears on the screen that reads “Karate classes for just Rs 149”. The advertisement announces the craziest deals in town from Groupon.co.in and you go back to the scene where you see the two men writhing on the ground. The coup de grace is delivered with the super “Full body massage Rs 249”. Groupon, along with the craziest deals in town, is making the craziest ads in town and I am loving it.

Striking home

Tata Capital’s new campaign for home loans created by Leo Burnett strikes out with a new proposition.

The campaign, whose print ads I have seen and radio spots I have heard, works on the angle that one needs one’s own home (as against a rented house) because some memories cannot be moved around. They stay with a home. As one who has had an opportunity to work closely with the home loan sector, I must say this emotional tack is interesting. The execution of the advertising is slick, and works to make sure Tata Capital increases its mind share amongst a growing population that wants to own its homes.

Not Clear Trip

Clear Trip.com has launched what must be the answer to yatra.com’s blitzkrieg, or maybe it is just to pitch in as the holiday season gets underway. Anyway, the short (very short) films try and use the word “clear” cleverly with some montage of quick cuts and visuals that would do an MTV or V proud. I really wasn’t very clear at all as to what each of those films wanted to tell me, and I was a little put off with all that banging of the logo at the end.

I understand you want to say everything loud and clear, but one could do with a little less loud and a little more clear thank you. And while I am on the travel scenario, I hope Yatra is getting some bang for a lot of bucks. I certainly would not feel comfortable if Salman Khan was planning my itinerary, or for that matter my anything.

Pizza promises

I am a self-confessed pizza freak. And a vegetarian (in India). So when I heard of Domino’s new cheesy Boloroni pizza which promised a host of mouth-watering ingredients including a vegetarian Bolognese sauce I was intrigued. Let me first tell you about the TVC it has made for this pizza.

I love the concept of bonding with people you love over a pizza. I found the honeymoon film rather contrived. The couple, after an arranged marriage, seem to be getting to know each other better over a pizza. But with 30 seconds in hand and a statement to be made, the scriptwriter seems to have gotten carried away with what a pizza can achieve in making a young lady open up about her past.

And while we are at it, Artusi, the chef credited with creating the world-famous Bolognese sauce (best made with lean veal) must be turning in his grave. A vegetarian Bolognese sauce is the classic oxymoron. Can anyone enlighten me as to what is vegetarian about a Bolognese sauce?

(Ramesh Narayan is a communications consultant.)