Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It's an ad, mad world - Airtel 3G

The Airtel 3G story is a story that represents reality I guess. Blissfully ignorant parents happy in the front seats of their new car and crooked blackmailing son happy in the back seat with his new acquisition. The kid in the back does a great job - and gets on your nerves for his real Prem Chopra like deception.

Airtel 3G - A tale of how future villains are made
The Airtel 3G family is something we all know. Father is busy earning money and going to gym, mother is busy with her little parties and son is busy browsing the net 24/7 for useful information. Anyway the family wants to go for a wedding in Bangkok - the son in the backseat is not willing. Until he uses his superfast 3g connection - to find out all the things to do in Bangkok's nightlife on the web - before his parents reach the next signal. The kid looks no older than 14 but his exceptionally fast browsing skills for women and Bangkok, aided by some super fast 3g service by Airtel causes him to change his mind. With a leer that would have done Prem Chopra proud, the kid tells his authoritarian Dad that he will go, but only for him. Dad and Mom are pleased that they can all go to Bangkok now. Looking at that family one wonders if all of them are going for similar reasons. Anyway, they have Airtel 3g and they can all browse and check out what they want to do in Bangkok separately because it looks quite dysfunctional as it is. But for one lasting effect the kid in the back seat gives one look at his Dad that would have done Damine of 'The Omen' fame proud! A look that says **** you Dad!


Docomo - Sad story of a stand up comedian
This is the sad story of a stand up comedian who has recently found out the meaning of family planning. He also has a mildly appreciative audience. There are many features that this stand up comedian is supposed to convey funnily about family planning through mobile services in a simple way. Unfortunately the ads are too complicated for me to understand why they are simple. The unshaven comedian is going on and on about family planning, about customer care executives who come on instantly, about Niharika who got into somebody's family plan thanks to some bad family planning, about lions that eat zebras instead of Chinese, South Indian etc, about this grown up guys father who still pays his phone bills and his credit card bills - nothing much else. How has it simplified anyone's life by eating zebras I do not know but that's how this ad works. Maybe this family planning mobile service (now don't ask me how they manage that) just has one scheme, one plan which would mean that they can do with one customer care executive as well. Anyway, more when I figure out what is happening to that guy and his family planning.

I thought Airtel could have shown something a bit more sensible than a kid browsing for nightlife in Bangkok. Come on guys, where is your creativity? And one does not need to do everything to pamper certain segments like the youth by trying to project this as cool. I look to ads to give me the picture perfect life - not for the crap that we know goes on underneath anyway. So maybe you could do a campaign that has the same theme, same people and a better story that makes your heart go full and want to buy Airtel 3g. Not want to throw it away!
And the Docomo ads, though the concept is good and innovative, the messages need to be crisper and more focussed. Certainly more funnier. What's a stand up comedian doing with such lame lines. More creativity again. Like I said, I still have not figured out one single feature that makes life better except for the customer care ad. Some of the others make no sense to me!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another thing that strikes me is that almost all ads potray themes that 95% of the population cannot identify with.
Madhav

Harimohan said...

You're right Madhav. I can't even understand most of them these days. They are too complicated for their own good. What happened to the simple, clear message? Ads that had stories that were well-told, had happy faces, good music and made you smile?

sudhir said...

i think this ad capitalises on ranbir kapoor's popularity and acting abilities

Harimohan said...

Yes Sudhir, that seems to be the idea. Ranbir will grab you eye balls and give the product instant connect. But the copy needs far more punch to make the ad stand out. Though interesting and new in its handling, you are wasting Ranbir if you have some insipid copy most of the time. Also by spreading yourself too thin as being the only sensible mobile operator you are losing the effect because some of them are not so great. I'd rather again, they stuck to some great benefits, had some kickass punchlines that make people really chuckle and not go by the audience in the ad that laughs politely at the prompters.