Best ads of the fortnight: Brooke Bond's kindness over a cuppa, Kurkure's spooky tale

There is no dearth of creativity in the Indian adland. Week after week, we are treated to some brilliant TV spots and campaigns that linger in our minds. In the new year, we were treated to some that were refreshingly creative in their approach. Here are our picks for the best ads of the fortnight. As usual, they have been arranged in alphabetical order.  

Brooke Bond

This ad for Brooke Bond feels like a warm hug, much like a hot cup of tea offered by someone we love. A hospital environment can be nerve-wracking for people dealing with the medical crisis of loved ones alone. All the uncertainties, fear and sadness can weigh down on them. The latest Brooke Bond ad by Ogilvy shows the difference a stranger’s kindness and a hot cup of tea can make. The film was well-received on social media, particularly for actor Sulbha Arya’s nuanced performance.

Kurkure

When it’s a Kurkure ad, expect some wackiness. The latest from the Kurkure camp focuses on the joy of taking things lightly. The ad for its sub-brand Kurkure Playz deftly combines elements of humour and horror. 

A family who has recently moved into an old bungalow encounters a ghost. Instead of a dramatic exorcism ritual, a haggling contest follows where the ghost and the tenant settle on splitting the rent in half. 

 Vikram Pandey (Spiky), National Creative Director – Leo Burnett said, “The film introduces the new Kurkure Playz and while we wanted to keep the light-hearted quirky tonality of Kurkure, we also wanted to add a playful dimension to the new products.”

Lenskart

We spot celebs in ads all the time, but how often do we see CEOs in them? Lenskart CEO Peyush Bansal appears in the brand’s latest ad campaign as a foil to his co-star Karan Johar. 

The three films released so far show Bansal lending a patient ear to Johar and his hare-brained ideas. In the first spot, Johar tries frantically to convince Bansal to increase the prices of Lenskart products because he “can't be seen wearing glasses under 1 lakh." In the second film, Johar pitches ridiculous alternate names for the brand, all puns of his movie titles. In the third, the filmmaker exploits the buy-one-get-one-free offer on the Lenskart app and requests Bansal to lend him a room in his house to store all the 2000 pairs he purchased.

The whacky films are the brainchild of Tanmay Bhatt and his team. 

Reliance Digital

The new campaign from the electronics retailer makes us look inward at all the times we shamed our loved ones (albeit unknowingly) for not being tech-savvy. The films give us an insight into their minds and how they suffer from a fear of gadgets after being undermined constantly. The campaign perfectly captures the subtle emotions of a person who is navigating the complex world of tech.

Brian Bade, Chief Executive, Reliance Digital, said, “It's based on a simple insight, that everybody needs technology, everyone is fascinated with it, but not everyone is necessarily comfortable with it. That’s because technology is changing all the time and it’s easy for a lot of people to feel left behind.”

The two-film campaign has been created by  L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

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Two kids reprimand their errant dads for making poor choices in investing in stocks. Says one to the other: “Apne ladle papa se kehna mere papa se dur rahe (Tell your beloved dad to stay away from mine).” Anyone who has grown up in India with strict parents knows that such threats are usually reserved for parents of errant friends.   The ad shows a role reversal of sons pulling up their dad, and hilarity ensues. The campaign was launched during Shark Tank Season 2 on Sony LIV.