Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh...... Review on Asian Paints 'Wah Sunil Babu' commercial

All cricket fans unite. Let us burn down Asian Paints, or at least the people who designed this ad. Many years now have I been watching cricket and very rarely have I been so pissed off at an advertisement but I seriously do not know what it is about this ad that boils my blood. Now I realize that this is not really a product on which one requires a review but when I saw a category for reviews on ads in the media section I just couldn’t resist blasting the pants of this, one of the worst ads of all time. Now for all people unfamiliar with the ad under consideration I recommend a day of cricket watching for you. Unfailingly in all of India’s ODI’s we are treated to this monstrosity. And for some weird reason it generally comes just after an Indian batsman manages to get himself out (or maybe this ad is so evil that every time its about to be aired it gets a batsman out J, I cant say).

Before I get down to panning the ad I’d like to point out what I expect from an ad –

An advertisement is supposed to in a very short period build one’s respect for a company

It’s supposed to create a feeling of liking for the product and the manufacturer

Create a want for the product; maybe perk up your attention (c’mon we always change channels when the ads come on).

There are I’m sure many other requirements for an ad but these would seem to me (a layman) to be the basic requirements for all ads, I mean you do want me to purchase the goods right.

Now to the ad itself this is how it goes, we see a man on a bike congratulating Sunil babu on having a new house, a new car (a maruti esteem), and uh-hmm a new wife. Take 2 aforesaid dude on bike many yrs later compliments Sunil babu (now bald) on having a new house, then he goes to compliment him on his car but the car is now rusted and a piece of trash and so he tries to compliment him on a new wife but his wife is now a very fat woman, no longer beautiful as she once was, all this is supposed to mean that houses painted with Asian Paints last long.

Now the analysis –

The man on the bike is possibly one of the most annoying individuals in the country and his ‘Wah sunil babu’ comment makes me want to do the most painful things to him. Next how many people in the world come up to another and compliment on his new wife and then years later do the same thing. I mean who does that, do you expect a person to keep marrying every year or something. Another, my god man why would anyone allow a car to get into that condition and then still keep it on show for the whole world to see. Please gimme a break.

On the whole this ad is poorly made and creates an extremely poor impression on anybody who sees the ad. Even if you wanted to buy Asian Paints products after seeing this ad you would think once again, hehe.

Anorexics might want to use this ad to help them barf, no need to poke your fingers down your throats.

Finally a tidbit, Maruti sued Asian Paints for using a Maruti Esteem in this ad, and for a while they removed the car from the ad, but in the recent past they have brought it back. No idea why Maruti allowed this.