Spot Light | Micromax A116 Canvas HD - Livemint

Updated: Fri, Apr 19 2013. 07 45 PM IST Shooting Colours Reviewer: Narayan Kumar He is the co-founder, director and creative chief of Metal Communications and has 25 years' experience in advertising. He has worked in agencies such as TBWA, Mudra, Lowe Lintas and JWT. His clients include Platinum Guild International, which promotes platinum jewellery, PolicyBazaar.com and Axis Mutual Fund. Narayan Kumar Campaign The ad for Micromax A116 Canvas HD phone by Lowe Lintas and Partners opens with a bunch of captured soldiers assembling in a row for what looks like an execution. A photographer waits on the side. Bullets are fired, and the captives fall to the ground. They're not injured, just drenched in colour—the bullets are actually colour pellets (somewhat like a game of paintball). The photographer captures this moment on his Canvas HD phone as the tag line appears: "Colours can come alive". Your first thoughts on the campaign? This has a newness that takes you by surprise. You are asking yourself: Is this a nice kind of newness or the weird kind? That is not a bad starting place for a campaign. At least it stands apart from the crowd. Does the idea of a supposed battlefield turning into a playground resonate with what the brand stands for? In a way, it does. There has always been something unexpected to these Micromax ads. It's not about the battlefield specifically, but about the larger idea of being new and surprising in your communications. It's also about a sense of humour, however offbeat or quirky. Micromax has been true to itself. How is this different from what Micromax has done earlier? The smartphone comparison ads and the current one are all based on competitive features—like a bigger display or richer colours. I personally like advertising that bases itself clearly on some feature or benefit and expresses it with imagination. So the difference between the earlier Micromax ads and the current one is that the feature is different, but the approach is the same—humorous, provocative, and delivering the benefit. Does the ad tread the thin line between what could be offensive and/or stereotyping? The ad takes a risk and there will be people who feel it crosses the line of political correctness and good taste. I do not find it offensive. It speaks the language of the youth, who will mostly see it as offbeat and entertaining rather than offensive. Older people may have their say in these sensitive times we live in, but you can't please them all when you don't play it safe. Any campaign in this category in India or internationally which caught your attention? About five years ago, US cellular phone service Sprint ran a series of quirky ads which were meant to connect with the youth. Although a phone service and not a smartphone, the Sprint ads share that quality of youth and quirky humour with the current Micromax ad. via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE44wiiaLSLgHv243yxhFCjJI3HEA&url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/Lwy4w9qbT5Il3bd81biBgL/Spot-Light--Micromax-A116-Canvas-HD.html

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