Maruti’s latest ad campaign titled ‘Aaj ke zamane ki leap’ for brand Celerio is sweet and faithful to the brief, but lacks in disruption value, feels Nima Namchu, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide, reviewing the ad in ‘From Logo to IMPACT’ on Bloomberg TV India
Reviewing the recent ad campaign of Maruti Celerio in Episode 33 of ‘From Logo to IMPACT’, on Bloomberg TV India, Nima Namchu, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide, says that the ads aim at reaching out to the younger population. “I think they are trying to appeal to a younger audience and now in a very crowded market of a lot of small cars, they are trying to position themselves as a brand or a car that is with the times. But while the stories are very sweet, they seem to lack disruption value. It will probably get lost in the crowded television scene,” he states.
Calling the ads cute, he adds, “The ads are nice and faithful to the brief, probably a bit too faithful. That is the reason they stopped being disruptive and will probably fail to stand out.”
While the campaign is aimed at showcasing the Celerio as a contemporary car for the new age, progressive Indian, Namchu says he has doubts whether the ad will have the desired effect on its target audience. He explains, “While the campaign has a brand connect, I am not sure how much people are going to believe in the claim that Maruti is ‘with the times’. I am not sure if deep in the consumer’s mind, Maruti is a ‘With It’ or progressive brand, because in the past few years, Maruti has lost that edge. It’s become a brand for the masses and not necessarily a brand which is at the cutting edge of technology.”
About the Campaign
The Maruti Celerio campaign features three small TVCs that showcase the modern features in the car, therefore the tagline ‘Aaj ke zamane ki leap’. Maruti’s strategy is to showcase the hatchback as the perfect choice for new-age customers.
The first TVC shows a boy packing up his cricket gear, all along complaining about how it was unfair to throw endless bouncers. After packing all the gear in the storage, the boy tries to get in the front seat, only to find his sister sitting there already. The boy complains to his father again who declares that he cannot say anything to the captain of the winning team. The ad talks about the best in-class cabin space.
The second TVC shows a child telling his father the oft-repeated cliché that women cannot drive as well as men to which the father says that men are born drivers. When the mother hears this, she asks her husband to put the auto-gear shift into drive mode. Hearing this, the husband says he was just joking to which his wife replies, “Let’s go, I will teach you.”
The third TVC, which the company says is aimed at South Indian audiences, shows a young couple waiting for their parents who are partying till late at night and having the time of their lives. When the son asks the father if he had a good time, the father asks him to play a song via Bluetooth to continue the fun.
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.
