addendum. Neatly driven

Neatly driven

So, how many times have you begged an auto driver to take you somewhere and watched, in completely impotent frustration, as he merrily ignores you and drives by, leaving you high and dry? Or as in this TV commercial (TVC), for Bank of India by RK Swamy BBDO, the sheer helplessness of the young lady with her elderly mother trying to flag an errant auto in the pouring rain? It is something we can all relate to. But how many times have you had the good fortune to have a friend drive by in his car, stop and offer you a lift? And how many times has that friend calmed you by giving you a little pamphlet and calmly advising you to simply get your own car?

Well that’s exactly what happens in the TVC and guess what? Neha, the protagonist in our film, does just that. And then you have a scene where Neha cheerily walks up to an auto rickshaw neatly double-parked next to a shiny new car and enquires if he would go to MG Road? And when he says he would, she coolly tells him “then go!” and steps into her own car with a lilt in her step and a smile on her face. You know what I like? By not stressing it and repeating it, the car loan from Bank of India came across as something so easy to get. And I’m going to use that line on the next cabbie I see. After I’ve made sure my car is safely nearby. I’d love to see the expression on his face!

Change the air

Godrej Aer, makers of air fresheners including those for cars, has come out with a Change the Air campaign. The first in a series by Creativeland Asia has a story told by an adorable street dog. The dog explains why it runs after some cars saying that it wasn’t against cars per se but was against cars that pollute its home, the street. It ends by urging the viewer to service his car on time and get the Pollution Under Check (PUC) certificate done at the right time.

There are similar films with a tree and a pigeon with a pseudo accent as the heroes. Frankly, I’m not too sure anyone cares whether he is polluting the dog’s home or not. But I think the choice of a social message for Godrej Aer is an amazing fit with what it makes and markets. The line about the air within the car and the air outside really reinforces the message and makes Godrej Aer my first choice for a car freshener now. The fact that the Godrej group has always cared for the environment only makes the cinematic effort even more credible. And, of course, you couldn’t have got a prettier star than the doggie!

Makes you smile

When you think of a car advertisement, you always think of power and good looks, safety and comfort. Obviously! What else would you highlight in an advertisement for a car? The new campaign for the VW Polo sticks to the power route, but with a twist — a slightly humorous way to indicate just how fast the little car can be. The young man is comfortably settling down to watch his favourite TV programme with his pizza nestling in his lap, when his phone rings. The young man nonchalantly greets his wife who is waiting for him at a cinema theatre.

She demands to know where he is and launches into a diatribe about his forgetfulness. Even as she finishes her tirade the young man appears behind her, still on his mobile phone, and offers her a slice of pizza. A little hyperbole in action goes a long way. And let’s not even think of him zipping down to the theatre in his powerful Polo, pizza slice in one hand and phone in the other. Creative licence is good at times. A couple of ads with this theme are a nice touch for this hugely popular car.

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