Dissecting the Appeal behind Advertisements that have Gone Viral in India

Success in branding and advertising is something that is rooted in psychology.  It is about appealing to the right emotions, playing on feelings and triggering interest in the target market.  No matter how much one dwells on the theory of advertising and branding, there is no denying the fact that an “appealing” ad is one that gets everything right if it piques curiosity, strikes the right chord and solves a problem.

Here is a look at the appeal behind India’s most viral ad campaigns in recent times…

Airtel

Ever since Airtel launched its friendship based ad campaign, people from all walks of life just can’t seem to stop humming the tune…“Kyon ki har ek friend zaroori hota hai”.  Aimed at a young Indian audience, the ad propounds the importance of every sort of friend in one’s life; the campaign has managed to charm Indian audiences, young and old alike.

The key to the success of this campaign lies in its very hummable tune, its picturisation and the friendship theme that everyone can identify.  The success of the appeal lies in the indisputable fact of life, that we need all sorts of friends to add the zing and spice to our lives. 

Nissan Sunny

Nissan set out to position its latest offering, Sunny as a “CAAAAR”.  The way in which the characters in the ad refer to the “CAAAAR” is enough to let audiences know that this car is different.  It’s big, spacious and is one big style statement too!

As a teacher of advertising I would say this ad positions the product very well and gets the message across in a simple yet not so simple way that keeps audiences interested to know…what’s the deal on the “CAAAAR”?

Flipkart

Kids are the new target market for everyone who wants to sell almost anything…be it books, toys, garments, shoes.  So here is an ad campaign that exploits the “kiddy” angle to its advantage, Flipkart, India’s fastest growing online merchandiser has audiences eating out of their hands with its clever, sweet and fresh advertising campaign.

The stars of the ad campaign aren’t cricketers or film stars, they are regular kids who talk like adults and end the advertisement on a kiddish note.  Whether it’s the two little girls who are getting their hair and nails done at the salon talking about their boyfriend’s advice to buy on Flipkart or the two boys playing grownups setting “Ring-a-ring-a roses” as a classic ring tone, Flipkart manages to make a statement…buying from them is the obvious choice, even kids know how simple and obvious it is!

ICICI Prudential

Money woes, planning for the future, investment decisions that aren’t simple…the stuff adult life is made of.  The magic of mascots in advertising has been around for some time now and when your mascot is something real, easy to identify and connect with, it becomes all the more easy to relate to.

Chintamani, the simpleton who has the solution for all your financial queries is at the star of the ICICI advertisements.  The predicament copy used in the campaign is ideal as it puts forth a problem and then throws up a solution.  All in a day’s work for Chintamani!

All four of these campaigns have an underlying appeal and that is the secret of their success.

[The article has been written by Mariam Noronha. She is a teacher with over eight years of experience. She has taught a wide range of Management related subjects and has authored and presented papers at national and international seminars and conferences. An avid reader, researcher, writer and blogger; she has authored numerous articles in the fiction, web writing and travel writing genre. ]