'Watch' out!

Many Mumbai citizens have added a skill-set to their profiles, especially during the rainy season - swimming! The rain Gods have been overwhelmingly generous on Mumbai city for the past three - four years. And trust the wily marketers to capitalize on such a situation as well.

On my way to work on one of the pre-monsoon days, I came across a truly innovative marketing idea. From the least expected quarters. Watches are one of the biggest sufferers during the monsoons. And the promises of water-proof watches have fallen flat with the consumers. But what if you have someone who backs the promise with live proof? What if you have someone who's selling watches that are immersed in a bucket filled with water... with the watches running perfectly fine? What a way to walk the talk! Without having to shout your lungs out. Genius.



Move aside marketing managers and marketing gurus. A roadside hawker proves that simple logic is all that’s required to do marketing wonders.

Read more

Re-Animated!

Here are a few examples of redesigned logos, exclusive from the fast food industry. Notice the casual tilt, a change all of them have in common.

Seems to be a common trend amongst agencies every time a client comes in to redesign their logo - Recycle! Hell, its good for the environment, right?

And yet I'd say it breaths new life into the brands. What do you think?



--

Read more

Samsung, you sang to me!

The below print ads for Samsung MP3 players are simply wonderful. They are so direct with their message (literally!) and yet the subtle humour will definitely bring a smile on.

A simple visual of a tiny version of some of the popular artists singing right into the ears. It beautifully represents their product USP, that promises an experience that is just like having the artist himself/herself singing into your ears. Brilliant!

Read more

What an Idea, Sirji!

For long brand managers have come up with creative ideas on how to sell their products. Their marketing strategy has always been about the product benefits and product features. But it is really refreshing to see the way Idea has decided to market its telecom service. It has decided to take up social issues and spread awareness about them and also focus on how communication is making the world a better place. And the Idea sure has worked! Idea has quickly become of the big players in the cellular market.



A case in point can be the latest campaign they undertook on 26th November, 2009. On the anniversary of 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, they announced that all profits made from calls made between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. would be used to buy bullet-proof jackets for the Mumbai Police personnel. The lack of these jackets was responsible for most of the lives lost of police officers on that fateful day the previous year.

We can’t say exactly how much money was raised for the same, but the campaign does give us a good feeling about the brand and makes us want to be associated with the brand.

Seriously, what an idea, Sirji!

Read more

Turning it around

One of the biggest reasons for losses in the Indian Retail Marketing sector is the unavoidable damage of goods while handling and transportation. However, if the new-age marketers have their way, companies will not only put an end to this problem soon, but also turn it into a profit making business.



Future Group is leading this innovation by planning to open stores where these damaged goods will be repaired and sold at a discounted rate. This is a perfect example of exploiting the Indian consumer's psychology of ‘compromising on quality for cheap pricing’.

This will not only be profitable for the company but will also please the appetite of the Indian consumer.

Read more

Interactive Ads

Interactive advertisements always manage to get the maximum attention amongst all audience. But their results are also always in Black & White and there is a fine line dividing that. An interactive campaign can work wonders for a brand and many awards for the agency if done with just the right about of applied creativity and sense or it can be overtly annoying to the audience, damaging to the company and fatal to the man/ woman (usually a man!) behind it!

Some call them art, others call them gimmicks, nevertheless intriguing, here are a few best and worst interactive ads,
































And here are few, that were although creative, I didn't quite like;

Like this one below, I mean I get the smart visuals, but honestly thinking about my coffee while looking at the sewage steam does NOT make me want to have any...



This one below is an advertisement for the office of a plastic surgeon. Intelligent, but I don't get the connection!?




And this smart one here, is it comparing the lens of my camera to a bus tyre??



Until next time...

Read more on the Eggfirst Ponderings
--

Read more

Laughter during relieving


Free movie tickets. A bucket full of popcorn. Just what you need to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. We had got one such invite for the movie 'Beowulf'. Angelina Jolie was making things quite jolly while we feasted on popcorns and had a popcorn fight with the front row kids. Slurping on the large size cola overloaded my bladder.

As I ran towards the men's room to unburden myself and was just about to shoot the pot, I saw a very interesting thing written on the wall right in front of me. It was a dialogue from a movie; it read, “Not bad for a human.” – Aliens (1986). It got me grinning. Relief plus laughter! That was one of the most satisfying leaks ever taken.





Read more on the Eggfirst Ponderings

Read more

Hostile reception!

A fortune 500 company… one of the biggest banks in the world… customer base of more than a million, worldwide. You expect such a bank to be welcoming, friendly and pleasant, don’t you? But is it so in reality?

Recently, I was on a personal visit to the Mumbai (India) branch of the Bank (described above). Right at the entrance, I saw a bottle of a hand sanitizer with a message that read, “Clean your hands with this hand sanitizer before entering our premises.” My first reaction was, “That’s insulting!!” Are they telling me that my hands are dirty and would contaminate their premises? This ain't a hospital, is it? I understand the concern for employees. I understand the need for a 'clean' environment. But what’s with the arrogance? The intention may be fair, but the way it was communicated was distasteful and quite insensitive. How about being a little friendly and warm while communicating. Something as simple as, “It’s your bank. Let’s keep it germ free.”



Being direct is one thing; being outright offensive is another. Never undermine the importance of communication. No matter how big a company you are.


Read more on the Eggfirst Ponderings

Read more