Mast & Meh: Spotify, SUGAR, Tata Capital, Byju’s, Vicks, Jar

MAST

FITTR - Get Ready to #BreakYourBarriers

Agency: In-house

It doesn’t have to be Woman’s Day or Mother’s Day to celebrate the power of womanhood. Fortunately, brands have taken to that trend. FITTR’s new #BreakYourBarriers campaign showcases the importance of mothers setting positive examples for their children. The spot shows a mother-daughter duo who fight back against street harassment. The brand aims to inspire and motivate women to break through mental, psychological and physical barriers. It does a decent job of delivering a metaphorical knock-out punch. A neat and fit ad.

MEH

SUGAR Cosmetics - #ShukarHaiSUGARHai

The latest commercial from SUGAR Cosmetics is increasingly dramatized and poorly written. The 360-degree #ShukarHainSUGARHain campaign stars Ranveer Singh and Tamannaah Bhatia along with the founder of the brand, Vineeta Singh. Singh’s presence in the ad adds zero value. The buzz around Shark Tank, although very prominent for a while, has died down. While people have moved on from the show, the judges seem to still be in a hangover assuming they add a glam factor to everything they are a part of. The no-transfer lipstick is a great product but it has many more advantages than keeping a boyfriend’s cheek clean. It would have been great to see some of the other, slightly more important and sellable ones too. This ad, we're afraid, tanked in our view.

MAST

Spotify - Podcasts Pe Suna

Agency: Leo Burnett India

Podcasts are the next big thing and Spotify wants you to believe it. From investing in knowledge to science related trivia, Spotify's new series of campaigns, ‘Podcast Pe Suna’ promotes engaging with and listening to the popular audio format. The three ad spots feature a banter between two brothers, where the younger one enlightens the elder brother (played by Kota factory fame actor Jitender Kumar) about the many benefits of podcasting. The dynamic between the siblings is fun to watch, is relatable to a great many people and is absolutely entertaining. A ‘Mast’ watch in our opinion.

MEH

Tata Capital - Moneyfy | Ek Ungli Se Make Investing Easy

Agency: Infectious Advertising

Tata Capital's efforts for 'fitting in’ with their new ads for its wealth management app, Moneyfy, that target Gen Z have their hearts in the right place. The execution, however, definitely makes them stand out, unfortunately, not in a good way. The digital films highlight that the mobile-first generation carry out most tasks online, be it ordering food, dating or staying connected with friends or family. They can also secure their future through Moneyfy. While the messaging is apt for the new generation, the background narration by God himself makes the campaign seem dated and boring. Something that would hardly hold Gen Z's attention.

MAST

Byju’s - Student Forever | Teachers’ Day

Agency: In-house agency

They say, ‘Curiosity kills the cat’ but millions saw the apple fall and only Newton asked why. In the spot, a teacher has lost track of time correcting papers. As the ad progresses, it showcases the teacher’s never ending curiosity and desire to learn, be it listening to a science podcast or learning how to play games on a mobile phone. The ad successfully advocates that there is no right age to learn something new. The key takeaway is that curiosity is a companion that’ll accompany you for a lifetime. The commercial stands out for its realistic depiction of the concept of learning and shows how sometimes a teacher too needs to become a student to learn something new in order to teach it to a classroom. A good one from the edtech major.

MEH

Vicks - Vicks Roll-on Inhaler Traffic Cop

Agency: Publicis Singapore

Will there ever be a change in the narrative or the script for ads by Vicks? Possibly, but not today. The recent ad, starring actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Ranveer Singh, presents the same formulaic piece of content that we’ve been seeing for what feels like a thousand years. Singh in typical fashion, is suffering from a blocked nose and headache. His forehead appears long and his nose is red and swollen. Prabhu, who is a traffic police officer, gives him a Vicks Roll-on that gives him immediate relief. A successfully conveyed message via a bland script and two high-profile celebrities that add no additional value. The ad would’ve had the same impact even with two far less popular actors. Would’ve saved a ton of money too. Next time, perhaps consider spending money on the script, something that might actually prove useful. Creativity blocked, perhaps.

MAST

Jar - #Bachao - Jar App Pe

Agency: Spring Marketing Capital

The other three ads:

What do you call a fourth after a hat-trick? Jar’s latest addition to what was a brilliant round of three Bollywood inspired ads, doesn’t fall short. Divyendu Sharma who reprises his role as Munna Bhaiya from Mirzapur is seen bringing unmatchable swag and boss-like attitude to this spot. We see a man asking the waiter at a restaurant to keep the change as a tip, as anyone would. At this point, Munna Bhaiya enters with his gang of goons and in true Mirzapur fashion tells him to invest that change in gold on the Jar app instead of tipping it away. Every element in this ad contributed equally in bringing out the surprising ‘good samaritan’ in him. Great visuals, outstanding choice of background music and a very well thought out script is what awards this spot and all others a MAST in our books.

MAST

Himalaya Wellness Company | Let Kids Be Kids

Agency: 82.5 Communications

The core of this commercial is simple to understand and has a clean, direct message. The hand wash brand wants your kids to go out and play in the mud, build small kennels for stray puppies, make clay art, repair their cycles, help you in the kitchen, all with their bare hands. It’s a good reminder for parents who think an easy way to engage kids is to give them access to digital screens. However, we wish the brand cut down on its plug time towards the end of the film because stretching the duration of presenting the logo seemed a little unwarranted and unnecessary. Overall a good ad that users may not want to skip.

MEH

Aisle | Nothing Casual About This Dating App

The latest ad spots from, Aisle, addresses everyday issues of women on dating apps which range form irritating to horrific. These films are insight-driven. However, our question to the makers is, when you say “'Let's Get Real”, what do you really mean? What do you have to offer? For someone watching the ad for the first time, how is the brand any different? Also, what’s the reason for not showing men’s point of view on dating apps? This campaign had the potential to be a Mast watch but we guess the core idea got caught in its own trap.