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S. Ramesh Kumar
S. Swaminathan

TAKE for example, BMW (This is our Cannes Learning!). Car advertising, across brands, covers all aspects of the product and image. This has become an oft-repeated format. To an extent, car advertising is almost getting boring.

The consumers are getting cynical about `hard sell' formats. They just want to see how the car works and performs. "Show me how it works" is what they ask the car brands.

BMW has started a short film format (5-10 minutes). There is a strong storyline and the film puts the car into action. It literally shows how their cars perform under tough conditions, based on the storyline. They have used the best Hollywood directors to shoot these films.

These films involve the consumer, demonstrate the power of the machine and the features that can be used, in a very "entertaining" manner.

One could also go into their Web site and download these films. The films present the cars in such an environment that one can't but agree that their cars are the best. This can be played at cinema halls, DVDs (new movies releases), TV channels, festivals and hotels.

The brilliance of this format is that it is not "commercial" at all. It seeks to involve, demonstrate, excite and get the consumer to dream about the car he/she should own. They almost become the only choice. There's a need to create new forms of story-telling about brands.

Getting into the culture...with new media, partnerships and alliances

Motorola mobile phones will use music as a medium to get "closer" to their target segment — youth. It is partnering with MTV by sponsoring VJs, music albums and concert shows.

Also, it gets customers to download ring-tones that are customisable. TVC is just the start of getting preference and awareness scores.

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