 "\"We retired the devil that had become the darling of the masses\"")
Why it is my best campaign
Having spent more than nine years in advertising, with two stints at McCann Erickson, it is very tough choosing one piece of work as my best from the bouquet of work. Besides, as most of it was teamwork, I don't even know how many of the ads can be credited as entirely my work. It is always a collective effort - sometimes just a casually uttered word by someone else can result in the birth of an idea or route.
So among Nerolac, Marico's Shanti Amla, The Mobile Store, Vaseline, NDTV and many other brands I have been associated with, the most challenging campaign I worked on was Onida. The challenge lay in bidding adieu to the iconic Devil and yet finding an unconventional way to re-brand Onida to project a more youthful image.
Brief to the agency
Problems and challenges
The 'Devil', the trusted old warhorse in Onida's advertising stable, was not evil - rather, he was a darling of the masses. It is not easy to say goodbye to a mascot that has ruled hearts and minds of owners and their neighbours for almost 20 years. But the Devil had got more than his due, and in the face of changing consumer tastes he had to be retired. The old tagline, "Neighbours envy, owner's pride", too, was outdated. For the new consumer-focused campaign, it was Prasoon Joshi who came up with the solution in the form of the new tagline "Tumko dekha toh ye design aaya".
Routes considered
An idea that would erase the memories of the Onida Devil was a tough ask. After months of brainstorming and research, and after considering routes like "Designs inspired by nature" and "Designed around you", we finally zeroed in on "Designed with you in mind". The protagonists were a newly married working couple in a metro and the stories revolved around their lives and the role Onida played in it. Unlike earlier, this time Onida was not just a TV...there was microwave, washing machine, AC, DVD player, LCD and, later, even mobile phone.
Route chosen and why
'Product designed around you' or 'Tumko dekha toh ye design aaya' was chosen with the new generation of consumers in mind. Twenty years ago, when the market was not as crowded, the TV category didn't have much competition. In those days just owning a television set was a matter of pride and people liked to show off their TV. The "Neighbour's envy, owner's pride" advertising played on this mindset to position Onida as the TV to show off.
The new commercials featured a married couple, Siddharth and Ritu. The microwave oven ad shows Ritu suggesting that Siddharth cook for guests. He happily obliges, thanks to the 'one-touch auto cook menu' feature of their Onida microwave. In the LCD TV ad, Siddharth is seen re-arranging family pictures on the wall, much to Ritu's dismay, to make space for a home theatre system for the new LCD TV. The commercial then shows how an Onida LCD TV, which comes with a home theatre bar, there is no need for additional speakers. The DVD player ad shows Siddharth pulling a fast one on Ritu, telling her that she is on air. Ritu, who excitedly calls up her mother, soon finds out that her husband has merely inserted an SD card into the player. In the fourth commercial, the couple is seen playing hosts once again to Siddharth's friends, who soil the pillow covers with food. Ritu then tells her friend how it is her husband's turn to wash. The washing machine features a wider and taller drum.
The outcome
The new ads did meet their share of resistance from the Devil loyalists but were well received by the youth, especially the newly married, as the campaign was based on consumer insights and the product designed to address specific needs.
Will it work today?
Who doesn't like to be personally addressed, pampered and taken care of individually? When you talk to someone one-on-one, it always works as long as the message is conveyed clearly.
Having spent more than nine years in advertising, with two stints at McCann Erickson, it is very tough choosing one piece of work as my best from the bouquet of work. Besides, as most of it was teamwork, I don't even know how many of the ads can be credited as entirely my work. It is always a collective effort - sometimes just a casually uttered word by someone else can result in the birth of an idea or route.
So among Nerolac, Marico's Shanti Amla, The Mobile Store, Vaseline, NDTV and many other brands I have been associated with, the most challenging campaign I worked on was Onida. The challenge lay in bidding adieu to the iconic Devil and yet finding an unconventional way to re-brand Onida to project a more youthful image.
Brief to the agency
Also Read
To get the Devil out of the consumers' minds. People had become more individualistic, the company realised, and consumers were no longer influenced or affected by their neighbours' choices alone. They have their own space, own taste and own identity. The new Onida wanted to fit into their lifestyle by understanding their latent needs and deliver products with designs and features that cater to them.
Problems and challenges
The 'Devil', the trusted old warhorse in Onida's advertising stable, was not evil - rather, he was a darling of the masses. It is not easy to say goodbye to a mascot that has ruled hearts and minds of owners and their neighbours for almost 20 years. But the Devil had got more than his due, and in the face of changing consumer tastes he had to be retired. The old tagline, "Neighbours envy, owner's pride", too, was outdated. For the new consumer-focused campaign, it was Prasoon Joshi who came up with the solution in the form of the new tagline "Tumko dekha toh ye design aaya".
Routes considered
An idea that would erase the memories of the Onida Devil was a tough ask. After months of brainstorming and research, and after considering routes like "Designs inspired by nature" and "Designed around you", we finally zeroed in on "Designed with you in mind". The protagonists were a newly married working couple in a metro and the stories revolved around their lives and the role Onida played in it. Unlike earlier, this time Onida was not just a TV...there was microwave, washing machine, AC, DVD player, LCD and, later, even mobile phone.
Route chosen and why
'Product designed around you' or 'Tumko dekha toh ye design aaya' was chosen with the new generation of consumers in mind. Twenty years ago, when the market was not as crowded, the TV category didn't have much competition. In those days just owning a television set was a matter of pride and people liked to show off their TV. The "Neighbour's envy, owner's pride" advertising played on this mindset to position Onida as the TV to show off.
The new commercials featured a married couple, Siddharth and Ritu. The microwave oven ad shows Ritu suggesting that Siddharth cook for guests. He happily obliges, thanks to the 'one-touch auto cook menu' feature of their Onida microwave. In the LCD TV ad, Siddharth is seen re-arranging family pictures on the wall, much to Ritu's dismay, to make space for a home theatre system for the new LCD TV. The commercial then shows how an Onida LCD TV, which comes with a home theatre bar, there is no need for additional speakers. The DVD player ad shows Siddharth pulling a fast one on Ritu, telling her that she is on air. Ritu, who excitedly calls up her mother, soon finds out that her husband has merely inserted an SD card into the player. In the fourth commercial, the couple is seen playing hosts once again to Siddharth's friends, who soil the pillow covers with food. Ritu then tells her friend how it is her husband's turn to wash. The washing machine features a wider and taller drum.
The outcome
The new ads did meet their share of resistance from the Devil loyalists but were well received by the youth, especially the newly married, as the campaign was based on consumer insights and the product designed to address specific needs.
Will it work today?
Who doesn't like to be personally addressed, pampered and taken care of individually? When you talk to someone one-on-one, it always works as long as the message is conveyed clearly.