The Ad Magic

A mother is shown packing for her teenage son who is leaving home for the first time to stay independently in a different city. The concerned mother recalls various articles and appliances her son may require. The same mother-son duo appears in another ad of the same E-Commerce Company in a similar setting. Now it is the turn of the son to show concern for his mother. He gifts her a water bottle with a built-in medicine organizer so that his mother is regular with her medicines in his absence. There is such a beautiful portrayal of a wonderful chemistry between the mother and the son that every time I see this ad, I can’t take my eyes off the screen. I get emotional. Being a mother I can relate to the feelings of the mother, that sinking feeling, when the children leave and visit home like migratory birds. Yet another heartwarming commercial that touches a chord with me is that of a cement brand in which Amitabh Bachchan in his resonant voice narrates, “Maa Baap kahin nahin jate. Woh  yahin rehte hain………sadion ke liye”. When our  parents are gone , we miss them. Sometimes we  find  their reflection in our children and, at times can feel them  in our own mannerism and behaviour.

Nostalgia grips me as I recall the T V commercials of 80s and 90s when govt. owned Doordashan was the one and only one TV channel in the country. Vicks classic ad “Vicks ki goli lo khich-khich dur karo,” Bajaj’s iconic advertisement “Buland Bharat ki Buland tasveer, Naye Bharat ki nayi taqdeer” and Hutch, now Vodaphone’s adorable commercial “U and I in this beautiful world” are some of the terrific ads which make me nostalgic .Maggie’s “Taste bhi, Health bhi” is yet another evergreen ad that I love.

Not just the commercials, I fondly remember the typical characters identifiable with certain ads. Who can forget Lalita ji in Surf Ad? I still remember the cute Bunny Rabbit in the commercial of Lijjat Papar but of course, it was the Pug (Dog) in Hutch ad that stole my heart.

Look at the magic of punch lines! Think of ‘The Complete Man’, you know it is Raymond and if ‘it’s hot’ it ought to be Radio Mirchi. ‘Thanda Matlab”: Coca cola, ‘Taste the thunder”: Thums up; are some of the famous taglines but perhaps the most iconic is Amul’s “The Taste of India.’ We know ‘Desh ka Namak’ is Tata Salt and ‘Desh ki Dharakan.” is Hero Honda.

Ad jingles with catchy, melodious tunes such as “Yeh Dil mange More,” “Yahi hi hai right choice, baby” (Pepsi), “….sabki pasand Nirma, washing powder Nirma” continue to ring in my ears years after the campaigns have been withdrawn. I love to sing along with the signature tune of Vodaphone, “Just you and I…………….   .” The lyrics are enough to transport me to a world of bliss. Who can forget the Airtel’s amazing friendship anthem? “Har ek friend zaroori hota hai….”Cadbury’s soothing jingle with its playful lyrics and slow pace is mesmerizing, “Kiss me, close your eyes and miss me.”

Catchy jingles have a magical appeal yet there are ads which are brilliant sans a jingle. Here, I would like to recall an engaging quirky ad, “Dimaag ki batti jala do” (Mentos). “Fevicol ka mazboot zor hai tutega nahin” is another creative ad that stays with us. The ad shows an overloaded lorry, full of people glued together with Fevicol! I love the Whirlpool happy-go -lucky mom who spins her magic on her kids’ clothes, “Mummy ka magic Chalega kya?” Her kids answer in unison, “Kyon nahin?”

It’s not just mummy’s magic that works but ads too are capable of casting a magical spell, a magic that sometimes lasts for years.

(Published in USOL magazine Panjab University 2017-18 )