The Hits (& Misses) of 2014 : The campaigns that kept adland in the news this year
By - Saloni Dutta
The hits (and misses) of 2014 - here are the ad campaigns that were heart-warmers, social-messagers, accompanied by those that spelt comedy, fun and brand wars. In short, all the campaigns you wish you made (and didn’t) this year. We take a look at the ads that got everyone’s attention for all the right and wrong reasons.
It’s been a great year, or that is what all our friends say, summing up their year through images. As for the timeline of Indian advertising for the year 2014, it has been a year full of iconic political campaigns owing to the 2014 general elections and state assembly elections after that. The year was always split between work that broke new ground and ads that we would rather not spend time talking about. The idea and theme of brands incorporating a social message and cause with their advertising was only taken a step further this year. Also, the emphasis on comic timing and relationships was further strengthened by the ad world in 2014.
Campaigns in all sorts of styles, themes and texture found the perfect convergence of idea and execution to produce some compelling work in 2014. Also what started like an experiment in 2013, picked up pace this year as everyone wanted to make a long form video and launch it on Digital before venturing into the traditional realm of media. Some of the year’s most memorable ads were the ones that blended into the content, attracting consumers, or ones that became a show unto themselves. Campaigns such as the Google – Pledge To Vote by Shyam Negi, India’s First Voter, Nescafe - It All Starts Here, Mumbai Mirror – I Am Mumbai are some of the few stars of ad creativity this year. What stole the thunder, of course, was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political campaign before the general elections.
Meanwhile, the emergence of e-commerce as a category by itself in the advertising pie was another major shift that 2014 saw. The burst of advertising by these portals - each trying to make, sound and sell e-commerce in a different way - has been quite amusing all year. We saw ads that worked well like the Womaniya campaign and Kapil Sharma spots by olx.in, and some completely unbearable ones like the askme.com ad with Ranbir Kapoor.
Experiments on Digital continued to grow bigger and better this year, with DBS Bank and Sapient Nitro recently releasing a Digital interactive ad film where viewers can create their own story based on the choices they make during the course of the film. Also, agencies seemed to have cracked the viral code with a good number of videos doing really well, going viral and creating a buzz around the brand or issue in question. Some examples are The Airtel – The Boss Film, Fortune’s Ghar Ka Khana, Honda Mobilio’s web series with Kapil Sharma, The Seatbelt Crew, Pepsi #Backtoschool, etc.
On the controversies front, the year was a relatively calm one as we had nothing to match the Ford fiasco of 2013.
As the year draws to a close, let’s hope for an even more successful 2015, where people don’t switch channels when ads are aired, or wait for the ‘skip the ad’ button, but are intrigued to watch the entire video and brand story told in it.
Let’s take a look at the great and the not-so-great ads that we saw this year.
(Thank you for your inputs: Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather India; Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, Asia Pacific, CEO & CCO India, McCann Worldgroup; Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT, South Asia; Santosh Padhi, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Taproot India; Dhunji S Wadia, President, Rediffusion Y&R; President, Everest Brand Solutions; Satbir Singh, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide India; Russell Barrett, CCO & Managing Partner, BBH India; Arun Iyer, National Creative Director, Lowe Lintas + Partners; Ashish Chakravarthy, National Creative Director, Contract India; Sagar Kapoor, ECD, Lowe Lintas + Partners)
THE HITS
Who doesn’t love a tear-jerker that reminds you to love your loved ones a little more dearly, every now and then? Or even better, tickle you with humour and puns? This year, we saw some beautifully crafted and moving TV ads — from implanting social messages, to promoting the act of voting, to addressing issues like women’s empowerment, these are the ads that left us in peals of laughter or made us reach for the Kleenex.
Nescafe – It All Starts
Nescafe served its coffee strong to its audience while implanting a social message without sounding too preachy. The ad was a major shift for Nescafe which had Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as the face of the brand. We all fall, get up and complete the race of life! And while we huddle up with friends, family and the world to celebrate success, it is only one companion that silently stays by our side all through the journey, right from the start, never letting us give up and keeping us on track - Nescafe! #ItAllStarts.
“There is a lot of good work happening in the industry, but in particular I would like to talk about the work which I have been involved with. especially the work we did with Nestle this year. I am proud of the Nescafe #ItAllStarts story, the Good Food Good Life, and the Dabbawala campaigns. They reflect a great partnership between the agency and client.” - Prasoon Joshi
You Tube Views so far– 5,225,655
Creative Agency – McCann
Google India – #PledgeToVote with Mr Shyam Negi
The true story of Shyam Saran Negi - 97 years old, India's first voter and a believer in democracy since 1951 - helped Google India do their bit for the 2014 general elections and urged Indians to go and vote. The #PledgeToVote campaign aimed to inspire both seasoned, as well as first time voters, to believe in the power of elections and democracy through this touching real life story of Mr. Negi who has never missed casting his vote in any elections since 1951.
“Perhaps more than any other election in the past, the 2014 elections were about capturing the imagination of millions of both first-time as well as experienced voters. This video has been developed to inspire Indian voters to vote. The story of Mr Shyam Negi is testimony of Indian voters’ belief in the power of democracy.” Sandeep Menon – Director, Marketing, Google India
You Tube Views so far– 2,849,527
Creative Agency – Ogilvy & Mather
The BJP Campaign
The General Elections this year were no short of an entertaining drama. With three primary contenders, each of the parties went all out with their marketing blitzkrieg in their own way. Team Soho Square and Piyush Pandey were the names behind the BJP’s high decibel campaign which saw some brilliant and effective pieces of adcraft.
“If you look at the work done this year from people’s perspective, the largeness, the impact, the result, then it is the BJP campaign which is the most talked about campaign in this country and the results are out there for everyone to see. I don’t think advertising campaigns can make decisions; they can in their own little way influence.” Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia
You tube view till now - 324,521
Creative Agency – Soho Square
Pepsi and Kurkure – Ghar wali Diwali
All the lights in the world can’t light up your heart If you’re not home with the people you love, this Diwali… There is no Diwali like #GharWaliDiwali.
How many times do you pick up the phone to tell Ma you won’t be coming home for the holidays, because you have a deadline at work, or have plans with friends? Do you instantly regret the decision, miss the good old days of holiday fun, getting together and sharing lip smacking goodies with the whole family? This ad is aimed at the millennials, who are always on the go and while always connected through technology, sometimes miss out on physical proximity with their families. The film is a reflection of life in today’s busy world and the joys of a homecoming for Diwali.
“The joy of celebrating any occasion with your family is unmatched. This Diwali, we wanted to cherish this affectionate bond and help people relive these moments which often get missed in our always on and virtually connected lifestyle.” Rishi Dogra, Head of Digital Marketing, Pepsico India
You Tube Views so far– 1,041,249
Creative Agency – JWT
Olx.in -Kapil Sharma and the Bech De Revolution
OLX.in roped in Kapil Sharma and used humour to illustrate the most relatable reasons for selling used goods, while breaking the underlying mental barriers Indians have against selling. The ads featured Kapil Sharma in a never seen before avatar as used and under-used products. The quirky TVCs use the much loved Kapil’s style of humour to tell the life story of used products, which want to be sold on OLX in order to help owners upgrade and find new owners who have better use for them.
“Kapil Sharma personifies humour in India, and that resonates strongly with OLX’s style of messaging. The brand association between OLX and Kapil Sharma for this TVC was seamless as both have risen recently to become strong brand names that are loved by people, and have become a part of their daily lives.” Amarjit Batra, CEO, OLX.in
You Tube Views so far – 1,089,887
Creative Agency – Lowe Lintas + Partners
Fortune – Ghar Ka Khana
Ghar ka khana, ghar ka khana hota hai. When you are away from the comfort of your space, braving the rigours of everyday life, all you need is two morsels of tasty home food cooked with a lot of love and affection. The gush of emotion that you feel when you have the first bite, only makes you thank your good 'Fortune'! And that is what #GharKaKhana set out to promote. The ad was talked about a little in the media fraternity for its long form and the justification for it, but emotionally it struck a chord with people’s hearts.
“I believe it is one of the finest pieces of work that I have written. It has to be a very brave client with a very big heart to make a commercial of this kind. I salute the entire marketing team at Fortune for making this happen. I am also hugely grateful to Vivek Kakkad, and my own partner Sukesh Nayak, for bringing this story alive. Enjoy, and have some home cooked food!” Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia
You Tube views so far – 1,369,111
Creative Agency – Ogilvy & Mather
KBC 2014 launch film – Kohima
The season promos for the eighth edition of KBC aimed at getting ‘inclusive’ and harp on the USP of its superstar celebrity host, who brought together people from diverse regions, cultures, languages and aspirations. All the while bringing families together in front of the television. With the core message ‘Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jate Hain’, the campaign touched on topical issues related to communal violence, north-east through different stories, characteres, set-ups and themes. The 'Kohima question' promo also became a little controversial when a senior government official filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) against the promo, demanding that it be taken off air, but the TV watchdog dismissed the complaint.
“Over the years we have noticed that people wait for the KBC promos as much as they wait for the next season of KBC. And the participants who reach the hot seat take more than just money from the KBC stage. Our latest promos take this insight to a larger, national and social canvas. KBC ads effectively use the power of communication to raise the collective conscience of the nation. Looks like we have done it again.” Saurabh Varma, CEO, Leo Burnett India
You tube views so far - 817,871
Creative Agency – Leo Burnett India
Vogue – Boys don’t cry #StartWithTheBoys
We teach our “tough boys” not to cry, but instead we should teach them not to make women in their lives cry. 'Start With The Boys', a short film directed by Vinil Mathew and produced by Alex Kuruvilla, Managing Director, Conde Nast India, makes a powerful point about domestic violence.
You Tube views so far - 924,692
Satyamev Jayate – Mumkin Hai
The latest season campaigns of Satyamev Jayate touched upon issues like eve-teasing, corruption and drunken driving, and mobilized people to collectively bring about change. The promo films, with the tagline ‘#Mumkin Hain’, were packed with strong social messages.
You Tube Views so far – 1,122,630
Creative Agency – Ogilvy & Mather
Mumbai Mirror – I Am Mumbai – Hated by some. Every Morning. Thankfully.
Mumbai Mirror’s campaign ‘I am Mumbai’, celebrated the victory of truth and embraced the hatred that comes with it, almost with gratitude. The stories of Mumbai brought out the hard hitting reality of the city that never sleeps. Quite interestingly the narrative was told from the eyes of the antagonist as opposed to the victims in the previous film. The audience unwittingly and very naturally could start feeling sorry for the antagonists in the first few seconds, while the film quickly and subtly changed tracks showcasing the antagonists for who they really were. The film ended on a powerful note with a pack shot of the Mumbai Mirror burning, and the punch line of ‘Hated by Some, Every Morning. Thankfully’.
You Tube views – 361,165
Creative Agency – Taproot India
Kan Khajura Tesan
Kan Khajura Tesan, literally ‘ear worm radio channel’ in English, is a unique mobile marketing initiative of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to engage with rural consumers in media dark areas. Kan Khajura Tesan is India’s first free and on-demand entertainment mobile radio channel owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited. With over 1.85 crore subscribers, it is one of the fastest growing media channels in India.
All people need to do is give a missed call to the dedicated number to receive a call back from Kan Khajura Tesan with pre-programmed content that consists of popular local music, HUL ad spots, jokes and a RJ hosted show. First piloted in Bihar, the initiative has been extended across India.
“Areas that were otherwise termed to be ‘media dark’ are now ‘entertainment-enlightened’ with ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ reaching out to more than 11 million subscribers.” Priya Nair Vice, President, HUL
Creative Agency – Lowe Lintas + Partners
Honourable Mentions
THE CONTROVERSIES
Airtel Smartphone Network – The Boss Film To boss or not to boss?
“This TVC depicts interesting relationships and the role of Airtel network in powering these relationships in the modern world.” — Agnello Dias, Co-founder & Creative Director, Taproot India
Airtel’s ‘The Boss’ ad, created by Taproot India, caused intense debates with opposing viewpoints as to whether the ad is progressive or sexist, which divided the Internet. ‘Boss’ was the talk of the town and was accused of promoting stereotypes. The ad which shows a couple working in the same organization, wherein the polite but determined lady boss demands her subordinates, stay back and work. She later transforms into a loving wife once she is at home, whipping up a meal for a husband, asking him to come home. She reassures him by saying she will wait, whilst he says he has been given too much work by his ‘Boss’ (all using Airtel’s smartphone network).
You tube views till now – 3,417,035
Creative Agency – Taproot India
Wafer wars - Perk and Munch
Munch ka crunch ya Perk ka weight? Munch ka crunch ya Perk ka weight? Here is another addition to the never-ending brand wars league including Pepsodent’s attack on Colgate last year, which took the industry by surprise. Cadbury Perk and Nestle Munch battled it out over their crunchiness and lightness. Cadbury Perk came out with an ad ridiculing Nestle Munch for being a lighter chocolate with less wafer layers. Munch threw back a punch at Perk by recreating the same ad with a twist. A wild fire was created on Twitter and Facebook over this war. Some simply termed it as an aggressive and smart strategy to counter competition.
The misses (or the ‘What were they thinking?!’ list)
