At the heart of the business: How did JioMart's IPL campaign fare?

Among the most universal and enduring rules of business is to never mix it with friendship. Though "friendship" may be a stretch, if you grew up in India, you may have seen that maxim flouted more than a couple of times in your life.

We all have had that neighbourhood shopkeeper whom we called affectionately "uncle." We may know a kindly vegetable seller who would stuff our grocery bags with complimentary "green masala." They know what your preferred brands are and ensure that they are always stocked up.

As customers, we may have also walked a few extra blocks for a shop just because it's a delight to chat with the shopkeeper.

It's safe to say that business in India is not purely transactional. Every once in a while, we let our business decisions be led by a heart instead of the brain. But we are denied these unique experiences now that most of our buying happens online.

This insight has inspired JioMart's latest IPL ad campaign 'Shopping Aisa, India Jaisa' for its e-comm offering. The four-film campaign by L&K Saatchi and Saatchi is centred on the belief that shopping in India is more than just shopping. "It's a relationship between a shopkeeper and a customer," said the company in its press release.

The first ad takes place in a sports equipment shop. When the shopkeeper realises that a customer wants to buy a bat for his younger brother who has his under 19 trials, he takes a personal interest in picking out the best for the customer.

In the second film, a kind old shopkeeper lets a little girl keep an ice cream-shaped eraser after being denied the stationery by her mom.

The third ad shows an apprehensive mother-daughter duo who notices a defect in the saree after buying it. Much to their delight, the shopkeeper promptly refunds them the money.

The fourth one in the instalment shows a shopkeeper scolding a young customer after the lad picks the wrong brand of cooking oil. "You want me to get a scolding?" he asks the boy. "Your mother always buys this one."


All four ads illuminate the blurry boundaries between business and human relationships seen uniquely in India.

The campaign marks JioMart's foray into the highly competitive e-comm space. The IPL-special campaign intends to position JioMart as India's home-grown challenger to its international counterparts. The underlying message of the campaign is to underscore the humaneness of JioMart's approach despite going digital.

Kartik Smetacek, Jt NCD, L&K Saatchi and Saatchi had this to add, “It’s amazing how breakthrough strategy can reframe a category’s codes. The films infuse warmth and emotion into the world of e-com, which is usually thought of as cold and transactional. It’s exciting to partner JioMart as they carve out a powerful, differentiated identity within the category.”

According to Debarjyo Nandi, EVP, L&K Saatchi and Saatchi, “We have looked at some of the many truly Indian stories that exude Indian-ness, sentiment and warmth of relationships.”

The campaign rolls across on TV, digital and print.

What do the experts think?

Subodh Chaubey, Creative Director, Infectious Advertising, says that the ads have a beautiful narrative of how JioMart helps Indians shop the way they already do. The situations and the product tie-up seem natural.

"The biggest hesitation to shop at a supermarket is the lack of a human connection. The ads perfectly capture the essence of what great shopping means to Indians," he explained.

However, Chaubey has just one bone to pick with the ads: "The one thing that makes me slightly uncomfortable is how the ad essentially piggybacks on the hospitality that shopkeepers have proudly championed over decades while telling audiences to move on from them."

Vedanshi Saraogi, Copy Supervisor at FCB Ulka, applauded the insight behind the campaign. "All the ads harp on the behaviour of consumers in India or rather Bharat. The ad captures the emotion well and brings out a smile on the viewer's face due to its relatability factor. There is a slight disconnect as to what JioMart is offering to its consumers. But otherwise, this series of ads is sweet, emotional, and hits the right mark," she said.