P.S - The brilliant review by MS member prreeet made me ponder over this advertisement of Sprite. After that healthy debate with my Sikh friend, I still stand my ground that Sprite- I don't wanna do was a well made advertisement. Here is my take in detail.
I have a friend named Yogesh. He always used to say that only stubborn fools refuse to take advantages of their father's position, and decide to try and make it on their own. Some actually make it, but in the process, lose precious time of their life. Instead, the attitude should be, my father has made so much out of his life, let me start not from the bottom, but from where he left off!
However ridiculous this statement seems, I could never deny the fact that he had a very strong point. Being a father now, I can see that he was right. Whatever I am doing now, I am doing for my child. And though I would feel proud if he makes it on his own, I cannot deny that he can become more prosperous if he cashes in on my success. If we leave out emotions and principles, perhaps, you can see my point! Stubbornness never brought anyone success....resourcefulness did!
You may wonder what is Maddy talking about! Quite simply, I am saying that it is a very intelligent thing to bank on someone else's goodwill. Any businessman will agree with me!
Undoubtedly, Sprite has launched a direct attack on Dew. And my friend Preet is justified when we bring them on an ethical plane. But, we are not talking ethics here....we are talking advertising. And every field has its own norms.
You cannot prove a geometry theorem by a biological experiment. It has to progress geometrically. So let us not bring in ethics in the world of advertisements. Let us look at it on its own plane- advertising!
Sure, killing stray dogs is unethical....but how many of us will agree with Maneka Gandhi?
You cannot judge an advertisement on an ethical level, as long as it is not posing a threat to the society as a whole. It is like telling our soldiers not to kill the enemy as it is ethically wrong to kill.
They are not in an ashram. It is called the battlefield...
THE ADVERTISEMENT
To understand the Sprite advertisement, you need to know the Dew advertisement first.
This advertisements shows a group of adventurous young people, dressed weirdly, running around the jungles, jumping on cheetahs, and in general, shouting - Do the Dew!
Having said that, let me explain the advertisement under scrutiny.
The commercial opens with a small hotel bar in a restaurant. Suddenly three boys, closely resembling the ones in the Dew ad, land in the hotel, breaking through its grass shed. One boy shouts- I...I...I...I...wanna dyooo...I wanna dyooo myaan!
The simple looking barman, goes to a decent chap sitting at the bar, and asks him what they are saying. This man, sipping Sprite, tells him that they are saying- I want to do. Hearing this, the barman tells them- No, no...don't do here...do it there, jhaadi ke peeche.(behind the bushes) The frame shows a few people pissing behind the bushes, subtly pointing to the colour of Dew. One of the youngsters says- I don't wanna dyooo.
Then they show a bottle of Sprite with their slogan- Sprite- bujhaaye only pyaas! (Sprite...just quenches your thirst)
SOME FACTS
I know what is advertising, and I know that you don't know what is advertising. If you want to know what is advertising, call me in! - read the note that the young job aspirant sent in to the boss of an advertising agency. Curious as to who this young man was, the boss called him in and asked him what advertising was! He was answered with a question.
What do you think is advertising?
The boss replied that it was information about the product.
The young man shook his head and smiled.
No, boss- he said. It is salesmanship. Pure and simple! The salesman has the briefcase, the copywriter has the pen. Other than this difference, they both are doing the same thing. Selling the product!
He was immediately hired.
Decades passed, and still, that statement of the young lad holds true in every sense of the word. The manufacturers are not publishing an information pamphlet! They are investing huge amounts of money to enhance their sales. And it is business, sweetheart! And it just knows one ethic- sales.
Either you win...or they win! It is better you win!
SOME EYE OPENERS
This attitude to win has always given the world some of the best advertising campaigns. Amul Butter has risen solely due to their remarkable knack of seeing humour in everything. At times, they have cashed in on even the government of India. I remember their ad, where they show a pack of their butter on a king's throne. The next picture shows an empty throne. The byline said- Amul Butter...vanishes faster than the Indian government. Then they had an ad which took a dig at the painter M.F.Hussain and his liking for the Bollywood queen Madhuri Dikshit. The byline said- Heroine addicted.
Some years ago, Coca Cola bagged the contract for being the official sponsors of the Indian cricket team. Every Indian can understand what it means! Cricket is a religion here. And Coca Cola snatched it from under the nose of their arch rivals Pepsi. In fact, Pepsi foods Ltd. had already done the spadework for this contract, and their campaigns were ready for release when Coca Cola struck. It was perhaps the biggest blow for the Pepsi guys. All their hard work had gone down the drain. It was only in the wee hours of the morning that a brilliant idea struck an employee of the ad agency for Pepsi then!
Coca Cola had done one small mistake in the contract and Pepsi cashed on it! The campaign showed the Indian cricketers in casual wear, playing cricket with street children. The byline simply said- Nothing official about it!
These are the unwritten rules of business. It is a world of survival. Coke had to act so as to avoid Pepsi from getting the coveted contract. They succeeded! Pepsi had to act to cover their losses. They succeeded!
Today, a Coca Cola advertisement comes thumbs up on a Pepsi ad (no pun intended). Sprite beats Dew! It's all in the game!
MY TAKE ON THE SPRITE-AD
Personally I feel it is a very well made ad!
Firstly, it observes the basic rule of the field, and that is cashing in on the publicity of your rival. As much as some people may call it unethical, the fact remains that it is a brilliant move.
Secondly, they make sure that the masses are getting their message.
Most importantly, the one thing it shows is the one thing the Dew ad lacked. We call it benefit! The last frame gives you a reason to drink sprite. Their motto says it all!
All in all, this advertisement has it all. The charisma to attract the viewers, a strong script to woo them, and above all, the benefit!
IN CONCLUSION
Yogesh is now in Singapore, working on a good post in a huge MNC. The company bosses respect him more than they did his father, when he was their employee!
