Say Nothing yet Be Heard!!!!
Communication is a requirement of nature. Every living organism communicates in some form or other. Two atoms communicate to form a molecule, molecules communicate, cells communicate, plants communicate and animals communicate. Some communicate by touch others by sound, but every one communicates. Communication is a means by which we send and receive information or messages.
Why do we at all need to communicate?
We communicate to share our knowledge or feelings or may be our problems. And when we are trying to communicate to masses on some product, we are trying to advertise that product. In very simple words we can say that advertisement is a media by which an organization promotes, markets or advertises its products or services to the general mass, by means of print, hoardings, banners, audio or video or may be the Television.
By saying -
'Surf is the BEST Washing Powder' - I am advertising the Washing powder.
It can also be -
'I use SURF to wash my clothes, Do you?'
or may be -
'Washes sparkling white,
Keeps hand light,
Surf, That's Right.'
All the three phrases are promoting the washing powder but all the three will have different impact on the consumer. The most appropriate advertisement or Ad for short would be the one that increases the sale or market of the product. And that's the bottom idea of any Ad. But the Ad has to reach out to the people, for whom it is made. If any dumbo comes to me saying 'This is the BEST', why should I accept it? I know what's good for me. That's the general idea, and it's this challenge each advertisement has to face. There are millions of Hoardings on the roads we hardly notice but there are a few, which catches our eye, and that's why they are better. At times it's the picture, which is beautiful. Sometimes its the caption, that sounds interesting or there are times when the entire concept is unique and that's why they stand out in the crowd.
The scenario is similar for television Ads as well. How many of us honestly watch TV Ads. Whenever an Ad pops up we simply switch channels, all credits to the remote control. How irritated we get when in between two important cricket match over, Amir Khan with sparkling smile tells us 'Thanda matlab Coca Cola'. I just feel like giving him a nice one. I know what Thanda means, and also know that when one is really thirsty, its only water that helps...
But yet there are Ads that draws attention, and it forces one to give it a glance, may be just once but still one can't ignore it. It was some television program that I was watching and a face of a woman in black and white wearing wedding gown with tearful eyes popped up, a serene music accompanied it. First I thought may be its some new program that's combing up so didn't switch channels. But it was followed by few more such black and white frames. I thought might be some Ad campaign for UNO, UNICEF or CRY or may be some NGO. I was totally surprised to see AIRTEL in the last frame. I wanted to rewind and play it again but it was not possible, for almost a week I searched through all the channels to take a second glimpse but failed, may be my timing was bad. But at last I was successful and caught up with this Ad.
So simple it was, so well it communicated, such little it said but it made it heard.
Even long after the Ad was off the screen I could visualize the frames -
1. A women in wedding gown, with tears in eyes - Say Yes, the Ad said.
I know in such situations, every girl has a lump on her throat as she realizes that all her childhood relations are coming to a halt and she is tying a knot with new relations. So difficult it is to say Yes in such conditions. But Girls do say Yes.
2. A riot scene, people charging at each other - Say No
We don't want riots, hatred, killings; all we aspire for is peace, love, and friendship. Of course when it is bloodshed it has to be NO.
3. Two people sitting at two ends of the sofa - Say Something
Yes unless we break silence, how do we communicate our feelings, our problems, differences, or our agonies? So we must Say Something.
4. A graveyard, a drizzle, a man holding a bunch of flowers in his hand - Say Nothing
At times even silence speak, when sound fail to communicate, its the silence that says a lot. So Say Nothing.
5. The camera zooms to multiple TV frames, Sachin with a raised bat, acknowledging the ovation from the crowd. - Inspire
Yes its from our daily heroes we take inspirations. By observing our heroes achieve in life, a signal of inspiration is communicated to our brains. Sachin is just an icon symbolizing the mass.
6. Three young girls sitting in a restaurant, whispering to each other and sharing some secret - Conspire
An idle man's mind is a devil's workshop, and when it's three, it's a conspiration in the making. Isn't it? Even to conspire we need to communicate.
7. In the sea beach bench, a kid whispers to an elderly man - Confess
We can confide only on people we trust the most and we need to communicate in such cases too.
8. A crowd thronging out from the gates of a stadium, with flags and banners, for a cause to - Celebrate
Every victory in life small or big calls for a celebration. We must share, acknowledge and communicate our happiness with our friends and family.
9. A football match, two players pleading to the referee - Negotiate
Yes even when we have to negotiate on matters in life we need to communicate. We need more than one means of communication in such situations.
10. A pair of hands trying to - Speak Up
At times, when language fails, it's our hands or eyes or even face that speak up. We communicate through them. Our eyes talk, our face reveals and our hands speak.
11. A gathering of mainly kids holding candles in their hands - Speak Out
You don't always have to fight, shout or scream to make yourself heard. At times a group in silence when move for a unique cause, Speak Out and reveal a lot.
12. A little soul praying with folded hands beside the bed - Be Heard
And finally all that you communicated is being heard, and is being heard by the Almighty, who else can give us all the solutions or is it -
13. AIRTEL - Express Yourself
So little words, simple text with meaningful visualization of the picture, a solemn music communicates the need for communication and conveys very smartly that the media for communication in the age of cellular communication is AIRTEL.
I have heard many people complaining about the music of this Ad. A common feeling is that the music is very serene, morose or sad. But I feel if it had not been this music, the Ad wouldn't have been able to build up the requirement or necessity for communication and since the product or service connected to this Ad is a related to communication, so it was necessary to create a need for communication or the product or service.
At the end AIRTEL has Expressed itself and is Being Heard.
I don't know, in what way this Ad has helped AIRTEL in terms of financial growth, increase in new consumers or customers, new memberships but undoubtedly this AIRTEL Ad has brought about a huge wave in the sea of advertisement and in the hearts and minds of many viewers.
Comments are more than welcomed....
