First thing first, this post and future posts under this label are courtsey this blogger - EmptyHead. Also I have used this as a guide.
Today, I start this new exercise of reviewing advertisements. As a potent form of publicity, ads have fascinated me a lot, be it the print, radio, TV or Internet version. Please be aware that the reviews are going to be totally non-technical since I'm yet to fufill my MBA dream. So, the perspective you'll get is the consumer's.
If you watch TV regularly, you could not have have missed the above advertisement. And for all you software engineers slogging at places far away from the comforts of your "Home Sweet Home", you can watch it here.
Re-branding has been the hot trend for some time now (remember Ceat and Axis Bank). Union Bank of India has undergone a complete makeover too. But it has retained its punchline - "Good people to bank with". This ad looks like a move to consolidate that idea.
Now, let us delve deep into the ad.
- First Reaction - Like all ads featuring cute children, (the girl in this ad is an angel!) this ad too manages to establish a mushy connection with the first-time viewer.
- Music - The background piece is very nice too, but you get so lost in the ad that it's hard to notice it, the first few times.
- Novelty of the idea - The catch is that the idea of getting kids to win hearts in favor of banks is not a new one. I remember a memorable ad in which a cute boy takes his piggy bank all the way from the village, protecting it fiercely from prying eyes along the way and parts it with it happily only when he gets to the bank cashier, who shows him the way to his own locker. So, whether this ad would actually appeal to the consumer to the extent where he opens an account, is questionable.
- The concept - The concept is fairly good, where the kid tries to help out the young guy in fulfilling his dream of developing a racing car and the bank tries to convey that it will help its customers in the same vein (almost like an angel investor) because "Aapke sapne sirf aapke nahi hain!". It does sound a bit cliched, but aren't ads supposed to be that way? There is a slight chance that young girls may tug at their respective (to be precise! LOL) dads to open an account in this bank, but a slight one only.
- The Appeal - The ad does hold a certain emotional appeal to the consumer as well as inherent motivation for the average bank employee since it is an ad that is straightforward, carries no extra baggage and the message does get across.
- Negatives - The ad has very few blatant negatives, neither does it confuse the viewer nor is it too familiar or irrelevant. But, yes, it is a bit far-fetched.
- Recollection - Ads are most effective when they stay in the almost schizophrenic public memory for some time. This ad definetely scores highly on this scale, primarily due to the superb acting of the kid who wonderfully exhibits a very likeable cheerfulness in collecting broken teeth from everywhere. Also, the camerawork is good.
- Overall - 4/5
