Know Thy Breaks
Posts tagged Aamir Khan
An Ad ‘Pulling The Strings’ of DTH Market
Apr 28th
Tag line: Isko Laga Dala To Life Jhinga-La-La
Client: Tata Sky
Creative Agency: O&M
Exec Creative Director: Anup Chitnis
Creative Director: Anuraag Khandelwal & Satish De Sa
Director: Prasoon Pandey
Production House: Corcoise Films
Stylist: Arjun Bhasin
Duration: 60 secs
Year: 2009
Story: The ad opens on the shot of Khan at a ventriloquism show. He pulls out his puppet, which is his TV. The TV is upset at Khan about something. A comical dialogue ensues between Khan and his puppet, where it is learnt that the TV is upset as Khan switches it on any time, be it day or night, if he wants to access any of the multiple features available on Tata Sky. It’s no surprise when Aamir Khan changes his look for a commercial or a film, yet the actor manages to surprise each time and with each new look. Khan has been brand ambassador for Tata Sky, the DTH service provider, since 2008. Each ad for the brand since then has featured a different look for the actor.
Freshness: In advertising, it’s never about clever lines and pretty pictures. The question is, can the ad make you feel? And then, make you cross over and take action. The new Tata Sky ad is definitely more fun than the last few with actor Gul Panag. The ad has cleverly positioned the TV as a puppet when in your hands indicating that we can harness the sheer power of ‘TV’ by using Tata Sky’s ACTVE services. This is conveyed through a very subtle interplay of visuals, analogy and interplay of words.
Although a literal leap, all the features are listed, followed with some idiot-proof product windows and tied in nicely with the ‘Jhinga la la’ jingle. It’s nicely executed and inexpensive, barring the cost of hiring Khan. (****)
Verdict: No doubt about the acting skills or portrayal of any role from Aamir, but this particular ad of Tata Sky even left many viewers wondering as to what is it talking about? It wasn’t clear in first few seconds, but after they talk about services on demand, it got clear…Wish it cud have been a little more creative on that front to make it comprehensive though the ads have created a space for themselves with their outrageous tag line. They have also been fairly consistent in their communication and are way ahead of the other boys in terms of market share.
Phew! Aamir Finally Got a Job… No More ‘College’
Apr 17th
Tag line: Dil Toh Jeb Mein Rakha Hai
Client: Samsung
Creative Agency: Cheil Worldwide
Creative Director: Vedobroto Roy
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Production House: Red Ice
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Amit Trivedi
Writer: Roy
Duration: 60 secs
Year: 2010
Next is what?? Well don’t know about next but as of now Samsung is all set to make the best of the present. The new campaign for Samsung Guru mobile features actor Aamir Khan. In the film, Khan gets a call about a new job in a city, his family esp the mother is worried about losing him to a large & unknown place. But he reassures them that he will always be in touch, & close to their hearts. It ends with the lyrics, ‘Dil toh Jeb Mein Rakha hai’, which connotes the phone in the pocket.
It’s beautifully directed, & the narrative style is nicely controlled & understated. A guy leaving town for a job in a city and making everybody feel emotional is identifiable. The device to stay connected with a mobile is also relevant. We truly believe that the small-towners will identify with the setup, art direction, location and nuances used. Overall, the execution is really nice as in this case the execution converts a normal idea into a likable film.
The emotional appeal of Samsung GURU campaign is really nice. If you look at the current mobile market, you will notice that everyone is talking about new features with new technologies. But mobile is not anymore new with the technologies it is more like a commodity. So, to break this clutter Samsung has taken the right strategy to focus only on the core value of a phone i.e. ‘calling’.
It is the correct insight to tap into by giving a larger meaning to mobility in that TG (target group) context. The fact that this a powerful route gets substantiated by the fact that Airtel has been doing this through its communication track of ‘Atoot Bandhan and Atoon Network‘. Music & lyrics are fantastic and it’s a delight that after Dil toh baccha hai ji, Gulzar Saab now efficiently puts the Dil in jeb! 
I just had a small observation at the ending of the film. From a crafting point of view, emotions are captured very well except the last act Amir putting the phone in his fathers pocket; it should have been symbolic and not as direct. When the overlaying message is that the phone epitomizes the ‘connection of hearts’ through ‘Dil toh jeb mein rakha hai‘, I would have let Aamir do the patting on his own shirt pocket twice while this line goes… and then reveal his Samsung phone out of his pocket. So it could have been that the ‘Dil‘ of his family is going to stay with him, right in his pocket.
Furthermore, for small town TG, mobile phone being carried by the youth to the big city is also a sign of empowerment… right? An important point of how the small-town lot would enjoy seeing the brand ambassador as one of them. This ad hits home… through the catch line, through Aamir and through the family scenes… it does hit, man! And thus we gave it its due place– that’s our category of ‘Awesome ads’.
Toh Ab Obesity Gayi Teil Lene
Apr 13th
Tag line: You Will Need It
Client: Parle Products
Creative Agency: Thoughtshop
Creative Director: Vipin Dhyani
Music: Samiruddin
Director: Amit Sharma
Production House: Chrome Pictures
Duration: 60 secs
Year: 2009
There exists a gap with snacks which are ‘fun’ to eat and ‘healthy’ to eat. Today’s consumers are health conscious and most of the products available in the market are not healthy. People indulge into these because most of the ‘healthy snacks’ do not taste as good. Smart Chips, a part of the Parle Monaco’s brand expansion plans to provide foodies with an option of a healthy snack that satiates their taste buds too. It capitalized on the high recall value of the brand, Monaco.
This Monaco Smart Chips ad has Aamir Khan handing out over-sized T-shirts to some people. Stating that if you eat fried snacks, you will need them. The campaign uses humour to avoid sounding therapeutic and preachy.
This is probably one of the best health food ads made in India. After reels & reels of education on good cholesterol & bad cholesterol, saturated fat & unsaturated fat, wives concerned about husband’s food habits, & water droplets on oily abs, this one comes as a pleasant surprise. Thank God. Insights are great, but the ideas should be simple. Like this one. If you eat unhealthy, you might soon need to wear XL. That’s so simple & beautiful, isn’t it?
While the Smart Chips idea is great, maybe the choice of media is not. It would rather should be that they had done it as an on-ground activation. Have Aamir Khan drop by out of the blue to give T-shirts to people eating chips at various places. Just for one day. Thinking of logistics? Don’t. Think of the impact.
Talking of the endorser… well I thought it was Akshay Kumar or Saif. Jumping from building to building in a black outfit. Haven’t we seen it before? The opening sequence appears to be lifted from the Thums Up tvc… 
Shayad iss baat ka ‘Dhyani’ nahi diya? To my mind, the idea didn’t need such stunts… at no point, though, does he overshadow the brand in the commercial.
The fact that Monaco Smart Chips are baked and therefore healthier comes out loud and clear. The high energy levels in the ad also cue in some amount of healthiness. The commercial ends with a teenager munching on the Smart Chips to illustrate that the product is also appealing to a segment that tends to be more choosy.
