Since 2.0 has been liberally used to portray any improvement/new version, i thought it made a good post headline :). On a sidenote, i even saw ‘Family 2.0’ in a Yahoo study.
This post is about a few brands that were part of my youngistan days. Of course, unlike these days, none of these brand made any efforts to lure us or even consider us their core audience, the youth were just considered well, young then, and not of any significant value. Why these brands? Because they are attempting 2.0.
Melody – ‘Melody Khao Khud Jaan Jao’ rings a bell? Well, Melody is back with a new set of ads, using extreme situations to create a contrast with the line ‘Melody itni chocolaty kyun hai?’ One is set in an exam hall, with one student trying to get the attention of another, and finally asking this question in the end. The other had the cliched dark alley scene with a girl being followed, only to end up being asked…. With confectionary companies going way out of the product territory for the ads, Melody can’t be blamed for trying this stunt. It remains to be seen whether the old line still works.
Flying Machine – I used to love the brand until their relaunch. I would’ve continued to love it if they hadn’t chosen kAbhi B (ready for an endorsement) as the brand ambassador. Its not just a personal dislike, he’s just so wrong from my percpetion of the brand. I personally think they don’t need an ambassador with a name like that, all they need is to communicate the right attitude, but if they had to, it could’ve been any John (oops) or maybe Hrithik, speaking of whom..
Cinthol – A long time, that green bar was the only option available, unless of course you wanted to try the sissy Pears (no offence meant to them, but it was just a perception, and i’m guessing the kind they wanted) or washing soaps. So while half hearted attempts were made with C Fresh,Lime, Deo etc, this time they’ve got Hrithik as the brand ambassador, and a whole new look. He’s right when he calls it an apology for a site. The product also looks very ‘Close Up’ with those three colors, but hey there are only so many colors, i guess. I have only one recommendation, and thats in packaging/ditribution – please stop selling only that lousy four pack combo, and let the customer also have a ‘1/2/3 only option’. Even if you have to sell 4 packs, please have different ones so that i dont have to hate you for making me finish all 4 before i can buy another soap!!
until next time, me too or me 2.0
Well Flying Machine ended up being a disaster.. Been a part of it closely so know how it completely went wrong.. we had cracked kick ass concepts in the line of attitude and the clients were also very kicked about them.. but then Merger stricked the agency.. Ogilvy baaps happened to the brand and there walks in Abhisekh Bacchan..and also because i guess clients got him so why waste a celebrity..
My argument to my seniors about the brand ambassador.. Flying machine with an italian designer.. launching some really cool designs.. new age stuff.. very different from the perception we had of the old rugged flying machine.. I have always loved the name FLYING MACHINE.. there walks in abhisekh bacchan.. however big and famous a celebrity.. but he has never been known for his great dress sense.. infact his dress sense sucks.. he has got fat oozing out form all over.. he is the contemproray i look really good in suit kinda guy.. not a trendy jeans.. check out a wrangle.. john however dudy he might be but he is big enough model turned celebrity and has got the right attitude to carry it off and thereofre the line of jeans desinged by him as well.. Youth like us would never connect to an abhisekh bacchan image for a jean brand.. he is so LS like they say for the brand..
end result a disastor and god the ad is a bigger disastor.. what was that?
exactly -the name was the key, and the rugged attitude…. in spite of these and personal experiences, i still cant understand why brand decision makers refuse to accept the dna of the brand and insist on such ideas…
[…] written earlier on how a few of yesteryear brands were staging a comeback of sorts. Cinthol was one of them, and […]
[…] a close second. (Cinthol has also gone in for an entire rebranding exrecise, about which i wrote earlier.) The Godrej TVC is decently executed, with the brand shown as shaking off a stern fuddy duddy […]