Off-Beat Stores in Mumbai - Artistic Stuff / arty everday stuff

Check some off-beat stores in Mumbai, these stuff are cool they might be bit heavy on the pocket but worth it. So if you want to gift it to your arty/creative friends or friends who like customized products or unique gifts then you would know where to go...Check the link.

Honda Brio (read Bree - o) - The new Car advertisment

Honda' new launch 'Brio' has been in news because for its competitive pricing in the 'Hatchback' Category. The start price is Rs 3.95 lakhs, good for a hatchback.Well my objective is not to talk about the Car (as I am not an expert), though whatever I have heard of I think it a best buy...so anyone considering to buy- go ahead. You can read about the reviews on various Auto websites.

Coming back to my main agenda - the Brio advertisement in today's (20 Sept 2011) TOI (Times of India) - at a first glance I really liked the big two full page advertisement and the word 'Love' actually caught my attention:). The whole campaign message is "Love is a beautiful thing only when it is returned" and second pages unveils the full copy that reads as "You wanted a car you'll love. We built a Car that will love you back".

Thank god they had a further explanation otherwise the first line is totally depressing, I don't think I should give an explanation for this and don't intend to give out philosophical gyaan (knowledge). The tag line for Brio is good "It loves you back" - quite personal & emotional. The word 'love' is something that everybody can connect to (no age bar) and the whole line is giving a 'life' to Brio. Quite a smart move by the agency..but only if the 'first opening line' could have been changed to something like this "It's complete when your love is accepted" (something on these lines) but nevertheless a nice campaign.

Good Points:-
- Tagline is good
- The whole creative is simple and nice and they have supported it with important car feature images and top view visual of the Car (that gives you the complete idea about the Car)
- They actually have taken effort to explain people how to pronounce 'Brio' (read Br-ee-o), it has been mentioned in the body copy. Though it could have been placed outside the copy so that it stands out. But overall a nice thought as many people pronounce it differently, other Manufacturers should take this cue and do it same for their brands too.

I have already mentioned the not so good point - the opening title. Also they can do a lot more with visual with this nice/emotional "tag line".

Overall good decent creative:), simple and direct.

Bike Riding Classes V/s Motor Driving Classes

My recently developed urge made me search for motor biking classes in Mumbai..but I am disappointed..there aren't any that I could find of. Why no one is thinking about it, I know it is easy to learn by self but i would need a tutor (I know myself really well - need micro level and simple training..).

This is an wonderful business opportunity - think about it...I am sure there are lot of girls/women who would be interested; I am ruling out guys because I guess it comes naturally to most of them (there are exceptions..i knw few of them who are scared of because of their parents).

Why hasn't Bajaj, Hero Honda, TVS or Harley Davidson thought about this? C'mon people you all have a wonderful opportunity to tap the market. With the increasing no. of accidents and women power emerging there is a potential, you could certify the best as 'Best Biker', promote road safety tips, the helmet market can get more organized by partnering with the Manufacturers (read Riding Schools) and sell it to every potential Bike learner. In Bangalore lot of females are riding Harley Davidson, so Riding School is the best way to bring in more female riders.

Looking at the maddening traffic, I guess Bikes are the best transport to reach fast (though I would love to support cycles - less pollution and eco-friendly envt). Bikes can easily pass through any narrow lanes, in between the vehicles,etc.

India is becoming a 'Car Consumer' country, everybody out there who is working or earning good wants to upgrade to a Car someday, thanks to so many Car manufacturers coming out with a new car every month and easy loan options. In such situation shouldn't we target new TG, why still biking is looked as a guy's thing. I used to love Pune city for this - everybody irrespective of caste, creed, gender are either riding a bike or cycle, it might not be so easy in a city like Mumbai (for women).

I would like to conclude with this - There are some who would like to have a professional train them to ride a bike. And if someone knows about such classes..leave a message:)

Just Dial - Right Communication - Kuch Bhi, Kabhi Bhi, Kahin Bhi

I wanted to blog about this one since I saw the TV advt, what a campaign!

Background: JustDial is an online search classifieds (I prefer to call it that, kinda used to 'Google' for everything hence find it difficult to term anything else as a search engine). It also provides services on phone, I guess it started with services via phone and then extended itself to online as well as SMS service.

The Campaign: 'JustDial' has really decided to cash on the most used marketing jargon 'Bigger the Better'. How? Roping the biggest actor of Indian Cinema - 'Mr Amitabh Bacchan' the Legend..and then considering TV for the campaign, half of the job is done.
But what I liked the most is the 'tagline' (Kuch Bhi, Kabhi Bhi) and way the campaign has been executed. 'Mr Bacchan' has emphasised on the Pan India presence of Just Dial in an absolutely clear and simple way. The ad stands out for its direct approach; its non-cluttered and straightforward. We have often seen many celebrity ads but there is lot of glamour, unnecssary punch lines, lot of on-the face acting (ie when we know that all are acting and selling the product hard). Here is a fresh campaign that comes, speaks to you, informs, does its job without much hassle and leaves a great impression on your mind (Mr Bacchan is talking about some website/phone service that would help me to find anything, anywhere in India).

It's a great example of Clean Advertising. Obviously quality comes with a price! But its worth for:).