Their latest Cake commercial is real solid literally.While surfing through the TV channels,TMSBee came across this interesting commercial.In the start it didn’t seem to be a toothpaste commercial at all.It seems to be some consumer durable aiming at having a young brand personality,then suddenly comes the twist.The cake shoots off the plate and hits the fridge and leaves a big dent in it and then falls on the floor to break the tiles.

Then the door bell rings and the husband of the protagonist enters and sees the cake.Without second thoughts,he picks the cake up and bites into it.Now What ?

Nothing,he eats it easily as he brushes his teeth with the new Anchor White toothpaste.

Lets have a look.

This commercial has the capability of making people stop and take notice of the brand which is trying to get your walletshare( and the mouth share) from long.When your competitors are Colgate and Pepsodent,its always tough but Anchor has always been an established brand and not just a ‘me-too’.But still their real competitors always turned out to be the likes of Dabur Red,Amar etc.

Kajol endorsed this product for some time but then went missing.This new commercial doesnt feature any ambassador.The ordinary looking guy with super teeth makes the ad look even better.

The Kajol Commercial

Anchor never had the Wow factor or an eye grabbing commercial with them to get the attention.They were a known brand but not a great brand.Anchor was assumed to be the toothpaste of the older generation.The younger generation preferred Colgate or Pepsodent.Is it or not ?

TMSBiz is not claiming that this commercial will make Anchor a known brand overnight but yes this commercial would be a hit.

Keep the fundas away for now, just enjoy the commercial.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

Micra is Nissan’s first major Indian offering.As a brand,Nissan is not unknown in india.People have seen Nissan cars around.With this latest offering,Nissan is set to become a household name(if micra becomes successful).

After the Figos and the Polos,India is all set to check out the new Nissan Micra.

In India,people tend to ask first up, how much will it cost ?

Micra is aggressively priced between Rs.3.98 lakh and Rs.5.29-lakh which is very competitive.Ford Figo,Volkswagen Polo,Maruti Swift would all feel the heat with this product.

Lets see what the product has to offer.

Equipped with multiple first-of-its-kind features including intelligent key with immobilizer, a push-button engine start-stop system and electric foldable mirror besides other safety and luxury features, Micra will come with 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine and available in three variants — entry model XE (Rs.3.98 lakh), mid-level XL (Rs.4.69-lakh) and top-end XV (Rs.5.29-lakh). Nissan Micra also promises fuel efficiency of 18.06 km a litre. The carmaker also announced a host of customer care and service schemes.

Both Petrol and Diesel versions would be launched(Diesel till end of the year).

Service is one area where they need to understand India very well.Fiat is still suffering due to that.

Ranbir Kapoor is the brand ambassador of the car.This came as a surprise as all the recent cars in the segment didnt go for any brand ambassador.Figo and Polo chose common people and their concerns as the base for their ads.In the past, Brand ambassadors like Shahrukh Khan(Santro),Abhishek Bachchan(Fiesta) have helped the brands become popular initially.

So can Ranbir Kapoor prove to be their best bet ?

Check out the ads

The other thing that Nissan is stressing on in their ads is the ‘Touch’ concept.The’ Touch’ concept seems to have got into everything these days.Touch phones,ipods,TV,PC and now a Car which can be started by a ‘Touch’.The concept seems cool though.

Outside Asia,the car is known as Nissan March.It has been a highly successful car for Nissan.I also went through its website http://nissanmicra.co.in/ .The website seems a bit primitive.It just lets you download a brochure and lets you apply for the car online.Nissan could have come up with a more comprehensive site in the initial days itself.

Overall,the product seems to be a winner.But let time decide its fate.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

5 Star has always been a well advertised brand.Cadbury’s always treated 5 star at par with dairy milk when it came to advertising.Many brands came and went but could not topple 5 Star from its position.The closest any brand came was Nestle BarOne which was liked by many.Now a days Mars is also being preferred.

Lets talk about 5 star’s latest campaign which has been in existence.

The ‘Lost in Taste’ campaign which features two or three guys who have temporary loss of memory due to the awesome taste of 5 star.The campaign is quite successful and they have come up with 3 ads in the series till now and  the latest is just awesome.

Suresh-Ramesh Ad

The first ad in the series was also a great one.Everyone really enjoyed it.

Even the following ad was quite popular.

The ads are popular because they are unique and creative.The whole idea is integrated well with the product.The concept that the taste of the chocolate is so good that you will lose yourself for some time goes well with a product like 5 Star and appeals to the youth as well as kids.

A product like 5 Star doesn’t need super ads to keep it going.5 Star is one of the most preferred in its category (caramel based chocolates) but still it has to compete with all the other chocolates(mostly from its own house Cadbury’s) and also generic confectionery on a bigger scale.So such ad campaigns keep the brand alive and keep it in talking terms with the customer.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

But today I saw this new ad of Fem bleach.

Fem is the same company which actually was at the forefront of this white revolution.When i was a kid their campaign had a jingle ‘Gori Gori Fem Fem Se’(Fair with Fem).

The new ad is first if its kind.The first few seconds of the ad makes one feel ‘one more fairness product ad’ but then you will find that it is different.They don’t show the dark girl as the loser in fact they tell that there is a separate bleach for different complexion.At the end of ad,the dark girl is shown with a  wheatish complexion and not super fair as is the case with all other products.She is confident and looks good.Check the ad which features Priety Zinta as the brand ambassador.

We feel that the ad would be liked by all.The ad points out that like any color clothes are not suited to all complexions, similarly a bleach should also be different for different complexions.The ad doesn’t degrade the dark girl or doesn’t show the fairer girl better or superior.The ad just shows that Pink color dress goes better with fairer skin and blue color dress suits the wheatish skin.
It’s time that such products should advertise with certain sensitivity as Fem has done.Is there a real need to show a dark girl facing issues in the country to reinforce the poor mentality we already have ?
India is changing so its outlook also has to change.Who has ever become fair by applying  fair and lovely ?
Even men fairness creams have now come in the market.Who knows when its their turn to face the music ? LOLZ
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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

Now from past few months,Intel inside has changed to Intel-sponsors of tomorrow.I still miss Intel Inside as such but the new campaign is just awesome.

Intel has been aggressive on this new campaign and even ads have been quite visible on Indian channels and even during IPL.

The first ad that really came to people’s notice in India was the Ajay Bhatt Ad(Co-Founder of USB)

After this ad a series of ads were launched one after the other.

Then Intel launched the new family of Intel Core processors(i3,i5,i7) and then they came up with new ads for the same under the ‘Sponsors of tomorrow’ campaign.One of the best ads i have ever seen is the one below.The ad not only shows the technological power of the company as such but also shows the kind of work culture they endorse.This ad was not only one of the favourites for the IPL in India but also for the Superbowl in US(the same ad).

The latest ad on core processors is coming up these days,now this ad is different for different countries.I found the australian version for the same ad.You will instantly remember the indian counterpart.

There are many high technology companies in the world doing work equivalent to Intel but none is as good when it comes to marketing.

Intel still is my favourtie marketeer.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

The ads are customer oriented.Whenever a new car(or product) is launched a potential customer has a lot of unanswered questions in his mind.

What is the mileage ? What are the safety measures ? What are the specs ? What are the extra features in this car ?

Rather than just building a story around the car or concenterating on the name of the car or having a brand ambassador,Volkswagen have kept it straight.The ads just talk about features of the car and nothing else.The model used in the ad looks ordinary,simple and can represent the kind of target audience for Polo.The ads are funny and hit the right chord.

Volkswagen seems to have understood the indian market quite well and Polo seems to be their best bet.Volkswagen seems to be justifying its name well in india too.i.e. People’s Car.

Das Auto.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

Many a times when these giants launch cars in India they go for so called safe methods like hiring popular Brand Ambassadors(Ford did it with Fiesta when they brought Abhishek Bachchan) or they go with flashy zooming ads like what Chevrolet Beat did.But sometimes they miss the point that they need to CONNECT with the customer(read potential customer).They need to tell what the car is all about,what all features it has, etc etc.Figo seems to have hit the bull’s eye.

The ads are fresh,different and informative.Lets have a look

The ads are simple,uses a a boy and a girl(brother sister or a couple i cant say but it doesn’t even matter).The car is being shown as the part of the family with the help of its features whether it is its interior design,its AC or its big Boot Space.The background song is also very nice and has a soft feel to it.Ads have really started to feature good melodious songs off late.Coca Cola’s new ad also features a peppy hummable song in the background.

Ford Figo is not just marketing itself with these ads but they are associating themselves with a lot of TV programs,contests and  movies.

The car is being positioned as a smart car(a bit similar to Wagon R positioning but effective).The website is well made and showcases the car very well.They are also using the social media to market the product.

How effective would this excellent campaign prove to be ! Lets Wait !

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

LG,Samsung,SONY all have begun to aggressively market the new concept.In the ongoing IPL we daily see Akshay Kumar telling us about the LG 3D TV.Samsung also has come up with its commercial for 3D range.

SAMSUNG AWESOME 3D commercial

SONY too is not far behind.

But what exactly is 3D TV ? Is the audience ready for it  ? Is India ready for it ? Do we have the required infrastructure ? Do i need special goggles to view the TV ?

These are just few of the questions that come in to my mind while i write this post.

After reading a lot of articles and visiting the websites of the LG,SONY,Samsung etc,i came to a conclusion that you need LCD shutter glasses to see the 3D content on these TVs.

In the ads,it is not shown clearly.I was under the impression that we can watch it without any glasses because there is a technology available which enables that.

The 3D concept is not new to the world,it has been for ages.In India too,i remember a movie Chhota Chetan which was 3D and was quite popular.

But the question is is India ready for 3D ? Are Indian Channels ready for broadcasting 3D content ?

As of now,there are few channels which broadcast 3D content.Many companies and media houses are planning to start them in near future.In India,the concept does not exist.But after the launch of so many 3D TVs,its on cards for sure.

LG,Samsung,SONY all have big targets for India in terms of sales but what is the basis ?

So when there is no 3D content available,why should i buy a 3D TV now.A potential customer would wait for the time when 3D services are launched and the price too would come down for the TV.

Apart from the 3D channels,there is scope in

1) 3D Games

2) 3D BluRay

Both of them are not currently available in the way they should be.You can get BluRay for few recent movies but thats it as far as 3D goes especially in India.

The price range for such TV is Rs 50000 to somewhere around 4 lakhs.You pay such a high price and then do what WAIT for some 3D content.

Companies like Samsung are partnering with companies like DreamWorks to provide 3D content to the the buyers but thats not enough for a person spending a whopping 2 lakhs on a TV.

No doubt,this is the future for sure.3D TV will redefine the way TV is watched or experienced.

So lets hope the 3D TVs come of some use in near future.

I was just wondering that how will people who are myopic and wear spectacles manage the 3D shutter glasses ?

Just imagine a person wearing a 3D glasses over normal spectacles.In that case,I think TV will definitely make the title Idiot Box justifiable.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

I looked closely and took a picture of it too.
These hoardings looked well designed,colorful and of some luxurious product.But when i saw the product a bit closely.I saw that Soul was a brand of pickles.

I could not believe that this actually is an ad for a pickle brand.But after looking at it to the extent that bystanders started to see me with the same expression i was looking at the hoarding,I was confirmed that it is a pickle ad.

I came home and searched the net regarding them but failed to find any information.I had noticed the company name on the hoarding.It was ADF foods.I went to their website http://www.adf-foods.com but could not find any sign of SOUL.

But today when i searched again i saw that ADF had updated the website with SOUL brand.

These pickles are not promoted as just pickles but as some luxury brand.

‘P for Pickle,P for Passion’  is the copy on the Ad.Note the use of color in the hoarding.The colour is a bright exotic Bluish color which again associates a kind of  luxury to it.

But can it be done ? That too in india ?

Pickles have been part of every Indian cuisine and have been there for long.But can it be a product of desire as SOUL is being positioned as ?

SOUL as a brand has a whole range of pickles made in virgin olive oils and then they have the traditional pickles.

If you see their webpage in detail,you see that it is being projected as a health food too e.g. calories are mentioned and also all the fat,carb. contents etc.

Coming back to the question Can it be a premium or luxury product ?

ADF as a company seems to be more focussed towards its international customers in US,Europe,Australia,New Zealand,middle east.They are a kind of company which exports ethnic Indian food products,spices and pickles.They even have Juhi Chawala as their brand ambassador.But they have hoardings in India for SOUL pickles.

So for customers outside India such ethnic Indian food products can be a luxury but in India I don’t think it would be possible.

Maggi too had launched pickles but they didnt pick up.People in India either make their own pickle or buy local made pickles which are much cheaper.Off late many pickle brands have come in market like Nilon,Tops etc but they are positioned on taste,ingredients etc and not fancy terms like Passion,Food is Love etc(SOUL).

But similar thoughts would have come when water was bottled or when Tea was branded.Today people are paying for buying a water bottle worth 15 bucks/litre.

Brands like Himalayan and Vedic can be classified as premium or Luxury bottled water.They are positioned as the purest water brands available which have been packed at source(Himalayas).

Can Soul do the Himalayan with Pickles ?

I am skeptic.

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

These trucks were good,served the purpose but were very basic.They served the purpose but that was it.They didn’t have their own bodies,just the chasis.The trucks were not very powerful.Many a times going on the highway,i remember seeing Trucks upturned due to the load.And when i used to see the trucks used in the other countries like US or European,i used to realize how old models were we using(The Fiat Effect).

But things might just change ! It should not take long.Mahindra’s and the TATA’s are coming with the new age trucks which are gonna change the way Indians perceive trucks

Just have a look at the new Mahindra Navistar

These trucks are result of a JV between M&M and Navistar Trucks(US).These trucks are good looking,well built and colorful.

As per the Mahindra website about Navistar

“Designed in India, Mahindra Navistar trucks are ready to outperform even in the most extreme Indian conditions. Capitalising on M&M’s 60 years of experience in India, our trucks are built to meet the challenges of India. And Navistar’s expertise in technology further powers up our capabilities. Hence, we have extremely application-friendly and highly customizable trucks, ready for the most difficult terrains, load conditions, business requirements and challenges.

There are 5 different types of trucks in the portfolio.M25 Tipper,M25,M31,M40 and M49 are different models as per various load and business requirements.The truck not only positions itself as a powerful,business truck but also communicates the comfort level associated with it.Adjustable Seats,Storage Space,Wide Windscreen etc are part of the product.

This was Mahindra’s side,now lets talk about TATA,the original truckers of India.TATA is the brand which has been associated with the Truck in india.The trucks shown in the beginning of the blog are also TATA Trucks.

TATA has realized that the old truck models have really got old now and needed to be replaced by the new ones.They have launched TATA Prima.

All these new trucks have power,comfort,business use and nice marketing to go with.Both the companies have dedicated websites for the brands.They have proper galleries with downloadable content.Proper specifications are given online.Online form to get to the customer are also available.

Both the companies are using Digital Ads to market the products.The trucks were also seen at the Delhi Auto Expo.Net is buzzing about them.

Both the companies seem to target the Business customer and enterprises as whole else how do you explain digital Google Ads.

I think we will see more of them in future in Business magazines,Eco times etc.

One more interesting thing to watch would how would they tackle each other in the competition.TATA would have an edge due to old association with trucks in India but Navistar is a global player so can be a tricky situation.

Right now we can’t comment on the actual success of these new age Indian trucks but one thing is sure that odds are in favour of these marvels.

These definitely would make Indian roads look much better and feel much safer.

India is arriving ?

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© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.