By Malay Desai
From: Ogilvy, Brazil
A scientist working in a dingy, powerless lab gets an idea when he drops his toast and it falls on the buttered side. He then drops his cat which lands on its feet. After taping the toast and the cat together and dropping them, he discovers a revolutionary new source of energy, which powers the whole village. Toward the end, the scientist and his assistant have the energy drink with ice and dance.
Why we Like
The last ‘bizarrely funny’ TV advertisement we featured here last time had a man landing in an Amazonian jungle because of not turning off a switch. This time, it’s a scientist discovering that cats could be a source of energy. These storyboards-that-wouldnever- get-passed don’t happen regularly, but when they do and are produced well, it’s worth a mention.
In Brazil, a relatively smaller but quickly growing market for energy drinks, Flying Horse holds 49.6% volume share and arguably, hence can afford to take the bizarre route, especially after having been in the market from 15 years. We’re just talking of this spot though, which is in line with the brand’s earlier communications but an energetic change for outsiders like us.
That toasted bread always falls on the buttered side and cats always land on their feet aren’t things we don’t know. In fact, an old joke on the internet showed the exact same thing through a visual, which may well have been an inspiration for this work. That said, Ogilvy Sao Paulo deserves credit for adapting it for this energy drink.
We like the production - the uninspiring, powerless room and a bored, sweaty scientist getting us warmed up for the fun. After the cattoast spinning into a ball of light leaves you wondering, the fast cuts showing the lighted village street and clinking of ice into the drink explain the weirdness of it all. Many may take another viewing to get it, some will call it stupid at one go, but none will forget Flying Horse, which not surprisingly is the second most remembered brand in the country.
The eccentric dancing of the characters and the ‘tacky’ branding remind us of Bingo chips’ ‘no confusion, only great combination’ spots; it’s been one of the few brands to have taken this route, and well. We don’t recommend this to all our advertisers, just the ones who’re brave to think beyond formulaic humour. Anyway, there’s enough ‘bizarre’ advertising of the other type around us.
