AD Agencies
Guest column: Ads that didn’t work!
The advertising sector is expected to be a sophisticated and creative one. Creative heads spend hours ensuring the advertising is ‘done right’. Yet, year after year, we come across ads that fail to make any mark and instead end up being called as dunce.
These ads lack engaging storytelling, creativity and in most cases are poorly executed with actors overdoing the act.
The small and local brands deliver such howlers as they only have a small amount to spare on advertising and limited creative counsel. But at times we come across deep-pocketed household name that create bad advertisements.
If it all becomes too much to bear, please cheer yourself up with our listicle on best animated ads in India and ads that rapped with consumers.
Inspiration exists at both ends of the creative scale.The higher end has fewer options to engage with. So, here are five gems according to Publicis India head of creative Nitin Pradhan who was talking to Indiantelevision.com’s Santosh Jangid.
Bangur Cement – Godzilla.
You’ve got to give it to this one for the sheer confidence and nerve with which it attacked the air waves.
The plot is to die for and the CG scary. Godzilla rises from the shallows of the Arabian Sea and brings down our very own Bandra Worli sea link only to bang its head and lose its tail (you read that right) to a skyscraper. A white-bearded foreigner and a few flying birds usher in a rainbow.
I’m sure they thought of it on the way to the shoot.
JK Super Cement
It has graced Indian Advertising’s Hall of Fame for long now. A skimpily clad girl rises from the sea and threateningly walks towards us before breaking into a smile. A deep voice in the background interprets the metaphor, “Vishwaas hai. Isme kuchh khaas hai.” Subtle!
Pan Bahar
Pierce Brosnan walks into a casting coup and trips. An idea which will be remembered for eons, for reasons unintended.
When in doubt cast a white man. When in more doubt cast a famous white man. And it will work. It did. And so did many Bhojpuri films.
Micromax – Nuts, Guts, Glory.
The white man fascination continues and gets scaled up. There are many white men. And women. Quite sure the idea was to appeal to the ‘youth’.
The brand attempts to climb several rungs of the ‘aspirational’ ladder. Taking potshots at an icnoic fruit-logo brand definitely needs guts.
Not sure why they had to replace this piece so soon, then. Maybe, the boring small towners preferred reality.
MDH Spices – Flight of Taste
It’s a flight full of Indians. With a pinch of white skin added to taste. Words like ‘Khushbu’, ‘Swaad’, ‘Taste’ and the three magical letters are thrown in generously in a modest attempt to self-garland the brand multiple times along with its veteran creator. Life saving spices are dropped on to flavour starved regions of the world along with parachutes. Imagination takes a jump without one.
The observations made in this piece by Nitin Pradhan, in the pix, are with no malice at heart or high-handedness in the head against any individual or organisation. There’s always a good reason behind every piece of not-so-good work. And, how can one judge good from bad when one has been a partner in crime, some time or the other. Good sense prevails only when we look back and analyse. May be, this is that moment, according to Pradhan. However, Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his personal views expressed here. |
AD Agencies
The Advertising Club unveils new brand identity
71-year-old industry body repositions itself as marketing’s guiding beacon
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club has revealed a refreshed brand identity, signalling a new chapter in its 71-year journey at the heart of India’s marketing and media ecosystem.
Created in partnership with global brand consultancy Landor, the rebrand is less about reinvention and more about realignment. It builds on decades of credibility while sharpening the Club’s role in an industry being rapidly reshaped by technology, artificial intelligence and shifting consumer expectations.
For generations, The Advertising Club has been the meeting ground for ideas, ambition and industry-defining conversations. From flagship platforms to benchmark-setting awards, it has helped script the story of modern Indian marketing. Now, as algorithms influence artistry and data sits alongside design, the Club is leaning into change with clarity.
At the core of the new identity is a simple but powerful idea: TAC as “The Beacon”. In a time of constant disruption, the industry needs more than applause lines. It needs direction. The refreshed positioning casts the Club as a steady guide, illuminating what lies ahead while honouring the milestones behind it.
The new visual system is designed to be flexible and future-ready, adapting seamlessly across awards, partnerships, platforms and digital touchpoints. It carries the weight of legacy, yet speaks in a contemporary voice that feels confident, global and distinctly Indian.
The Advertising Club president and McCann India CEO Dheeraj Sinha, said the refresh reflects both responsibility and opportunity. “Our seven-decade legacy demands that we lead with purpose. This new identity reaffirms our intent to serve as a beacon at a time of high volatility. TAC will continue to set benchmarks, spark meaningful conversations and champion the ideas shaping the future of marketing and advertising.”
The evolution is not about discarding the past, but about using it as fuel for what comes next. As culture, commerce, creativity and code increasingly converge, The Advertising Club is positioning itself as the platform that connects the dots and keeps the industry moving forward.
