New Idea Sirjee!

'Dharm jo bhi ho, har tyohaar manaana achha Idea hai' is the theme around which telecom service provider Idea has released its latest television commercials (TVCs) that clearly send a social message to celebrate all festivals, irrespective of one's religion.

One film features a young couple celebrating a holiday. The wife asks her husband to take a day off from office to spend time with her. The husband apparently obliges. While going out for lunch together, the wife receives a text message from her service provider, Idea, conveying good wishes for Eid. Catching her husband's deception, the wife taunts her husband about taking leave on a holiday and the duo breaks into a laugh. They hug each other and wish Eid Mubarak.

The second TVC shows a young Muslim man who plans to buy a watch for his wife on Diwali, but is unable to do so as the price exceeds his budget. The shopkeeper comes to his rescue, putting up a board that offers 50 per cent discount on all products. He then hugs the shopkeeper in joy, clicks a picture and sends his wife a photo of the watch using the Idea network.

The third TVC features an aged Sikh man, who dresses as Santa Clause during Christmas and entertains children to earn some money. He calls his wife and tells her to buy the fridge she so much wanted. The ad reflects the joy on the duo's face. All the films end with the words, 'Dharm jo bhi ho, har tyohaar manaana achha Idea hai' (whatever the religion, it's a good idea to celebrate each festival).

Ashwin Varkey, creative director, Lowe Lintas, says, "A festival is a great idea for everyone to come together, so we wanted to bring out that feeling in people."

Sashi Shankar, chief marketing officer, Idea Cellular Service, says, "We wanted something new to be turned out at this festival season, so we came up with this film." Shankar adds that the idea was to integrate festivals with the ads.

Does this campaign mark a shift from the hugely successful 'What an Idea Sirjee' platform of the brand? Shankar clarifies that this is not a shift and whenever there is a good idea, the telecom brand will definitely tap into it. He adds that this campaign will only comprise these three films.

As of now, there is no media campaign to extend the communication of the television commercials, although Shankar admits that Idea aims to target new customers and reach out to existing customers.

He says, "We have used the functional aspect of Idea services wherever it was necessary but have kept our main focus on the stories of the ad. In the Diwali ad, for example, the person uses the 3G facility on his phone to send the MMS to his wife." He adds that the social message of the ads will connect with people.

He is not sure if brands such as Idea should focus on 'cause' advertising, says Vaidya. "I have always admired Idea's advertising and the stand it takes on the issues that matter, but social issues as we know are an open territory and fair game for all the brands. In an increasingly polarised world, it's good that someone is promoting coexistence but the use of the phone at the end of the commercial isn't really relevant to the story."

On the other hand, Ashish Khazanchi, national creative director, Publicis Ambience found the television commercials 'extremely nice' and able to connect with the people in a real manner. He adds that the films are able to show the plurality of the country through short stories, without using a montage.

Khazaanchi opines that it is very apt for Idea to do such campaigns. Most of the brand's campaigns have showcased the story of a progressive India, and that is what exactly connects the brand with the people. He adds that today, no festival is religion-specific. Diwali, for example, is no longer a Hindu festival; people across the nation celebrate it, he adds.