Mktg - A story to tell,A cast to die for;Airtel

A recent headline read: ‘Ad keeps Madhavan busy’. The actor and his co-star from the commercial, Vidya Balan, are being cast together by director Raj Kaushal in a movie now. The director has gone on record saying that he was ‘inspired by the mobile commercial’ in his choice of cast. There are obviously many things that a good commercial can do.
Some of Airtel’s past commercials have been puzzling, presenting brilliance and avoidance material alternately. Recently, there was a flash of brilliance in the ‘Barriers break when people talk’ film — without doubt one of the timeless films churned out by the agency, Rediffusion DYR. That ‘Brand Track’ film could possibly be played even 10 years hence, noted the agency’s Chief Creative Officer Ramanuj Shastri. One had to agree. But then, there was also a ‘Happy Recharge’ film some time ago, which I remember trashing personally in the advertising magazine I then edited. Also among the forgettables was an SRK number the brand tried to communicate ‘Calls at Re 1’ with.
To be fair to the brand and the agency, the memorable and hardworking commercials for Airtel overshadow all of these. After all, this is a brand that took advertising in the category to another level, when it said: ‘Express Yourself’.
It is inevitable that you create multiple plots, stories and casts, across multiple media, to convey multiple messages. A cellular service provider has to communicate the tariff advantage, the strength of network, the brand message and the value added services on offer, among other things. At times, this gives rise to a cacophony of sorts. It is madness, admit stakeholders, but underline that there is a method to it.
Shastri took us through the various ‘Tracks’ that the brand’s communication takes. While there is a Network Track communicated by the Dadaji-grandson film (chess), there is an Acquisition Track that Shah Rukh works for. If ‘Express yourself’ and ‘Barriers break when people talk’ communicated the brand premise, then Vidya and Maddy drive home the tariff and money transfer messages in style. But what is the method to this madness?
“They all stem from the fact that we are here to break barriers. The truth is that a mobile company is not about one thing. The singular thread is about empowerment. They (communication routes) all have their roles to play. Then you have elements like the Airtel tune — it may be used in newer ways, but it holds everything together,” explained Shastri.
The flexibility of the Rahman track is a boon for the brand. While it has been a favourite ‘This car is backing up’ substitute for many years, it also blends in brilliantly with the multiple creative routes. In the Vidya Balan-Madhavan films, the track has been composed by Amar Mangrulkar, and the presence of the signature tune is unmistakeable. The film has been directed by Vinil Mathew (Footcandles), who deserves more credit than he ever gets for the treatment.
The agency has no grudges in admitting that the cast has made a huge difference to the popularity — and success — of the commercial. The ‘Network Track’ featuring the grandfather and grandson playing chess was equally endearing. There was a conscious effort to emphasise on the network strength, explained Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, the other Chief Creative Officer at Rediffusion DYR.
“The network track film works beautifully for the brand. It conveys the message of a robust and expansive network while keeping the viewer entertained — it is an endearing story through which the message of network strength comes through. It has always been about Atooth Bandhan, Atooth Network. There were no celebrities, just the story and the message. And it worked,” said Mahabaleshwarkar.
The series of Vidya-Maddy commercials were not conveying a single message — while one spoke of bill payment on SMS, another spoke of roaming charges. The strength of the plot, the treatment and the magic that the cast created were so strong that multiple messages and overlapping tracks could actually be conveyed through one husband-and-wife story that unfolded in plots. With the deserved success of the commercials (and the frequency with which it is aired), one wonders if the brand will try to ride on the cast to other ‘Tracks’ in its communication.
Shastri responded: “It all depends on what new stuff is coming up. We don’t make a commercial because Vidya is there. All the tracks are pretty independent, but tied by the common thread of breaking barriers. We might use Vidya and Madhavan again — tariff is something that is forever changing. Or when a new innovation comes up, with a new angle, a new story.”
I wonder if the brand will be able to resist the temptation to deploy the irresistible on-screen chemistry between Vidya Balan and Madhavan again. The audience is certainly showing no resistance.