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Nov 28, 2010

10 Ad Campaigns: Yaari Ki Gaadi & O Suzuki Slingshot

2010 Splendor NXG Campaign, "Yaari Ki Gaadi": "Good TV Commercial, Irrelevant Positioning"

The Splendor NXG according to me has always had an identity crisis right from its very inception. Let’s try to analyze how Hero Honda has tried to position it in the mind of the customer in the last couple of years.

1. 2007: When it was launched the launch campaign was something called "The Splendorful Bike". Confused as to what it means? Don’t ask me.

2. 2009: This campaign this time it revolved around "Bharosa bhi, Style bhi". After all the Spendor NXG borrows its name from Splendor+, its 100 cc cousin which has the reputation of reliability. So therefore the "Bharosa"(i.e reliability) part comes in. Hero Honda has tried to give the Splendor NXG stylish looks compared to the Splendor+. [Watch the TVC here]

I have heard of Friendship Bands, but a Friendship Bike?

But there was/is one small problem for the Splendor NXG. The NXG comes across as just a copy of the Passion Pro, its other 100 cc cousin. Actually the current Passion Pro is any day a better looker than the NXG. So anyone who wants a Stylish looking Splendor will obviously go straight for the Passion Pro, why should he look at the Splendor NXG?

3. 2010: "Yaari Ki Gaadi"


If you are a regular TV viewer, then it’s highly unlikely that you would have missed the latest TV Commercial for the Splendor NXG. With a new tag line "Yaari Ki Gaadi" Hero Honda has tried to position the Splendor NXG APDV (the 2010 version) as a "Friendship Bike"..!!

[Read: AFAQS: Hero Honda repositions Splendor NXG as 'The Friendship Bike']

Friendship Bike..?? I mean I have heard of Friendship Bands, but a Friendship Bike? There is even a dedicated minisite for the Friendship Bike. Check out www.YaariKiGaadi.Com

Just for the sake of argument, why can’t a Royal Enfield Bullet be a friendship bike? Why just the Splendor NXG? To me the latest "Friendship Bike" positioning is not relevant. Which is actually a pity, for the new "Yaari Ki Gaadi" TV commercial has excellent production quality.

Take a look at the Yaari Ki Gaadi TVC posted below:



"2007 Splendor NXG Campaign"





2010 Suzuki Slingshot Campaign, "O Suzuki Slingshot!": What the heck?

Just take a look at the TV Commercial posted below.

"O Suzuki Slingshot!" What the heck is that supposed to mean. Also the kid in the TVC gets on my nerves every time this TVC is aired on TV.

The tag line at the end of the TVC is "Ride World Class", which means probably means that Suzuki wants to position this bike as a "World Class" product. But the TVC to me comes across as a jingle from the 1980's (like Washing powder Nirma).

I have been a fan of the smooth engines and slick gearboxes that Suzuki makes Right from the days of TVS Suzuki Fiero. But "O Suzuki Slingshot!"..?? Suzuki, Kya?








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This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.






10 Comments:

melville said...

I has said this before and I'll say it again- Suzuki India has the worst Marketing team and ad agency. Both should be fired asap. They make even HH look good....

Payeng said...

@Melville, the Hero Honda ads for its 100 cc bikes are actually good.

Sajal said...

There are only few countable Indian Brands who actually know how to market their products... and I'm saying in a more generic way and not specific to the motorcycle segment per say.

Hero Honda, Suzuki India, and to a great extent Honda Motorcycles India are a lost lot when it comes to advertising their products. They have no clue what so ever what to show, where to show and how to show. In contemporary times, you just cannot think of a college youth trying to impress the better half with a 100-110cc motorcycle. Even the girls of today are conscious enough to know the difference. The mid market of 100-125cc bike belongs to say, 35+ middle class executive (which comprises of about 75% of the customer base for any motorcycle manufacturer) who are a bit scared of high power figures. Take a look around at the type of rider, riding the type of bike, average out the numbers and the picture is clear to you.

On the other hand, Bajaj, TVS and Yamaha India have been very prompt with their advertising, targeting the right audience with the right type of bike. The advertisements are mostly full of right thoughts and right target.

P.S. - I still believe John Abraham would NOT jump to check out the SZ and try to feel it as if it was something else!!

Cé$âr said...

Nice post and interesting comments..

I always like ads which talk about human emotions and the hh ad acually dos that.. brotherrhood, friendship and gool old fashioned indian streets.. i like that.. it even maes it feel like it some kind of brand new bike because i haven't seem many ads like that.. thus a new type of ad prompting me to think its a new bike.. of course the nxg has been around for a while..

Slingshot ad looks pretty harmless and not likelt to strike a chord with anyone. In any case, these are 100 cc bikes, their only claim to fame being reliability, comfort and mileage. Its logical they should focus on that. But HH ad manages to look good because of the human factor i think.

Bajaj ads have lost it a little bit I feel. I mean its okay to show some stunts here and there.. but really that's not all there is to biking and not everybody goes around doing wheelies and burnouts... I liked the first "new" Hamara Bajaj ads with a rock soundtrack (circa 2000).. i believe they had some guys going around on pulsars and avengers.. among other bikes..
Bajaj and tvs could add some REAL PEOPLE in their ads and show something like 2 friends on a long road trip or a few pals going to college together or a few guys meeting up for a track day even. Oh Well.. but I am not an expert :(

Payeng said...

Talking of Ads with Human touch, the Bajaj Caliber "Unshakable" ad (I guess from the late 90's) where a guy goes around searching for an old lady love was truly a good one.

The Hero Honda Passion Pro ads (two of them, 2009 and 2010) hits the proper notes as well and does justice to the positioning of the Passion as a "Stylish Bike".

Even the "Yaari Ki Gaadi" ad is shot and presented pretty well.. but the positioning as a "Frienship Bike"? I am not convinced.

Sajal said...

Personal Opinion - Bikes were never meant to be cuddly (leave that that emotions for their four wheel counterparts). String bikes with such melodrama and emotions does make sense to an extent, but some manufacturers over do it... like an ill cooked egg all done on one side!! Not saying anything about doing stunts and the sort... obviously no one does that in day to day commuting... but yeah would love to see manufacturers promoting their machines more like true blood bikes and lesser like Nirupa Roy's son going to give his first interview

sanket kambli said...

Caliber bike ad was best.. awesome..
yaari-gaadi has got good song only...
TVS ad was amazing.. why do i race?? nice ...
yamaha YBR ads are crap..only Fazer was perfect..
all pulsar ads are good..avenger is best...
suzuki is rubbish among all...
honda ad's are good..but not best..but not bad too..
HH ads for 100-125 cc are ok...but hunk/xtreme/zma/ ads are crap...
worse ad is of stalio...no creativity ..just pulling leg of all other ads... i cant do this..i cant do that..

Anonymous said...

Right sankoobaba:-) :-).
For the riders of stallio mothers are waiting for the riders to come and get tika on forehead and saying 'are we now free to go to the bride's home.....
-Saurabh

Anonymous said...

I love to read such hilarious comments.Thanks to all and specially Payeng bro.
-saurabh

melville said...

Hero Honda has a hit ratio of 1:10 or probably lesser. The only one that comes to my mind is the original 'Desh ki Dhadkan' campaign that seemed genuine and sincere. The rest, as Sajal said, are OTT and soppy, seemingly inspired from formula Hindi flicks and soaps... their production quality has always been above average and very good at times. Remember the Karizma R campaign with Hrithik and that heavy metal background-score??

The Found the Mahindra Stallio ad to be different and fresh for a change and I actually didn't mind them taking potshots at others! For me, the Bajaj Avenger-Feel like God and the TVS Apache RTR 180- Racing DNA are two of the best bike ads made in India.

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