MAM
VISA’s joyride with Mr. Bond
West meets East seemed to be theme of VISA’s much appreciated television commercial starring the suave 
Pierce “Bond” Brosnan and Zhang Ziyi, the svelte actress who portrayed the rebellious martial arts exponent in the blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with aplomb. The memorable TV commercial for the Asia Pacific region was created by VISA’s ad agency BBDO.
The charming and enigmatic Brosnan seemed to be a perfect foil to the the “wild” Zhang in the 60-second nail-biting, action packed commercial. Of course, the typical Bond brand of humour and the famed facial expressions which have become a hallmark of Brosnan’s Bond character are all there in this roller-coaster drive of an advertisement. However, two things stand out and threaten to overshadow the superstars – the ‘tuk tuk’ and its driver!
Advertising folklore has it that the TVC was shot with over 200 crew, 100 extras and more than 100 cars and trucks to reconstruct a Chinatown setting with markets and traffic jams. Realism at its best in order to reflect the ethos and culture of the Oriental!
The commercial opens to the setting of a typical street in the crowded city of Bangkok with Brosnan caught in Bangkok’s famous traffic jam. Brosnan is racing against time to make it to his latest heartthrob Zhang. He abandons his sleek limousine and hitches a ride with a tuk tuk driver. The driver, who is an avid film watcher and a typical Bond fan, gets carried away with Bond’s on-screen persona. He embarks upon the “ride of his life” and the sophisticated Mr. Bond has to tag along. Brosnan empathises with his bravado and decides to humour him by joining in.
What follows is a nerve-wrecking journey along the streets of Bangkok as the obsessed driver crashes through billboards, restaurants and crowded markets. The “duo” – should we include the tuk tuk and say “trio” – leave a trail of destruction in their wake as they traverse through the lanes, bylanes and streets – not a trace of cemented avenues or four-lane concretised roads. Mercifully, the journey comes to an end and the debonair Brosnan is delivered to the doorstep of his beloved – at least for the time being.
It is then that tragedy strikes! The tuk tuk falls apart even as the driver and the urbane, refined and polished Brosnan escape without a scratch – or should we say “shaken but not stirred”. The thorough gentleman that he is, a grateful Brosnan whips out his VISA card and offers to pay for the damages!
The commercial ends on a humourous note as Brosnan discovers the tuk tuk driver waiting and wooing him for another ride on his brand new turbo-powered vehicle. The unbeatable gusto and charming smile of the tuk tuk driver will remain etched in memory for years. The punch line “All it takes” is VISA!
The TVC conveys that life is full of possibilities and the power to make things happen lies in the hands of the consumer – with VISA to assist the consumer. The advertisement highlights the versatility and power of VISA and is in line with the global “All it takes” brand advertising campaign. The advertisement exudes energy and confidence with bold and distinctive images – representing the vitality of VISA.
VISA International’s South Asia country manager Santanu Mukherjee says: “We believe this advertisement will reinforce VISA’s brand image as a leader in India. By combining our international association with the James Bond movie Die Another Day and bringing together international celebrities like Pierce Brosnan and Zhang Ziyi, who have a strong appeal across Asia and India, we hope to provide memorable and entertaining advertising. The advertisement aims at providing extraordinary surprises to ordinary everyday situations like a traffic jam!”
An excellent script laced with humour, the unmistakable charm of Brosnan and the rustic simplicity of an “ordinary” human being being elevated to sublime heights in the presence of an icon has delivered another winner for the global brand!
Brands
Aviva India appoints Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing
Former Clix Capital marketing head to steer brand strategy and growth
MUMBAI: Aviva India has appointed Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing, bringing on board a seasoned marketer with more than 15 years of experience across financial services, digital agencies and brand strategy.
Agrawal joins the life insurance company after a nearly five-year stint at Clix Capital, where he served as head of marketing. In that role, he led the company’s brand repositioning as an MSME-focused NBFC and oversaw a wide marketing mandate spanning brand strategy, PR, omni-channel platforms, social media, SEO and high-performance media.
During his tenure, Clix Capital saw a strong digital push, including a 200 per cent rise in annual website traffic and a significant reduction in customer acquisition costs. He also played a key role in the firm’s digital transformation initiatives, helping design digital journeys for its personal loan business.
Before Clix Capital, Agrawal was head of marketing at Muthoot Fincorp, where he managed integrated marketing campaigns across the Muthoot Pappachan Group’s financial and non-financial businesses. His work ranged from rolling out a nationwide CRM platform to managing ATL and BTL campaigns, brand ambassador-led advertising and large-scale sponsorships, including those linked to the IPL.
Earlier in his career, Agrawal worked with digital agencies including BC Web Wise and Dentsu Webchutney, where he handled digital strategy and online marketing campaigns for brands such as Hero MotoCorp, SanDisk and Bharti Airtel.
Alongside his corporate career, he also co-founded SRB Automotive, where he has been involved in running one of Central India’s long-standing fuel stations, focusing on customer data analytics and service excellence.
Commenting on the appointment, Aviva India MD and CEO Asit Rath said, “At Aviva, we are on a journey of transformation, building a progressive, customer-first brand that moves beyond conventional marketing. Harshit’s contribution will be instrumental in elevating our marketing capabilities and strengthening our position as a future-ready organisation.”
Sharing his thoughts on the new role, Harshit Agrawal said, “Aviva has always stood out as a progressive organisation, constantly evolving with new innovations and a forward-looking strategy. It inspires me to build on this momentum, moving beyond traditional approaches to create campaigns that resonate with customers, elevate the brand, and reflect Aviva’s shift from protection to prevention. I look forward to shaping an impactful marketing narrative that drives trust, engagement and sustainable growth.”
Agrawal holds an executive management programme certification in sales and marketing leadership from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and is also a certified CFA. At Aviva India, he will lead the company’s marketing strategy and brand initiatives as it looks to deepen customer engagement in an increasingly competitive insurance market.
