Masti ka Chamata … (oops !) … Chataka !

There are only two things I’m sure of every year when the summer comes along. First ofcourse are the record breaking temperatures recorded every year and second is a barrage of nonsensical ads on the idiot box let loose by soft drink manufacturers (affectionately called the Cola Wars). And it is the second variety that never fails to amuse me year after year. Some are good I admit, some are even funny, but most of them are simply an assault on your senses.

Let’s start with with a few moderate ones … Do the Dew that is. Mountain dew brings another variation of its ‘adventure enthusiasts’ bunch of guys doing an outrageous stunt like base jumping with a bike off what appears to be the Grand ‘Dew’ Canyon. There’s not much here as they’ve not really toyed around with the idea and have simply played it safe. I really doubt how long they can keep using the same old rug though.

Then there’s Taste the Thunder ! I liked the idea of Akshay Kumar trying to literally ‘capture’ the thunder in a bottle and then tasting it. It’s a decent execution as well with the setting and picture-isation and especially Akshay Kumar sporting a long-haired dude hairdo. But the ad again portrays the same adventure-seeking kind of image. So how is it different from Do-ing the Dew ?

Mallika Sherawat enters the galaxy of stars endorsing soft drinks with 7-Up with Fido literally playing ‘genie in the bottle’. Now this is amongst one of the better ads in originality, idea, execution and communication of the message according to me. The ad is able to pass across the message of a curvy and the coolest drink pretty well.

Finally I think the trophy is taken by Coca – Cola with two classic ads, one starring Aishwarya Rai and the other with Amir Khan. Both the ads have been well executed and are able to captivate the audience. The Aishwarya ad simply by her stunning looks and her charm, while the Amir Khan ad by his great acting prowess. The message may not be as clear as some of the others, but the executions still takes the cake.

But wait ! That’s not all . I forgot to mention the real Winners ! I mean this was all just formalities. The best campaign I still haven’t even mentioned !

Let us start with the runner-up … Pepsi TV !
This is a classic case of ‘peanuts-in-the-end’. A classic case of ‘dig up a mountain to find a mouse’ (a direct Hindi to English translation). It’s simply a classic example of marketers ending up over-promising and then failing to deliver.
The idea was good I don’t deny it. Pepsi wanted people to drink Pepsi at home while watching TV ! ( although where have I heard that before ? … wait … hmm .. does anybody remember the Coca-Cola ad with Amir Khan dressed as a lady ???)
Infact, the first ad was able to create quite a tangible amount of curiosity with the mystery of what exactly Pepsi TV could be. Obviously everyone though it was a new channel that Pepsi was launching. But you can’t promise people something that huge and ‘bubbly’ and hand them a little pipe to suck on to some Pepsi in the end can you ? I mean that should be a criminal offense. Well I don’t have anymore to say in this regard.

And finally … the winner … give it up for … Masti ka Chataka !!! (Fanta)
Now where do I start ? Hmm.. let’s start with the idea which is the birthplace of any great marketing campaign. But wait, I must be stupid to expect anything like that from this ad ! Simply said, the advertisement lacks any kind of a motivation behind it. It’s a part of a rat-race, a race to capture the consumer’s attention … but unfortunately it is very short-sighted.
Ok, nothing lost, so what if there’s not much of an idea behind it. Let’s make the execution great. Right ? Nope, wrong again. With the already existing clutter that bombards people’s senses, the creators of the ad have simple added more clutter. I mean what is it with all those scribbling in the background and the irritating sound effects ? If nothing else they just distract the viewer from the message and make them focus on irrelevant and non-creative (if there’s such a word) things. I don’t think I should start to even mention how stunning ( read ‘horrible’ ) Rani Mukherjee looks.

Well in the end my whole point is that I’m saddened by the fact that a lot of money goes waste in the hands of people lacking a vision who run these things.

I seriously miss those good old days of the real ‘cola wars’ when you’d see the companies trying their best to make a fool of each other. Atleast it was funny.