Ad Review: Havells Fans’ new TVC is a PR coup gone bad

"The TVC portrays Rajesh Khanna as a superstar caught in the memory of bygone era who has nothing but Havells Fans left with him"

e4m by Deepika Bhardwaj
Published: May 21, 2012 8:44 PM  | 4 min read
Ad Review: Havells Fans’ new TVC is a PR coup gone bad

Havells Fans is famous for its quirky and out-of-the-box advertising – be it the ‘Shock laga’ commercial for Havells MCBs and switches, the ‘Better ways to save energy’ campaign for Havells Geysers or ‘Hava Chahiye Fan Lagaiye’ campaign for Havells Fans.

The latest one in the series is a TVC for Havells Fans with the superstar of yesteryears Rajesh Khanna with Havells Fans standing tall ‘metaphorically’ as his real fan that no one can take away from him.

Called ‘Havells Fans are forever’, the commercial marks debut of superstar in the ad world, though he looks drastically different from the superstar Rajesh Khanna we all grew up watching films of.

The film has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, directed by R Balki and shot in Bangalore at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium. While the film showcases the star and his huge fan following in old days, it takes a turn when today he isn’t surrounded by real fans but Havells Fans.

The brief

Anil Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Havells India said, “It’s always been our endeavour to come out with clutter-breaking ad campaigns and create the desired impact amongst the audience. Even after 30 or 40 odd years, people of not only our generation but also the younger generation remember Rajesh Khanna as one of the biggest stars of his time. He was thus undoubtedly the best fit for our campaign. The idea is he will be revered forever just like Havells Fans.”

R Balki, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas added to what Gupta said, “The new campaign gave us a great opportunity to capture the essence of the brand with sheer simplicity. When the ad was being conceived, we could think of none other than Rajesh Khanna as he still commands a great deal of respect and fan following.”

The commercial is being aired on all leading channels. It has also marked its presence during IPL matches. It has been extended to print, internet and in-shop POSM too.

Take a look at the TVC:

Positive or negative air?

Bringing back a frail Rajesh Khanna who is barely able to speak and making him talk about fans while standing in a huge stadium, devoid of any real fan has drawn mixed reactions from the Industry. We found out if the ad is fanning positive or negative air...

“Havell's has always had highly salient advertising to make people look again at boring things such as switches and fans. The Rajesh Khanna ad has created conversations for the brand. This certainly works for Havells. The ad may have got mixed reactions but it has got people talking. Rajesh Khanna’s song in the superhit movie Amar Prem, “Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna” fits amazingly here,” said Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director, BBDO India.

Nima DT Namchu, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director, Contract Advertising, finds the ad a bad pun. He said, “Getting someone as iconic as Rajesh Khanna to endorse a brand for the first time is quite something. So, from the moment I heard his unmistakable voice, I was on the edge of the seat waiting for the ad to blow me away. However, as an agency guy, I was disappointed by the lame pun and by how the agency let a big opportunity slip through their fingers. As someone who spent his childhood being dragged to Rajesh Khanna blockbusters by his parents and listening to the songs from his movies coming from Radio Ceylon, I was angry – the man was a superstar of his time, he certainly deserved more than just a bad pun. And as a human being, I am embarrassed by what we are capable of doing in the name of commerce. I think it’s a PR coup gone bad.”

Rahul Jauhari, National Creative Director, Everest Brand Solutions echoes Namchu’s thoughts. He says, “Technically the ad does exactly what it was intended to do. Create noise and conversation in a low involvement category at the start of summer. So when people go to buy a fan, they'll hopefully have Havells on top of their mind. It's just that I wish it had treated Rajesh Khanna better. I wish he wasn't made to look as sorry as he does. It depicts him as a superstar caught in the memory of a bygone era, who has nothing but Havells Fans left with him. Was that the intention? I don't know. But that's what comes across every time I watch this commercial.”

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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
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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.

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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
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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.

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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
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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.

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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
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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."

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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
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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."

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