In the second ad review, I take a look at the HCL ad that has been on air for a while. HCL technologies is a software outsourcing company in the vast Indian IT space. Take a look at the ad first, before proceeding to read the review.
Now this ad portrays software professionals in very bad light. Being a part of the fraternity, I can certainly say that software engineers are not the self-loving baboons that this ad shows them as. The overall temerity of the ad is taken to new heights at the end when there is an HCL branded chopper waiting to take the guy abroad!! If there was a chopper to pick up the guy, why did he need a ride to get to it in the first place? The ad makers probably thought the best way to highlight HCL’s work and achievements was to put an overconfident & preachy developer with an investment banker to ride to a helicopter. What were they thinking??
Relevance: * & 1/2
The question to ask here is, what is this ad relevant to? It fails to show HCLs technical prowess, it totally fails to establish its credentials as an employer in the IT industry & it confuses the viewers. I fail to find this ad being relevant in any space that an IT company might seek to target.
Acceptance: *
The IT community most certainly has not taken this ad very well. And I do not see why a potential HCL client would be attracted towards it by looking at this ad. There is little realism in this ad, made worse by the helicopter at the end (I am sure HCL employees don’t get any helicopter rides to “go overseas for a life sciences project”. Totally unacceptable.
Freshness: *
There is nothing really fresh about this ad. A lot of creative liberties could have been taken to highlight the technological prowess of a company, but this is really a plain jane ad. Boring & monotonous all the way through.
Nonsense Factor: ****
This is the only parameter this ad scores very highly on. The amount of nonsense dished out is magnificent. And it is bad nonsense, that drives a viewer up the wall. Most of the nonsense comes out of the passenger seat of the car, actually all of it comes from there. The final nail in the coffin is the helicopter. What I cannot understand is, if HCL can send a chopper to pick the guy up, why not give him a HCL taxi too to take him to the chopper. And make the whole ad a monologue, with the engineer babbling on to himself. Pathetic.
Recollection Factor: *
It is difficult to say if this ad is easy to remember. The amount of nonsense served can actually make you remember the ad very well, though for all the wrong reasons. I’d rather advise you to not remember this ad, it is poorly conceived and the execution is pathetic and cheap.
The final verdict for this ad? Poor, pathetic, pretentious, smug & in bad taste. Such an ad will do a huge damage to HCL’s image. If you don’t believe me, look at all the comments this ad gets on you tube here.
If I were HCL, I’d ask for my money back from the ad agency.
Do let me know your opinions on this ad, and which ad would you want reviewed next.
dear ashish,
I am a practising doctor in Delhi. I wish 2 write on health problems in the blogspot and also earn some money. pl. guide me. read about U in the newspaper Metro Now
with regards,
dr arun kumar sethi
Totally agree … this ad is “horrendous” and downright “artificial” – being in the IT company I can relate to what you say – so much bullshit has been dished out with great audacity.
I would like you to review the Amul Macho series of ads – thats another one that makes me “shamefaced” – and wonder in disgust about other shamefaced “family-viewers”.
Hello,
I must say you are very good at reviewing ads also. Also, the various factors that you consider make the review better. But I like to point out just one small thing to which you may or may not agree.
I think the content under these factors gets a little bit too mixed-up and repititive. For example, in this HCL ad review, you concentrate on the helicopter thing all along, in almost all factors. You could have added that the dumb reactions of the I-banker make the ad look more stupid. That’s just my two cents.
I have learnt a lot from your blog posts and will continue to do so. Taking a cue from you, I am going to try my hand at reviewing ads too.
Thanks for your time and consideration. Please reply.
Regards,
Abhishek
http://abhishekgecu.blogspot.com
Dear Ashish,
HCL has come out with a new ad which I think is the next version of this, I hope they have made a sensivle ad this time. I think we should review that ad.