Airtel showcases cash-on-mobile advantage through everyday family dramas

Airtel Money, Bharti Airtel’s m-Commerce brand, has rolled out an integrated campaign to promote the mobile wallet service. A campaign comprising three ad films has been conceptualised by Taproot India. It kicked off on 20 January and two of the films are on air. On for eight weeks, the marketing efforts will be supported by OOH, digital and retail promotions.

Both the TVCs that are on air feature a middle class family. A mother and son are enjoying their day. The young man is lying down on the couch listening to music on the phone with his earphones on, while his mother seated beside him sips beverage from a cup. The father walks into the room and asks his son whether he has transferred the money to Kanpur, which was supposed to be done the previous day. His son gives him a confused look, irritating the father who gathers that the chore hasn’t been done. The father complains to his wife, that the money wasn’t sent the previous day and the present day is a bank holiday followed by Sunday. His daughter walks into the room and looks at their annoyed father. She turns around and steps out to avoid the situation, indicating that it’s a regular affair. As the father finishes admonishing him saying, “Grow up,” the boy says he has sent the money and shows his father his mobile screen with the brand’s logo and a ‘Money Sent’ message. As the son says there’s no need for the bank when the mobile is around, a voice over introduces the product and its uses.

A second film features the same family seated at the table for dinner. This one shows the boy paying the electricity bill through the service, while being criticised by his father for forgetting to do so.

Agnello Dias, co-founder and chief creative officer, Taproot, said, “The brief was to communicate the three specific benefits of the Airtel Money platform i.e. bill payments directly from the mobile, money transfer directly from the mobile and mobile recharge directly from the mobile. And to communicate these benefits through the lens of relationships. The objective was to get mobile users to adopt the cash-on-mobile advantage that Airtel Money offers and always keep some money on the mobile handy for the kind of contingencies they can be used for.”

Credits:

Client: Bharti Airtel (Airtel Money)

Creative agency: Taproot India

Chief executive officer: Umesh Shrikhande

Chief creative officers: Santosh Padhi/Agnello Dias

Writer: Neeraj Kanitkar

Art: Abhishek Sawant/Durvesh Gaikar

Servicing: Naved Panjabi/ Gargi

Media agency: Madison

Production house: Equinox Films

Director: Ram Madhvani

Producer: Manoj Shroff

Music: Vishal Khurana