The best Television Commercials of India 2023 - Part 1

Let us examine five television advertisements that made an impact. Even though the action has moved onto Instagram and Facebook reels, video/TV commercials still carry an irresistible charm. They tell a one-minute story.

1) Megh Santoor, Wah Taj: Touted as the world's largest interactive billboard, Taj Mahal Tea pulled off an unbelievable stunt. They created a billboard at a bus stand in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, that caught the world’s attention. The billboard played the Raag Malhar whenever rain hit it. Such a beautiful concept. The billboard got a Guinness world record mention and drove the message in strongly. When it rains, it is time for a soothing, strong tea. Wah Taj!

2) India’s favourite social media network - Brooke Bond red label tea: at a time when ties between people are breaking down and towers of babel are being created where everyone talks but no one listens, this advertisement came across as a breath of fresh air. Brooke Bond cleverly talks about its tea being the social media network of the country. It innovatively uses the languages of Gen Z. 

It creatively demonstrates how through Brooke Bond tea friendship requests can be sent, received, and accepted, discusses how the tea vendor is receiving 1000 to 2000 likes, highlights the trending and sharing of tea, and emphasizes how tea can generate stories in real world. Tea is the ultimate socializer, and this message comes across to all age groups, including Gen Z.  Bond over Brooke Bond tea.

3) Reliance Digital Technology Se Rishta Joda: The three-minute ad plays out like a movie. It shows a senior citizen not being able to fit into and enjoy her golden years due to the incompatibility she feels towards modern technology, especially the smartphone.

Everyone looks down upon her, including her own family. She goes to a Reliance digital showroom and learns the nuances of digital technology. In the end, she dramatically tells her own son to learn new technologies! Way to go, Reliance - the best way to connect to the crores of Indians who still use a feature phone. Get them on the digital bandwagon.

4) Toothless Granny Ad: Colgate Strong Teeth: Colgate went ahead and did the unthinkable. Its ad featured a person who won’t or can’t use its product—a toothless granny. But the ad makes a great point. The granny is assisted by helpers who have extremely strong teeth. It is not news when a dog bites a man; it is news when a man bites a dog.

5) Chaos in the Museum - Dinesh Karthik ad for Rupay Credit Cards: 2023 was the year of the World Cup, and India was buzzing with excitement. Rupay cashed in with its innovative campaign. The ad shows a curious visitor who sets off a domino effect. Things are about to break, and he needs an extra pair of hands or wants a good catcher.

The best choice is none other than star cricketer Dinesh Karthik. The problem is that he charges for the catch and accepts only UPI payments. The watchers realise the power of Rupay for UPI payments. Rupay has thrown down the gauntlet to VISA and Master card, and the ploy seems to be working. When you need a fast payment, bank on a Rupay credit or debit card.

Red Label Tea - India's favourite Social Network

Originally published on 9th September 2023

What a lovely advertisement. It warms the heart. It is a "throw-back advertisement". It is a yearning to go back to the age that we are forgetting.  Age when we interacted in person and with a heart. Now we interact with heart symbols but with no heart. 

The takeaway - Red Label is cleverly juxtaposing itself as the ideal companion when we are "gorging" on social media.

Inspite of what the ad says, the message is, "I am an add-on and, enjoy me when you are on social media or with friends". A very clever ad indeed.

CENTURY PLY ad in The Economic Times - Good Promotion or Bad!!!

It's intriguing to see the CENTURY PLY advertisement placed in the Economic Times, India's leading business daily, particularly as it coincides with the Sensex reaching 75,000! Whether the timing was deliberate or coincidental remains uncertain. 

What adds to the curiosity is that the model featured is Pratik Gandhi, renowned for his work in Gujarati theatre and cinema. He gained widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV series "Scam 1992" (2020), where he depicted the controversial figure of Harshad Mehta.

Harshad Mehta's character is subject to much debate - was he a hero or a villain? While some may justify his actions, many view him as a criminal who manipulated the system for personal gain, resulting in significant losses for investors and even suicides.

CENTURY PLY advertises itself as a sound investment for the future, yet the choice of Pratik Gandhi, associated with portraying Harshad Mehta, raises eyebrows due to the latter's tainted legacy in financial markets. The question arises: Does such advertising generate positive or negative publicity? Perhaps most readers may not even recognize Pratik Gandhi, let alone associate him positively or negatively.

One could argue that CENTURY PLY should have chosen a more recognizable face, especially from the financial sector, for such an advertisement. Moreover, the decision to place the advertisement in the Economic Times, a finance and investment-focused publication, raises questions about its target audience. 

Perhaps it would have been more fitting to place the advertisement in a general interest newspaper like the Times of India. The readership profiles of The Economic Times and Times of India differ significantly, suggesting a potential mismatch in targeting the desired audience for the advertisement.

Fingers crossed with Kitkat - a beautiful concept

KitKat, fingers crossed, is a brilliant advertisement. Very topical and right on the button. The question is, "Who could have been the celebrity endorser? (if KitKat had used one). 

The person who comes to mind is Ritika Sajdeh, wife of Rohit Sharma. It is well known that Ritika keeps her fingers crossed all the time when Rohit is playing. It is a superstition, just like Mohinder Amarnath, who always kept a white handkerchief in his pocket.

Another very apt association was for a television programme called “Chutki Bajake,” which featured the famous Marathi actor Ashok Saraf. The hero in the serial snaps (Chutke) his fingers and gets involved in very interesting adventures.

Fevikwik was the sponsor. The connection? Fevikwik was running an advertisement that showed a boss (Satish Shah) clicking his fingers and getting frantic attention from his harassed lady secretary (Renuka Sahane). The solution to the problem is that the secretary puts a small drop of Fevikwik between the thumb and the index finger of her boss. He can no longer click, and when he can’t click, he can’t order his secretary around.

Whenever Ashok Saraf clicks his fingers in the serial, one immediately gets reminded of Fevikwik. The double whammy in the title of the serial also reminds the viewers of the Fevikwik. There is a wonderful marriage between the Fevikwik and the programme.

Worst advertisements of India - 2023 - Part 1

1. Zomato sparked widespread outrage with a contentious advertisement featuring actor Aditya Lakhia, renowned for his portrayal of the Dalit character Kachra in the film "Lagaan," Zomato depicting him as recycled waste items. Airing on World Environment Day June 5, the advertisement swiftly garnered a deluge of criticism. Following the backlash, Zomato promptly issued a public apology and removed the advertisement.

2. Kotak Mahindra's advertising campaign featuring social media influencer Tanmay Bhatia sparked a major controversy on social media. Several social media users circulated screenshots of Tanmay Bhatia's old Hinduphobic tweets. This prompted many to call for the bank to pull the plug on the campaign. Questions arose about whether the advertisement aligned with the company's brand values. Responding swiftly, the banking company withdrew the advertisement and issued a formal apology.

3. The Himalaya advertisement, aiming to promote the message that "beauty has no color," faced backlash on Twitter when users pointed out that the advertisement did not adequately represent darker-skinned women. 

Critics also questioned the frequent use of skin tone as a marketing tool, arguing that beauty should not be dependent upon skin color. 

They emphasized that all skin colors are beautiful and should be celebrated equally. Some highlighted the historical preference for fair skin, urging advertisers not to suddenly shift to celebrating darker skin without addressing underlying biases.

4. Bournvita: The NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, India) sent a letter to Mondelez India International, the manufacturer of the health drink Bournvita, urging them to conduct a thorough review and withdraw any misleading advertisements and packaging labels.

This action followed a significant controversy regarding allegations of high sugar content in the milk supplement. The controversy arose when a health influencer criticized Bournvita in a video, claiming that the powder supplement contained high levels of sugar, cocoa solids, and cancer-causing agents. The influencer later removed the video after receiving a legal notice from the company, which stated that his claims were misleading.

5. Youtube Influencers/experts: Accompanied by an image of the YouTube influencer, Rachana Ranade, an advertisement advises viewers to, "Trust only the real experts."

However, the advertisement faced criticism as netizens quickly pointed out that influencers are not necessarily "experts." It also raises concerns about certain "financial influencers" who primarily create content on tips and investments, earning money through paid collaborations. They are not strictly experts by any stretch of imagination. 

6. Bharat Matrimony's Holi advertisement stirred the ire of internet users for its portrayal of women. The advertisement depicted a woman washing Holi colors off her face to reveal bruises underneath, hinting at domestic abuse and harassment. 

"Some colors don't wash off," stated the advertisement. Needless to say, the advertisement was poorly received by various segments of society, with accusations of insensitivity and perpetuating stereotypes especially on promotion of hinduphobia.