A creative detour: Vodafone launches 'Speed is Good' campaign for its 3G network

While brands are making cricket-themed ads, Vodafone has taken a different road. Conceptualised by O&M, 'Farewell' and 'Haircut' demonstrate how Vodafone 3G connection

e4m by Sarmistha Neogy
Published: Mar 25, 2015 8:37 AM  | 5 min read
A creative detour: Vodafone launches 'Speed is Good' campaign for its 3G network

At a time, when every brand is doing something related to the on-going cricket World Cup or the IPL, telecom operator Vodafone takes a refreshing path to communicate to the audience its superfast 3G speed through two new brand films. On the basis of the Ookla Speed test (the global leader in broadband speed testing), Vodafone claims to offer 22% faster download, 44% faster upload and 22% faster browsing experience with its 3G data network.

The idea of the new brand campaign ‘Speed is Good’ has been brought to life by Ogilvy & Mather with two television ads titled ‘Farewell’ and ‘Haircut’ to demonstrate how Vodafone 3G connections can bring a smile on someone’s face.

Speaking of the brief, Rajiv Rao, National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather said, “It was to highlight the strong Vodafone 3G network to our consumers. We had to tell stories in a charming way which would highlight how the network does magical things. It took us around two months to complete the campaign. It is a full 360 campaign, supported by TVCs, digital, outdoor, in-stadium, activations and press.”

Citing reasons on why they decided to stay away from cricket, he pointed out, “We have always avoided it because this is the time, when most of the brands are doing something or the other related to cricket because of the World Cup. It gets very monotonous and every ad starts to look the same. Therefore, we have always made a genuine attempt to stay away from it.”

Our take 

The first TVC ‘Farewell’ starts at an office environment, where an old man is retiring. His colleague, a young pregnant lady notices that he is packing his things together and asks him the reason behind it. The man replies that it is his last day at work, so this lady then requests for a selfie together. In the following scene it is shown, that the picture is then shared with everyone in the office and they also come to know about his retirement. Just as he gets down from the stairs, he is surprised to be greeted by his fellow young colleagues who gift him his selfie with all their signatures on it. It is a beautiful emotional film with good performances.

While the first was emotional, the second TVC ‘haircut’ takes a funny route to highlight the superfast speed of Vodafone 3G. It starts with a young boy along with his mother at a haircut salon and the later instructs the barber about the style for his son. But to everyone’s disappointment, the haircut goes wrong and the young boy starts howling. The mother tries to console the child, but it is of no use. So she clicks a picture of his howling and irritant son and shares it with her husband. On reaching home, both the mother and the son gets a big shock to find that the father also had a similar haircut just to make his son comfortable. This film highlights how every father is their son’s hero.

The two TVCs end with the voice-over that ‘Share photos 43% faster, Speed is Good’. Vodafone-the fastest 3G network’.

You can watch the ads here:





Expert take

Prathap Suthan, Chief Creative Officer, Bang in the Middle found both the TVCs to be good and interesting at the same time. According to him, the brand Vodafone has once again done a great job in connecting with the right audience. “My heart actually goes out for the old man in the ‘Farewell’ film; it has a nice social message which highlights the responsibilities of the younger generation. But if you ask me my favourite, it will be have to be the ‘Haircut’ TVC because I have also done similar things for my children. This TVC appeals to the older generation and also at the same time, talks about the behaviour of today’s young couple.”

“The attempt is quite fresh and it actually acts like a breather in this moment when all the brands are just blindly doing cricket related stuffs because of the World Cup and the IPL. Just because the recent Vodafone campaign is different, you actually feel like watching them over again and again,” he cited.

KV Sridhar aka Pops, Chief Creative Officer, SapientNitro on the other hand liked the ‘Retirement’ ad more than the ‘Haircut’. “I liked the simplicity of sharing a picture in this generation of clicking selfies only for the number of likes on social media sites. Everything in this film, looked very real, be it the minute detailing in the picture presented to the old man or the presence of the pregnant girl. It is a nice feel good film with real people, good purpose and sweet surprises in between. On one hand, when we hear news about the youth misusing internet and their irresponsible attitude, Vodafone has gone a great job to show the good and the responsible side of it. I loved everything in this film, I guess because I am nearing that age,” he stated.

Both the Vodafone videos have gone viral and the brand has earned positive feedback on the social networking sites for its fresh attempt.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
Test

With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
test

Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
Test

e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
test

Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
khugfu

KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp