Campaign India Team
Aug 04, 2016

Creative Critique: Ad reviews 18 to 31 July 2016

Contract's Kapil Mishra and Lowe's Naveen Gaur review ads from the fortnight, while Population First's Dr AL Sharada scans them through a gender lens

Creative Critique: Ad reviews 18 to 31 July 2016

Nike

Naveen Gaur, president, Lowe Lintas Delhi (NG): Simple idea. Great execution. Super music. Just what Nike does best. Great context to Olympics.

GSS: 10. Showcases female athletes well and brings out the winning spirit across sports.

Kapil Mishra, executive vice president and executive creative director, Contract Mumbai (KM): Attitude on faces, attitude in music, attitude writ large. Powerful communication. GSS: 5

Dr. AL Sharada, director, Population First (Laadli) (ALS): An important aspect of gender and patriarchy is how access to spaces is determined for men and women. Girls and women are restricted to home and domestic chores and have limited access to public spaces be it the village square, the streets or play grounds. Engagement of girls and women in sports is not encouraged as it is often considered unfeminine. The Nike ad by showcasing women in sports, demonstrates how women are breaking yet another glass ceiling and are claiming their rightful space in the arena of sports. Competitive sports also require aggression, competitiveness and physical fitness, which are not seen as feminine qualities. By featuring successful sports women, the Nike ad inspires young women to break the gender barriers and excel in sports. 

GSS: 8

NG: Tries too hard to be cool. Making a deo out of a tech product. Why?

GSS: 1. Why does a tech product have to be sold by a man? And why do women have to ogle at men in advertising?
 
KM: The product is better than the communication.

GSS: 5

ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5
 
Fevikwik 

NG: Another good one in the Fevikwik series. Funny take on competitive sport. How is the ball stuck to the hockey stick? Well, who cares…. It’s making the point in a sticky way. GSS: NA

KM: An idea whose time has come. I think somebody must be thinking of doing this for long. GSS:5 

ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5 

Sikkim Manipal University

NG: Clichéd idea expressed through a clichéd execution. Old tricks of advertising. The world has moved on.

GSS: 5. Why does HR always have to be a woman? Why stereotype?
 
KM: First you show an idea. Then you say it aloud. Then you discover it was not an idea. 
 
GSS: 5
 
ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5

Tata Salt

NG: Action sport depicted in a lifeless way. Maybe that works. Missed the product connect.

GSS: 6. Good to see both men and women athletes being celebrated in the campaign
 
KM: Ab sab Olympic Olympic khel rahe hain to hamaara to haq banta hai. (If everyone is playing the Olympics, we have a right to.)
 
GSS: 5

 

ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5

Gionee

NG: Fresh take on battery life. Simple insight with a quirky script.

GSS: 4. Could the ad have worked without the boss’ daughter? Certainly yes.
 
KM: The worst thing in the advertising world is to have a powerful idea and waste it. The storytelling is not right while the insight is bang on. 
 
GSS: 5
 

ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5

Indian Oil

NG: Good one, I like it. But, will it appeal to the trucker?

GSS: NA

KM: Good thought. It's not a very ambitious ad. But it's memorable. 
 
GSS: 3. Why should we show that only fathers help the kids do the homework? Mothers are educated too. And usually it's them who help the kids with homework.
 
 ALS: I think the Indian Oil ad challenges a few gender stereotypes in a subtle fashion. It shows the father being concerned about the son’s studies and the subject that he is weak in is mathematics. This breaks two stereotypes; one that only mothers are hyper about children's education and two, that  only girls are weak in maths. The final image of the father teaching his son maths and ‘rocket science’ further reinforces the message that fathers have to take an active role in teaching children... the fact that the creative team chose to say that the father would have time for his child and not money to send him to tuition subtly presents a new equation between a father and a son. 
 
GSS: 6

Center Fresh

NG: Where is the Center fresh idea in this ad? Why is Center fresh taking itself seriously? Miss the fun and the quirk of usual Center fresh advertising.

GSS: NA

KM: Looking at what Centre fresh has always done, this is simply forgettable.  
 
GSS: 5

 

ALS: Gender neutral. GSS: 5

Skinn

NG: Interesting idea. Subtly and nicely makes the point in a crowded fragrance category.

GSS: 7. Relationship of equals.

KM: Nice. 

GSS: 5

ALS: Subtly captures the chemistry between the woman and the man without actually objectifying either. 

GSS: 6

NG: Superb viral content with great timing. The Democrats would love it. So do I. Wonder how the Republicans would have reacted. A good product connect that also creates buzz.

GSS: NA

KM: Very interesting and fun idea. Very courageous. It would be great if they don't stop here. There is huge potential in this idea to create follow up campaigns. The idea has to be fully exploited. 

GSS: 5

ALS: Path breaking... we had ads of Tata Tea urging people to vote and use elections to set women's safety on the national agenda. TE-A-Me goes much beyond that by suggesting that the US republican presidential nominee's stance on women, Mexicans, Muslims and immigrants needs to change and conveys that message by sending him their green tea that has cleansing and purifying properties. The online campaign clearly takes a stance against the non-inclusive position taken by Mr Trump. It clearly highlights the possibility of ads taking political positions and drive on the popularity or resentment against a particular political leader.  
 
GSS: 6
Source:
Campaign India

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