Frooti: The new ad featuring Shahrukh Khan
Frooti's new film featuring Shah Rukh Khan was already a hit on Twitter before it was released on TV.
About the Ad: A bunch of kids ogle a sweaty Shah Rukh Khan as he downs a bottle of Frooti in one long swig with a light Mediterranean soundtrack in the background and a twist at the end: these are the active ingredients in Frooti's brand new film.
Insight: Adults sometimes get so carried away by their craving for something that they end up behaving like children. This is exactly what the twist is all about: the 'kids' in the film are actually adults who, spellbound by their desire to drink Frooti, stare at Khan as a group of enthralled children would. And sure enough, the super on the screen towards the end reads: 'Magic of fresh 'n' juicy mangoes'.
Social Media Marketing: After a day-long teaser campaign on Twitter (#SRKlovesFrooti), the film went viral before it was slated to be released on TV.
Objective : Speaking about the film, Nadia Chauhan, managing director and chief marketing officer, Parle Agro, tells that "clear action" on the part of consumers is the objective of this film. "We want to drive home the fact that when you see someone drinking Frooti, you feel like grabbing one for yourself. We've never focused on showing that in our ads so far," she explains.
Sajan Raj Kurup, founder and creative chairman, Creativeland Asia, says that the goal this time was to generate 'appetite appeal' for Frooti while retaining the brand's quirkiness. As for the insight, Kurup reveals that the idea for this campaign came from his personal experience: he was once staring at someone eating kebabs at a restaurant while waiting for his own meal to arrive. It was not until the man stared back uncomfortably that Kurup became aware of what he had been doing.
"To stare obliviously at something we crave for is an involuntary action. As kids, we have all done it but the embarrassment of doing it as grown-ups is inexplicable," he elaborates.
Magic behind the scenes
The film has been directed by Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films. Interestingly, the shots of the children staring were taken while they watched a magic show, an illusion-act, popcorn/candy floss being prepared and a child being fed ice-cream and jelly. The cameras, safely hidden behind black tents, were rolling as they were entertained. Thus, all the reactions in the film are genuine, including the shot of the child drooling. It was particularly challenging for the production team to find kids and adults with similar facial structures. They were, of course, identically hair-styled to leave efficient 'clues' for the viewers.
The soundtrack is a soothing mix of Mediterranean languages. The lyrics were deliberately made to sound like repetitive gibberish so that viewer attention stays put on the visuals. The words 'pelaypelaa' -- Hindi for 'drink' -- appear often.
Havells fans: For a change
The six-week campaign talks about the brand's fan range as a catalyst bringing in winds of change.
After its tryst with the supernatural (in Bijlee baba), Havells has come back with yet another noticeable campaign. Going beyond product features, the campaign for Havells fans introduces and encourages a change in mindsets.
The campaign, conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, comprises four films of which two - 'Dining' and 'Registrar's Office' - have been released. Dining shows a family asking their maid to join them at the dining table for dinner after she serves the food. The hesitant and shy maid sits, and smiles when a family member appreciates the vegetables. A voiceover asserts, 'Havells fans, hawa badlegi'.
The other film, shows a newly married couple at a marriage registrar's office, where the husband explains to the official that he will adopt his wife's surname.
Interestingly, the six-week campaign, which coincides with the India vs Australia test series, did not set out to bring a social change. Amer Jaleel, national creative director, Lowe Lintas & Partners, explains that there is nothing that separates one fan from the other, except perception.
"When you create love for your brand, people opt for you. We thought the best way to get into people's mind in such a low-involvement category like fan was to put the brand in your head. The communication had to generate a fresh breath in consumers' thinking; winds of change, if you like," he says.
He clarifies that instead of an attempt to change people's mindset, the campaign merely chronicles the change.
The TVCs have been directed by Anupam Mishra of Crazy Few Films. Considering the subject was delicate, Jaleel says it had to be dealt with care so that it did not come across as corny. "Therefore, we had to be careful about the casting. The pitch of the ad had to be perfect and the acting had to be candid and not strained. And, the production house really worked hard to get a good cast," Jaleel adds.
