 "My top five campaigns")
NESCAFE'S 'IT ALL STARTS ': It's not easy to laugh at yourself and it's certainly not easy to convert your weakness into your strength. The length of the film also played an important role in making this spot likable. I applaud the Nescafe team for resisting the trap of criticism of lengthy spots, yet keeping it simple and sweet.
KBC'S 'KOHIMA': Not so often, you see yourself as a victim of your own success. KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) after setting high standards in the past, finds it difficult to keep excelling in achieving greater heights year after year, effortlessly. Finding an issue, digging deep into an insight to reach a lofty ambition is a huge challenge. It's heartening to see a brand picking up a burning and politically not-so popular issue and evoking a national debate.
FORTUNE OIL'S 'GHAR KA KHANA': Great. Piyush (Pandey) did what he does best: Make you nod, smile and cry all at once. Brilliant piece of story-telling well-cast, and directed. Even this work did not escape the criticism of 'length'; undoubtedly, the best story of the year. Surely, I was missing my mother while watching this.
MUMBAI MIRROR'S 'HATED BY SOME THANKFULLY': The most courageous of all, this year. One cannot resist comparing with the earlier one 'I am Mumbai' campaign. It is not east to talk negative and burn the product in the last few seconds of the spot, even though the inference is all positive. After Onida's devil, no brand dared to go there. Bravo, Mumbai Mirror.
RAYMOND'S 'KNOWING WHEN TO LET GO': The most sensitive of all. Puts the brand back where it belongs: Perfect, flawless. If you have a teenage daughter you will understand what it means to let a teenage daughter go on her own, especially for a protective father. This one struck a deep cord with me.
KBC'S 'KOHIMA': Not so often, you see yourself as a victim of your own success. KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) after setting high standards in the past, finds it difficult to keep excelling in achieving greater heights year after year, effortlessly. Finding an issue, digging deep into an insight to reach a lofty ambition is a huge challenge. It's heartening to see a brand picking up a burning and politically not-so popular issue and evoking a national debate.
FORTUNE OIL'S 'GHAR KA KHANA': Great. Piyush (Pandey) did what he does best: Make you nod, smile and cry all at once. Brilliant piece of story-telling well-cast, and directed. Even this work did not escape the criticism of 'length'; undoubtedly, the best story of the year. Surely, I was missing my mother while watching this.
MUMBAI MIRROR'S 'HATED BY SOME THANKFULLY': The most courageous of all, this year. One cannot resist comparing with the earlier one 'I am Mumbai' campaign. It is not east to talk negative and burn the product in the last few seconds of the spot, even though the inference is all positive. After Onida's devil, no brand dared to go there. Bravo, Mumbai Mirror.
RAYMOND'S 'KNOWING WHEN TO LET GO': The most sensitive of all. Puts the brand back where it belongs: Perfect, flawless. If you have a teenage daughter you will understand what it means to let a teenage daughter go on her own, especially for a protective father. This one struck a deep cord with me.
The author is chief creative officer at SapientNitro India