Dec 11, 2004 03:13 AM
22455 Views
(Updated Dec 11, 2004 03:15 AM)
Scene 1 take 1 ? Camera rolls on, shamiana, shehnai, baratis, floral decors, breath taking scenes of opulence flashes through. Zooms in on the stylishly dressed bridegroom looking so very classy in his three-piece suit. At the other end some aimlessly gossiping men stand and admire the grace of the groom. Someone asks from the crowd, what is Akash wearing. In unison the aimless group swings into action with just one word?. Raymond?s The Complete Man.
Scene 2 take 2? Amar is at the peek of his career as a lawyer in Mumbai. Yet at the same time he is a good hand at golf, a wonderful cook, a loving husband and a doting father to his lovely daughter Sara. Did someone just point out he dresses in the finest fabric since 1925, that?s what again Raymond?s The Complete Man.
Such is the brand recall of Raymond?s that the Complete Man has started being used interchangeably with the brand. It is indeed one of the finest advertisement series ever conceived for a product in India.
A passage down memory lane the first Raymond?s ads were created by Frank Simoes,under the then Bensons (now Ogilvy & Mather) banner. Simoes moved on to form his own agency called Frank Simoes Associates on the back of Raymond?s business. He is the name credited with creating the all time classic ?Only Vimal?.. The initial Raymond?s advertisements started with the tagline of the The well dressed man which got transformed to the Complete Man as time passed by. The ad campaign is now being handled by R K Swamy/BBDO Advertising..
Advertisement Mantra They say there are four M?s of advertising, which are Mission, Money, Media and Message; the most important part is the message execution and image building. Imagery is the kind of associations a brand could get linked with over a period of time. It has an impact on how consumers perceive the brand and how they will react to it in the long run. The ultimate goal of the advertiser is to ensure that his/her idea marries the brand.
Message With a largely patriarchal society, the majority of the men are seen as the provider, being sensitive and caring at least a few years ago was seen as sissy. Raymond with its adverts created a whole new meaningful existence for men who did not feel or act like the rest. Based on the theme of 'The Complete Man' it became the embodiment of a loving, caring, soulful man who could change baby diapers and bake grandma a cake with equal panache.
Buying behavior besides price, availability, substitutes and other variables, the buying behavior is very much influenced by the brand-image, which is created by the mass media.
Emotional factor an ad campaign that undertakes the human emotions and translates an advertisement creates a lasting impression in the minds of the buyers.
Values India being a nation which places a lot of emphasis on values, principles and ethics, the mentality of the buyer is also influenced by these factors. A brand, which has the perception of being ethical, is bound to score over its competitors.
Lets see in these terms as to what makes all the advertisement of Raymond?s such a hit and instant recall.
A man returns home from work as he reaches the home, dogs come running to him from all over. The message, which comes out so beautifully through the ad, is that the Raymond?s man maybe a top-notch business tycoon yet he still hasn?t lost touch with the qualities which makes a human- being, the qualities of love, care and happiness in the company of his loved ones. Bottomline of the ad cuteness redefined
Girl playing with her dad the executive dad is shown playing with his daughter. Very subtly the ad depicts the finer embodiments of a complete man, his feelings for his daughter, the love and humane side of him is shown. The ad is made memorable with the timeless jingle which plays in the background and the tagline which says Feels like heaven?feels like Raymond?s. The emotional appeal of the kid is beautifully used in the ad for which her dad is the embodiment and source of all the love, comforts and happiness in this world.
Guests being welcomed for the barat a man dressed in Raymond?s is shown helping tie the turban on the head of his brother(probably). This ad brings out the joyous mood of the Raymond?s man, who loves enjoying the moments of happiness, who loves to share and who loves to reach out to his loved ones and make them comfortable.
A man takes out a coat from the almirah and wears it. The Raymond?s man is shown dressing up for office as he plays with his cute son. The ad continues in the tradition of the other ads, which bring out the loving aspect of the Raymond?s man. As the ad ends with the lines The Complete Man Raymond?s fine Fabric since 1925. In such simple words the ad captures the tradition and importance the brand places on values and its rich heritage.
A young man scrambles into a railway station platform and looks around frantically for his wife. The ad beautifully captures the emotions of love and concern for his loved ones; it depicts the softer side of the Raymond?s man like all the other ads. The presence and concern of the man puts the wife at ease and makes her feel safe and secure now that he is there. The ad glorifies the humane touché of the protagonist.
The headmaster farewell ad and the student?s wedding ceremony these two ads are actually two parts of the same sequence. In the first ad, the headmaster is shown retiring from the school and all the students gift him a Raymond?s suite piece. The ad beautifully brings out the love and respect of the students for their teacher through their gift, for what else could they gift to the man they have always looked up to, the man who embodies the spirit of the Complete man for them.
In the sequel to the ad, one of the students is getting married and the headmaster sir comes to wish him, yet he is unsure and a little uncomfortable as to whether his student would recall him or not. The student however, how could he forget his teacher, the man who taught him to be a man, the man who took him in his arms when he was faltering, comes to him and calls all his friends together for a nostalgia filled moment. The ad wonderfully brings out the imagery of emotions and values with the brand, linking the two inseparably.
There are a few more ads in the same series that I am skipping out deliberately due to paucity of space but in all the ads the underlying theme remains the same. The Raymond?s ad series is indeed a fine specimen of the blend of emotion with picture, values with imagery and the humane side of the Raymond?s man with his persona. The piano piece and the short and simple tagline at the end add to the charm and recall of the ad.
