Flash 1 a toddler trudging his way wearily to the school, lost in his own world, not noticing the bench in front of him, stumbles and falls down. The first thing that he asks for is his mom.
Flash 2 a teenager struggling with the complexities of his mathematics exam paper, doesn’t have a clue how to solve the puzzles, hopes and wishes in his mind that from somewhere his best friend would help him out of it.
Flash 3 a young bride going away from her parents’ home, stepping into an unknown world, she hopes against hope to find her mom there with her to help her out of the problems she conceives lie ahead of her.
Flash 4 an expectant woman writhing in pain in the operation theater, clinging on to it, waiting anxiously to deliver the baby, prays that in this moment of trial her husband is with her.
You must be wondering what is the connection between these seemingly disjointed flashes so as to speak. Well let me explain, the one common strand in each of them is the fact that when we are in pain or in trouble, the people we wish for the most are our loved and dear ones. Have you ever wondered from what does this love and care germinate? We love and ask for people in whom we have absolute trust, people we know would not let us down and no matter how hopeless the situation might be they would certainly protect us and ensure that no harm happens to us.
Having started on that note, let me introduce you to the topic of my review today, Kinley, mineral water ads handled by McCann-Erickson India. This review is dedicated to rohitthebest who has been constantly asking for this one. Thanks Rohit for suggesting the topic to me, it has been pleasure writing on this one. This ad and the series of other thoughtfully planned out ads have helped kinley to become the second largest selling mineral water brand with a 21% market share.
Pregnancy is increasingly finding commercial proposition and all of a sudden it’s chic to be expecting. Pregnancy presents a very strong humane statement and does appeal to all of us for it conveys the impression of love, care and vulnerability at the same time. From an advertising point of view, it does make sense to use pregnant women these days as the health concerns of consumers have gone up. The vulnerability of a pregnant woman is great and universally understood. This is why the state offers a viable way of presenting the image of a product that purports to care. It does definitely present a powerful viable image of the product. It is this axiom, which is used to perfection in the kinley ad as well and the execution of the ad is really nice, leaving a lasting impression on the minds of the prospective consumers of the brand.
Health definitely is an issue of concern, and a pregnant woman symbolizes the extreme of that concern, for she carries another life within her, and what affects her adversely affects two lives. So, it’s not just the mother, but also the unborn child, whose care is equally important. In a recent marketing survey young achievers in the age group of 25-40 years were asked as to what was the most critical juncture of their lives. The answer was parenthood. This easily explains the spurt of adverts trying to cash in on the emotional and marketing appeal of pregnancy.
Theme of the kinley ad is 100% trust so, in the ad, the ad makers try to convey the message that even a small boy of just four or five years understands what is good for his pregnant mother, and what can be trusted for his mother, who needs utmost care. The ad shows the cupped hands of a young buy trying to catch raindrops in it, the excited boy comes in the room to show what he has got to his mother. The thirsty mother picks up a glass to drink water only to find its empty. Before she can pick up the glass the boy runs and fetches her bottle of water. After pouring a glass for her he carefully pours a little extra in the cap and offers her that too. The puzzled mother is overwhelmed by the gesture as she realizes who that capful was meant for.
Advertisements like these have an emotional appeal that helps in building an enduring relationship with the brand. It’s clutter breaking advertising, and one that endures in the minds of the consumers for a fairly long time to come. Ad makers have always been on the look out for finding the perfect balance between establishing an emotional connect and marketing the brand at the same time. It is themes like these, which are sure sought winners. Off late the idiot box has been cluttered with ads, which are high on projecting the humane face of the products and it is these ads, which have had the maximum impact on the sales and recall of the brands they endorse.
The effect of this particular ad has heightened by the wonderful background score and the expressions of the models. The jingle of the ad goes like Koi rang nahin, aakaar nahin par jab tu hai koi fikr nahin. Boond-boond mein hain yakeen. Coca-Cola company ka Kinley, boond-boond mein vishwas The message does go out quite effectively and convincingly to the target audiences. The settings and feel of the ad appeals to the human face of the consumers and it is this side, which every marketing guy wants to and should focus to. Sometimes I feel I talk ad nausea about the same thing but I guess that’s almost become like the rule of the game for every ad maker.
Also off late ads have sought increasingly to follow a humane profile and not just come across as trying to sell the product. Ad makers have realized that blatant salesmanship and a technically sound ad would be lost in the clutter and what is today required to break free and leave a recall in the minds of the audience is to make ads that talk the language of the common masses. This in itself would form a topic for one of my reviews in the days to come. The kinley ad is a classic example of the increasing importance of the kids in the overall scheme of things for a family. In my previous two reviews I have emphasized on this point repeatedly, and indeed the child is no more then a moot spectator in the scheme of things. He/ she has as much a voice as any other adult member of the family and it this emotion, which is also wonderfully captured in this advert.
I hope I have been able to do justice to the ad that you have been asking for so long. In case I have missed out any aspects of the ad please feel free to point them out.
Watch out this space for another review on a classy ad that is coming for some time for Maruti Alto cars.