There is no ho-hum hoarding of the month – yet. Instead, there is an absolutely awful TV ad (yeah, I know – I have this thing for truly terrible alliteration) – The Camlin ad for permanent markers – really permanent.
Exactly how permanent? Since I am still in a state of shock after watching this to describe it in any detail, here is agencyfaqs :
The film opens inside a hut where a man lying on his deathbed is surrounded by his wife…
…and community members. The next moment he dies sending his wife in a state of shock.
A group of black-garbed ‘rudalis’ enters the hut and start wailing. Grieving over the death they…
…remove her bangles and locket. Stripping her off the symbols of a married woman, they try removing…
…the vermilion mark on her forehead. They keep trying but fail to erase the mark… Suprisingly…
..the man comes back to life as others witness this strange incident in complete amazement.
Flashback, and we see the man applying the bindi with a red Camlin permanent marker.
The ad ends as the wife hugs him on his well-being. VO: “Camlin permanent markers. Really permanent.â€
Yes, really permanent. Widowhood, breaking of bangles, erasing of sindoor… the works. In the last scene, the poor man comes back to life, else what would have been the next shot in the ad, I wonder – sati? Even “worse”, what if the poor man does not come back to life, and the bindi does not got erased? What a blow to Indian culture that would have been…
Is that the most creative idea the agency (Lowe) could come up with? Fevicol (O&M) has similar advertising – but with humour – tongue-in-cheek, momerable, clear communication of brand values… As opposed to that, what exactly does this Camlin ad say anyway? And to whom?
If the ad was in terrible taste, here is a comment on it on agencyfaqs –
1-the ad doesnt cater to the tg
2-widows wud have high expectations 😉
3-what wud a villager do with permanent marker,paibnt his wifes bindi??;)
What are these high expectations, I wonder…?
Agencies and brands will give the usual excuse that they only reflect society. Its pathetic though what people can stoop to. Plus, do they not realise that a significant portion of their audience will feel annoyed..or is that just me being optimistic !
Apu,
If a significant portion of the population feels bad, it would stop buying the product. No? Plase vote through your wallet.
Frankly, I thought it was a light-hearted dig at the very same Indian culture which thinks women can save their husbands and such BS.
Yes, vote through wallet ofcourse, but in the meanwhile, express displeasure through blog too ??
I truly agree with you. This ad was really in bad taste, and im still not sure what the hell they’re trying to convey to the public? Im a storyboard artist and have worked on quite a few ad films, but this is the first time ive seen, that a brand is damaging its own reputation, in the mind of the consumer as well as the market, by using such “half baked, brain dead” films (???)
The only reason why you find this strongly about it is because you are taking yourselves so seriously! You are trying to plant your “values” on the people who follow a different set of beliefs. Just because you have a different set of beliefs does not make it superior.. does it? Dont you think your act of planting yourself on a superior pedestal and then making a judgment betrays your ego as opposed to your “humanism”?
It is the same state of egotistical rhetoric that you somehow relate a sindoor with sati. Its like saying that a non-vegetarian person is a cannibal-waiting-to-happen!
Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com
Hello…
When I first saw the adv I found it funny.I think it was a dig at some Indian customs and was made so that the viewer cannot help a tug of a smile at his/her lips.It is all about how you look at it…
Cheers
i agree with lipstcik it all depends on how u looks at it..any way good blog.. go on..!!!
I have to differ with you Charu on this, I first saw the advt on email forward and I think it’s superb creatives and perhpas much better than the recent “alien invasion” advt of Fevicol, which has been famous for bringing ethnic themes in its creatives.
This is one ad which was highly creative and exemplary wit. I simply loved it. Strongly feel that it is meant in a funny way and doesnt need any hue and cry. Sorry but have to disagree with you..
Apu,
Yes, of course-if you find it offensive that is. I don’t.
“Yes, really permanent. Widowhood, breaking of bangles, erasing of sindoor… the works. In the last scene, the poor man comes back to life, else what would have been the next shot in the ad, I wonder – sati? Even “worseâ€, what if the poor man does not come back to life, and the bindi does not got erased? What a blow to Indian culture that would have been…
Don’t you think your statement above undercuts your point? Isn’t the ad actually taking a dig at the absurdity of the so-called “traditional values”? I don’t see the ad making light of widowhood; i don’t sse it drawing parallels between “permanance (is that even a word?) of widowhood” and that of the marker. Most importantly, I don’t think that the ritual of bangle breaking or erasing the sindoor will get any more reinforced because of the ad; in fact, if the ad is really that hard-hitting (I don’t think it is), it will do the opposite.
Learnt to have a lighter side! It was not as regressive as you make it out to be..
OMG, cant believe that anybody could make, much less telecast, an appallingly awful ad like this! I’ve not seen it and dont wish to, ever. The producers should be thrown in prison or something!