"Whatever role life gives you, play it big," says the slogan of the latest advertisement of a fast moving consumer goods
major, Videocon, on Indian television. The Indian
advertising industry is playing really big. And
glamorous.
The Videocon campaign for its “New Improved Life” brand for electronic household gadgets featuring Indian movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Indian One-Day International cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni that takes up a bulk of prime time slot on television has brought the spotlight back on the potent combination of the Indian entertainment indusry known as Bollywood and cricket, the counry's most popular game, in advertising once again. Both of them make for a saleable mix.
The ad is like an Indian potboiler, where SRK as Shah Rukh Khan is known as, plays cricket and Dhoni plays the superstar. They are long-lost bothers in the clip, who happen to meet on the sets of a televison ad commercial and identify each other through the pendants that they wear. The pendants is the symbolof the sponsor company.
"The advertisement is all about New India. Both Shah Rukh amd Dhoni represent the typical Indian middle-class success story — the small town boy making it big, just like the Dhoots, who own Videocon. They came from nowhere and became one of the leading global brands. People like Shah Rukh bucked the trend because earlier success was all about lineage and right family connections. The ad appeals to the masses," says Sumantro Chattopadhyay, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, which made it.
Bollywood and cricket have always been a glamorous mix for the advertising industry because the combine selling-power of both the mediums — cricket and films — gives a massive boost to a product, say sources in the advertising industry.
Pepsi set the trend at the turn of the decade with its advertisements starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan. Hero Honda followed it up with a boisterous clip featuring Hrithik Roshan and Sourav Ganguly, in which the actor batted and Sourav shook a leg before zooming off in their Hero Honda motorbikes.The tag line —
Desh ka Dharkan (heatbeat of the nation)
— was a hit.
At heart of it lies the average Indian's love for cricket and films; and the working class zeal to make it to the top. "The core idea of the Videocon campaign is to celebrate the spirit of success. No matter the role life gives you, always play it big and emerge as the champion," explains Jyoti Shekhar, vice-president of Videocon's marketing division.
The advertising industry concurs. "Bolloywood and sports are the two most popular things in the country. They are great vehicle to reach out to the masses because there is instant connect. It's may not be a novelty, but it's the idea which makes the difference," says Prasoon Joshi, creative director, South East Asia, MaCann-Erickson.
For Shah Rukh Khan, it's the "high" that binds. "The excitement, passion and the spirit of success common in both cricket and showbiz connect both of us so well," says the actor. Dhoni feels it's the glitter. "Glamour is an integral part of anything, in its own way; be it cricket or Bollywood. But the definitions change sometimes. The experience was challenging," says Dhoni.
Celebrities, feel Vipin Dhyani, creative director of Everest Brand Solutions, create instant awareness and recall for the brand. So, when a campaign ropes in two superstars in their respective fields, it widens the spectrum of the brand, he says.
But there is another reason as well. "I personally feel sometime film celebrities alone cannot strengthen the campaign. People feel they are acting and the advertiser is making the actor mouth a few lines to push his product. But a cricketer, say ais taking on a rival team, adds to the credibility. Moreover, it is very easy to work with a sportsman because he listens. Actors, who are more sensitive, often manipulate the script to suit their images," says Dhyani.
In India, where the retail revolution is gradually peaking, cricket and entertainment will always serve up a potent cocktail to endorse big brands.