How Airtel got f’d in the a’
October 25th, 2008
Funny Bone, Mad Ads, Stop The Press, Vidddeos
Big TV crashes Airtel’s DTH launch party – LiveMint
Here’s what you get when you try to act smart with advertisements. Airtel learnt it the hard way. No, it isn’t only about a big red chair, because the day Airtel actually released its ad announcing the DTH service, BigTV took out a similar (print) ad on the same day along the same lines to confuse people. It’s nothing sneaky – Airtel just had it coming when they tried to do a teaser campaign with no logo.
Speaking of ads, the Czechoslovakia one is really cute…
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Ain’t it though? I love the one which begins with that guy going through his curly hair too. I like it because it goes in a circle. Have you noticed that?
And have you seen? Fevicol has restarted its tribal-kid-wandering-till-it’s-made-to-sit-on-a-Fevicol-dabba advert?
@ Espera – Yes that Fevicol advert has started coming again (Infact most Pidilite ads have, because of the ongoing India-Oz series – I suppose they are an associate sponsor). Their ads are really cool and simple….BTW, how do you know that kid is a tribal?
Which “curly hair” ad are u talking about?
@Prateek: I think HT did a story on that tribal kid in the Fevicol ad, it actually was some nomad kid from Rajasthan.
@Espera: Haven’t seen no ‘curly hair’ ad.
Ankur & Prateek:
Ohh. You totally should. It begins with a young guy gazing at a motorcycle, wishing for one as he runs his hand through his curly hair. The motorcyclist is looking at a young couple, wishing he had a girl. This girl catches sight of a young mom with a baby in a pram. This young mom wants a diamond necklace in a shop window. An old, rich man, who is buying the diamond necklace, suddenly sees the same young guy with the curly hair and wistfully feels his own bald dome.
I think it is by the same company which is behind the Czechoslovakia advert.
@Espera: I’ve seen that ad, and yes, it IS by the same company (Max New York Life). I just didn’t expect it to be referred to as the ‘curly hair ad’.
For the record, I didn’t like that ad much.
The Czechosolvakia ad reminds me of a similar concept which was used in the Manhattan credit ad (when it was launched in India). It shows a bunch of friends discussing with a young couple what their kid should be named. Everyone’s bouncing ideas around, when the kid himself speaks up and says ‘Dinku’. That was oh-so-funny…and did a GREAT job of communicating the Manhattan credit card’s ‘freedom and flexibility’ angle.