The right line

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.  

The rough and tumble of the Great Indian Election is almost over. Everything has been staked in this “winner-gets-all” marathon. Before the numbers are totted up and the winner declared, one must say that whatever the result, Soho Square got it right with its Abki Bar Modi Sarkar campaign. It was bold, it was evocative, it was catchy. When you have jokes going viral with adaptations of your line, you know you have actually come up with a winner of a line. Believe me, no one comments on a dull ‘competent” line. And this line has been adapted in myriad ways, some unprintable. So will that bring in the votes? That is a million-dollar question with no easy answer. ‘India Shining’ was a memorable line. Grey would like to forget it. And so would the BJP. So let’s not attach too much responsibility to a good line. Let’s just say this was a good line that reflected a sound strategy.

Slick strategy

An ecstatic youngster proclaims victory to all the world and bumps into Ranbir Kapoor who steps outside to see that the Mumbai Indians had won. Being a good Mumbaikar, he is thrilled until he sees another celebration by the KKR and then yet another for another team. The intrigued Ranbir wonders aloud that if everyone won, who lost? At that moment he picks up a bottle of Pepsi and reads the promo about a free recharge by dialling a number. He dials it and then proclaims happily that he too had won. As he shakes a leg in his unique style, the super explains the IPL promotion where a small talk-time recharge is being offered to anyone who dials into a particular number. The win-win scheme sounds pretty small, but hey, why look a gift horse in the mouth? Ranbir is his usual charming self. Completely natural and relaxed before the camera. And as tactical advertisements go, this one is pretty neat.

Valiant effort

Think cola and what comes to your mind? Youth, energy, and definitely the stars and stripes of the US which is the fountain of all colas in the world today. So what does one do if you are launching a dark, fizzy beverage with the taste of coffee, instead of cola? More so, if that drink was christened Cuba? If you were Parle and Creativeland Asia, you launch a revolution. And conjure up images of the days when Fidel Castro was a revolutionary leader and everything American was to be revolted against. So you have this almost dark and edgy film which positions Cuba, the new coffee-tasting aerated water, almost as some banned substance that you could get into trouble for possessing or consuming.

And this is further reinforced by the shots that show a person swigging Cuba, and his pupils dilating, and some kind of effect taking place inside his body. The long and rather well made TVC shows a group of young people leading the revolution against colas and raising the banner of Cuba. So will Cuba lead the battle against the well-entrenched colas? Well, only time will tell, but the result of the advertising is certainly provocative and indicative of enjoying the taste of forbidden fruit. In a country where coffee drinking is catching on, will the youth forsake Kumbakonam degree coffee and raise a bottle of cold fizzy coffee-cola (oops, I said the cola word) to their lips? My view? The drink will remain as niche as the film that is launching it. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

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

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