By Malay Desai
By: McCann Mumbai
Actor Deepika Padukone is shown relaxing at home when a friend rushes in her room and snatches her diary. In the playful moments that follow, they end up facing a plain wall and decide to paint it. Most of the film shows the two ladies ‘playing’ with paint and eventually giving the wall a makeover, using one of Deepika’s old pictures with her real-life dad, badminton player Prakash Padukone. He is shown entering the room later and asking ‘Still drawing on the walls?’ Pictures featuring the duo are up on prominent OOH spots in Mumbai.
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Asian Paints is the Amul butter of the paints industry. Not talking of sales or marketing methods here, but of the sheer legacy the brand carries. From the ‘Wah Sunil Babu’ and ‘Gattu’ the paint boy days, he product has offered multiple variants on its shelf, and its communication too has diversified.
This time last year, soon after McCann won the creative mandate for Royale Play, the range offering playful colours and patterns, it unveiled a film with Deepika Padukone. Now, the dimpled actor is back for a sequel, or rather a remake of the same spot, but it’s her dad’s guest appearance that makes all the difference.
Padukone junior, with a string of hits after her last paint stint, is obviously a hot catch, depicted again in a classy manner. But the complementary signing of one of India’s greatest sportsmen, father Prakash completely changes the tone of the film, especially when there is an OOH campaign backing up.
The just ‘charming and pretty’ Padukone – endorser of many other products – suddenly stands out when her dad enters. She becomes a daughter, and in this new light, the newly painted wall shines the most. Her father is the bigger star here, for he looks fit enough to endorse the playful brand and many more. Brand Asian Paints, despite McCann taking over this variant, looks consistent, as they did similar work with Saif Ali Khan and sister Soha earlier. The ‘classy’, made-for-the-2crplus-home vibe is intact!
Not too long ago, Union Bank did a campaign which, among others, featured Ajit Tendulkar, brother of the illustrious Sachin, and it worked like a charm. This too does, perhaps not to the same effect because we know what Padukone Senior looks like, but still. When I’d featured an Asian Paints TVC here last, I’d doffed my hat to Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai, the brand’s sponsored TV series. Glad to report it’s still active and as interesting.
(To watch this film, go to your browser and type – ‘bit.ly/APLetsPlayAgain’)
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