This commercial is sure to put you to sleep, just as a lecture would by a very boring econometrics professor

Anil Thakraney

GNIIT is an IT training institute. Given the number of geeks they train, or so I am told, one assumes the institute has been doing pretty well for itself. Being tech-challenged, quite frankly, I had very little idea about GNIIT until I watched their new ad.
 
And from the advert I can read what their marketing strategy might be, and of course, their real need to advertise the institute. I suspect, quite ironically, the recent innovation and boom in the IT gadgets market has had a negative impact on GNIIT. The very industry the institute feeds on has come to bite it. With instant connectivity possible across the world, and at very low rates, who in their right minds would want to trudge all the way to a study school? Which is why GNIIT has now launched a programme which will ensure you can participate in their course from wherever you are located.

An obvious strategy to hold on to business… many educational institutes have been into correspondence courses for ages, long before the IT sector was born. So that's fine. But since the marketing task is so obvious, it becomes imperative that the communication shines so that the brand gets noticed, talked about and is coveted by the students.
 
And what has GNIIT done? Well, they have simply translated their obvious strategy into an obvious creative. All that the commercial (titled 'Cloud Campus') features is students sitting by their respective machines and communicating with each other and with their faculty. Of course, they all look very pleased and very happy. And yes, they are located at the usual suspect 'addy' haunts: gardens, lakes, restaurants and of course, the good old classroom. A totally dull ad. Must say even a fresher from a communication school would put out a better ad as part of her project work. The commercial is sure to put you to sleep, just as a lecture would by a very boring econometrics professor.
 
I assume GNIIT thinks very poorly of its prospective students for it to run such an ordinary ad. What was called for is zippy, surprising, happening creative work to help sneak into the minds of the highly net-savvy youngsters. To fire their imagination, and project GNIIT as an organisation that truly lives, breathes and enjoys the magic of IT.  
 
Perhaps I should hold an advertising workshop for the GNIIT professors. Online, of course.