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When Ford romanced poetry and puraani dilli...
The film, set in the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, flaunts Figo's 'manoeuvrability' and poses the vehicle as a hero that takes you home.
Ford's latest ad 'Galiyan' (lanes), from the campaign #DiscoverMore for its sub-compact hatchback Figo, lasts a couple of minutes, is set in and around Old Delhi and the ad copy is a poem. The poem personifies various facets of that part of the city - its narrow lanes, the corners, little shops - and the narrator even seems to be someone who actually lived deep in the alleys of the neighbourhood and feels reconnected.
There are a few other things to be noted about the film - for starters, the agency involved is not BBDO, Ford's agency on record. Second, the copy speaks about mobility and destinations, but it's the visuals that place the product, i.e. the Ford Figo. And lastly, the ad does not actually discuss the vehicle.
Kapil Sharma
Vineet Panchhi
Galiyan has been conceptualised by Kapil Sharma, head of communications and CSR, Ford India and Vineet KKN, founder and creative director - Word of Mouth Media who goes by his pen name 'Panchhi'. The commercial is for the latest model of the Ford Figo which, in India, competes with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 and the Tata Tiago.
There is a suspicious presence of e-rickshaws in the ad film. There is no denying that the battery-powered, 4/5-seater tricycle is the champion of the narrow Old Delhi lanes. But many of the visuals have the Figo alongside them and the car doesn't look too big in comparison. That could be Ford's embedded Figo message.
"I was quite surprised when Kapil (Sharma) suggested that we merge poetry and the earthiness of India. Whilst my poetry has become popular recently, I thought this would be risky. Also, I had to then do a film based on it. I asked for time to think and took a trip to Old Delhi to see what it evokes. The last time I was here was in 1994-95, when in college in Delhi. This time, I could connect with so much more, the sounds, smells, lanes, havelis, people, food, paan. The line - ye galiyan mere Ghar Tak Aati hai, were the first to spring up, the rest followed in quick succession. It was like writing down a visual I had in my head," Panchhi says.
"Panchhi saab, kuch naya karte hain. Cars zindagi ke liye bani hai... inme zindagi bharte hain (Mr Panchhi, let's do something new. Cars are built for life... let's put fill life in them)," was Sharma's brief to Vineet.
He sent his first draft to Sharma, a poet himself, comes from a family of poets and goes by the pen-name 'Kalhan'. Sharma then added vital pieces to the poem completing it.
"The bigger challenge was to then shoot in the crowded place. However, once the young team at Word of Mouth Media took charge, it came together quickly. The Figo is a manoeuvrable, compact, agile car, suited for India and its many gullies. We decided not to talk about the product at all, but show it as a protagonist," he states.
"The content series debuts with the first original poem - Galiyan - and looks to bring everyday emotions to life through the use of verse and visuals, with Ford products playing a worthy enabler," adds Sharma.
The next poem will be about the aspirations of a young child and will be about Ford's sedan - Aspire. Ford will produce videos featuring five original poems. The social campaign aims to crowd-source the original verse on self-discoveries from the audience and fans, to be turned into videos in the future.
Expert speak:
Creative consultant, L Suresh, says, "Ford was one of the first automobile brands to launch a music video a couple of decades ago with Javed Akhtar and Shankar Mahadevan to create an anthem for the Ford Ikon. So, this doesn't come as a surprise."
L Suresh
Speaking on the execution, Suresh says, "The lyrics breathe life and emotion into it. However, the video, though well-shot and nicely edited, is a literal 'translation' of the narration. The visuals could have told a story that gave the brand its pride of place. Thus, Ford comes across as completely incidental to the film, so does the 'Discover More' proposition, which doesn't find a mention in the film, even as a sign-off.
"I would have associated this more with a brand like Maruti than Ford. Not just because the Maruti 800 would be more at home in the narrow Old Delhi bylanes but also because Maruti has been the brand that has been taking millions of Indians home for over four decades," he adds.
Athul Chathukutty
Speaking on Ford's route to advertising, Suresh says, "There's a lot happening at Ford India. Is the company here to stay or is it handing over the keys to Mahindra? Will the proposed Ford-Mahindra SUV be the future or will all the other sub-brands be supported? What is its current focus? The 'Discover More' series seems to focus more on the brand personality. Is umbrella branding the way forward? And then, a sudden diversion to poetry. All this, in the wake of Ford's new innings with BBDO, after almost 25 years with JWT in India. Going by the comments on social media, Ford's customers are looking for answers to a lot of questions. The brand certainly needs to do a lot of talking."
Athul Chathukutty, creative director, Happy mcgarrybowen seems quite impressed with the film. He elaborates, "A tribute to the infamous narrow lanes of India, is a nice new angle to a more or less saturated hatchback advertising scene. Pretty well executed, with the writing and soundtrack absolutely on point. A less-templatish VO choice would’ve made it even more poignant, but that is just nitpicking. Overall a fitting vehicle for the #DiscoverMore series, although the line itself is curiously missing from the film."