Advertisements have always been a great way for brands to market their products and services. However, it has always been a hit or miss situation. Not all brands come up with great advertisements. Some have positive lasting impacts and some we would just love to forget. Storyboard18’s weekly ad reviews filter through the past weeks ads, letting you know which ones were the best and which ones weren’t quite up to mark. We provide you with completely unbiased and unfiltered opinions that are fun to read and paint a clear picture. Read on to find out which ads were in our professional opinions, MAST and which were MEH in this week’s Mast & Meh.
MAST
Brand – Future Generali | Dog Health Cover
Agency – MullenLowe Lintas Group
Here’s a category breaker both in terms of product and advertising. The insurance brand has rolled out a commercial for its Dog Health Cover product. It’s real and relatable to all the pet parents out there. The campaign line, “good dog can make bad decisions” is on point, real, and, at some level, funny too. It’s a good watch.
MEH
Brand – Shaadi.com | Matchmaking ka naya revolution
We’re all for founders rolling up their sleeves and getting into every aspect of building a brand. But, maybe it’s time to rethink the trend of founders appearing in their own brands’ ads, either as themselves or, like in Anupam Mittal’s case, as a superhero matchmaker. Shark Tank may have helped hone founders/CEOs’ acting chops, but not creative chops, it seems. We’re not swiping in the right direction on this spot. And the only thing that needs rescuing in this case is the actual commercial and not the couples.
MAST
Brand – Amphere Vehicles
Agency – Famous Innovations
Ampere Vehicles “Har Gully Electric” ad for their EV scooter “Primus” catches your eye for multiple reasons. It has a very catchy anthem sung by rappers namely MC Altaf, EPR Iyer, Siri, Yungsta, and Killa K. There is both Hindi and local languages in the anthem to appeal to a wider audience while stressing on why we need electric mobility. This one stands out amidst the banal EV advertising clutter.
MEH
Brand – Univest
Agency – SuperCorp
Univest ad will instantly remind you of Harshad Mehta’s character of TV series called Scam 1992. The stockbroker (played by actor Pratik Gandhi), known for his aggressive investment style, makes an appearance in the ad. Gandhi and his alter ego (who mimics the character) discuss the difficulties of stock market investing. His alter ego ends up convincing him to try Univest. But the long explanatory dialogues can be difficult to comprehend especially to new investors that this ad is likely targeting.
MAST
Brand – Bandhan Bank
Agency – Leo Burnett Orchard
Is having a song, a long story to tell or grandeur always necessary to make an ad work? No right. Some ads sometimes just click without any of it. It’s mostly their simplicity that works wonders for them. This new spot from Bandhan Bank starring Sourav Ganguly is an example of a simplistically done campaign that does its jobs of delivering a message without being long, redundant, cringe or boring. The ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign emphasises the ‘trust’ that the brand has been able to earn in a span of seven years. In the film, Ganguly is seen reminiscing the days when he wasn’t a star and there were only a few spectators at the ground, drawing a parallel with the Initial days of the bank. He talks about building trust and how it takes time to grow. Overall the ad is a pleasant watch.
MEH
Brand – Asian Paints
Agency – Ogilvy India
The new spot from Asian Paints promoting their Asian Paints Ultima Protek offering where Ranbir Kapoor is playing a contractor and a magician is too much drama and fails to create an impact or convey a message. It advertises the product all right but fails to impress with its weak script that can be categorized as cringe content of sorts. This is definitely not one of the best attempts from the brand that has delivered incredible campaigns in the past.
MAST
Brand – Reliance Digital | Technology Se Rishta Jodo
Agency – L&K Saatchi & Saatchi
Heartwarming is the apt word for this commercial. As you watch it, every frame shows the effort the protagonist Rashi puts in preparing a meal and satisfying the expectations, be it of her children or the friends she hangs out with. What stands out in the advertisement is her attempt at adapting to technology and moving along with the changing times. This ad truly scores a Mast for a relatable story that’s well told.
MEH
Brand – McDonald’s India | Chicken Big Mac ke saamne har Big Name bhool jaaoge!
Agency – DDB Mudra
“What was the ad trying to say?” We thought at the end of this watch. The commercial, which features cricketer Virender Sehwag, highlights the brand’s new offering, ‘Chicken Big Mac’. As the commercial begins to roll, its attempt to create an urge to taste the new Big Mac through a series of humorous incidents does not really cut through. Plus, Sehwag seems like an addition to hide a weak script. This one gets a big McMEH.