Addendum is a weekly 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.

Kotak Mahindra Bank (I’m wondering when the Mahindra word will be dropped from the name) is on a roll. Its Kona Kona Kotak was a catchy set of films and now, Cartwheel has created another set of three TVCs which highlight the ease with which bank transactions can be done on the phone. The films address three basic services: message money, purchase of air tickets and tweet to buy a book. Each service is emphasised by a simple film. The idea is conveyed with little fuss, the casting is spot on, the script is interesting, alliteration adds to the film’s memorability and the graphics as supers enhance the effectiveness of communication. Full marks to the scriptwriter! I love the way she describes Kotak as having taken up residence in the phone. And the banter between mom and daughter in the “book a ticket” film. Finally, ending with Kona Kona Kotak in each film reminds the viewer that Kotak has a wide national presence.

New noodles

Maggi is back, but the absence from the market created a vacuum that others tried to fill. Patanjali was one of them. Its noodles hit the market at just about the time Nestle was preparing to put Maggi noodles back on the shelves. Now Patanjali and DDB Mudra have launched a new TVC to explain what is in its noodles, and the objective is to prove that this product offering is tasty and healthy, with wheat and vegetables, and there are no nasty surprises waiting for you. The ad is based on a jingle as long as a noodle, and as slippery as well. The verbiage left me gasping trying to catch the words of the song. And the frame is crowded with everyone, from the kids to the mom, the grandmom, neighbours’ kids and so on. A classic case of trying to be all things to all people. Very ambitious and a tad difficult to achieve.

Ghee whiz!

Let’s stay with Patanjali for a while. It’s DDB Mudra again but this time you see what a good ad should look like. Same client, same agency, a world of difference. Sushil Kumar, India’s ace wrestler, is shown sparring while his mother cooks for him with love and Patanjali ghee. Good photography, excellent script and tight editing make for a memorable TVC. Why the difference between the two films? Blame it on a brand manager, maybe? Incidentally, I saw a video where Baba Ramdev explains the way ghee is manufactured at his factory. He is shown wearing a cap covering his long tresses, to maintain sterile conditions in the plant. Will someone tell the good baba his luxuriant beard was uncovered?

More reasons to cootchie coo

As winter advances and your skin begins feeling rough, it’s time to slap on something that brings back smoothness. Parachute, for its skin care offering, takes the route of bringing back the romance into one’s life to highlight the result that one gets with its Advansed Body Skin Care lotion. (Please tell me why it’s spelt Advansed.) McCann has a delightful way of narration through the conversation between two very close friends. One of the young ladies observes that these days the husband seems to be touching her more without any apparent reason and even ends up saying “coo chi coo chi coo”. That’s where I blanched. Anyway take that squirming burst of love out of the script and I love the ad. A novel way to address the issue of tired-looking skin.

Zomato: While Chennai drowned and came up for air, Zomato announced a scheme where you ordered one meal and they supplied two to the submerged citizens of Chennai. Maybe cynics have a few unsavoury comments to make but schemes like this where apparently 55,000 meals were supplied show the good side of corporate life. Now, as the rehabilitation begins, let’s listen to and celebrate corporates who step up to show they go beyond mere profits.

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