The latest ad campaign by Nestle commemorating its 100 years in India is a celebration of the spirit of the 104-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh. Reviewing the ad in ‘From Logo to IMPACT’ on Bloomberg TV India, Jagdish Acharya, Founder & Creative Head, Cut the Crap says that with the documentary-style narration, the company has been able to make the perfect connect, linking its own milestone to the many milestones of Fauja Singh
Reviewing Nestle’s recent ‘100 years and running’ campaign in Episode 32 of ‘From Logo to IMPACT’ on Bloomberg TV India, Jagdish Acharya, Founder & Creative Head, Cut the Crap, says that the ad is a welcome departure from regular celebratory ads commemorating milestones. “With the Nestle ad, something iconic has happened. With a landmark occasion as 100 years of a company like Nestle, it generally becomes a millstone across the creative’s neck as whatever you say doesn’t appear to have risen to the occasion. You generally end up chest-beating or looking like a piece of corporate film. But this one is quite a departure. Full marks to them for figuring out a Fauja Singh.”
Pointing out what he thought worked in favour of the ad, he adds, “The ad is like a metaphor made out of a living man and is brilliant. It has nothing ‘addy’ about it. It almost looks like a video of Fauja Singh’s life that has been edited rather than an ad on Fauja Singh. To that extent, it is the journey that gets captured because of the documentary style of making. You don’t have the cute close-ups, voice-overs or absolutely perfect dubs, which is really good.”
However, he feels that using an old Sikh runner could confuse Indian viewers. “When you see it in the passing, or in bits and pieces, you tend to feel that maybe it’s an ad where Nestle has used Milkha Singh and that kind of dampens the whole effort. I think it’s a bug, not for a fault of the creative team, but it needs to be squatted.”
Lauding the overall effort, Acharya says, “They haven’t hired a celebrity to support them, in which case, all the narrative goes wasted. They have actually created a character, created a metaphor which in a way is supporting what Nestle is saying. It’s a brilliant connect between ‘100 years and still running’ and a man who is a living example of that.”
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
Nestle’s latest ad is nothing short of inspirational. It uses 104-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh as a metaphor to celebrate the never-give-up spirit of the company that has completed 100 years in India. The story of the centenarian, who ran his first marathon at the age of 89, has been narrated by his coach. The ad speaks about how he broke the six-hour mark at 93, following which he went on to make five different records. The TVC is interspersed with Fauja Singh saying that he runs not for the fame or money, but for happiness. He also encourages anybody capable of running to participate in marathons. The TVC ends with the coach saying that to be successful over 100 years, you need passion and an aim, connecting Fauja Singh’s feat to that of Nestle. The frame with a smiling Fauja Singh fades slowly.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Each week, the half-hour show ‘From Logo to IMPACT’, co- produced by exchange4media and Bloomberg TV India, brings together top CMOs, ad gurus and agency heads to provide an in-depth analysis of the hottest trends and news in the ad-media-marketing space. Its focus is on the new age economy and new entrants in the advertising space. The show is aired on Bloomberg TV India at 10.30 pm every Wednesday, with repeat telecasts at noon on Saturday and 6.00 pm on Sunday.
