Bondtite ad for IPL ‘ekdum right’ or complete trite?

Cricketers have been wowing us this IPL season with ads that showcase their talents outside the stadium grounds. From acting to dancing, star players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya et al. have proven their mettle not only as players but also as entertainers. While some ads for brands like Dream11 and Rigi have impressed viewers, some have majorly missed the mark.

Despite big budgets, some brands have been rolling out formulaic campaigns with some non-descript song-dance routines with cricketers. Without any distinguishing features, it’s easy to mistake one for the other.

The latest to grace our television screens is Bondtite’s #Ekdumtightekdumright commercial featuring KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda, and Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants. “The campaign highlights Bondtite's ability to bind together different materials with proven efficacy and application, in line with their tagline and brand purpose #EkdumTightEkdumRightBondtite,” read the company’s press release.

The ad begins with the three cricketers on various percussion instruments in a kacheri of sorts. KL Rahul sings, “Deewane ka dil toota hain, jodu isko kaise right?” The Pooran and Hooda come up with witty quips, “Missus se fight? Kat gayi iski kite?”

To address KL’s original question, the duo appear with two halves of a “dil” one made of black granite and the other of white marble and stick it together with Bondtite.

What did the experts think?

Too many questions flood the mind while watching the ad. Did KL really want a solution to mend his broken heart? Were Pooran and Hooda trolling him? What does the adhesive have to do with heartbreak? Is that KL’s own voice? More importantly, what did I just watch?

Joining us in our confusion is Nitika Parmar, Creative Director – VMLY&R India. “Why are the finest cricketing talents made to sing or dance?” she says, pointing to the rising trend of cricketers awkwardly dancing and singing in ads.

Calling the ad “another episode of ‘So you think cricketers can dance’”, CCO, at ^atom Network, Yash Kulshresh, comments on how there’s nothing memorable about the ad itself. “I don’t even remember the shayari or the brand name after a minute. - Probably, KL Rahul's best performance in recent times,” he quips.

Kulshresh compared it to Bondtite’ 2022 campaign “India Ke Alag-Alag Materials Ko Jode Ekdum Tight”, which excelled in execution and recall. “As far the recent one is concerned, feels like they had to do it so they did it. What a missed opportunity,” he adds.

Conversely, Subodh Chaubey, the Creative Director at Infectious Advertising, made no bones about his appreciation for the spot. “It’s a great ad,” he states, “merging two entertaining things like qawwali and cricket.”

“Also the whole idea of bonding all broken things – from heart to furniture – makes qawwali a perfect device for the ad,” he notes.

He especially lauds KL Rahul’s acting chops, calling the ad a 10/10 entertainer.