Planning a trip to Goa raises eyebrows at home. There’s something about some places which are associated with fun. You need to look grave and explain you are going for a seminar. And Bangkok raises eyebrows like no other place can. So FCB Ulka has picked a nice place to explain makemytrip.com’s new mobile app. There’s this irritable husband shaving, and his wife gently emphasising that it would be nice if she and the tot could accompany him on his trip to Bangkok. The man snaps back that he is not going to have fun. He is going on work. At that time his mobile rings and again he snaps at the tot (the same kid who was in the Lufthansa commercial, he seems to be going places) to place the phone in speaker mode so that he can speak and shave at the same time. Big mistake! There’s this minion who ingratiatingly announces that his wife too thinks it’s a business trip so there’s going to be full-on fun in Bangkok. The look on the face of the trapped husband as he freezes is priceless, as is the way he enquires “how” when the voice-over announces the mobile app that can cancel and book tickets and hotels all on the telephone. The last scene shows the much sobered husband sedately spinning on a merry-go-round with his little son and wife, who, of course, rubs it in, hoping he is really having fun. A rather interesting and creative way to introduce a mobile app for a travel portal.

The chase overwhelms…

We are often told that the chase is really more interesting than the actual conquest. Well, everyone seems to think so. There’s this extravaganza shot at some delightful European location where someone playing a modern-day James Bond is being tracked with some really cool hi-tech screens, trackers and some really down-to-earth villains on motor bikes and cars. Well, our hero decides to “uncompromise”, whatever that means and takes off in his new nifty-looking i20 from Hyundai. Obviously he fends off the many people in pursuit. One car dramatically flies into the canal. In the midst of all this you have this pretty young thing who seems to be leading the chase suddenly deciding to give up (probably ran out of cars and motorbikes to chase the hero) and wistfully says ‘you win, you lovely rascal”. Lovely rascal? Really? I would imagine a grey-haired “M” referring to 007 as a lovable rascal but this is far too incongruous. And in the midst of all this chasing and running and tracking and winning, the i20 really takes a back seat. It’s a perfectly competent car. But hardly something 007, even a desi one, would prefer. Overkill at its best. And how we love to create new words! I too choose to “uncompromise” on this ad. Whatever that means. Call me a lovely rascal. I’m waiting …

… even with celebs

If you love the chase, there’s more for you. This time with celebs thrown in. You thought the chase was a tired idea. Add a couple of celebs to stir the pot and try to resurrect a tired idea. Show the handsome Hrithik Roshan chasing a waiter who seems to have stolen his briefcase, across a hotel. Thrill to the deft swerves and lunges, all highlighting a watch on his wrist. See him plunge down a lift shaft and crawl through some ducts and finally when you are ready to rip the leather off your sofa with your nails desperately clutching it in deference to the unbearable suspense, watch the waiter transform into Lisa Ray (don’t you dare say Lisa who?) and exhale in utter surprise as you realise this was all a ruse to get Hrithik to attend a party thrown probably in his honour. So now you know how to get a celebrity to come to a function without paying any appearance fee. Grab his briefcase and run like hell! Oh, in all this tension, before I forget, let me add this is a commercial for Rado watches made by Publicis, hold your breath, Milan. What did you think? No self- respecting Indian agency would make an ad like this. Except the one that made the Hyundai i20 ad.

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.

Ramesh Narayan is a communications consultant. Mail your comments to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in

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