The PhonePe Insurance campaign with Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt tones down the dense gravity that is typical of insurance commercials. (Image: screen grab)
There’s no better time to review advertising than now. Just when the warm Diwali currents of India have ebbed, and the Christmas currents of the West have started rolling in. As seasoned fisherfolk would say, it’s a meeting place teeming with a zillion fish and plumper commercials.
Campus Shoes
This campaign broke recently, with a bunch of foreign models making moves with shoes on their hands.
Based on tutting, or the art of dancing with fingers, hands, and arms, (gestures from ancient Egypt – remember King Tut?), the campaign is odd yet noticeable.
Yes, it does deliver international cues to Campus and its new range. But beyond urban India, there’s a Bharat that may not culturally allow hands and shoes to cavort together.
A brave effort nevertheless. I just hope the brand’s heavy middle-class past doesn’t drag it down. A new sub-brand launch from Campus would’ve been more believable.
Tanishq
I love this campaign. Very now, very relevant. It’s usually one of those areas never considered as advertising territory for jewellery brands. Since there’s little space in daily plebeian contexts or locations to retail the traditional scale of bling this category has fattened itself on. This then, is its refreshing opposite. Nothing addy. Conversations that draw the audience in. Beautifully put together. More than that, for tons of couples across India, this should nudge them to open up and share truths, fears, hopes, etc. Well done, Tanishq. Invest long in this honest space.
Netflix – Money Heist
As a total Money Heist fan, I had long been waiting for December 3. The new ‘Sabse Bada Fan Bole Ciao’ film that came out does the part of reminding the faithful. But it also cascades the frenzy way down the fan ladder. Very effective in connecting a larger phalanx of disconnected Indian viewers into a language, sensibility, zone, and to the undiscovered content of its earlier seasons. With so many goodies in the vaults of many OTT players, I’d think this serious path to streaming riches will keep widening the route for existing and future serials. This particular Ayushmann Khurrana led creative is alright. I liked the first better. But the strat is one fluffy Spanish omelette.
