Priyanka Mehra takes a look at some popular brand campaigns of this festive season
Amid talks of the slowing economy and looming recession, the festive season has brought its own cheer. The season begins with Navratri and literally continues up to New Year, followed by the wedding season, and that’s when consumers are accosted by a plethora of brands. From a Priyanka Chopra calling out ‘ Let’s play Holi this Diwali’, and taking Diwali pictures with a Nikon Camera to an Anushka Sharma showing off her favourite clicks for Canon with a ‘What makes us click’ campaign - the festive season is here with a bang and the Indian consumer is spoilt for choice.
The consumer durables segment, with an estimated size of around Rs 35,000 crore, has left no stone unturned to entice the consumer. Electronics giant Samsung has indicated that it has a budget of Rs 250 crore for the festive season, and a revenue expectation of Rs 3000 crore from it. Similarly, other players in this segment such as Videocon, Kelvinator and Sansui are hoping to cash in on the festive season with new product launches and attractive discounts.
A group synonymous with festive offers for the Indian masses is Future Group, with its mass brand Big Bazaar. This year, the brand uses the popular and much-loved phrase ‘mooh meetha karo’ to talk to its customers. “Mooh meetha karo” is the most commonly used term in India on every happy occasion, including Diwali. This is the time when people give gifts to their loved ones. Very often, these gifts are nothing but sweets. What people gifting sweets don’t realize is that, even if it is a festival, there is a limit as to how many sweets a person can consume. The receiver of these sweets start forwarding them as thoughtlessly as they were given, and the whole purpose of gifting gets defeated. “With our festive campaign for Big Bazaar, this is the behaviour we wanted to change. We wanted people to go beyond the superficial concept of “mooh meetha karo” and reach out to the hearts of their loved ones by giving them thoughtful gifts. Hence, we said ‘Is Diwali, apnon ka dil meetha karo’,” shares Anand Karir, Senior Creative Director, DDB Mudra Group, on the campaign, done by DDB Mudra.
The campaign encourages people to give thoughtful gifts because such gifts are always cherished and remembered for long by the receivers.
Nabendu Bhattacharyya, founder and Managing Director, Milestone Brandcom, observes, “All Indians loosen their purse strings ahead of Dussehra and Diwali, the two big festivals that also usher in the wedding season. It is when an increasing number of brands from all walks of life and category jump on to the advertising bandwagon to cash in on the air of festivity. The festive season brings in a lot of happiness to the outdoor industry. Media bookings across major metros are already full; in fact, there are a few areas where there is an increase in demand and decrease in supply situation.” With the retail expansion and development of new media formats, out of home proves to be an attractive communication medium that gives a new dimension to advertising. Considering the local presence & strategic importance of outdoor media, it is also best suited to local brands during the festive season.
Online shopping portals are not far behind in the festive race. eBay India launched a TVC and a digital campaign emphasizing the value of getting a good deal from a consumer’s perspective through ‘Kyun eBay ke bare mein nahi suna’. The campaign attempts to give people a view of the value deals available on eBay. The brand clearly aims at acquisition of new customers through this campaign.
But with a large number of brands in the fray this festive season, how does a marketer ensure that his brand stands out in a consumer’s mind?
“Diwali is perhaps the most widely celebrated festival of India. For brands, this becomes an important part of the year to reach out to their consumers as buying new things is considered auspicious at this time. However, it also becomes a challenging task to stand out because the media space is totally crowded. There is a sense of sameness everywhere. From where we saw it, the festival meant different things to different people. Specially, if you look at it through the eyes of youngsters, who are the buyers and users of Canon Powershot cameras. A very common saying ‘Jahaan char yaar mil jaayen waheen raat ho gulzar’ felt apt in this context. With this insight, we created the idea of ‘Diwali does not make us click but instead, anything and everything about us makes Diwali click,” says Soumitra Karnik, National Creative Director, Dentsu Marcom Ltd.
German automobile giant Volkswagen, known for its innovative print campaigns, launched its ‘Post it’ campaign at the beginning of this month, targeted at the festive season. Similar ‘Post its’ were pasted at bus shelters, inside air-conditioned buses, parked cars in major parking lots, on movie tickets, etc. The print ad campaign, developed by DDB Mudra, invited readers of the Hindustan Times in Delhi and Mumbai, and the Deccan Chronicle in Hyderabad to testdrive its Polo and Vento range of passenger cars, along with the contest to win one of the two models.
Though global recession hasn’t affected the Indian economy in a big way yet, it has slowed down the market. So among these seemingly joyous festivities, is there an underlying sense of doom, that consumers will not loosen their purse strings?
Jewellery is a discretionary purchase. We are a country that loves its gold and thinks its auspicious, but as long as people are unsure of what the future holds, especially financially, they will postpone their gold purchases to a time when they feel more secure about their finances.
A TVC that seems to have captured this thought and struck the right chord with the Indian consumer is the Tanishq commercial by Lowe Lintas and Partners. It captures the Indian mindset with the female protagonist, who would clearly like to indulge and buy things for herself, but has pulled herself back and convinced herself to save. Her expression of joy on receiving a jewellery set from her husband encapsulates the happy spirit beautifully, and gives the message that Diwali comes only once a year, so don’t hold back.
Harish Bijoor Brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc., echoes this sentiment: “I do believe we live in cusp times. The festivities spring on us the need to splurge, and the reality of the day makes us hold back. The best and most intelligent effort I see this festive season is the Tanishq one. Out here, the idea is that gold is an investment. And not a splurge. The creatives are done beautifully with casting that reminds me of English-Vinglish stars. In this Tanishq effort, there is a subliminal message that is both cautious and splurge-oriented: A nice one!”
Television channels are also optimizing the festive spirit to reach out to their consumers. Sangeetha Aiyer, General Manager, Marketing, History TV18, says, “Our theme this festive season is to focus on India-specific programming through an all new ‘India Unlimited Band’ which is an assortment of shows featuring the adventure called India.”
Telecom player Idea Cellular has come up with a new theme – secularism – for its brand campaign this Diwali. Beauty soap Lux, that positioned itself as a soap for the film stars earlier, hopes to add to the glamour quotient with its new campaign starring Katrina Kaif and Shah Rukh Khan.
Though the overall cheer does have a note of caution this festive season, whether consumers are holding back or giving in to their urge to splurge remains to be seen.
Soumitra Karnik
National Creative Director, Dentsu Marcom
From where we saw it, Diwali meant different things to different people. Specially if you look at it through the eyes of youngsters, who are the buyers and users of Canon Powershot cameras.A very common saying “jahaan char yaar mil jaayen waheen raat ho gulzar” felt apt in this context for the youngsters. With this insight, we created the idea of ‘Diwali does not make us click but instead, anything and everything about us makes diwali click.’And what better way to capture this than through the Canon Powershot lens.
Arun Iyer
National Creative Director Lowe Lintas and Partners
People are watchful when it comes to spending this festive season as it is not best time for our economy. Traditionally a lot of gold is brought around Diwali, we also wanted to bring out that gold is not expenditure but an investment. People don’t need a rational or a specific reason to purchase gold it is an emotional reason that drives purchases. In the tvc the decision to not to buy is made from the woman’s heart , but the moment she gets to know that she is the owner of the jewelry set she feels a sense of joy from her heart , this joy is what we have tried to capture.
Vinay Bhatia
Customer Care Associate & Sr. Vice President - Marketing & Loyalty Shoppers Stop
“Rather than going with the other mediums like TV and print, we wanted to do something that was engaging and innovative for our consumers. It is based on the insight that people love clicking pictures in unique poses. Unlike other brands that give consumers free gifts we believe gifts are a personal choice and consumers, and using this campaign to create visibility for our ‘Choose Your Own Gift’ in the festive season”
Harish Bijoor
Brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc
The best and most intelligent effort I see this festive season is the Tanishq one. Out here, the idea is that gold is an investment. And not a splurge
Anand Karir
Senior Creative Director DDB Mudra Group
With our festive campaign for Big Bazaar,we wanted people to go beyond the superficial concept of “mooh meetha karo” and reach out to the hearts of their loved ones by giving them thoughtful gifts. Hence, we said “Is Diwali, apnon ka Dil meetha karo”. Our campaign we encouraged people to give thoughtful gifts because such gifts are always cherished and remembered for long by people who receive them.
Anuradha Aggarwal
Sr. VP, Brand and Consumer Insight, Vodafone India.
“A country as large and diverse as India has plenty of festivals that are celebrated with traditional gusto. Each state, community and region has their own festivals – an Onam in Kerala is quite distinct from the way West Bengal celebrates Durga Puja. Similarly, each of our customer has unique needs and usage patterns. Vodafone understands that and hence does not have a one size fits all approach. 121 Made for You plans are structured to the unique needs of every single individual. Vodafone is hence celebrating YOU, by offering a plan which is “Made for You”….telling you that you are very special,” Anuradha Aggarwal, Sr. VP, Brand and Consumer Insight, Vodafone India.
Feedback: priyanka.mehra@exchange4media.com
