I honestly feel at loss of words to even go about defining my feelings towards the latest addition to Pepsi's long list of hopeless advertisements. However, its plain as hell now why Coke is genuinely preferred over Pepsi amongst the aerated drinks consumers.
The Stars::
According to me, if a product is desparate enough to be endorsed by filmstars, especially bollywood ones, it should opt for the ones who're at the high of their careers. According to this theory, choosing Kareena, Preity, Fardeen and Saif is a disaster in itself. Four actors who - 1.Cannot act, 2.Cannot endorse and 3.Cannot make a hopeless commercial any better.
If you notice, which of course requires your patience to actually go through the commercial, Fardeen looks like he's high on drugs, Saif looks like he has to use the washroom real bad, Kareena looks like she's constipated and Preity looks like she is just about to throw up.
Not that it makes any difference to their appearances, they've always looked the same mundane actors who are lucky enough to be famous and accidently rich.
Their attempt at a pesky excuse of a commercial is absolutely horrendous. All of them are trying to hog the camera and are awful at dialogue delivery.
The Idea::
Its hot as hell and two 'chicks' next door are throwing a party. They need to 'chill' their Pepsi's and get through the guys in desparation. But of course, Pepsi is so tempting, the guys con the girls telling them their soft drink leaked all over the refridgerator making a mess and eventually ruining the compressor. The girls walk off without their Pepsi's only to return and realize they were conned.
And as admakers consider consumers starry-eyed fools, the ad ends with a slogan as stupid as the commercial itself - 'Pepsi ke liye hum besharam hain'.
Yea sure, and I just returned from Venus.
Height of Insanity::
Not only does Pepsi dare to air this commercial, it also extends it into a series. The next one has the girls conning the guys in a similar fashion for Pepsi. And the even next, which is halfway out, has something to do with reference to Saif's underpants. Vulgarism at its best. Pepsi people definitely proved the point of being 'besharam'. I can't even imagine kids watching such a commercial with reference to some pair of underpants numerous times (that too in hindi!) and repeating it all over their schools.
If nothing else, think of the future of this country, what are you endorsing and what are you referencing?
Intelligence bas ek bharam (misconception) hai::
So alright, I have accepted the fact that consumers are considered absolute idiots who can't judge for themselves and need bollywood flop actors in nightsuits to prove a point. Also, they need sweating jocks who've never delivered a hit in their miserable lives to tell them a product is good.
Pardon me for living, but good advertising has to give details about the product to the consumers in the most effective way possible. Does it say anything about the taste? No! Does it mention the pricing? No! Does it bring out the positive aspects? No. Hell, what are you doing then with bimbettes showing off plastic smiles?
I am so deeply disturbed with this form of advertising that I can't even manage to integrate humour into this review. I think it is so shameful that we even produce such demeaning things.
What's There?::
I am supposing of course, that Pepsi is trying to mock Coke's idea of 'Thanda' by repeating 'Whats There' through their ads. First, the gavaar way Fardeen and Saif deliver this is so irritating that I will slap a person who even says it outside the commercial. I have a strong belief that the entire ad was shot in the first take itself. Otherwise, the actors must've made a genuine effort to do something about their sounding drunk. If drinking Pepsi makes you so 'jhalla' and do 'harkats' as such, I'd pass!
What's there in the commercial is an excellent question. I commend you for asking such creative questions. I'll tell you whats there. A complete lack of creativity. A complete high of vulgarism. A complete lineup of demeaning and insensate acting. And of course, a product which is a big flop.
If you go to agencyfaqs.com, which discusses in detail Indian Advertising, you will notice that every single person who has even remote brain cells highly condemns this commercial.
Yeh Dil can honestly stand no More::
Fardeen and Saif can't even deliver their punch lines in unison, and one expects us to buy Pepsi? I would actually like to stay thirsty than drink a product which has a management considering me a fool. Where are those days of Mirinda commercials when three bald men made a major difference to Indian advertising? Where are the geniuses who made the Coco Cola ads do the job? Where are those boards who actually banned such ads from airing?
And what say do we have to do something about such incredibly infantile advertising gimmicks? How helpless are we? How many more such ads are we doomed to see?
References::
For those, who've missed the ad, not like you've missed much, here are a few links:-
The First -- https://agencyfaqs.com/tvc/sboard/pepsi_saif_1305_2003.html
The Website -- https://pepsizone.yahoo.co.in/pepsi/index
You can find the other ads on https://agencyfaqs.com
No Fizz, Flat and Tasteless!
The Pepsi commercial is so bad that my entire review is an understatement. There is no chemistry between the stars and the slogans used totally lack class. The concept is 'ghisa pitta' and will only make Pepsi loose consumers, if not gain any.
Becharam Advertising - at its very best.
