Wednesday, 10 September 2008

AD REVIEW: Aamir Khan's TATASKY Ad

I can't believe myself that I am reviewing an ad!!! What can you review in a 20 second clip?? it starts and before you notice what's happening, it finishes. Moreover, all of them, nowadays, have started looking the same.... similar concepts, similar locations, and more often than not, the same old Big B or SRK, or now , the current hot favourite endorser, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. How can you expect to find novelty in something so predictable??

But one ad has not only forced everyone to sit up and take notice, but also compelled me to write a few comments of own about it, here.

Finally an ad which revives memories of the golden age of advertising: the 80s. Aamir Khan's TATASKY commercial is, of late, one of the finest commercials to come out on Indian television. Finest, because it does 3 things:

1. Hits home the point about the brand 

There have been multitude of ads which do everything else other than promote the brand. In the end, it's the ad that people remember and not the brand behind it.[ Case in point being the ad featuring a gal called Tulika Sharma, who gifts a big car to her dad.... I still can't recollect which insurance company's ad was it]

2. For the first time, a star's presence has been justified

This is arguably, the first ad on Indian TV, where a star has been used most effectively to convey the point. Frankly speaking, all the other ads featuring the biggest star brands of India (SRK and Big B ) have just used them as caricatures, as mere props, thinking that their mere presence with their product would boost sales. What comes out is something completely bland. When you have the biggest stars at your disposal, you better well use them intelligently( and this is where I feel the biggest loser is Pepsi. For the past 10-15 years, Pepsi has enjoyed the company of the biggest stars of the country, be it Big B or Sachin Tendulkar or SRK, or the recent ones like Ranbir Kapoor and MS Dhoni, and have continuously dished out substandard ads, which try hard to evoke mirth but fail miserably).

3. The simplistic genius of a concept and deft execution by a class performer

Ads don't have to be grand. Grand ads may fetch you a Lion at Cannes, but does hardly anything to market your product well ( as was the case with Happydent White gum.... a multi-crore elaborate ad, which although was recognised for its execution, but still was criticised as too much labour had gone into selling a product worth 50 paise). The TATASKY ad has a simple premise, no elaborate settings and ... Aamir Khan. 

Aamir Khan once again shows what a creative genius he is. If you start analysing his performance here, it is better than any film role he has ever done. Being a man and a woman side-by-side means, changing your expressions, mannerisms and modulating your voice all at one go. Have a look when Aamir Khan, the man, is making love to Aamir Khan, the woman("tussi na bade shararati ho ..... aaa to shararat karne toh de!!!") : his expressions change from being the shy bride to the naughty groom... all in one turn of his body.

All in all, This ad delivers one hard blow to TATASKY's nearest competitors'( DishTV) campaign: if they made King Khan chant the word "Santusht" in his characteristic starry manner, then this one shows the world who is actually the Ace!! 

2 comments:

umamaheswaran said...

Hi Abhishek,
This is really new venture...:Reviewing an ad.i watched the ad.The concept is enjoyable.Though i can't follow the dialouge completely,ur review enlightened me and made the ad more enjoyable.
UMAMAHESWARAN

abhi2400 said...

Thank you Uma sir!!