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Rina Chandran

Mumbai , Oct. 1

MIRC Electronics, the maker of Onida TVs, has launched a series of ads and a promotional offer for the festive season. The Onida ghar pe, headphone sar pe offer is being promoted with a 20-second TV spot that combines a touch of humour with a consumer insight.

In the ad, made by Ogilvy & Mather, a man is seen clearing a pile of clothes — and a table tennis bat — on the bed, to unearth his wife, shown sleeping with cotton earplugs. He pulls out the plugs, sits on the bed, fits a pair of headphones and clicks on the remote.

The voiceover says, `Now people around you can sleep undisturbed.'

"The consumer wants smarter promotions these days, rather than having to scratch something or tear something," said Mr V. Chandramouli, Vice-President, Sales, Marketing & Service, Mirc Electronics.

"So in this promotion, nothing is left to chance, and the consumer can put the product to good use."

The headphones, worth about Rs 600-700, are available across most Onida models. The promotion is also based on the insight that men typically watch TV after 11 p.m., when most others in the household are preparing for bed.

So the product offers a practical solution, which will set the brand apart in the high-decibel clutter of festive advertising and promos, according to Mr Chandramouli.

"For those who are considering the brand as they enter the store, this offer could be the decisive factor," he said. "And, for Onida, it adds to the imagery of the thinking brand — because the offer is a value-add that enhances TV viewing."

The long-suffering wife also makes an appearance in the ad for Onida Black, the flat-screen range: in the 35-second ad, also made by O&M, the wife waits for her husband to come to bed, but he is apparently watching TV intently.

She finally gets annoyed and comes in to see what he is watching — only to discover he is looking at a blank TV screen.

The voiceover says, `So good looking, you'll watch it even when it's off.' Previous ads for Black have focused on its picture clarity and corner clarity.

Addressing a more basic need is the ad for IGO, Mirc's mass-market sub-brand, which is sold independent of the Onida brand name.

The ad, created by McCann-Erickson, has the basic task of raising awareness of the brand and bringing it into the consideration set of the target consumer, according to Mr Chandramouli.

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