#BlastFromThePast is Storyboard18’s weekly column where we ask young creative professionals to pick old ads that they replay time and again, spots that give them writing inspiration, and commercials that never get old. This week Israa Khan, associate vice president – brand solutions, Thought Blurb Communications, writes about the impact iconic ads of Amul, Dhara Cooking Oil, and Fevikwik had on her and the industry.
Read on.
Amul Doodh Doodh Jingle
In the 90s, when most kids of my age were craving Cola, I was craving for milk. This ad is the reason – The dhoodh dhoodh jingle. The ad was so melodious, the rhythm so catchy and the visuals so happy that it made a little child like me yearn for milk. In spite of it being a long jingle, I never wished for a skip button when it appeared in between my shows. Instead, I danced and hummed to the tune of the jingle. That’s the power of this ad.
The amazing thing is that in spite of so many decades having gone by, the jingle is still relevant, and the lyrics are still stuck in my mind. It appeals to any kid listening to it even today and I’m sure some of these kids like me must be seeing it and asking their mothers for milk.
Or, better still, not complaining when their mothers offer them milk. All because this rhythm is playing in their heads. Today, when it comes to briefing my creative teams or film directors or jingle writers, I always keep in mind the simplicity of this jingle and use it as a reference. This one is surely timeless!
Dhara Cooking Oil
The image of a four-year-old boy who runs away from home in a fit of pique but is coaxed back by the thought of his mother’s jalebis has touched a chord. Most of us won’t remember the brand name but the moment you say ‘Jalebi!’ the story will come back in a flash. As creative people, we all look for a sweet spot while scripting, while briefing the film maker or even while shooting the film.
The sweet spot of this ad is the child’s expression, the spark in his eyes when he exclaims ‘Jalebi’! which has stuck with all of us like sugar syrup to fingertips. That’s exactly what makes it iconic. For me, this ad is a successful marriage of two clichés: ‘home is where the heart is’ and ‘the way to a boy’s heart is through his stomach.’
Fevikwik
Humor has the power of breaking barriers. This Fevi Kwik ad proved the point having successfully captivated, connected and left a lasting impact even without saying a word, thus giving us more than just an element of humor to stick with us all these years.
Many times, we reject scripts merely because they are too plain vanilla and lack drama. The Fevi Kwik commercial is a great example of how execution can take an ad 10 notches higher. Born from a simple brief ‘Fevi Kwik sticks surfaces together almost immediately’ to penning down a bland film where a man comes to a lake, puts drops of Fevikwik on a stick, dips it into the water, we see Fish stick to it.
The man walks away with a catch to make it dramatic by casting a ‘propah’ man with an expensive fishing gear and another man dressed in a dhoti with just a Fevikwik and a funny South Indian accent.
In a world where we believe short format ads don’t work well for humor, this commercial proves the point that with the right storyline backed with excellent casting and performance followed by seamless product integration, the magic will happen in a ‘chutki’.