With nearly 20 years of experience in the advertising industry, Pratap Suthan, National Creative Director, Chill around the worldbest known for his “Shining India” advertisements. Suthan has worked with brands such as Reliance Industries and General Motors.
What do you think about advertising?
I really like the campaign. Nice and easy, and the plot is waiting in the wings. True, for a moment I was transported to a colorful film based on a similar gentleman and a dusty white palace. But I guess that’s just my advertising mind overdosing. The world of the Nawabs is a huge territory. Lots of confidence, an easy nobility, old world charm and natural authority. The product is, of course, not suitable for forced installation. The casting and other details are in keeping with the Nawab’s lifestyle. Including the mustachioed man and his obsequious retinue. Its strange world offers a whole new world of brands. Beauty lies in his fantasies – shauk. An open palette for creating many unusual stories. What an enviable opportunity!
Good thing it doesn’t overtly tell me it’s a new brand. The plan was to make it look like it already existed. I think this is a great trick. I also like the fact that blue takes me into Pan Parag – blue is the category’s default color. Although this is far from the farce of Pan Parag, there is a lot of humor here, but it is modern.
Does Manoj Bajpai fit the bill as a brand advocate?
I doubt anyone else could have handled it better. I think he did an amazing job with the character. What’s also right about it is that it doesn’t carry any controversial upper-class baggage. Most of his film avatars have been down to earth and this effectively helps create a Nawab. It is very plausible that this eccentric man could have been a consumer of paan. Perfect fit. Any other rich person would have arranged the situation and there would have been serious problems. In fact, this low-key but shawka-filled nawab can propel the brand up the SEC (socio-economic class) ladder.
What challenges does a brand like Pan Vilas face with the growing focus on healthy food?
It will be difficult to fight the market. Anything related to changing addictive brands requires the greatest effort. People with addictive habits are extremely careful about their personal brands. Replacing anything that has long since worn out is a mammoth task. I’m not sure any habit brand will face new health challenges. The “bad, unhealthy side” is already known, and no brand can claim that life will be healthier. I mean, everyone knows that guns kill. No gun brand can provide life, right?