Pidilite seeks a ‘Fevicol Ka Jod’ with the 'aam aadmi'

Suffice to say that Fevicol ads are timeless. Since their debut on television in 1997, Fevicol has not only entertained but also nudged us to bring out our own version of the ad. If you are one of those who have been itching to share your Fevicol idea with Ogilvy, Pidilite’s creative agency, here is your chance. The brand recently announced a #MyFevicolAd contest and if you are a regular on social media chances are it has already caught your eye.

The brand has decided that it is now ‘the country’s turn to entertain the brand’. The idea is straight forward: Make an ad for any medium – TV, print, radio, OOH or digital, and simply upload the ad on social media tagging the official Fevicol page, using the hashtag #MyFevicolAd.

Interestingly, Ogilvy is no stranger to people reaching out to them with ideas for Fevicol. For years the agency has been receiving regular submissions from the common man with their ideas for the TVCs. It is not surprising when people insist on the agency incorporating their ideas. After all, an entire generation has grown up watching their ads and therefore feel a certain sense of pride and perhaps an ownership.

The light hearted, quirky and sometimes endearing ads had the rare honour of actually being on people’s watch list. And this is why the contest will not only serve as a genius solution for people to put their creative foot forward but also present the brand an opportunity to connect with a younger generation who may have wondered what the fuss is all about.

Talking about the campaign, Vivek Verma, SVP, Ogilvy India said: “We are celebrating the 60th year of Fevicol, so part of our vision was to involve the younger segment. The millennial or Gen Z is not that engaged with the brand and through this contest we can involve them. We thought of this as an opportunity to explore more.”

The response has been overwhelming for Pidilite with the brand witnessing a steady stream of entries being uploaded on social media platforms. While some creatives do bring a smile on your face and perfectly capture the essence of a Fevicol ad, others not so much.

Let’s take a look at some of the entries:

While the brand’s TVCs are etched in the minds of viewers in an offline world, Pidilite’s Fevicol has been making quite an impression even in the online world, in its quintessential quirky style. Latching onto moment marketing, the brand regularly engages with the digitally savy on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. The underlying intention is to stay connected with an audience that is spending more and more time on their devices.

Vivek Sharma, CMO, Pidilite says: “#myfevicolad is a first of its kind pan India initiative offering creative minds an opportunity to conceptualize a Fevicol advertisement. This contest has been launched to commemorate 60 years of the iconic brand Fevicol. Every time a Fevicol ad is aired we receive letters, emails and even calls where people share their creative ideas which they feel can qualify to be the next Fevicol ad. This is the first time we are inviting consumers to get a chance to bring their ‘Fevicol’ ideas to life.”

On the response to the contest so far, Sharma said, “The response has been phenomenal, we have received thousands of entries in just 2 weeks and the entries are still flowing in. The online contest is also supported by offline campus activities especially in colleges offering Communications and Mass Media.”
Asked about the target group for this contest, he pointed out, “Fevicol is a brand loved and admired by all age groups and this contest is open for all age groups.

#MyFevicolAd contest too is an extension of creating that connect with the online consumer who hasn’t had the privilege of journeying with the brand.

The creatives inviting the netizens to join the contest too are worth a watch. Sample these:

Talking about phones, social media and the digital world perhaps people being glued to their devices could make a good pitch for a Fevicol ad.