A pinch of salt and a handful of sugar make for a tangy creative ad that adds a lot of fizz to the otherwise stale sounding product called SBI.
The banking behemoth, that the SBI is, was losing to the private banks’ over-the-top marketing strategy and emotionally charged up advertising campaign. These banks, many of them MNCs, with their huge dollar stake and some big advertising names behind them, had almost changed the cosumers’ perception about banks. Going to banks was no more a harried work in hand, which one reluctantly used to perform. Banking has become an almost pleasing exercise, a welcome change for people, who had so far seen those arrogant PSU bank employees snapping at them with disdain for no faults of them except for visiting their office (read place for hanging out).
Better service was what all the new kids-on-the-block (read private banks) were offering and even if they failed to live up to the kind of expectation they made us believe in, following those high octane ad campaigns, they succeeded in offering a whole range of new alternatives, siphoning off customers from the PSBs.
Thus came the challenge for the PSBs to not just mend their ways but also create a niche for themselves in the cut-throat contest of banks. So while most of small PSBs opted for consolidation by merging with different banks, other than obviously projecting the all-for-u image, a behemoth like SBI was left with the choice of creating an entirely new image other than just offering better service.
And there came the SURPRISE! An ad that was fresh, and focused on the whole range of ’services’ (and not just better service) which can take people in disbelief. And indeed it took us by surprise not just the unbelievable portfolio of services but also the new approach to the ad campaign.
So, while the ads feature poor chaps being taken for a ride by their friends and relatives for being skeptical of the services offered by the bank, audience sat back and took notice of a refreshing ad campaign.
It’s really (S)tunning, (B)oastful and (I)ncredible piece of work. ICICIs, ABN AMROs, CITI BANKs, start juggling with new ideas for SBI has taken a lead.