Professional Documents
Culture Documents
12
CREATIVE EXECUTION
ON TELEVISION
Chapter Takeaways
The Indian watch-maker Titans growth in the early 2000s was stunted since new
buyers were difficult to come by. A large majority of Indians considered watches a
necessity, primarily useful only for time-telling. While people generally owned four
pairs of shoes, changed their mobile phones every year, or upgraded their wardrobes
every few months, they exhibited a Brahmanical restraint when it came to buying
watches. Only nine percent of watch users owned more than one watch and most
consumers bought new watches only after seven years or so. This was not good news for Titan
since foreign watch brands were wooing the consumers with options but as the market was not
expanding fast enough, Titans share was corroding.
FIGURE 12.1 (a - c) Titan’s ‘Whats your style’ Campaign changes people’s mindset.
(a)
The Titan tune also starts But as Jeeves turns And takes out some
playing in the background around, Aamir stops him, more watches
tempted to try the others
Still not satisfied, he reaches And picks up some Aamir keeps on matching
for the wardrobe more clothes each watch to his clothes
Till he finally tries all the He turns to Jeeves after Jeeves has to finally put
watches finishing up the whole box for packing
MVO: Titan. what's your style?
Humming the Titan jingle, Aamir is "Naya style." Aamir explains his The actor stops him and asks,
dressing up when his assistant new hairstyle to his secretary who "...yeh kya pehna hai ?" The old
walks in. with a gruffy, "Hmm." asks if they man tells him, "Sone ki ghadi hai
can leave. sir, shaadi...
...pe ja rahe hain na." But the MVO: "Titan presents the new Wearing the star's watch, the
star dismisses it, saying, Gold and Steel collection." assistant asks,
"Purana style." and takes out "Ab to theek hai na sir?"
his own collection.
But the creative artist is not Taking a false moustache, Aamir The puzzled assistant looks on.
convinced that everything sticks it on him, saying,
is perfect. "Ab theek hai"
The film opens on a cheerless ...kar lo. Nahin suni, ab baithe hain Showing a watch, the actor replies,
Aamir Khan with his assistant. He yahan pe.” The assistant questions, “yeh dekh rahe ho? Titan Wall
says, “maa ne kaha tha beta pad “par aap naukri kyon dhoond rahe Street. Titan ka naya corporate
lo MBA... ho?” collection...
...office jaane waalon ke liye," VO: “Titan presents Wall Street. ...him with “Good morning,
Hearing this the assistant advises The new work code.” Cut to Aamir sir!” As he settles down he sees his
him to convert their vacant room to entering his new office with the assistant hanging something on
an office. assistant. The office staff greets... the wall. “Yeh kya hai ?” he asks.
To remedy this situation, Titan embarked on the Herculean task of changing peoples
mindset to view watches as accessories adding to their style rather than as utility gadgets. It
launched the Whats Your Style campaign with the objective of increasing the style-quotient of
its watches and encouraging people to match their watches with their look, clothing and
accessories for a particular occasion.
To encourage consumers for a hedonistic flirting of options, the brand signed on Bollywood
style-icon Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador. In 2004, the first commercial in the campaign
featured Aamir in his Mangal Pandey look, shown matching his watches with each of his outfits
(Figure 12.1a). The 60-second commercial opened with Aamir shown packing up for a trip. The
commercial moved at a steady pace in the succeeding shots as Aamir was shown taking out
more clothes just so he could match a watch to each pair, and thus ended up exhausting his
entire watch collection for only a two-day trip. The commercial interwove close-up shots of the
watches with shots of Aamirs jubilance as the watches were shown being matched with specific
outfits. The music in the background was the all-famous Titan jingle that played one chord at a
time, coordinating with Aamirs humming of the chords a chord each for every watch shown on
the screen. The commercial beautifully synchronised the Titan chords that were played in the
same rhythm in which the watches were selected by Aamir. The secretarys bemused look on the
emptying of the case of watches, and his pretending of joining in Aamirs jubilance, added a touch
of humour to the tale. The commercial closed with the Titan logo and super, Whats your style,
backed by an MVO reinforcing the super. The commercial was set in the contemporary setting of
an artistically done bedroom with a few memorabilia reminding of films and studios.
The campaign was followed by more commercials, with one featuring Aamir in a more hip look
for the Titan Gold & Steel collection (Figure 12.1b), another with a new look of Aamir for the Titan
Wallstreet corporate collection (Figure 12.1c), and so on. The campaign won its agency O&M a
Gold in the EFFIE 2005 awards. As per an independent survey, around 85% of consumers who
saw the commercials got the message of matching their watches with their clothes. This led to an
increase in the growth of high-end watches and helped Titan achieve a 45% growth in volumes
and 52% in value. The companys average sale price also increased by Rs 90.
The opening vignette talks about some of the elements that go into the making of a television
commercial. In this chapter, well discuss how a television commercial (TVC) can be executed and
FIGURE 12.2
Airtel’s commercial weaves
a story around music.
produced. While filming a commercial is an art that can best be learnt only on the job, the chapter
introduces you to the basics of conceptualising and producing a commercial.
need to be added as much of the communication can be done with the visual story, facial
expressions, or the like.
Television is also an effective platform to use music to support a visual idea. Music used in TVCs
helps in bringing alive the personality, character or mood of the product, or act as a sonic brand. A
catchy and apt sound track can get so well associated with the brand that it becomes the identity of
the brand itself. For example, Nestle coffee or Titan watches catchy jingles and soundtracks or the
hummable Close Up jingle Kya Aap Close Up Karte Hain often linger in our minds long after we see the
ads. Or the ting ting ti ting... signature tune instantly reminds us of Britannia. Recently, the background
music and jingle Hoodibabaa used for Bajajs Caliber 115 seems to offer one a ride.
The power of music is so immense that one of the Airtels commercials weaves a story on how
its musical score was created and uses music to position its brand. Instead of using the oft-
chosen movie or sport celebrities, Airtel chose one of the most successful music composers
of the country, A. R. Rehman for the commercial.
The commercial opened with A. R. Rehman and his companion walking out of the airport
when they came across a child playing the harmonica. Rehman, in a bid to make the kid
happy, reached for his harmonica and started composing music (Figure 12.2). While he was
at it, he realised that the composition had turned out well. He immediately fetched his Airtel
served cell phone, called up his recording artist and played the composition again. The
recording artist was stirred and asked Rehman to improvise the tune. Rehman on his way
back, fetched a flautist and a percussionist and kept on adding music to the base tune with the
help of various musicians he met. Lastly, he came across a street band giving a concert. He
sought their help in playing his composition, which he transmitted directly to his recording
artist through his Airtel cell. When he was through with the transmission, Rehman saw the
same kid for whom he started playing the tune. The boy then left the concert playing Rehmans
tune. The ad closed with the super, 16 states, 600 million people. One mobile service.
Effective commercials leverage the audio and video elements of television to create synergy
since both sounds and visuals go hand-in-hand. For example, a washing machine commercial
may show a smiling lady confidently emptying a pile of clothes into the machine, the machine
spinning the clothes gently, the clothes coming out clean, and the lady looking pleased. Audio
may be used to explain the advantages of owning the washing machine and the audio script may
include words like large size, gentle wash mechanism and thorough dirt removal. Instead,
if the audio talks about the price benefit of the product and where it is available, it would
distort the visual message and confuse the viewer. In a perfectly synergistic commercial, even if
a viewer were to turn down the volume of the commercial, she should be able to identify the
benefits of product purchase just from the video. Likewise, even if she were not in the room or
were watching the commercial on mute while attending to a phone call, she should still be able
to grasp the message or product benefits from the audio alone. This is not to say that exceptions
cannot make a good ad, but non-synergistic commercials have to be exceptionally good to
make the same impact as synergistic commercials.
In addition to video and audio, the written word can also be a part of the television commercial.
Print or supers can be superimposed on images or plain backgrounds when a message needs to be
communicated silently or important points need to be conveyed. For example, in the boss-bashing
Hari Sadu commercial of Naukri.com (Figure 9.1), the super Guess whos just heard from us?
strategically shows up on the screen after the heroic employee spells out his boss name. The supers
impact is enhanced with background sound-notes that suggest that something unexpected just
happened.
the snores were that of the spider. We end the commercial with a voiceover, super and close-up
of Daikin air conditioners.
Following is the narrative for two more Daikin ads on the same lines. We open with a lady
preening before a mirror. A mysterious male voice that seems to be talking to her is heard
praising her beauty and sensual eyes. The lady is enjoying the admiration when suddenly the
male voice starts commending her hairy legs. We show the lady shocked to hear this and
immediately after a close-up shot of two flies, hinting that the mysterious male voice is
actually one of them. We conclude with the male fly trying to woo and propose the female
fly and the female fly snapping back at him. We end the commercial with a voiceover, super
and close-up of Daikin air conditioners.
In another TVC, we open with a woman browsing through a magazine in a dimly lit
room. Suddenly her attention is caught by the sound of footfall. She listens attentively
putting her magazine aside, hoping the footfalls to be of the person shes expecting, and waits
for the door to open. But the boots seem to thump across the corridor. She rushes to the
door and opens it longingly, only to find the corridor empty. The only sound heard is that of
the outside traffic. Disappointed, she returns to the silence of the room. But again she hears
the loud sound of footsteps. She hurries up to the other end of the room and parts the
curtains. She finally spots the source of footsteps an army of ants marching across the
window. We show a close-up of the ants, implying that the sound is that of the parading ants.
We end the commercial with a voiceover, super and close-up of Daikin air conditioners.
4. Write a script: A script is a blueprint comprising of dialogues, sounds, acting instructions,
and visual shots for a film or commercial. It guides the actors, directors, camera men, sound
artists, and others involved in the filming of a commercial. Usually advertisers follow a
standard nomenclature for script-writing. Accordingly, a script is divided into two sections
on the left, the video instructions or comments are written, and on the right, the audio
instructions or comments. A script begins with the name of the brand, and the length and
name of the commercial, which are written on the top left corner. Next, the scenes are
written chronology. Audio-video instructions are written in capitals whereas the spoken
part (dialogues and voiceovers) are written in sentence case. Certain customary abbreviations
are used in scripts. For example, SFX stands for sound effects or music, and the effects are
underlined to differentiate them from dialogues or voiceovers. Voiceover, abbreviated as
VO, is an audio feature in which an announcer, who is behind the camera, describes the act
on screen. MVO stands for male voiceover and FVO for female voiceover. :30 stands for 30
seconds, the running time of the commercial. Note that the script is brief and to-the-point
and pays more attention to what the audience sees than what it hears. As you read the Daikin
script given below (Table 12.1), write down the abbreviations that you dont understand.
Those are camera moves or editing jargons that well discuss in a later section.
Ensure that the opening shot is highly commanding and that it captivates the attention of the
audience. The closing should reinforce the main idea and the product should be featured in
or near the final shot. Try telling the story in pictures only and be parsimonious with words.
Words should be added only to support the visuals.
Table 12.1
In the example above, the script takes the story forward, shot by shot. The audio only calls
for a snoring sound, making the viewers curious about what will happen next. The closing
shots, after revealing the secret of the snores, conclude the big idea by pointing to the
product.
Before moving to the next stage, it is important to proof the script and check if it clearly
tells the story, makes logical sense, provides continuity, and can be shot in 30 seconds. Does
it convey the big idea or does the brand get overshadowed by the story?
5. Prepare a storyboard: While a script tells the story using words, a storyboard does it through
selected illustrations or images. It is a graphic organiser of a series of actions, depicted
sequentially frame by frame, and combined with audio-video elements (Figure 12.4). Once the
script is ready, the storyboard is prepared to pre-visualise the motion commercial. The good
thing about sketching images in a storyboard is that one doesnt need to be an artist. It is only
an elementary sketch to depict how the visuals are flowing. A storyboard can be standalone
indicating only the flow of visuals, or be accompanied by audio-video directions. In the latter
format, the images may be arranged on the left and the audio-video directions on the right, or
the images on the top and the directions underneath them. Written directions describe the
accompanying image and indicate the action, since images are static and cannot show motion.
However, sometimes camera moves and the movement of things can be indicated using
arrows or such other symbols.
Keep the number of frames to a minimal, so as not to confuse the directorsix to eight is
a manageable size for the length of a television commercial. However, the storyboard should
give an idea of whats happening and not leave out important actions, changeovers or
essential moments.
When there are many frames to indicate a single scene, prepare a moodboard for that
frame. For example, if the opening scene of a commercial is to show a couple visiting various
landmarks of Rajasthan, prepare a moodboard for that frame with cuttings of various
landmarks of Rajasthan and a couple somewhere in the picture. The director will get the idea
and then use her creativity to shoot those scenes. While the storyboard provides a quick
pictorial snapshot of the story to the client and other agency teammates, the script contains
more detailed production information to guide the director and others involved in the
production. Like the storyboard, a photoboard of the commercial, with snaps from the
commercial, can be prepared after a commercial is actually shot. A photoboard is not meant
for the production staff, but for documentation purposes. Check out the photoboards for
the Daikin ads in Figures 12.5a-c.
6. Get the commercial produced: Production involves the actual filming or shooting of a
commercial. Many agencies do not have an in-house production house and they take the
services of external production houses. Advertising agencies pass them the storyboard along
with detailed production notes that lay out details like the prime idea of the commercial, the
strategy behind it, casting preferences, choice of locations or wardrobe, special effects needed,
product samples required to be shown, etc. In consultation with the client and the agency,
the producer produces the commercial. Commercials can be shot on film or videotape, with
the latter being more popular due to superior picture quality. However, videotapes, and now
even DVDs, are fast closing the gap with quality improvements, and the possibility of digital
editing. The technique of animation is also becoming widely prevalent and many
commercials are entirely animated. Advertisers can record images like cartoon figures on
film, one frame at a time. Small changes from frame-to-frame create the illusion of motion
when speedily passed before the eye. Usually 32 frames are passed before the eye in a single
second in a high-quality animated film.
In the production phase, it is important to ensure that the product is afforded enough
visibility in terms of time and proximity to the camera. Following are some of the key
production issues to consider:
∑ Number of scenes and shots: Scenes are pieces of action that occur at a single place or
location (in a kitchen, in a parking lot, on a bed, in a garden). They comprise of several shots
that are taken from varied angles. The number of scenes in a commercial determines its
speed. There are between four and six scenes in an average-paced 30-second commercial and
many more in a fast-paced one. In the Daikin spider commercial, there is only one primary
scene showing two people on a couch.
∑ Setting: A setting is the place where a scene is shot. It could be a constructed studio set or an
outside location such as someones real house or a garden in the city. The right sets and
locations used enhance the mood and character of the commercial. In Hindi movies, lavish
bungalows and foreign locales are a must these days. The monochromatic dimly-lit room in
the spider commercial is a perfect setting that encourages people to doze off. Also, the
minimalist setting of the sparsely furnished room in the commercial keeps the attention
focused on the story.
(Contd.)
∑ Length: Most networks give time for 10, 15, 30 and 60 second slots. Infomercials may be
even longer. Awareness-generating ads or commercials for new products are usually longer
in length compared to reminder ads. Most commercials are usually 30 seconds in length, and
shot in a way that after a few weeks of airing, can be tailored to 10 or 15 seconds.
∑ Casting: Casting decisions involve designating the right actor for each role in the
commercial. Casting needs to consider both on-camera and off-camera talents. There could
be on-screen roles like that of characters, spokespersons, on-screen announcers, etc. or off-
screen roles like those of off-screen announcers and characters. Often narrators are used in a
commercial as off-camera talent, i.e. for lending their voice. Talent for casting is obtained
from talent agencies. Do you think the Dominos pizza ad starring Paresh Rawal (Figure 9.17)
would have been the same without him?
Casting can often involve actors other than humans. In an interview to Agencyfaqs!
Filmmaker Rajiv Menon talks about a Raymond commercial shot with puppies. The
commercial showed pups running towards the male model as they would to a mother, to
represent the softer side of the macho Raymond man. The ad, shot over two days, used six-
week-old Golden Retriever pups. The shooting could take place only over a couple of hours
a day as only in that time-band would all the eight pups be awake. The pups were able to
open their eyes only after four weeks, after which they were trained to respond to calls, as
they did when they ran to the model in the ad. The other problem with the pups was that not
all of them looked the model in the eye; they looked away when held. So, only a couple of
pups, which looked the model in the eye, licked him all over, and nestled in his arm, were
selected for the more emotional moments.3 (Refer to the Raymond ad in Chapter 9.)
∑ Costumes and make-up: Trivial as they may seem, they are also an important execution
decision. Costumes could depict the personality of characters, their culture, the weather or
time of the year, etc. Make-up is important to depict, say skin problems or glowing skin, grey
hair or silky hair, etc. For example, the Elvis Presley-cum-Shammi Kapoor look of Vivek
Oberoi in the Vanilla Coke ads was created to establish a retro positioning for the brand.
∑ Props: Props are things that are used in a commercial. Choosing the key props is not a
random decision. There are certain objects that are almost mandatory in a commercial. For
example, product props. A good commercial will reflect the core features of a product its
package from various angles, logo, enlarged size to depict certain features, people using it,
etc. Support props help setting a scene or furthering the story, for example, dinner table in a
set showing a family eating, or a toy with which an aimless child is playing. The Vanilla Coke
commercial used a radio, old-style thick-rimmed glasses, a Lamby scooter, and the Vanilla
Coke bottle and can, as some of the props.
∑ Art decisions: Art decisions fall within the purview of art directors who are responsible for
determining the look of a commercial. Various factors go into shaping this look dominant
color scheme, design of objects used in the commercial like furniture and household items,
the flow of action across scenes, graphic elements like super and logo that appear on screen,
etc. The advent of computer graphics and special effects has increased the number of options
at hand.
∑ Lighting: This decision usually falls in the directors domain, but certain special instructions
might be specified in the script itself if they are critical in a story. For example, the flickering
of light on peoples faces when a bulb is fusing out, the gleaming reflection of light on a
models hair after she washes with the advertisers shampoo, etc are special instructions that
are crucial to the ad. As indicated in the opening vignette of Chapter 9, lighting played a
special role in the filming of the Hari Sadu commercial of Naukri.com to add more character
to the roles played by the employee and his employer.
∑ Pacing: The pace of an action describes how slow or fast it happens on screen. For example,
one can devote as less as five seconds or as much as ten seconds to depict a man getting up
from a couch, walking to a refrigerator, opening it and taking out an ice-cream. To depict the
busy lifestyles of its consumers, ads of many products such as face-washes, deodorants, etc.
show short clips of actors engaged in different activities, setting the commercial at a fast pace.
∑ Camera shots, moves and transitions: Table 12.2 briefly explains some film production
jargon.
7. Post-production work/Editing: Much of the work for a commercial happens after the actual
shoot. If the commercial is to be shot over several days, editing may also begin along with the
shooting of a commercial on a daily basis. Editing is not a one step process; rather it goes
through various stages. Rushes, rough cuts, or editors cuts are first-round edited versions of
the story. They are compiled from cuts of the raw film recording. The editor then selects the
Camera shots
Long shot (LS) As the name implies, in this shot the distance from camera to the image is
extensive. It gives a broad coverage of the area indicating the location of a scene
– in a garden, in the study, in a lab, etc. Commercials opening with LS tell viewers
where the scene is taking place. For example, it is clear in the ‘Hari Sadu’
commercial that the action is happening in the boss’ chamber. Sometimes,
directors can purposefully hide the location until later for an element of surprise.
Medium shot (MS) While in MS it is possible to identify the location to a certain extent, the purpose
is not to give viewers a placement or directional sense but to focus on the image
with a little background shown around it. For example, the ‘Fly’ commercial of
Daikin (Figure 12.5b) shows MS of a lady preening before a mirror.
Close-up (CU) In this shot, only one image fills the scene – the close-up of a face or a product.
It is a good shot to show product and package details or emphasise upon facial
expressions because there are no background intrusions. The focus is on only
one image and more on emotions than on action. For example, the Daikin ‘Ants’
commercial uses a close-up shot of the lady’s face to depict her anticipation
when she hears the footfalls.
Extreme Close-up (ECU) Here you get as close as you can without blurring the image. ECU is used to
show specific details like parts of a face, marks or logo on a product, etc. For
example, a Kwality Walls commercial shows ECU of a man’s mouth biting into
the ice-cream with a view to tempt the viewers.
Camera movements
Zoom in or out Zooming in indicates moving towards the image making it seem closer and
larger, while zooming out indicates moving away from the image making it seem
farther and smaller. The lens on the camera maneuvers this change in distance,
with wide lens helping to zoom out and tele lens helping to zoom in.
Dolly in or out Dolly in or out, like zoom in or out, also involves moving towards and away from
an image. However, in this case the camera, and not the lens, wheels forward or
backward. While through zooming only the image gets closer or farther, through
dollying one can get the feeling of walking towards or away from the image.
Pan right or left In this shot, the camera, while physically remaining at one place, turns to the
right or left to follow the action.
Truck right or left The camera does not change angle but moves right or left to follow the action.
Tilt up or down The camera does move from its place like in a pan, but look up or down at the
action.
Boom or crane shot In this move, the entire camera lunges upward or downward over a scene. It
would feel like going up in a hot air balloon while keeping your gaze fixated at a
farmer working in a field. As the balloon rises, the farmer becomes smaller and
the background becomes more visible. You see more fields and more farmers,
and then the entire city at a time, establishing the smallness or inconsequence
of the farmer in the world. Alternatively, a camera may show an aerial shot of a
town, swoop closer to a castle by the river, and go yet closer to zoom in on one
dark room in the castle where a princess has been taken prisoner. You can
almost hear the accompanying audio translation, “Once upon a time in a far
away land, was a castle by the river. In the castle, was a dark dungeon where a
beautiful princess was imprisoned.”
Shot transitions
Cut A cut is an abrupt transition from one shot to another. A cut, like other shot
transitions, can carry the story from one action to another in no time. However, it is
pertinent that the two adjacent shots make visual sense together.
Dissolve In this softer transition move, one image fades to black while the other image
emerges and takes over the original one. A lap dissolve is a slow dissolve in
which the fading in and fading out images overlap. Dissolve is not just soft on the
eye but can also help go fast forward in time. For example, a commercial can
begin by showing an actor eating from a plate full of food and then dissolve to
show his plate scraped clean. It can then show a CU of the advertiser’s digestive
pill being plopped in water.
Wipe In this move, one image inches across the screen as a bar and pushes the other
one off. The wipe is not a very popular way of showing shot transitions since it
distracts the eye.
Camera point of view
Objective Camera records action from the viewer’s point of view who is not involved in the
action and witnesses the scene as an invisible entity. Characters do not look
directly into the lens.
Subjective Camera takes the point of view of a character in the scene. For instance, hands
would jut out from the sides of the camera and grab the villain by the neck. Next,
the camera would receive a punch in the eye, leading to a blackout.
Action Maneuvering
Freeze frame A scene is stopped in mid-action so that the audience can have a proper look at
something special that is being shown. For example, Tom plants a bomb for
Jerry, who discovers it and hides it underneath Tom’s bottom in a Tom & Jerry
cartoon. In the next shot, the bomb explodes and a burnt-out Tom is shown
frozen in time for about two to three seconds till the next shot cuts to Jerry
fleeing at top speed.
Stop motion It refers to frame-by-frame shooting by which static objects appear to move. The
object is moved by very small amounts between individually photographed
frames, producing the effect of motion when the series of frames is played back
at normal speed. Stop motion is also used to film animation, where each frame
is recorded one at a time and passed before the eye speedily to create a sense
of motion.
Slow motion It increases the number of frames used to record a movement, thereby slowing
down an action. Ever wondered how hero-heroines are shown running in slow
motion towards each other in Hindi movie songs?
Fast motion The reverse of slow motion. The number of frames used to record an action is
reduced, thereby speeding up things. This maneuvering is popular for showing
slow phenomena happening in nature within the time-frame of a few seconds.
For example, a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, a lotus blooming, dark clouds
enveloping a city with clear skies, etc. can be shown in fast motion within the
short span of a commercial. Shots may be taken in a piecemeal manner over a
long period of time.
Reverse motion The picture is run backwards through the projector.
Camera angle
Eye-level Camera presents the action from the eye-level of the lens. Hence, viewers see it
as they would from their physical heights.
High-angle shot Camera looks down on the action allowing audience a bird’s eye view of the
scene, putting the action in perspective of its environment, and lending a
degree of smallness to it.
Low-angle shot Camera looks up at an action giving it more focus and importance.
best shots and brings them together to create a scene. In the next step, the scenes are joined
together to create an interlock. The audio and video are recorded separately but they can be
synchronised and listened to simultaneously. In the final version, they are mixed together to
create an answer print. Usually audio follows video and dialogues are recorded after the
scene has been acted out. However, sometimes if the action is set to music, as a dance is to a
song, then music is recorded before the shoot and filming is done to the song.
Editing is not a mechanical cutting and joining of film, but a creative art through which an
editor can rewrite and redirect an entire story, as well as hide imperfections in shooting,
photography or acting. In the hands of an editor, a commercial takes a different form. An
editor works with layers of images, sounds, etc. and sets the rhythm and pace of a
commercial. For example, he can condense time and increase the pace of a commercial by
showing a woman getting up early, cutting to her getting ready, cutting to her working in
office, dissolving to her finishing up and leaving. He can extend time by showing Arjun
preparing to shoot a Brahmastra, cut to him shooting the Brahmastra, dissolve to depict the
arrow in mid air, cut to Arjuns expressions after shooting the arrow, cut to the arrow
oozing out fire, cut to the shot depicting panic on the face of the enemy, and cut to the arrow
getting closer and finally sinking into the enemys chest. An editor can show this for a full
one minute if he wishes. Extending the time of an action adds to the drama and intrigues the
viewer. An editor can also jumble time by cutting from the present into a nostalgic event
from the past or flashing forward into time to show a dream. For example, in the movie
Bourne ultimatum, actor Matt Damon is shown remembering his identity in the past while
looking at places and objects in the present. Shots keep flipping back and forth in time with
the past shown in faded colours with shaky camera movements to create the feel of a vague
memory while the present is shown in clear shots. However, editors need to give subtle cues
to the audience to make them understand that there has been a flashback or a flash-forward.
That is why using black-and-white visuals for flashbacks is quite common.
A commericial for DCold Total wanted to portray that although common cold is not socially
acknowledged as a serious ailment, it can make the sufferer feel low, lethargic and depressed,
and that it would be impossible to get a good days work done when one is suffering from cold.
To dramatise the plight of the sufferer, the commercial used intercutting wide-angle shots and
close-ups. The treatment of the commercial paid a tribute to the cinematic style of the great
Guru Dutt, drawing heavily from the framework of his iconic movie Pyaasa. The commercial
was set almost entirely in black-and-white (Figure12.6), and used the typical period
background music of the film, followed by an attention-getting raspy voiceover. Even the hero
of the commercial had a slight likeness to Guru Dutt and was draped in a shawl in Dutts
patent style. This helped render the idea in a true filmy style.4
FIGURE 12.6 D’ Cold Total commercial delivers the message in a truly filmy style.
(Contd.)
compels it to watch the commercial. The rest of the shots should be connected to each
another to heighten impact and the closing shot should summarise what is told in the
commercial or make a call for action. The closing shot is also a good candidate for showing
product image and logo to reinforce the brand identity and to ensure that people draw the
connection between the commercial and the product. The importance of creative editing in
conveying the message is hence paramount in the production of a commercial.
2. Balance video, audio and words: In television advertising, images are more important than
audio and printed words. Directors and editors need to check if complicated visuals are long
enough on the screen to ensure their complete understanding. Images that move too fast, are
extreme close-ups, or are blurred, are difficult to understand. Beautiful and interesting visuals
should also be on the screen long enough to ensure their appreciation, whereas the time of
boring and static visuals should be minimised. When audio and text are used, they should add
to the pictures meaning and not be redundant. As opposed to spoken words, sometimes
super-titles can help remember important points, the brand name and campaign theme.
3. Strategy over technology: Often the ad production personnel get swayed by the power of hi-
tech special effects and digital tricks. However, people do not remember commercials for
their production effects, but for their message and story. Thus, it is principally the
advertising strategy that makes a good commercial. If technology furthers the strategy, use
it. If it doesnt, dont.
4. Product over story: The more the time spent on the product, as opposed to the story, the
better it is. The very purpose of a story is to emphasise the product, apart from providing
entertainment and credibility. After watching it, one should be able to summarise the key
idea and spell out why one should care for the product. Also, the story should not be an
unrelated attention-seeker but should make the product a central part of it.
A commercial of Bharat Gas showed two kids Chunnu Munnu fretting over a disagreement
with their mother. The mother tried calling them but to no avail. Then she offered Gulab-
Jamun to one of her sons, who was slightly less irate, and the other came following soon after,
with his anger vanishing. In the closing shot, the product and brand name were mentioned. Till
the last shot one was left wondering as to what product the ad pertained to. The connection of
the story with the product was quite indirect and required some thinking on the part of the
audience. The brand name too was mentioned only in the closing shot.
As opposed to that consider the TVC of Dabur Chyawanprash, (Figure 12.7) which also uses a
story to promote the product. The commercial succeeds in delivering the message in an
engaging way. After watching it, viewers can sum up the key idea and understand why they
should care for the product.
5. Think benefits: Whats in it for the viewer? Translate your product features into product
benefits that the viewer will be interested in seeing. For example, a Listerine ad focuses on the
benefit that Listerine kills bad breath and gives freshness of the mouth through an interesting
visual sequence that people are bound to remember. It shows a lady teasing her man and both
coming close to each other. Suddenly they clamp pegs on their noses and try to kiss, but in
A couple of kids alight from ...gets tattered in the strong On reaching home, he declares
their school bus and walk the wind. Her companion looks on to his waiting mother that he's
rest of the way home in the and graciously lends her his lost his umbrella. FVO:
downpour. The girl's umbrella... umbrella. "Baarish, bachhe aur sardi
zukham. Isiliye...
...is mausam mein bhi deti hoon ...and fixes him an after-school ...gives him a mock stare, he
Dabur Chyawanprash. snack as the doorbel l rings. grins sheepishly and goes back
Iske amla aur gunkaari tatv The girl is back to return the to his meal. MVO: "Dabur
zukham ko rakhe door." She borrowed umbrella. As his Chyawanprash. Banaaye
towels him dry... mother... andar se strong."
vain. A voiceover suggests to not mask bad breath, but kill it, and to use Listerine every night.
The accompanying visuals in the closing shot are the silhouette of a man drinking Listerine
(shown in colour), followed by the product shot.
6. Make it intimate: Think of television as a close and personal medium. Use all its potential to
combine sight and sound, and spark viewers emotions to help them identify with a product.
If you are advertising an anti-dandruff shampoo, dont just show the pack and the consumer
holding it. Show him using the shampoo and getting rid of the dandruff. If you are running
a family planning campaign, dont just show a man with his 11 children. Show a tear
streaking down a childs face for want of food, the anger in a kids eyes for want of attention,
or the fatigue on the mothers face from cooking and cleaning. Remember that close-ups
work better than medium or long shots in conveying the emotions. Similarly, if you are
advertising a macho bike with a sexy sound, dont just include a jingle while your bike runs
on the streets, but also the sound of its engine.
Summary
Television advertising, with its sight, sound, motion, emotion and progression, is one of the most
influential and prominent media of conventional communication. By using film language to tell a
story, television can create a walking, talking and moving world that can portray a product larger
than life.
Audio and video are the principal elements that make a TVC. Video is the language of film and
comprises of scenes, camera movements, body language, etc. It leaves the greatest impact on a
viewer. Audio elements comprise of voices, sound effects and music. Text can also be used to point
to important aspects that consumers need to remember. Effective commercials create a synergy
between the audio-video elements with the audio and text primarily used to support visuals.
The process of the making of a television commercial begins with the review of the creative brief.
The important task is to capture the big idea in the short span of a commercial. Advertisers then
need to think in terms of images that they would use to tell a story and let words evolve as a
consequence of the images. These are then pieced together as a narrative, which is then translated
into a script that gives instructions regarding dialogues, sounds, acting and visual shots in a standard
format. Next, the agency prepares a storyboarda graphic organiser of a series of actions, depicted
frame by frame, and combined with audio-video elements. The commercial is then filmed or
produced. Production requires taking decisions regarding number of scenes and shots, length of the
commercial, its setting, casting, lighting, camera moves and transitions, etc. Post production, editing
is done to creatively piece together various shots and scenes to create a story that makes sense.
To create effective commercials, advertisers should pay more attention to the product than to the
story, and to the story than to the production techniques. They should keep the strategy in mind
and effectively use movie language to leverage the intimacy of the medium.
Exercise
1. In the opening vignette, what could have been the reason of depicting Aamir Khan in a Mangal
Pandey look? Catch a streaming video of the commercial on www.ogilvyindia.com and comment
on the effectiveness and production quality of the commercial.
2. What factors distinguish a good television commercial from a mediocre one? Think of some
commercials that you feel are remarkable. Why did they leave an impact on you?
3. What is the role of the various people involved in the conceptualization and production of a
commercial? Which roles require teaming up? How can a cameraman and an editor use creativity
in ad production?
b. Open with a 10-something boy trying to reach for a jar of cookies kept on a kitchen shelf.
Before he could grab the jar, his elder sister barges in and seizes the box. The boy chases her
but she places the jar on a cupboard, beyond the reach of the boy. Unfazed, the boy starts
drinking an energy drink every morning and in no time outgrows his sister. Conclude with
the sister chasing the boy for cookies, which he now keeps out of her reach. Close with a shot
of the energy drink, super and logo.
2. Prepare a television commercial for the product for which you designed print and radio ads. Start
by restating your big idea, thinking in pictures, writing narrative, converting it into a script, and
then preparing a storyboard. Present it before your class.
3. Watch at least five to seven TVCs pertaining to different product areas, aired on different channels
and covering different day parts. Now answer the following questions for each of them:
a. What was the central message? What is the benefit of using the product?
b. Was the opening shot attention-grabbing? Why?
c. Was there audio-visual synergy? Could you have comprehended the message based on pictures
or sound alone?
d. What ad format was used? Was the ad entertaining?
e. Was there enough attention given to the product or did the story take over? Was the product
visible enough in terms of time or proximity to the camera?
f. Was the closing shot concluding? Did it show the product?
g. Did the commercial leave an impact on you? Why?
4. What are the advantages of an in-house production facility to an advertising agency? Make a list of
advertising agencies that also have production facilities. Contact the agencies in your town and
request for a visit when a commercial is scheduled to be shot. Take notes regarding the filming
process and compare it with the overview given in this chapter.
5. Visit www.agencyfaqs.com and check out the photoboards or streaming videos of some latest
television commercials. Critique three ads and discuss in groups whether you found the ads
effective or ineffective.
Case
Lifebuoy Captures Audiences With Its Gandhigiri5
Right from the days when its commercials sang the famous jingle, Tanduristi ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy, the
112 year-old soap brand has been a health icon for the nation. However, till the early 2000s, the brand was
perceived as a cheap soap for the poor people. In 2002, the brand felt the need to evolve to target the mass
of urban hygiene-conscious households without alienating its loyalists. It was relaunched in 2002 as a
contemporary germ-protecting soap based on the health and vigor proposition. The product was again
revamped in 2004, positioned as a family-hygiene soap with new product variants, and a contemporary
shape and packaging for an up-market look.
However, in 2006, the brand decided to elevate the functionality of Lifebuoy by taking the association
with hygiene a step further, from the physical level to hygiene being a state of mind. A consumer study
revealed that most competitor brands used the fear factor by talking about the ill-effects of germs.
Consequently, mothers too checked their kids from indulging in unhygienic activities. To break free from
the clutter of such problem-solution brands, the brands agency Lowe came up with a no-problem Koi darr
nahin commercial. The idea behind the commercial was rooted in the belief that all unhygienic activities
are not necessarily unconstructive, and instead of asking consumers to not do something unhygienic (stay
away from germs), Lifebuoy should ask consumers to do something positive. This is because good health
and hygiene add to a persons confidence, and healthy and confident people can bring about a positive
change in their lives and environments. The insight Koi Darr Nahi was born from the understanding that
a well-protected family has no reason to fear anything. Lifebuoy promises protection. So, by that logic, if a
family is well protected, there is no cause for fear. Mothers are especially confident as childrens hygiene is
no longer an issue explains Balki, executive creative director, Lowe, in an interview to Agencyfaqs!6 To
creatively express this idea, the ad draws on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and shows a diminutive-
looking school kid cleaning up his garbage-strewn neighbourhood, and his Gandhigiri inspiring other kids
and a janitor who help him in the cleaning act (Figure 12.8). The kids confident mother reassures her maid
about her concern by saying Koi darr nahi emphasising that mothers dont have to worry about kids
getting dirty when Lifebuoy is around.
The 60-second commercial opens with a close-up of the kid waking up. Next, gripping shots depict the
kid dressing like a little Gandhi. Props like the kids round-rimmed spectacles, a cloth-band on the head
and a broom held like the Gandhi-stick, help deliver the Gandhi look. The powerful opening dialogue in
Hindi, delivered in a stirring manner through an MVO, quickly establishes the kids purpose of making a
difference in his own little way. The succeeding shots of kids tidying up the streets are all related to one
another, with a musical score that builds up to a crescendo, heightening the tempo of the cleaning activity
and encouraging viewers to stay hooked. Somewhere amidst this activity, the kids confident mother
delivers the Koi darr nahi message, making viewers wonder about the reason of her confidence. Later in the
commercial, the reason is revealed as Lifebuoy when the mother throws two bars at the kids to clean
themselves up after the drive. Towards the end of the commercial the brand is further reinforced with
shots of the Lifebuoy soap bar and liquid soap in dispenser, along with shots of animated germs being
stamped over by the 100% mark, visually fortifying the claim made by the MVO that Lifebuoy gives 100%
protection. The closing shot shows kids dressed up for school roaring the Koi darr nahi tagline once again.
The campaign was supported by other media activities which helped Lifebuoy own and increase
hygiene awareness. As a result, the brands modernity scores that had been steadily dipping were not
only arrested, but also reversed. Lifebuoy achieved its objective of capturing two million urban households.
The campaign also found a place in the Limca Book of Records.7 The ad also won the agency Lowe the
Grand Effie 2006.8
Questions
1. Watch a streaming video of the commercial on www.youtube.com. Do you think the commercial
successfully leverages all the elements of television? Does it effectively use movie language to tell the
story? Critique the production quality of its audio-video components. What kind of camera moves
and editing techniques have been used? Also comment on the casting and pacing of the commercial.
2. Try watching the commercial first on mute and then listen to its audio alone. Were you able to get
the message through either of the elements used singly?
3. Write a script for the commercial and a storyboard with hand-drawn illustrations. What details
would you include in your production notes if you had to guide the production team?
Endnotes
1. Effie 2005: Titan rides high on Whats your style? campaign, October 26, 2005,
www.agencyfaqs.com
2. Thanda matlab solitary EFFIE Gold: EFFIE awards 2003, August 23, 2003,
www.us.indiantelevision.com; Daikin India Limited.
3. Interview of Rajiv Menon, Filmmaker, www.agencyfaqs.com
4. www.mudra.com
5. Sumita Vaid Dixit, Lifebuoy assures hygiene for all, March 10, 2005, www.agencyfaqs.com;
Devina Joshi, Gandhigiri can work wonders for brands too, November 15, 2006,
www.agencyfaqs.com; Devina Joshi, Lowe is Agency of the Year; O&M retains the Yahoo! Big
Idea chair, November 18, 2006, www.agencyfaqs.com
6. Sumita Vaid Dixit, Lifebuoy assures hygiene for all, March 10, 2005, www.agencyfaqs.com
7. Devina Joshi, Gandhigiri can work wonders for brands too, November 15, 2006,
www.agencyfaqs.com
8. Devina Joshi, Lowe is Agency of the Year; O&M retains the Yahoo! Big Idea chair, November
18, 2006, www.agencyfaqs.com