Airtel: An Ad for All Seasons

"The fact that you reached this blog, this way or that, says you are active on the Internet. You have an account with one or more of social networking sites that keeps you connected virtually, and the chances are good that you have a similar network of friends in the real world. 'Sense of  belonging' as profiled by Maslow, matters to you. There is also a good chance that you find assurance in, and take pride from where you belong socially."

This is a prediction you could apply to any of us ‘normal’ beings and still be  right most of the time. The 'Need to belong' is a universal need. Period.

It is precisely this need that Airtel promises to fulfil through its ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hai’  campaign. An all encompassing set of mobile telephony services that fulfils the needs to connect, speak, exchange views,  be entertained,  be ‘available’ to support in times of need - all that makes Brand Airtel. Let others resort to persuasion and comparison;  for Airtel, it is only an assured reminder of its Brand Presence -  the true signs of a market leader.

What really distinguishes the ad is the way the message is rendered. At the outset, one could be deceived to believe that the Ad targets the younger, college going generation, potentially the heaviest users of mobile services. But tell me one individual who would not relate to the youthful exuberance of the motley set of participants in the Ad, shown subtly dependent on one another.  Through the measured assortment of chorus, pauses and pranks, the Ad ensures it touches one and all in its own unique way. It could well be the old retired gentleman who fondly remembers his younger days, the busy business executive who reminisces the leisure time he/she spent with friends not very long ago, the reclusive housewife who lost touch with old friends when she adopted a new identity and a new life, or, the not-so-grown-up school going kids who cannot wait getting into the shoes of the grown up teens for a life full of fun and masti – everyone finds a fond association with this musical.

The simple yet appealing lyrics, the toe-tapping music and the measured pauses, compel you to remember the jingle long after it has stopped playing. I can jolly well imagine hoards of students across various institutions (and non-students alike), trying to relive the ad in their own setting, humming the tune as they go along. A clever intersperse of ‘Kutte, Kamine relationships’ breaks monotony and endears the ad further. A logical ending with the now familiar Airtel tune, and the message “Har friend se connected rakhe Airtel”, reinforces the message and the Brand for you. Could the Ad have been made any better.  

Verdict: Truly a winner from Airtel.

You want to connect and relax with your friends (Airtel), or, be Bijee with 3G (!dea)? Please do let your opinion known in the comments section.

You can watch the Ad here: