MAM
Optimum use of humour, exaggeration in Hitachi AC ads
MUMBAI: A successful ad is one which is able to sell the product to consumers. And that’s exactly what the new ad for Hitachi’s miniature AC – the ‘Atom’ is doing for the product. The television commercial (TVC) which was launched in March this year has been conceived by Leo Burnett and has ample amount of humour and exaggeration to communicate the product’s USP – its size and its power.
The message that Hitachi wants to convey through the TVC for its latest launch, the Atom is that despite its small size, the AC is very powerful.
The ad has five spots, featuring a couple of geeky, shivering foreigners begging to have the AC turned down but the AC can’t be detected. The guests’ plaintive and frustrated cries of “But where is the AC?” are often met with blank looks – even the hotel staff doesn’t know because it’s so small.
Hitachi Home and Life Solutions India VP marketing and service operations Amit Doshi, “The Lambda technology in the Atom allows for a special coil design, which increases the surface area of the heat exchanger resulting in ‘super-efficient cooling’ and helps shrink the size of the air-conditioner by over 30 per cent. While it was launched simultaneously all over the world and touted as the smallest split AC in the domestic market, the company realised it would have to grapple with the impression that a small AC might come across as one that has compromised on power.”
Leo Burnett India account director Rameet Singh Arora added, “The Atom’s size had to be communicated so also the fact that this AC is by no means less powerful. The heroes of the communication the small AC and the Lambda technology both had to be communicated effectively. To demonstrate this we decided on exaggerating a situation where people feel its power but can’t see it.”
The need for an innovative clutter-breaking story saw the TVC feature two foreigners almost tearing out their hair in desperation as they, nor the locals, could ever locate where the too-cold AC was, wherever they were – their room in the hotel, the restaurant, the saloon and the boardroom.
The TVCs end with a magnifying glass zooming in on the Atom tucked away discreetly, to go with the ‘exaggeration’ tone of the ad. Leo Burnett created five short films to sustain interest in the campaign. The point is to let the viewer know what they are searching for in one ad and make them wait to see whether they find it in the next. But each film is complete in its own right thus ensuring that the message finds its target even if only one ad is seen.
This ad campaign was accompanied by a unique dealer promotion. Customers in select outlets were given magnifying glasses at the entrance and asked to locate the Hitachi Atom AC. Whoever succeeded, got a “small but powerful gift”.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
