One self-evident fact about the contemporary advertising scene in India is this - the best ads invariably are mobile telephony related. Hutch ads were set apart by their simplicity and the rare ability to evoke deeply felt emotions. Vodafone has kept the good work up with its quirky Zuzu features. Airtel ads have maintained a broad based appeal, connecting people from different strata of society. Idea ads have invented their own iconography with the ‘What an idea, sirji’ series. Tata has received a big boost with Docomo providing a new dimension through its GSM expansion plans. The set of ads highlighting its ‘hear what you wish to hear’ theme is quite exciting. Reliance Infocomm has seldom run great ads, save the quite brilliant ‘Earth, water, air, network!’ campaign that ran a few years ago. Two recent Reliance ads, based on a simple theme and executed with great finesse, have however impressed me. The present column is dedicated to them.
The Reliance ads under focus showcase its broadband ‘net connect’ services. These ads have the sort of mix that mines deep into the heart of young India. In one we see a young kid trying desperately to catch some live cricketing action as he wends his way back from school. He peeps through a window only to have the shutters pulled down. After another abortive attempt he finally finds a gathering where people have milled to catch the cricket. But alas, he is thwarted by the wall of adults blocking his view. As he hangs around all alone and dejected, he is joined by RIL’s brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan, a leading Bollywood star. The kid points towards the action, and Hrithik flips open his phone and gives the child a peek at live cricketing action. The act of gentle sensitivity goes down well. The facility is hi-tech, but the sentiment very touching and human. The juxtaposition is very effective.
The other ad from the series also pulls at your heart strings, with an even more elaborate theme. A bunch of young people are out hiking. A young girl with bright eyes and the sharp NGO look about her discovers a litter of stray pups. “So cute,” she pipes. A young man, her friend, offers his sobering opinion, “Only for now, soon they’ll be on the streets.” “Not if we can help it, we’ll find them a home,” she asserts. Soon, the gaggle of friends has a support system going. As the adorable pups finish off a bowl of milk, someone records them on a video camera. Soon, pictures are being uploaded on the net, thanks to Reliance net connect. The little pups are all over cyberspace, and responses pour in thick and fast. Someone addresses one of the pups, “You are flying to Delhi.” Soon the young girl announces, “They’re all adopted.” If ever there was a feel good ad, this must be it.
The young urban India that is shaping before us has two sides. There is on the one hand insulation from communitarian existence. Yet, on the other, there is a certain social dynamism that marks young people’s interest in issues like the environment, human and animal rights, and justice for the marginalised. RIL’s broadband ads explore these uplifting sentiments among the young. Hi-tech can be presented without steel and glass. Well done, RIL!