Binani Cement strikes an emotional chord

The TVC has been designed by Piyush Pandey of O&M. Through Amitabh Bachchan's rendition about parents, the brand has risen to a completely new space and the line 'Sadiyon ke liye' has become the soul of the brand

Sohini Sen | Mumbai | August 19, 2013

Click on the image to watch the TVC.

Binani Cement's new campaign strikes a chord with every consumer because, unlike traditional cement advertisements, this campaign has an emotional connect. The TVC, conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, features brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan and is titled 'Parental Love'. The TVC is inspired by Ogilvy's Piyush Pandey and Bachchan himself and written by Anurag Agnihotri, Group Creative Director at O&M.

The TVC is shot in the style of a monologue, with Amitabh Bachchan talking about parents. He says that parents never leave their children, even if it appears that they have. He talks about what parents mean to us, things that we always knew and things that we never even realised till now. While he does this, he goes over pictures, trinkets and even gestures that speak of his parents. There are unguarded moments, sudden glimpses into his thoughts and it makes the monologue relevant. Bachchan concludes by saying that parents, through us, and our children will live for generations to come, thereby reiterating Binani Cement's tagline 'Sadiyon ke liye' (for generations to come).

Asked why they chose to go this way, Kalpana Binani of Braj Binani Group said, “In a category where clichéd promises like strength, quality and durability have been touted for decades, we believed our brand was ready to be taken to the next level.”

Piyush Pandey

The idea behind the campaign was much more than just advertising a cement brand, according to Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather. He said, “A film for Binani Cement has a lot more to do than cement. It is about enduring values that matter to all of us and will matter to us forever. It also gives the strong brand promise of 'Sadiyon ke liye', a terrific emotional dimension.”

Shoojit Sircar, Director, Rising Sun Films, commented, “I don't think there is a stronger ambassador than Mr Bachchan to give out a message like this. This poetry, in Mr Bachchan's voice, is pure magic! The commercial is a private journey for every viewer and as such is sure to leave a lasting impression.”

What others say

Prathap Suthan

Is making an emotional ad suitable for a cement brand? Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, gave a huge thumbs-up to the ad, saying, “Of course! And why not, considering the fact that for most Indians, there cannot be a more emotional landmark than building a house? Besides, how more boring can a product and category be? In all my experience, personally and professionally, the largest chunk of advertising that I remember is based on emotion. And I suppose that's the truth for most people.”

Suthan further said, “I do know one thing for sure. All these years, Binani Cement – despite the fact that they had Big B – never really made use of their celebrity. I would even think they wasted all these years. The line 'Sadiyon ke liye' too was just another meaningless epithet for a lifeless product. But right now, with this new film, the brand has risen to a completely new space. The film itself is beautiful, and the interpretation of the line is brilliant. It has given the brand life, meaning, and warmth. Suddenly that line isn't a dead dog. That's become the soul of the brand.”

Harish Bijoor

But will this campaign work? Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults, commented, “The campaign has made cement advertising altruistic. It stands apart from the earlier ads by adding a philosophy. I am not sure if it will be able to add numbers to the sales margin, but yes, it has great recall value. A fair number of people will remember this as a new kind of advertising for something as humble as cement.”

The TVC:

https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/

Credits:

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai

Executive Chairman & Creative Director, South Asia: Piyush Pandey

Group Creative Director: Anurag Agnihotri

Senior Creative Director: Ashish Naik

Associate Creative Director: Saurabh Kulkarni

Creative Controller: Nasar Husami,

Account Management: B Ramanathan, Senior VP

Client Services Director: Shivali Nair

Group Account Manager: Bhumika Jadhav

Account Executive: Puneet Dewli

Head of Films: Porus Khareghat

Sohini.Sen@BestMediaInfo.com

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