Bollywood fails to get cola sales up

[Paromita]

Taking on Vigyapan, he is right. Inspite of high profile bollywood endorsement cola sales have actually gone down 50%.

[Paromita]

true. I wonder if the Cola goants will ask the celebs for a refund. or cancel their contracts as they are all too eager to do with the agencies!!!

but unfortunately there are some star struck brand managers who would give their right arms (read : good marketing money) away to rub shoulders with 'stars'. and thats what they are doing.

[diptanshu]

whether sales are going up or down, people are talking about cola advertising. and i dont refer to advertising people here. i heard a bunch of young kids comparing the aishwarya 'thande ke tadka' coke commercial to the new amir khan ones. they all seem to like the amir khan one more. so it does work for the Coke in some level.

[Paromita]

I disagree with you Dips. It may be high on recall value but it doesn't still get people to drink it. What does 'Thande ka tardka' mean? Same goes for Amir acting a Japanese. What does that say about the brand? I agree it is good entertainment, but just that, nothing else. By seeing that spot do you say to yourself "that was a funny ad, i should drink a coke'.

On the other hand the hutch dog commercial worked better. In fact it proved that even a Pug which nobody would have otherwise been able to identify by name made a better mark then Ash. And how much did they have to pay the dog? Probably some bones

[diptanshu]

in no way i am trying to say they are good commercials that work for the brand. (thanda matlab coke was better perhaps) All i am saying is people dont switch channels when the coke ad comes up.
By the way i met the hutch dog in bangalore. he is quite well off and leads a lavish lifestyle. it stayed next my bangalore office in a very posh locality.

[encyclomedia]

On the other hand the hutch dog commercial worked better. In fact it proved that even a Pug which nobody would have otherwise been able to identify by name made a better mark then Ash. And how much did they have to pay the dog? Probably some bones

the Dog is no doubt more adorable than 'Miss Hollywood Starry Eyes Ash', but even the dog could not get Hutch to be larger than Reliance (with its advertising sooooooo bad it should be banned) and Airtel (at least their ads are better than Reliance's).

Fact of the matter is Advertising is supposed to drive a Brand's Image NOT its sales.

However, I dont think Advertising today is living up to THAT motto.

TEll me in one or two works what do the following brands stand for :

Pepsi: Example : Youthful Irreverence, in earlier internationaladvertising about 5 years back)
Coca Cola
Hutch
Airtel
Reliance


Advertising today is sadly NOT about building a brand.Its about clever ideas that win awards. What do that Saint Gobain Glass ads say about the Brand? They tell me the product is flawless. But what about the BRAND?

Does Coca Cola tell me its a Hindi/Ernacular brand ? What about the high Art Quotient of Coke ads, which led to many of its Arworks included in Museum of Modern Arts worldwide? What will you submit today? 'Thande Ka Tarka? Thats truck driver brand. Does Coke want to be a Truck Driver kinda brand?

Advertising traditionally has been a trendsetter in fashion/language and popular culture. Today, sadly, its a follower. Of Hindi films and other stuff. Once Hindi Film makers looked up to advertising for its ideas and image. Today its the otehr way round.

I walked into McCann's office in Mumbai early one morning and am greetied by loud Hindi Filmy music. I was expecting something more cutting edge. So when commercials and films aspire for each other, one fine aspect of Culture is lost.

Advertising today is the starting ground for filmy aspirationals who want to cut down their struggle in Mumbai, and bide their time in the airconditioned comfort of agencies while trying to make 'celebrity' centric ads, thereby building their contacts for the 'Great Indian Bollywood' Dream.

How soon before we have Item Numbers in commercials? Anyone?

[DesiPimp]

And then you see Karena Kapoor doing a jig for Boroplus. Do you think that Boroplus brand personality is Bebo? And how can Bebo be the spokesperson for Pepsi and Boroplus at the same time? That's insult to Pepsi's image. Imagine Puff Daddy doing an ad for an itch spray? Or Tom Cruise doing an ad for an AC.

The problem with indian advertising is that it is full of bollywood wannabes at the local level and the advertising is suffering. Then you have brand managers on the client side who get a step up on social ladder by signing a bollywood item. Look at 7UP. It used to be all about Fido. Now it is about the classless item girl. What are you telling children? That now 7UP is associated with a B-grade actress Maliaka Sheratwat and that it is cool to be like her? Maybe we should write to Pepsi, in fact I will write to them today. Pepsi had to drop Snoop Dog from their advertising because of his obscene lyrics in his songs.

[encyclomedia]

not in this country. look at cricketers. they get the mega moolah without winning anything significant. look at Saniah Mirza and Narain Karthikeyan. What have they won recently? Apart from Multi Crore endorsement deals? And what do creatives earn despite all teh international show?

One can safely say that today if there is anything in india thats globally competitive, AND WINNING, its advertising creative. But what do the teams get? Debt?

the IT and BPO sector is getting business only because of cheap labour. Indian Advertising is winning awards only because of Brains.

[Prasoon]

Sania is a role model for all the indian girls being a minority. Give that girl a brake.