Last week, the three most talked about advertisements included the #GoodLuckGirls spot by Cadbury, which had the right amount of nostalgia and relevance, an ad by Mohey featuring Alia Bhatt, which got a lot of attention for questioning a Hindu wedding ritual and finally, CRED’s new IPL commercial featuring Neeraj Chopra, which was a complete surprise package. Ritwika Gupta takes a closer look –
1. Cadbury
A lot has been said about the Cadbury Cricket 2021 film which released last week and took the industry by storm. The film reimagines the iconic Cadbury Cricket 1993 ad, where a girl dances on a cricket pitch to celebrate her boyfriend’s century. In the 2021 version, we see the girl hitting a century and her boyfriend jumping on to the field to dance and celebrate her smashing performance, ending with #GoodLuckGirls. The ad retains its 1990s vibe by using the same setting, concept, background score, and matching the choreography step by step. The 2021 take was perhaps long overdue and truly defines the new generation. It celebrates women achievers and is indeed a sign of the times we live in. And the timing is perfect, given the renewed interest in women’s cricket. The best part is that audiences have connected strongly with the ad like they did 28 years ago. Back then, the film represented the version of culture that was relevant in the 90s – the uninhibited woman crossing boundaries to celebrate her boyfriend’s victory, without really thinking too much about the people around her. And in 2021, it shines the light on the emerging gender conversations. Even if people are not familiar with the previous ad, they would still find relevance with the current one. Overall, it is a charming film that touches your heart, yet again!
Campaign: #GoodLuckGirls
Agency: Ogilvy India
2. Mohey
Bridal wear brand Mohey has released a campaign film featuring Alia Bhatt, that aims to rethink traditional rituals and redefine them into progressive ones. Specifically, the ad questions the significance of ‘Kanyadaan’ and the conventional thought behind it. The ad presents a modern take on the conventional belief. Heralding a paradigm shift in mindset, the film talks about the bride and groom sharing each other’s responsibility and journeying through thick and thin not only together but equally. In the ad, Alia talks about a new idea that creates a union between the ritual and the underlying thought process placed in modern context and proposes a change from Kanyadaan, to ‘Kanyamaan’. Of course, the ad sparked controversy as many people felt it openly criticized a Hindu ritual. I personally liked the ad and the idea behind it. It conveys a strong message and strikes a chord with most women I know. The ad aims to invoke a positive change and there is nothing wrong with that. I also liked how the ad was filmed. The parts of the ad, when Alia is seen giving her monologues, are subtly dimmed in the background, putting the spotlight just on her. It’s theatrical and makes the whole frame very intimate as if she was talking directly to the viewers. Besides, I couldn’t take my eyes off the stunning bridal lehenga. No matter what your views are about Kanyadaan, the ad makers got what they wanted – lots of buzz and attention!
Campaign: #KanyaMaan
Agency: Shreyansh Innovations
3. CRED
CRED is back with its latest IPL 2021 campaign – CRED: Great for the Good. The ad features India’s Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra and highlights CRED’s features and rewards. While the ad aims to show the benefits of being a CRED member, Neeraj Chopra is the surprise package here. Chopra has been the talk of the town ever since his landmark performance at Tokyo Olympics 202 and the ad takes a dig the country’s craze for the Olympic Gold medalist. The ad presents Chopra in various roles of a reporter, movie producer, marketing honcho among others who are currently aiming to cash in on the frenzy around the javeline star. The ad’s funny, entertaining and I think more than CRED’s benefits, audiences enjoyed this whacky side of Neeraj Chopra.
Campaign: Great for the Good