‘Keep cricket clean’- not a good idea

Idea Cellular has come up with some very good campaigns in the clutter of telecom ads. They have indeed managed to break the clutter frequently. Most notable of which was the ‘Walk When You Talk’ campaign with Abhishek Bachchan. Its earlier ads of ‘Sirjee’ too were very good. ‘Save Paper’ campaign too was done intelligently. There was also a single ad about Idea associating itself with the government’s UIDAI initiative. A common thread which can be drawn is that all the ads were based on a social issue affecting the common man thus making it relevant to the target audience.

The latest campaign with six Cricket World Cup winning captains (Clive Lloyd-1975 & 79, Kapil Dev-1983, Allan Border-1987, Imran Khan- 1992, Arjuna Ranatunga-1996 & Steve Waugh-1999) was also related to a social issue though not specific to the Indian audience. The world had recovered from the Match-fixing scandal until it was hit by the Spot-fixing one. A lot was said and done to prevent it. All the six captains have impeccable integrity and respect among not just the cricket connoisseurs but general public alike. By associating themselves with these captains and the theme of ‘keep cricket clean’, Idea has a broader audience to talk to. Cricket being the religion in India and the world cup in toe, the timing would not have been apt.

It seemed to be a masterstroke by Idea but unfortunately I counted my chickens before they hatched. Keeping at the theme, they should have talked about their brand relevance to the ‘champions of the world’ cricketers and what, if any, they are doing in partnership with the ICC to keep cricket clean. Saying it is one thing, following it up with actions adds credibility. By launching the ‘No Idea, get Idea’ ads, with these cricketers talking about getting Idea seems frivolous. The copy seems so obvious. With due respect, apart from Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and probably Steve Waugh, none of the other 3 cricketers have the charisma to endorse an Indian brand. Youngsters under 25 years probably would not even know how great a player and Captain Clive Lloyd was.

These cricketers could have been used to create a brand recall rather than to make a sales pitch. It surely doesn’t seem to be a good idea now. Disappointed would be the word to describe the campaign and a great opportunity lost to add further value to the brand

Mobile number portability (MNP) communication- Vodafone and the rest

There's always some more friends to make
There's always a space at the table
There's always a new game to play

And it's changing everyday
So many new faces
We're dreaming while we're awake
No time to waste today.

The world is our playground

These fabulous lyrics from the Vodafone Mobile number portability TVC clearly show the difference between Vodafone and the other service providers. Idea was the first mover when it launched its series of ‘no idea, get idea’ campaign. It would surely help them get customers. It was raved amongst the marketing and advertising pundits for thinking ahead if time.

Until Vodafone came up with this TVC. Idea seemed nowhere in the min recall. The thought is so awesome. Clearly a consumer insight to maintain continuity. They are not talking about others being good or bad. Just that we are good and you can come join us. Idea was talking about tangible aspects such as network, connectivity, etc etc. Vodafone took the leap and talked about the emotional connect.

I don’t remember if Reliance or Airtel or Aircel have come up with a MNP ad. Tata Docomo has come up with a ridiculous ad. Sorry to be so harsh but its really nonsense. Does it not remind you of the Vodafone Zoozoos ad during IPL talking about making you a star of the match? This Docomo ad also talks of making you a hero in a similar creative output. The ad goes on to say that relieve your friends of their network and show the freedom Docomo users enjoy. I really do not understand what they are talking about.

Vodafone is surely going to be a winner. Hats off to the guys at Ogilvy. They just seem to raise the benchmark with each passing creative. Competition is nowhere in sight and doesn’t even seem if they ever would be.