Every week I attempt to share a curated list of clutter-breaking creative ads. This week, ads from Dream11, Cadbury Dairy Milk and more.
Dream11: aap ki team mein kaun
It’s IPL season again in India. One can expect a bunch of cricket themed ads or edits meant to be run during the breaks on IPL. Most of them are mediocre and hence it is so refreshing to see a genuinely creative ad which ticks all the boxes of an engaging, relevant ad film. What I particularly liked about the film was the focus on a solid creative idea first and then some great scripting, despite having a plethora of celebrities at one’s disposal. The icing on the cake was the performances of the stars. While one can expect seasoned movie actors to switch on before the camera, it was great to see natural, enjoyable acting from the cricketers.
Agency: Tilt Brand Solutions & ZeroFiftyMediaworks
Such films underscore the critical role played by ad agencies in crafting compelling stories for clients. Sure, some production houses work directly with clients and have some good scripts approved and executed. But it takes the touch of an experienced ad agency professionals to marry great strategy & creative. ‘Aapki Team Mein Kaun?’ is such a simple, yet powerful idea that sits so well with the nature of the advertiser’s service.
Another mistaken belief is that any ad with such a bevy of celebrities will be a clutter-breaker naturally. No. We’ve seen duds featuring celebrities – be it one or more. Whether it is casting celebrities as themselves (usually with some self-deprecating humour) or as characters it is the strength of the script that is critical. The execution, including the quality of production and acting are toppings on the cake. It’s the same with many films which have mind-blowing (read expensive) computer graphics which leave us cold. Ultimately, ‘is it a story well told?’ is the real test. And this film passes it with flying colours.
Cadbury Dairy Milk: Chaaklet
Alcohol is often referred to as a “social lubricant”. I hate the normalisation of an addiction forming habit. But then of course, there are powerful forces and money power behind the thriving industry. Cadbury’s ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye’ and ‘There’s a glass & half in everyone’ provide great platforms for telling stories of ‘good acts’ – however small or trivial. These provide scope for endless feel-good stories. But the setting & story has to be credible and not overly syrupy in order to strike a chord. A new set of films do exactly that. While the first one is relatable I thought the stereotyping of characters (someone from the South has to be a Mrs. Iyer, dressed in a particular manner) was avoidable. I enjoyed this story though of a bunch of city slickers initially making fun of a new student’s ‘dehati‘ accent only to be won over by his sweet gesture.
Agency: Ogilvy
iPhone 16 Pro: Slo-Mo
Fans of action films will be familiar with the trope of two characters walking in slow motion towards the camera with major blasts & balls of fire raging in the background. That simple idea becomes the anchor to a film dramatising the slo-mo feature of the iPhone 16 Pro camera.
SKF: brand reinforcement
In an age where several legacy brands are giving up on their heritage logos and adopting what has come to be known as ‘blanding’ it is refreshing to see a brand double down on its unique identity – instantly recognised by its familiar logo font. ‘Fighting friction to move the world forward’ offers great promise for thematic communication while staying true to the nature of their business.
Agency: Nord ID
KFC: all hail gravy
As a vegetarian I will not be able to fully appreciate the craving foodies have for chicken. But I kinda get the feeling – being familiar with the craving foodies have for whatever that catches their fancy: ‘sambhar dip’ in Bangalore or ‘poha’ in India.. So I get the intent behind this ‘ode to chicken’: a breaking effort in the category.
Do you find yourself lost in the woods of modern life? Fear not, for salvation in sauce is near. Trust in the thumping sound of the golden egg. Trust in the liquid gold elixir. Trust in the divine dunk. And whisper the sacred words ‘All Hail Gravy’. Because there’s some things we can still believe in. Believe In Chicken.
Agency: Mother
National Cyber Security Centre: protection
How do you bring alive the sense of protection two-step verification offers for online transactions. A visual metaphor helps.
Heinz: Loved by babies
Parents are often portrayed as those who sacrifice everything for their infants & toddlers. In the bargain they can be projected as perfect parents. In that context it’s fun to portray them as regular folks with vulnerabilities and cravings – even to the extent of depriving what is meant for the kid.
Agency: Atlantic
Rollr: luxury cues for a deodorant
A deodorant is a deodorant, right? Wrong. Rollr is a refillable deodorant and ‘created to be displayed, not discarded’.
It is also the first deodorant to use a gemstone roller ball for application, further enhancing the sensory experience. By allowing customers to add their own water at home, the refillable bottle drastically cuts Rollr’s environmental impact.
Apparently, Rollr is a deodorant for the ‘conscientious hedonist’ – a persona devised by Mother Design to describe those who embrace pleasure while being mindful of the planet. Bold and expressive, the brand voice features lines like ‘Damn you smell good’ and ‘For pleasure and planet’. Loved the thinking behind the product and the design aesthetics.
Agency: Mother Design
Magnum: nothing cracks like Magnum
I vaguely recollect several potato chips brands take this route of ‘loudest crack’. In the context of Magnum (having tasted it) that exaggerated claim fits well and the execution (you can’t go wrong casting a cat) makes it a fun watch.
Agency: LOLA MullenLowe
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.
