Castrol has decided to break away from the tried and tested method and has taken an emotional and lifestyle route, which brings freshness to the product category

Anil Thakraney

It's scary, actually, for any creative person in an ad agency, when you have to write commercials for as boring a product as engine oil. It needs a big shot of adrenalin (and many beers) to get cracking on it. Also, brand managers in this category usually prefer the ultra rational route, where they can bombard chemical features and complex jargon at the target audience. This makes the creative director's task even more daunting.

Thankfully however, Castrol, in its new ad for multigrade diesel engine oil called Castrol CRB Turbo, has decided to break away from this tried and tested method, and has taken to an emotional and lifestyle route.

The ad features a trucker and his wife, as they are out on a long country drive. This trucker is no mean machine man, but he has a soft side. The biwi is maha upset that the chap has forgotten their wedding anniversary. And she sarcastically remarks that he never forgets to load his truck with Castrol. The trucker uses the opportunity to plug the brand, and says it's great for the long life of the truck's engine. But no, he hasn't forgotten what it takes to keep his marriage going for years and years. He's bought missus an earring set, which she wears happily.

It's not really a memorable commercial by any stretch of imagination. In fact, engine oil is forced into the conversation between the trucker and his wife. Although unnatural, the built-in charm of the situation ensures you ignore this trespass. However, I still appreciate the effort.

For a change, a woman is brought into a category like engine oil which has traditionally been a male bastion. This brings freshness into the product category. And of course, the emotional angle helps the ad stand out. Our truckers should enjoy this one. Also, quite cunningly, Castrol has used a pretty, Page 3 girl to play the role of the trucker's wife. This would not be the case in real life, but it's a smart move. She is the sort of a woman most truckers would want alongside on the long drive from Gurgaon to Chennai. So a little fantasy is a cool thing in this context.

All in all, the story and the treatment could have been better. But strategically, a clever move has been made. Why mustn't our hardworking, overloaded truckers be made to smile a bit? Can do no harm to an engine oil brand, right?