Team-BHP - Meaningless and/or ridiculous car adverts

I'm forgetting my decade old MBA marketing gyaan, but advertisements are of two kinds. One is the rationale-driven advertising, where you're trying to sell something to a discerning customer who cannot be easily spurred into action otherwise. The other kind entails a high-level, to-the-heart, emotional messaging to the customer who is already on the edge of action and can be spurred into action with an emotional nudge.

I don't see anything wrong with either. Horses for courses, i guess.

Those who used to buy a Safari a decade ago will have bought it based on their heart's desire, just like most who are are buying a Thar today.

For the strictly rational, calculative buyer who typically buys - say, a CNG hatchback - an emotionally appealing ad just won't do. They will definitely need an explanation of the fuel efficiency, the selling price of the car etc.

The worst thing for an ad is not being labelled bad or receiving criticism. The worst thing is being forgotten and no one discusses it.

The fact that so many on this thread have quoted the exact sequence of an ad or parts of the ad while putting it down is actually a win for the advertiser and the brand - recall!

Truly in advertising, showbiz, and politics, there is no such thing as bad publicity, just publicity. To really discourage a bad ad or a movie, just don't discuss it and let it fade from public consciousness.

I can think of the following:

1) Ad making agencies will have little or even zero knowledge of the car for which they're making an ad for! Basically if you don't know the subject and it's relevant history, there's zero chance you coming out with some content which makes sense.

2) OEMs who just makes ad just to get the info out. They wouldn't mind the ad content as long as the car they made has garnered their own confidence. Take Thar as an example from your list. Mahindra knew what it means for the people and their sales chart. So they cared zero to none to give a sign off on the content their ad agency would've made! I won't even go near Ciaz' ad you mentioned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnupamRoy (Post 5459889)

Honest question: Has anybody here watched an advert like this and thought, I can't live without owing this? :Frustrati

Yes almost all car ads left the same impression but there are a few adverts which need mention

Hero Honda CBZ (2001)

TATA Safari Reclaim your life

Bullet - Everybody makes way for the Bullet!!!

Skoda Rapid (2012), Dekho aaya mera yaar

Meaningless and/or ridiculous car adverts-ads_cbz.png

Meaningless and/or ridiculous car adverts-ads_safari.png

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Image Source: Respective commercials

Only 4 vehicle ads are stuck in my head since decades -

1. Dad is always in a good mood when driving his new Esteem.
2. Leander Paes for Ford Escort
3. LML (or was it a bajaj ad) where the kid has a city scape play set through which he imagines the dad driving his scooter. Loved the play set and the scooter.
4. bajaj scooty ad - Teaching his girl friend how to ride and she goes on to ditch him and gives a ride to a hitch hiker. Like its all in the game. All in the game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naetik30 (Post 5462427)

Only 4 vehicle ads are stuck in my head since decades -

Offtopic, but since we are talking ads stuck in the head.

A motorcycle advertisement in the early 2000s. A sniper lady tries to kill the guy in a motorcycle. He evades her, including one instance where he uses the ORVM to reflect sunlight onto her eyes. After a couple of such evading scenarios, she kinda plants a bomb in his motorcycle and smirks, but her convertible is the one to blast away.

Digged through whole of Youtube, yet cannot find that ad. :unhappy

Quote:

Originally Posted by DicKy (Post 5462442)

Probably TVS Fiero or something.

With regards advertising in general there are probably two broad aims

1. Convey the features of a product
2. Ensure product/brand recall

And it's not completely true that advertisers don't try to understand the product etc. A lot depends on what the clients convey to them and then their own experience of what catches an audience attention in that 10 to 15 seconds. From my interactions, even if limited, with media people, the aim is always to be the first brand/product someone recalls. I don't know how many here recollect the "puli raja" aids awareness campaign. The ad was very short and conveyed nothing, but was mighty successful because it made people talk about it and that's the aim.

From my memory Bajaj had best ads, be it Pulsar, Calibre, Wind etc. The Suzuki Samurai ad was also able to establish the bike as a no problem bike. And none can beat McDowells Men will be men ads.

[quote=AnupamRoy;
Cases in point below. I've forgotten the makes and models for a few of them, someone might be able to help. These are all adverts that are 'current'
4. (Tata EV make/model escapes me): Just a bunch of people in colourful clothing dancing in front of the cars in between shots of a vehicle speeding on a racing tracki[/QUOTE]

The one you're mentioning is of XUV 400, and not Tata . This was the only ad I was seeing during the whole FIFA world cup. And the Thar one, I liked the tone but racing to a volcano, defies all logic rl:

Advertisements are meant to sell dreams.
Why cars, when was the last time you saw a functional advertisement and remembered it?

If we really have to question the logic, check surf & daag acche hai, lux & fairness, santoor and youngness adverts, coke and happiness, mountain dew and fear...

That said, XUV 400 advert is just too busy... Thar too cheesy... Scorpio is the only one which made me stare at the product

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1m (Post 5462284)

Truly in advertising, showbiz, and politics, there is no such thing as bad publicity, just publicity.

So the adverts that companies are sometimes forced to recall and issue clarifications/apologies for due to massive public outcry/condemnation are still good publicity for them?