Addendum

Addendum is a fortnightly column that takes a sometimes hard, sometimes casual, sometimes irreverent, yet never malicious look at some of the new or recent advertisements and comments on them. Write in with either advertisements you wish reviewed or with your comments at >addendum.brandline@gmail.com

A slice of Tuscany

First the disclaimer. I am an unabashed pizza freak. So obviously I had an almost Pavlovian response when I saw the new JWT-produced commercial for Pizza Hut's latest offering, Tuscani Singles. Firstly, the name itself conjures up images of rolling Italian countryside, vineyards, and fields filled with the freshest sun-kissed vegetables. Then came the description of a hand-stretched, thin-crust pizza with gourmet toppings. Say no more, or rather, sing no more. Yes, the TVC revolves around the famous Neapolitan song O Sole Mio which the Chef begins warbling as he adds the finishing touches to his pizza. The song spreads infectiously to the server, and then to the customers waiting in the casual dining restaurant. Well, the Italiano mood is set, and the voice-over cleverly restricts itself to only the vegetarian toppings. (Did I see some pepperoni in the visuals? No, it doesn't matter. I keep my vegetarianism to myself.) A rather competent job, I must say. Communicates the mood and flavours of Tuscany succinctly. I would have nit-picked about the use of a Neapolitan song for a Tuscan pizza, but what the heck, when they couldn't find the music for the Italian national anthem at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920, they played O Sole Mio . While you chew on this piece of trivia, I'm off to grab a thin slice of good Tuscani Singles.

Ezee on woollens

With Father Frost doing his jig all over North and Central India and temperatures plunging, it's time to be bundled up in woollen sweaters, socks, shawls, and sheets. In places like Mumbai even 19-degree weather is enough to make people give their woollens an airing. And that makes the best time to promote a liquid detergent that is positioned as being really soft on woollens – Ezee from Godrej. Mudra West has created a nice little TVC where the lady of the house pulls out a detergent powder to wash her woollens, and the woollies take one look at the powder and dive for cover. Cute animation marks this TVC. Anyway, a friend walks in, pulls out a bottle of Ezee liquid detergent and the woollies come scampering back for a good warm wash. The objective of pointing out that detergent powders are not as good as Ezee liquid detergent is brought out effectively in the TVC.

Maggi Noodles

Maggi Noodles has really done a great job almost appropriating the noodle category for itself. In India, you say Maggi Noodles for almost any noodles, unless you are eating at a pan Asian restaurant. Nestle, the manufacturer of what could be the ultimate comfort food, has unleashed three TVCs created by Publicis Capital, inspired by some 30,000 stories of “ Me aur Meri Maggi ” it received online. The result, a classification of stories, and a creation of three special flavours based on this classification - Romantic Capsica, Tricky Tomato and Thrilling Curry. And there's a TVC for each of these new flavours. My favourite is the one for Romantic Capsica. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I love the taste of capsicum, it's just that I find love stories featuring elderly people utterly charming (could be something to do with my own advancing age). The film revolves around this silver heroine watering plants and complaining that the man in her life has time for everything except herself. The adorable golden oldie twists a noodle that has fallen on his chest into the shape of a heart and says his heart is all hers or words to that effect. The last scene shows them sharing togetherness and a bowl of Maggi noodles while the voice over talks about “ taste bhi, health bhi aur khushiyaan bhi ”. Well with taste, health and happiness, what else could one ask for?

A rousing thought

The violinist is enchanting her audience, after her concerned parents have fortified her with a cup of Kanan Devan tea. I know which brand it is because the cup has the name and logo on it. And we are taken on a trip down memory lane that shows her being rejected from sporting activities as a child, and so being introduced to the violin. Several years later, as she wows the crowd with her playing of the violin the camera pulls back and shows her sitting on a wheelchair. A voice-over says when you are not alone, no challenge is too great, or words to that effect. Moral of the story: There's nothing like a cup of Kanan Devan tea to see you through life's great challenges, and nothing like a TVC by Saatchi to try and make us believe that.

(The writer is a communications consultant.)

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