True to his fans: the late Rajesh Khanna

[shikharkamat]

http://tessfilmfest.in/true-to-his-fans ... sh-khanna/

True to his fans: the late Rajesh Khanna

by: TESS Blogger

Many tributes have been written, many speeches have been made. Rajesh Khanna’s memory will forever live on, for all the right reasons.
For all the right reasons, but for one.
The one sour grape here is the Havells television commercial, where Mr. Khanna is at his rustic best.
You’ve read Tweets and articles that condemn R. Balakrishnan (Balki) and the Lowe Lintas ad. You may call this post a renegade, but what you will read here will (probably) convince you that the Havells TVC was not as bad as people are labeling it to be.

Let’s start with the Advertising jargon:

For instance, even with Mr. Khanna in the ad, the product (Havells Fans) is in full focus in all it’s glory, if people remember the ad for the star appeal, they sure remember the product as well.

Secondly, the core messaging is quite clear: “fans are forever”
The ad oozes the fact that Havells Fans are trustworthy, long-lasting and have style appeal.

Now with the logical reasoning:

This was the very first time Rajesh Khanna, the superstar, had ever appeared in a TV commercial. This very fact generated a lot of buzz even before the film reel was put to use.

In a behind the scenes interview, Rajesh Khanna was very excited to work again after a long break. He enjoyed the fact that lot of things about ‘his line’ remained the same. If Mr. Khanna in all his senses, loved the ad, there would be some reason to it.

Havells could have asked for anyone else to be their brand ambassador. Balki could have made a simple TVC where Rajesh Khanna is having tea with the Havells Fan keeping him cool. The fact that all these stereotypes were broken for something lasting and ‘hatke’ is reason enough for us to appreciate Rajesh Khanna’s last screen appearance.

May Rajesh Khanna Rest In Peace, knowing that people loved him in his final act.

[Saumya]

Hi Shikhar!

Can you get us the before and after sales figures of Havell's fans?

[Hasmukh]

good question

[shantyarow]

Shikhar, leaving whether Rajesh Khanna's endorsement helped sell more Havell's fans or not, I was personally put off with the somewhat vulture mentality of using a fading star in obviously ill-health, looking like a wan cardboard cut-out and then using his fanatic following as a metaphor for fans of the other kind. Without being disrespectful, it was a little morbid.

[Paramvir]

well put, Shanty!

[Hasmukh]

How did this affect the brand? Any case study?

[Priyanka]

Shikhar?