This ad is extremely annoying. The story is weak—and the sound effects will deaden your senses

Anil Thakraney



I wanted to suss out the Tata Aria when it was launched last year. But I got put off by the ad. It featured a mating ritual between an SUV (sports utility vehicle) and a sedan to generate a new species, a crossover breed. 'The finesse of a sedan. The muscle of an SUV' was the promise. Didn't work for me. The ad had no idea, no muscle, and yup, no finesse. As a result, the hybrid mule stayed in my mind as a poor replica of a typical Indian SUV. And I certainly wasn't going to spend my hard-earned bucks on a mule.
 
Well, Tata is back with another strange ad for the Aria. This time the mule image has been chucked, and they have tried to copy a James Bond flick. A young firang couple (why foreigners?) is driving the Aria on a highway. Along with their kid. All of a sudden, the hunky hubby announces to his wife that he's a secret agent, and speeds the car to escape unknown enemies giving them a chase. This follows a whole lot of serious noise. As the Aria speeds along dangerously, avoiding collisions with other vehicles, falling objects, etc, until it brakes at the edge of a cliff. The Aria stops, but the pursuing cars fall off. Enemy outwitted in a matter of seconds. All this tamasha is, of course, mainly done to highlight the features of the mule, er, gaadi.
 
It's an extremely annoying commercial. There are many problems with this ad. First, the crazy sound effects will deaden all your senses. Then, a very weak story of a so-called secret agent, who does nothing but drive recklessly. You cannot do a James Bond feature film in one minute. If that was possible, Hollywood studios would not waste time, material and money over a two-hour flick. And without a proper script, the ad is reduced to senseless noise and action. Also, if the ad feels so unexciting in 60 seconds, imagine how silly it will look in shorter edits. I learnt this lesson on my first day in the ad biz: If your idea cannot be communicated in a 20-second TV spot, it means it's a weak idea and should be immediately junked.  
 
Net-net: Yes, I am still put off by the Aria. Maybe it's no longer a mule, but it's still a headache car, and I will not spend lakhs on a sardard. See, this is why advertising is so important to business. It can make or break a brand. And even Mr James Bond can't save it when things go wrong.