Ranbir Kapoor promotes Asian Paints Ultima Protek in a funny ad

Conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign promotes the benefits of the waterproof paint in a humorous way

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | January 12, 2017

Click on the image to watch the TVC.

Asian Paints has launched a commercial conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather to promote Ultima Protek as the best waterproofing paint. Asian Paints roped in Ranbir Kapoor as its brand ambassador, who will be seen in a funny avatar in the ad.

Sukesh Kumar Nayak

Commenting on the celebrity factor in the ad film, Sukesh Kumar Nayak, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy Mumbai, said, “A call to sign a brand ambassador is a business call that is usually taken by a client. We have given our inputs as we are their creative partners. We were a part of the selection process of the ambassadors. We suggested a few names. On the basis of that, they took a call depending on the feasibility.”

He said, “I think Kapoor is a phenomenal acting talent. We chose Kapoor because we think that the kind of work that Asian Paints does suits very well with him. Ogilvy and Asian Paints have created some remarkable work in the past. We felt Kapoor would be perfect for this. When we met Ranbir, he was very open to new ideas. Ranbir was a part of conceptualisation of the idea. He heard the plot and was very excited about it. To an extent, he was also a part of designing his look.”

There is a clear opportunity within the exterior category to own a differentiated, stable, strong and consistent positioning that is rooted in highlighting water as the main cause of all exterior problems. This will also enable Asian Paints to elevate the brand stature for Ultima Protek as a technologically-superior and innovative painting system in the exteriors category. With this objective in mind, the team came up with the core thought that since the product can really withstand the pressure of heavy rains, why don't dare the rains to see if it can overcome the brand. This was summarised in the campaign thought and line 'Baarish ko aane do'.

Commenting on the ad, Nayak said, “We had a lot of fun working on this brief. The fun and the madness is quite evident in the work. I must thank Prasoon Pandey for making this commercial come alive. My team and I are looking forward to execute the other surround ideas on the same platform.”

One can get to see Ranbir Kapoor in a never-ever-seen- before role, an acclaimed classical singer, exponent of Raag Malhar. He is in love with his neighbour but her parents want to marry her to someone else. So what does he do? Every time the girl's parents fix a match, he ruins it by invoking rain to create havoc in their life and their non-Asian Paints house. Finally the girl's parents give in. And our classical singer gets the girl thanks to his Raag that brings in the rain and Asian Paints Ultima Protek, which has always kept his house protected.

In addition to the TVC, various ideas are in the pipeline around the core idea of Baarish ko aane do. The campaign will be live across TV, POS, OOH, print and digital.

Peer views:

Vivek Rao

Vivek Rao, Chief Creative Officer (North), Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “The first thing that strikes you while watching the ad is that the DNA of Asian Paints Exterior Paint Communication has been kept intact – quirky, engaging plot and point well made. Raag Malhar continues in that vein and of course, the charisma of Ranbir Kapoor shines through. It's an RK show all the way! What I instantly liked is the simple, yet not difficult to fathom storyline.”

Rao further said, “The usage of raincoats by one set of baraatis instantly raises the antenna to wonder what's going on and those 10 seconds of mystery are always welcome in advertising. And when you do realise the plot, the whacky entertainment and brand significance seamlessly make their point. The harried father of the bride is a suitable foil to RK's antics and the lyrics are quite hysterical. So it's a thumbs up from me and I guess the only question I have would be – why release this ad now? I know the winter rains are around and it's also shaadi season but given the current economic climate, would it have the impact it needs to create? I'll leave that answer to the left brained folks.”

Varun Goswami

Varun Goswami, Executive Creative Director, Grey Group India, said, "Protect the exterior of your house from rain. And yet, to its credit, the ad manages to engage the audience that's neither renovating nor building a house. It firmly plants the offering in the minds of prospects who possibly aren't even prospects yet. The use of celebrity is smart. You know it, when the script doesn't bank on the protagonist being a celebrity. Overall, the ad is engaging and memorable. Like a good piece of cinema. Ranbir's new look helps. The branding, however, could have been a tad bit stronger."

Sabuj Sengupta

Sabuj Sengupta, National Creative Director, Hakuhodo Percept, has slight issues with the ad. He said, "It's a lovely love story, but frankly the connect with the product is very contrived. How did the marriage fail because of the wall paint? It could have been a very nice ad for waterproof pandals. The execution is tacky and the ad is not memorable. I have seen far better advertising from Asian Paints."

The TVC:

https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/bmi/media/post_attachments/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/asian-paints-ranbir-kapoor.jpg

Credits:

Client: Asian Paints Ltd.

President: Sales, Marketing & Technology, Amit Syngle

Brand Team: Jaideep Kanse, Shyam Swamy, Nadeem Karbhari, Sabarish Ranganathan

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai

Executive Chairman and Creative Director, South Asia: Piyush Pandey

Executive Creative Director: Sukesh Kumar Nayak

Creative Team: Kunal Sawant, Faraz Alam, Vivek Verma, Garima Obrah, Akshay Gawde, Sunil Kumar

Account Management Team: VR Rajesh, Manish Tilwani, Haripriya Mark, Sarvesh Belekar

Account Planning Team: Prem Narayan, Aniruddha Khandekar, Priyanka Nair

Production House: Corcoise Films

Director: Prasoon Pandey

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