Best ads of the fortnight: Bail Kolhu applauds men in 'rasodas', vivo turns self-aware

Another fortnight has passed, giving us another set of amazing ads to fawn over. Between December 16 and 31st, brands came up with thought-provoking campaigns with their hearts in the right place.

Most advertisers this fortnight wanted to end the year on the promise of positive change. Some were humorous and some were poignant. Let's look at the best ads of this fortnight.

Ariel

Ariel doubled down on its commitment towards equalising domestic responsibilities with its new campaign #CelebrateEqual. Curated specially for the "celebration" week of December when Christmas and New parties are rife, the campaign is built on the insight that it's often the women of the house who are responsible for cleaning up after the guests leave.

The film shows a household after a party where the husband is seated on a couch browsing through the pictures of the evening's celebrations. The wife is in the background clearing the table and attending to their child. She asks her husband to find pics with her in them, and to his dismay there are none.

The wife missed most of the celebrations because she was busy in the kitchen. The ad raises a pertinent question -- "Is it truly a celebration if it’s not equal?"

The campaign is by BBDO India.

Bail Kolhu

Bail Kolhu, the flagship brand of BL Agro, wanted to broach an important topic through its #RasodeMeinMardHai social initiative. The edible oil brand addressed the idea of men donning the apron and undertaking kitchen responsibilities.

The hilariously dramatic ads feature men asking each other culinary questions in the most unexpected situations. For example, a police inspector looks sternly at a man brought in for questioning at the station, only to ask him what the best oil for frying "bharva karela" is.

The agency behind the creative campaigns is Leads Brand Connect.

KISNA

One of the most creative campaigns this fortnight was from the jewellery brand KISNA. The series of ad films revisit the old saying "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" by imagining the jewels as a literal friends to women.

The films show women asserting their choices as a conversation plays between them and a mysterious confidant played by actor Nakuul Mehta. Each video ends with the women turning towards the friend, only to reveal that the dialogue was between them and their diamonds all along.

Conceptualized and created by Contract Advertising, the campaign builds on the thought that the jewels are in fact the source of the women's strength and "roshni."

Meta

One can always expect something brilliant when it's a Meta ad. The new film is a part of the company's ongoing ‘Where can’t we go together’ campaign that started earlier this year.

The slice-of-life film shows how a group of spirited college students try to put a college fest together without any ounce of support from any quarters.

The film shows them persevering against all odds and putting a successful show together, aided at every step by Meta's Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram apps.
Shoojit Sircar has shot the film conceptualised by DDB Mudra Group.

vivo

The smartphone brand rolled out the fourth edition of its self-aware #SwitchOff campaign last month. The ad film has been based on the findings of Cyber Media Research's (CMR) study "Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2022," which said that 88% of married Indians believe that too much smartphone use is hurting their marriage.

Conceptualized by FCB India, the film shows a woman emailing her husband to inform him of her sickness because he's too engrossed in the phone to notice her. The husband, who realises his mental absence, switches off the phone and pays full attention to his ailing wife.