In a world where the "skip" button rules supreme, an ad needs to move mountains to catch the viewer's attention. Yet, occasionally, we get to see some creative spots that showcase advertising excellence in terms of creativity and brand awareness. Between January 16 and 31, we saw some good ones that were delightful and thought-provoking. Here's a list of some of the best ads we got to see this fortnight. They have been listed alphabetically.
Cadbury Dairy Milk
Cadbury Dairy Milk released its new brand film as a part of its ongoing Generosity campaign. The ad by Ogilvy is centred on the premise of altruism and celebrating the joys of others. In keeping with their theme of spotlighting social and class divide, the film shows a man dancing at his employee's baraat, expressing his genuine happiness on the latter's big day. The ad is an evolution of the brand’s narrative of ‘Kuch Accha Ho Jaye, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye’.
Casio
Casio India unveiled its latest campaign for its flagship scientific calculator, the Casio ClassWiz FX-991CW, featuring two engineering students grappling with the uncertainties of their academic journey. While rehearsing for the play, their apprehensions about the impending challenges are allayed when three seniors introduce them to the 'Khaas Cheez'—the Casio's ClassWiz calculator. The film's deft use of humour makes it memorable.
HDFC Bank
Nora Fatehi teamed up with HDFC Bank mascot Vigil Aunty, portrayed by Anu Menon, to educate the audience about the evils of deep fakes and other frauds. FCB Kinnect with the help of the HDFC's AI partner Gan.ai turned Vigil Aunty into a deep fake of Nora, to demostrate how adept scammers have become with technology. The fake Nora promoted the fictitious brand Lulumelon’s Instagram page, eventually coming clean about the ruse. "What’s special about this campaign is the fact that a reputed brand like HDFC Bank risked its regard temporarily, all to safeguard people from falling prey to scamsters by letting them live through their worst nightmare for a few moments," said the company in its press release.
Lenskart
Kiara Advani channelled her inner KJo in this quirky ad for Lenskart. Built on the proposition "Glasses Badlo Vibe Badlo,” the ad shows Kiara turning into a version of Karan Johar, apeing his mannerisms and catchphrases just by wearing "Kjo-stye" glasses. The ad showcases Kiara's comedic timings and Karan's acting chops in this memorable ad for the eyewear brand.
Protinex
Protinex, the flagship brand of Danone India, launched its new ad campaign titled "Protinex, Strength Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye," offering a refreshing perspective on what it means to be strong. The TVC focuses on a husband-wife duo played by actors Namita Dubey and Nandish Singh Sandhu who persevere as a couple thanks to their individual strengths. The idea ties up beautifully with Protinex's proposition as a nutritional supplement that is high in protein, the strength-giving building blocks of life.
Meesho
Ranveer Singh and Rashmika Mandanna are spoilt for choices thanks to all the latest trends on Meesho. The e-commerce brand has unveiled a new campaign ‘Jab Meesho pe hain latest trends, toh sochna kyun just maximise’ with a focus on Gen Z. The ad showcases what happens when the latest fashion trends are available at affordable prices.