Ads to entertain than hardsell

Advertisements no longer persuade. They are a form of entertainment, complete with its own codes of storytelling.

Presenting the Ad Review for 2006, Santosh Desai, MD and CEO, Future Brands, and former president, McKann Erickson commented that having spent the last few months outside the industry enabled him to comment on the industry, both as an insider as well as a bystander.

One disturbing trend was that brands which operate in the same category were becoming mirrors of each other. Using the example of the Dettol and Lifebuoy commercials, Desai said rather than expanding the territory by pushing it in opposite directions, these brands were narrowing it down by coming closer in terms of positioning. "Ads are getting too simplistic with the category promise becoming too generic," he said.

The other feature that stood out in 2006 was the almost complete absence of the rural consumer, except in social marketing campaigns or when a 'coffee-table' view India was being presented through shots of Rajasthan.

There was also a level of discomfort with sophisticated tasks that involved repositioning of a category or building a new category, felt Desai. Also, there was increasing importance on individual ads, pointing towards a gradual collapse of strategy.

Meanwhile, there has been tremendous improvement in the creative craft of ads said Desai. "There is depth in characterisation, as well as openness to new emotions which are making the ads more realistic," he said.

What also stood out in the past year, said Desai that while print as a medium was rapidly growing, it was being used with decreasing important.

"Today print is fast becoming irrelevant to the agency with very few companies planning strategic print campaigns," pointed out Desai while noting that most of the agency heads had grown in the profession at a time when print ruled.

The advertising in 2006 also reflected on the changing consumer. Be it the housewife for who the focus had shifted from her house to her own appearance with each part of the body now being improvable (volume mascara anyone?).

Social messages too had found their way into mainstream advertising (Surf Excel) but there was a thin line between the do-good advertising and exploitative advertising.