Ad-dicted - Catch or Miss || Sharad Srinivasan and Astha Kabra || IIM Shillong || January 2016 edition

PRODUCT: Helpusgreen Yagya Dhoop

POSITIONING: Pave the way towards making religion more sustainable.

CREATIVE AGENCY: Dentsu Webchutney

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQwc3qy5i7M

CONCEPT:
Manufacturers of ritual material in India, in order to make their products more marketable, print images of Gods/Goddesses on the packaging of their products. But the disposal of these packages becomes problematic as people are reluctant to throw away an image of God into the dustbin and they end up placing the packets under trees or in a river, which adds to environmental waste. To deal with this problem, the packaging of Yagya Dhoop incense sticks has been infused with Tulsi seeds (Seed Paper). So once the incense sticks have been used, the package can be ‘Sown’ instead of being thrown away. The advertisement also encourages users to share photos of their ‘sown’ plants using the unique QR code on every packet.

The ad concludes with the slogan ‘SO WHY THROW, WHEN YOU CAN SOW?’.

VERDICT: Catch
Markathon believes that the advertisement hits all the right spots and ends up addressing multiple marketing objectives, right from developing a story around the brand to increasing consumer engagement. Although the idea of sustainable(green) products has been around for a while, the problem being addressed here is unique. And with the religious market in India having a value around $30 billion, the ad is very relevant in this day and age. Further, the ad campaign manages to connect with the consumer by offering discounts to those who post images of their ‘sown plants’ on the website. All in all, Markathon believes the ad campaign by Helpusgreen ticks all boxes and should end up being a success.

PRODUCT: Tata Coffee Grand













POSITIONING: Perfect coffee, just how its supposed to be

CREATIVE AGENCY: Mullen Lintas

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/gvEvRBeYO2M

CONCEPT:
The recently aired TVC opens with a cool rapper Granny singing praises about the Tata Coffee Grand. The focus is on premium plantation coffee from the plantations of South India. ‘The Granny – The Agent of Change’ is the heart of the communication via the TVC. The Granny, with years of wisdom and experience, is shown as the ultimate authority on good coffee and spreads the message to kill bad coffee. The granny is a trendsetter and thanks to her ‘swag’ she can connect to people of all age groups, which is seen as youngsters dance and groove to her rap. The TVC ends with the outspoken, highly opinionated and animated Grand Granny introducing Tata Coffee Grand as the
perfect plantation coffee, just how coffee is supposed to be!

VERDICT: Miss
Markathon believes that even though the Grand Granny is very trendy and cool, she fails to get the message across to the viewers. The rap, one of the most catchy ways to garner attention, fails to make a lasting impression on the minds of coffee lovers. Tata, known for its innovative and disruptive TVCs, has this time been a little ineffective in getting the message across to the customers. Also looking at the financial aspect, the TVC has not garnered the expected revenue in the first month of its release. All in all, Markathon believes that the TVC could’ve communicated the essence and the USP of the coffee to the viewers.