The 'Airtel My Plan' Adverts - They are so bad AND I am disappointed

Indian television TRPs were on steroids during the Cricket Wold Cup 2015. Many sponsors on paid huge sums to showcase their products in the commercial breaks. There were some great campaigns like- "Mauka Mauka" and "Todo Nahi Jodo" which won hearts of the audience. However there was a series of adverts by Airtel, which to my opinion spent the maximum money with 4 ads and high proportions of telecast. And all that for the worst themes ever penned down in Indian advertising industry.


"Papa ko khush karo
Wo tumhe bahot khush kar sakte hain"

I would like to personally meet the writer of this ad and the creative team who dared thinking like this.

But on the whole I know, they might have given out N number of ideas out of which N-1000 would have been rejected by the marketing team of Airtel to arrive at this 'Shit'. (Apologies for the strong language. But this is how they appeared to me)

The "Khush Karo" phrase literally translates into - Make Happy. But it has a very negative connotation in spoken Hindi language - It actually translates as - Bribing/Manipulating/Bootlicking.

Okay, so that is just my personal perspective about the so called jargon - Khush Karo....

The company and its advertisers never meant that. Period!

This is what one learns with good education - critical analysis. And I am going to apply it here

Let's understand it this way

The advertisers were showing the innocence of teenagers in these ads without any relation to the popular negative meaning of "Khush Karo"


Let's begin with the dissection...

The first Advert - Coffee for Dad - ohh sorry!! "World's best Dad

All I could notice was a young boy who might have made his first coffee and was holding a tray to serve for the first time too. Spoilt Brat!

Never mind, look at the mum (or elder sister) and the looks the boy and she happen to exchange. Are they fooling the old man with a one-off coffee treat to get hold of some Internet Data or an SMS Pack

It does not appear to be innocent--- The concluding expressions of the boy and the lady doing Yoga do not suggest love for Dad, but a scheme to trap him. Also notice the thumbnail-- tongue sticking out - as if teasing his old man.

I don't want to sound overcritical, and I understand that a commercial of 30 to 40 seconds has to be crisp. But this concept is not promoting what we would ideally want our kids to be.

Result - Fail

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Lets check another ad, which is about a young girl sharing a pizza slice with her dad. Chooo Chweeeet!!

Daddy's little princess!!!

Wakey Wakey daddy-- your girl is hiding her wicked face behind a tablet (phablet) and again scheming with her mom. A one off good girl drama to convince you.

Just like the DDLJ scene of Kajol praying in front of Amrish Puri, seeking his advice to go on a 'Euro Trip'.

I gotcha dad. All your internet data is mine. 

Result - Fail

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Am I getting too heartless with my criticism. Well, I have to be. I am not liking the way - either how kids these days are behaving, or the way their behavior is being portrayed, or the way in which their behavior is acceptable for the parents.

Let's take on the third one and my favorite...

Car Wash! Yes a car wash for Daddy-- well that's some effort the kids would have pulled up.

I really like the father's expressions when he sees his shining car.

He is either confused-- Are these my kids?

Or he is shocked -- Are these my kids?

But he is after all a father he is never suspecting - What are my kids up to now? 

You guys got your dad.... Make hay while the sun shines.

Result - Fail

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And the concluding one is my all time favorite dessert!!!

I will bazooka it with all the words I can

Cleaning Dad's glasses..... Is that worth so much appreciation from the dad. 

Mera to jeevan safal ho gaya. Mere bete ne mere chashme saaf kiye. 

Airtel and all your creative team-- I am not sure how well your adverts were received, but I am not at all happy with what you are serving. 

There is already a lot of filth over the television, and with your adverts playing at every 2 minutes, comes as a hammering on the viewers.

I am naturally not a critic, because I know even it takes a lot of effort to shit. But the problem with shit is-- 'it does not take any effort to stink'

Unfortunately-- this blog might give them more video hits!!!!

NOTE: I have not been paid by any competition to write this thing.