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In an age when newspapers and print advertisements no longer have the same impact or influence as they used to, ClearTrip’s interactive ad in a leading newspaper gives print a disruptive edge, blending the old and the contemporary seamlessly to provide readers with a unique and fascinating experience. 

<strong>What's the big idea:</strong> With the onset of the festive season, brands are offering extensive and attractive offers and discounts on their products and services to cater to a larger consumer base. ClearTrip, a company focused on providing the best deals for travellers on flight tickets and hotel stays, saw an opportunity here. They released their own print ad which had a small QR code attached to it. 

ClearTrip created a micro-site which opened once the QR code was scanned. With the help of this micro-site, you could scan any advertisement in the newspaper that offered what would seem like a steal-deal. Upon scanning the ads, you would be redirected to ClearTrip’s website where an airline ticket or the price of a hotel stay would be shown at the same or similar bargain rate. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Have you seen our print ad today? We hijacked the festive season &amp; turned every sale into a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cleartrip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cleartrip</a> ad. The QR code on the ad takes you to a webpage where you can scan any product <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ad</a> in the newspaper to unlock insane travel offers on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cleartrip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cleartrip</a> for the price of that product. <a href="https://t.co/s5wEo8r5kY">pic.twitter.com/s5wEo8r5kY</a></p>&mdash; Cleartrip (@Cleartrip) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cleartrip/status/1573198585478500352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For example, if an e-commerce brand is offering an expensive phone worth Rs.50000 at a 50% discount, upon scanning you would be shown a hotel in India or abroad that has slashed its rates by almost 50%. 

Similarly, if you spot the price of a smartwatch discounted to Rs.6000, upon scanning you would be redirected to an airline ticket to an exotic destination worth the same amount. 

<strong>The guerilla factor:</strong> A smart move by the brand of using not just the traditional newspaper but also the modern smartphone in tandem to market its services.  

A fabulous idea, brilliantly executed by the agency - Talented, proving that even traditional media has scope to be disruptive and interactive and can be equally fun, if used innovatively.

<strong>Ad-jackers:</strong> Newspapers and print, though comparatively less consumed in this digital age, can still be as relevant as before if used thoughtfully. Cleartrip's almost guerilla tactic of hijacking other brands' festive quarter advertising, certainly makes it a standout-campaign in the seasonal ad clutter. 



Clutter-breakers: Cleartrip's guerilla-esque ad that uses QR codes and print

Almost 16 years after launch, online travel agent Cleartrip has undergone a brand revamp. The company, which was acquired by Flipkart in 2021, has revealed a new brand identity and logo as a first step toward the brand's next growth phase.

At its core, the company said that the new brand identity represents the company’s refreshed customer-focused approach to enable an easy hassle-free travel journey and encourage customers to travel more. 

The new logo, while retaining its iconic element, stays true to the brand’s mission of making every travel dream a reality. Showcasing optimism, the tick breaks out of the box opening out unbound opportunities to travel.

<strong>Taking the brand narrative forward</strong>

In a conversation with Storyboard18, Kunal Dubey, chief marketing officer, Cleartrip, says that after the acquisition by Flipkart in 2021, the company has restarted its journey with huge ambitions attached with it.

“The pandemic has changed the whole perspective on travel itself. Also, when we look at the category, OTA has largely been the same and this was the motivation for us to relook at building the brand Cleartrip. We had to take a call on whether we would like to be just another booking agent or serve the customers through innovative products, service and hence gain trust,” he shares.

Dubey says that the new brand identity is only the first step towards steering Cleartrip to take a huge chunk of India’s travel market.

“Cleartrip is not a new brand and it has a huge brand equity. Almost one third of our base is still organic and every small intervention that we make on the brand side has given us extremely positive results. All our research shows that Cleartrip commands brand loyalty in the market, he says.  

The idea of the revamp is to build an image that aligns with the company's future goal of making every travel dream a reality. Hence, "we chose to retain the iconic tick mark, however subtly breaking the box that signifies our core thought of making travel inbound,” Dubey adds.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/Cleartrip-New-Logo.png" alt="" width="586" height="160" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1970" />

<strong>Addressing consumer travel anxieties</strong>

In a post-pandemic world, Dubey says that people do not take travel for granted anymore. Hence, Cleartrip’s intention is to address consumer’s uncertainties, fears and anxieties. 

The company is currently working on a festive campaign which will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“We are a digital first brand and most of our marketing efforts are digital heavy including martech solutions such as personalization, programmatic and even serving on TV through connected TV,” Dubey says.

In terms of travel trends, Dubey says that in today’s post-covid scenario, the booking window has shrunk across both air and hotel categories. In hotels, the company is witnessing over 50 percent bookings coming in a week before check-in.

“One interesting trend to note includes the length of stay has become longer along with an increase in the count of people in a booking. With respect to the air business, in addition to the quantum of domestic pent-up demand growing, we are seeing a continuous upward trajectory of growth in our international business as well. However, there are certain routes like India and USA where capacity is less than the demand,” he notes.

“The new brand identity had to reflect and deliver to the demands of the consumer and be more energetic, young and dynamic meant for all kinds of travel and travellers," shared design agency Clay that worked on Cleartrip’s new identity. 

"The refreshed design expresses the resurgence that the market will hopefully take to, with a confluence of a reworked identity in a bright orange and white, a more dynamic and free tick mark that breaks all boundaries,” the company added. 

Launched in July 2006, Cleartrip India Pvt was acquired by Flipkart in April 2021 and subsequently, Adani Enterprises acquired a significant minority stake in Cleartrip in October 2021.


Travel 2022: Why did Cleartrip change its logo design?

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>MuscleBlaze - Ladies Who Lift</strong>

<strong>Agency: In-house</strong>

<iframe title="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tjzziDz3Qmo" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Surprisingly even a two minute spot can be fun if made well. This new campaign titled Ladies Who Lift (#LWL), by MuscleBlaze is an interesting one. Conceptualized and executed by an all women in-house crew, the ad shows women from all walks of life who don’t live by conventional expectations. The campaign creates a progressive narrative around the spirit of ‘Zidd’ portraying women at their stubborn best when it comes to choosing the kind of life they want for themselves. The catchy number ‘Ni Aar Di’ is the cherry on the cake. This one blazes all the way to the top.

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Paytm First Games</strong>

<iframe title="Play Rummy on First Games and Win Cash!" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hFZXTALBWkg" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

To promote the game of Rummy, Paytm First Games brought Fukrey famed actors Richa Chadha and Varun Sharma in its latest ad. The 30-seconders feature the actors indulging in a fun shayari (a form of poetry) to communicate how First Games is akin to having the best rummy gaming experience, comparing the experience to combinations such as Butter-Chicken combo or No Ball-Free Hit. The campaign is relatable and is likely to engage viewers.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Vadilal Ice Cream</strong>

<strong>Agency: Mullen Lintas</strong>

<iframe title="Har Moment Ko Right Kar with Vadilal Ice creams! Ft. Ranveer Singh" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzVnqZ2GKYY" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Vadilal’s new ad featuring Ranveer Singh follows the tropes of a typical celebrity campaign. Singh, true to his personality, appears in a brightly coloured attire mimicking the shades of a cassata ice-cream at a party. Calling himself a slice of cassata he starts gyrating to the – ‘lick it, bite it, right it!’ jingle while distributing the brand’s ice-cream variants to the party guests. It’s a clear case of the celebrity overshadowing the brand in the spot, viewers are likely to remember Singh’s bizarre fuzzy outfit and crazy moves, not the ice-cream unfortunately.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Country Delight - Oil is Well.</strong>

<iframe title="Oil is Well" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NtrxKD64atA" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

A traffic jam - petrol in a well - curious cat - Country Delight. A roundabout way to drive a straight message. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth.’ Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has happened in this case. Country Delight has a value driven product, a coconut that guarantees two full glasses of water. However, this core message gets lost amidst all the din and commotion. The traffic jam and the loud sound of cars honking, followed by a loud conversation between the two main characters, constant pumping sound of the well and background music that is very unpleasant to the ears, left us eagerly searching for some harmony in all the chaos. Adding to all this was an unclear product shot. The best part about this ad was its short duration. All of the above points, if it isn’t clear already, resulted in us awarding this spot a big, huge MEH.

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Cleartrip - #MeantForMore</strong>

<iframe title="Cleartrip International Flights | #MeantForMore" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cx63ypMxTmU" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Online travel aggregator Cleartrip’s latest ad film is high on reliability. Stand-up comedian, Biswa, narrates the brand’s insight which is, passports are meant for more than just being an identification proof document, in a cheeky way. Biswa is seen submitting his passport as identification proof for a home loan to a bank officer. The passport then personifies itself and calls out that its job is to travel and not be an ID proof. It talks about the dreams that it has, from adding autographs of immigration officers to scuba diving in the Maldives. Cute writing. The passport demands respect and recognition of its purpose, that is to explore the world. And then we get the sell - Cleartrip’s offers for international flights. The brand hits the spot by converting a sharp insight into smart advertising with a layer of humour.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Swiggy - Big Birthday Bash</strong>

<strong>Agency – In House</strong>

<iframe title="Swiggy Instamart - Our birthday. Your surprise!" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ISAu342jRGY" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<iframe title="Swiggy's Big Birthday Bash is here!" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8gtd5TDOoAw" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<iframe title="Swiggy's Big Birthday Bash is here!" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0hdHC8eL9TE" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

This is the third Khali ad that we are calling out in the last two months. Before you send us angry emojis, hear us out. Everyone enjoys a bite of Swiggy’s topical advertising. However, this one was bland. The food delivery platform collaborated with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star The Great Khali to celebrate their respective birthdays. The Great Khali and Swiggy will be turning 50 and eight, respectively, this year. Is that insightful enough to drive a big campaign? We aren’t sure. Talking about the ads in the campaign, it lacks that “Swiggyness” we’ve come to expect from the brand. It’s forcefully quirky. Also, this might be a good time to find more creative ways to deploy the Great Khali in advertising.

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Shopsy - Aaj Shopsy Kiya Kya? Har Din Aisa Sale Jaisa</strong>

<strong>Agency: Tilt Brand Solutions</strong>

<iframe title="Aaj Shopsy Kiya Kya? Har Din Aisa Sale Jaisa | Sara Ali Khan" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hv2nzg_l0pA" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

This commercial is in some ways the holy grail of advertising - relatable, informative and entertaining. It is a known fact that most wait for the sale season to drop so they can splurge. Shopsy’s ‘Aaj Shopsy Kiya Kya? Har Din Aisa Sale Jaisa’ captures that sentiment in an entertaining manner. The brand got the casting spot on, with the three characters in the film portrayed by talented actors. This spot is an early antidote to what we expect will be a season of ads that read and feel like a dull catalog of offers.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>JSW Paints - Think Beautiful</strong>

<strong>Agency: TBWA India</strong>

<iframe title="JSW Paints - Independence day | Think Beautiful Film" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLKaEo1O9RE" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

If people have watched the critically acclaimed movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, they will be able to relate it with JSW Paints’ ‘Think Beautiful’ commercial. A paan chewing biker repeatedly spits on a wall where it's clearly mentioned that one should not spit. A paint shop owner quietly goes about painting over the paan stains. This quiet act of resistance has no effect on the actions of the person spitting. The paint shop owner paints the colors of the Indian flag on the wall. This stops the man in his tracks as he’s just about to smear the wall with paan juice again.

The ad garnered lots of attention in a sea of I-day ads. Most were positive and some were critical of the theme. The big question was around the moral of the story in the ad. Do we need to paint symbols all over the country for Indians to develop a civic sense?

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>ResMed - Awaken Your Best Film | Baba Sehgal x ResMed India</strong>

<strong>Agency: Bang In The Middle</strong>

<iframe title="Awaken Your Best Film | Baba Sehgal x ResMed India" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DLyzgN_IKEQ" width="885" height="498" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Are musical ads back? Porter's delivery song and dance from last week, and ResMed's sleep song by India's OG rapper Baba Sehgal, makes us believe they are. This is such a smart use of a celebrity in an ad. The song has ear-worm-like qualities, the writing is top notch and every scene has something interesting going on, like the guy asleep at the coffee machine of all places. You certainly won’t snooze or skip this one.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>HDFC Bank - Vigil Aunty</strong>

<strong>Agency: Kinnect</strong>

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MFkGKrECcvE" title="Origin Story of Vigil Aunty | HDFC Bank" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In a bizarre twist, this big HDFC Bank campaign that talks about fraud detection and prevention is being accused of plagiarism. It's accused of lifting ‘Vigil Aunty’ from author and artist Appupen's character that was created in 2016 for the Indie satire comic called Halahala. But, keeping that aside for the sake of this review, the campaign is still not hitting the right chords for us. While the story of Vigil Aunty’s origin has a good flow and is fun to watch, what’s missing, especially in this film, is an explanation of her existence. Is this an attempt to make a public service campaign or does this open a window to a larger brand purpose? We are still scratching our heads. What is also off the mark is how the narrative is weaved around stereotypes. The usage of veshti and vibuthi because the character from a Southern town made us facepalm. 

<strong>Watched a Mast or Meh ad recently? Tell us about it.</strong>

<strong>Share your picks and reviews with us at <a href="mailto:Storyboard18@nw18.com">Storyboard18@nw18.com</a> and, if we think your review is Mast, we'll publish it.</strong>

Mast & Meh: Swiggy, Shopsy, JSW Paints, Vadilal, Cleartrip, ResMed, Paytm, Country Delight

CLEARTRIP