Punto Evo's #MoreInteresting ad: Cliches masquerading as 'interesting?'
While Punto Evo attempts to make things "interesting" for its buyers with its new ad campaign taglined 'Life just became more interesting,' ironically, the end result is dangerously
Five years on, as Fiat Punto gets a face-lift with a revised front end, new bumper, a new air dam, and new headlamps, the car brand revamps its ad with a sharper hard-sell approach. With its latest ad, the brand unveiled the new Punto Evo to reinstate its strengths, while promoting all the new additions, and ensuring the car is a part of Fiat’s overall brand positioning of ‘Hello Life’.
Storyboard
Punto’s advertising agency Grey explores the creative idea—Life just became more interesting. It uses the device of adding a different take to any situation. “While something is enjoyable in its own way, it can be made even better by simply incorporating a different aspect to it,” the agency statement said.
The ad film starts off contrasting ‘great’ life situations, with what could make them ‘interesting’. The film shows young, urban protagonists, accompanied by corresponding visuals, a voice over explains that while a black suit is great, a yellow tie is interesting. While coffees are great, cappuccinos are presented as interesting. The scenarios covered include ‘great’ birthdays and ‘interesting’ birthdays on top of the world, singing and singing in the rain, and jokes and pranks. The film moves to a road trip on a Fiat Punto, which is described as great. The voice over adds that unplanned road trips are interesting. The new Fiat Punto Evo is introduced as the voice over says 'Great just became interesting.’ Features of the car that substantiate the ‘interesting’ premise are demonstrated. The film ends with the message: ‘Life just became more interesting.’
Watch the video here
Expert speak
While the brand attempts to make things “interesting” for its buyers, industry experts feel it’s trying too hard.
Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North, says, “It seems the raison d'être of this ad is to drill the difference between 'great' and 'interesting' into our minds—and the constant repetition of these words starts grating on your nerves. In the process, what gets lost is the opportunity to showcase a unique offering from Fiat. The film, though stylishly shot, is anything but interesting—see how banal a word that is? “Cool, hip people” having oodles of fun has become a trope in advertising and this one's no different.”
Nima Namchu, Chief Creative Officer, Cheil India, too feels the same way. “While I get the objective and what the team is trying to do here, I found the commercial rather dull. “Great just became interesting” was probably the brief and, in my opinion, shouldn’t have been transplanted onto the creative. “Interesting” itself is a rather weak word. If they couldn’t come up with a more exciting articulation, they should have definitely come up with more powerful and interesting visual interpretation,” he said.
“Perhaps the reason why I don’t find it impactful, or even differentiated, is the fact that the features that the commercial tries to persuade you to believe are really cool and cutting edge aren’t really impressive at all.”
Makers speak
“Most car advertisements in this segment typically sound very transactional and competitive. It's mostly about mileage, power, legroom, etc., which while being an important part of the decision making process, sometimes leave out the ‘experience’ of what it ‘feels’ to drive that car. We forget that cars are actually an extension of one’s personality. With the new communication for the Punto Evo, with it’s exciting new features and great Italian design pedigree (an intrinsic part of the Fiat lineage), we have tried to occupy the mind space of a discerning consumer who while being reassured of the 'basic asks' of a great car (obviously) also has a chance to have an 'interesting' driving experience with this Italian hatchback,” said Malvika Mehra, National Creative Director & Senior VP, Grey Worldwide India.
Dheeraj Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer, South & South East Asia, Grey group comments, “The challenge for Punto was to evolve its equity while retaining its strengths. We rooted the evolution in the changing archetype of the Indian man. The good boy has now become interesting. He has always been solid and intelligent, now he has added flair. The Indian geek today comes in coloured pants and spiked hair. This is also the shift that Punto as a car brand is going through. Punto has been a solid car, the new Punto Evo is made more interesting with a host of new features thereby adding new flair. Punto has evolved to Punto Evo in-line with the consumer, from being great to being interesting too.”
How the campaign impacts sales is yet to be seen, but industry experts are surely not ‘buying’ the campaign.
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 onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
TOP STORIES
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
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 onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
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 onInstagram, 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 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 onInstagram, 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
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 onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
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 onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
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 onInstagram, 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
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 onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp