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The commercial shows two hot girls having a conversation about something big that their colleague, Raju, has. They ask each other in amazement, ‘Is it really that big?’ The shot moves to the rest of the office, where other employees are also wondering about Raju’s ‘big’ thing. Finally, one of them asks Raju, ‘Is it really that big?’ Raju replies, ‘It’s not big, it’s unlimited.’ The ad ends with a voiceover saying, ‘Rediffmail with free unlimited storage space. Big enough for anything.’
Sun TV officials have found the cheeky innuendo in the ad about Raju’s ‘big’ thing offensive. So, none of the network’s channels will air the ad.
Suparn Verma, scriptwriter and ad filmmaker, who ideated the ad, says, “I don’t think there is anything offensive in the commercial which should hurt the sentiments of society. The commercial could have been created in a plain, functional manner describing Rediffmail’s offer of unlimited storage space. It has purposely been kept a bit cheeky because then the message becomes fun and not just technical and also forms a better connect with the target audience, which is youngsters aged 15-25 years. I do not suppose this issue will affect the brand in any context or the way in which the follow-up campaign will be ideated.”
The media duties for the commercial are being managed by Starcom India. Manish Porwal, managing director, Starcom India, West and South, remarks, “It may be a bit early to comment on anything right now. But if such a thing has happened, it’s not a surprise. Sun TV is known to reject every one in ten ads that go on air in the media. They work under stricter norms to cater to the kind of mindset the audience has in the South. It’s like, if a commercial has even a single Hindi word as part of its script, it will not be allowed to go on air on the Sun TV channels.”
The commercial will be aired only in the English language throughout the country. So far, no other channel seems to have an issue with the way the message has been delivered in the ad. Other broadcasters that will telecast the TVC are NDTV, CNBC-TV18, Sony Entertainment and STAR.
© 2007 agencyfaqs!
© 2010 afaqs!From ranjib mazumder, Wed 21 Mar 2007 05:28:56 PM So, Mr Ajmera
The story is quite intersting n cheeky one. Well, I guess Sun TV shud check out their orthodoxy quotient! Well, I liked d way u hv presented your story!
way to go!
From Nikung Mehta, Tue 20 Mar 2007 12:45:36 PM I have seen this ad with my 16 year old son and we both had a good laugh, interesting idea, specially since it doesn't trying selling the product down your throat, Big has become a in word at my office these days
From Pravin Amudan, Sun 18 Mar 2007 04:11:41 PM Mr. Manish Porwal's remark on Hindi bias is baseless and also irrelevant to the issue in question. When you run out of ideas, use sex - Rediff seems to have followed the 'sex sells' mantra without understanding their target audience. You can be cheeky and funny without being vulgar and offensive. I'm sure there are several other interesting ways of connecting with 15-25 year olds. And if the target audience is indeed 15-25 year olds, why use 25-35 year olds in the commercial? And also, why an office setup? Should it not have been a school / college setup? I don't think Mr. Suparn Verma understands the psyche of the target audience. Does Rediff actually think that this ad would get the youngsters to sign up for new accounts? As an advertsising professional, I think this ad is insensitive, mindless and appalling.
From Ravikumar, Sun 18 Mar 2007 09:31:19 AM The idea is lousy... and so is the SUNTV rejection.
Sun TV has no moral right to act as a censor to the commercials. Let them start with the movies and dance sequences they air.
For rediff... sorry, the idea sucks. But suits you guys fine! RediffDY&R try to be original... 'member Esteem ad, my daddy's car is big...
Oh come on.
From Mickey, Wed 14 Mar 2007 05:35:38 PM Very funny, nice tie up at the end
From anindita, Wed 14 Mar 2007 12:31:46 AM Sun tv's approach has been ridiculous.The target audience of the ad is been 15-25 so it has been created with a cheeky motive. In this way it will have a greater impact and will reach the audience more effectively. Proffesionalism is needed by Sun tv.
From Vikram Shah, Tue 13 Mar 2007 01:42:40 PM Hillarious ad, in todays day and age doesn't make any sense to ban the ad
From Cyrus N, Tue 13 Mar 2007 11:40:12 AM Interesting , Sun TV rejecting an ad for the message "Big Thing" . All the Sun Channels are famous for airing porn movies at midnight and it is ironic that they find ‘big’ thing offensive .Surprising that the comments are against the Hindi bias in the comment of Manish Porwal when the point is whether the channel can act as a censor for approved content.
From Suman, Tue 13 Mar 2007 10:41:07 AM Ridiculous. Where are we heading. This is simple fun, toungue-n-cheek. Rediff is using this route to communicate impactfully.. They have a statement big enough to make, and they are making.., without crossing any boundary..
Whats wrong.
From Prabhu, Mon 12 Mar 2007 05:04:55 PM When ther r lot of good features to show why rediff wants to make such a cheeky commercial which may offend people. there is nothing wrong in sun tv rejecting the ad. There is nothing like hindi bias there with sun tv, can any one show any hindi language channel keep showing any tamil ad, and doest any one complain it is a bias, why then u ppl think it is a bias. dont make a normal issue bigger saying it is bias against a language.
From renny, Mon 12 Mar 2007 02:54:31 PM orchard's work was much better!
From Raghunath, Mon 12 Mar 2007 01:55:08 PM What’s so cheeky about this bigggg idea that 15-25 aged group would find a better connect? Does the film maker have any understanding of the 15-25 age group? This segment was born between 1982 and 1992. This segment is called screenagers—be it TV or their computer monitors, they consume everything that the world has to offer. Irony is the portal which is serves this age group does not even understand its own consumers! They do not require a research agency to tell them, who they are, what their likes and dislikes are and what inspires them? And yet they approve such commercials to go on public domain.
From Gourang, Mon 12 Mar 2007 12:26:23 PM As per Mr. Porwal's inputs, the SUN TV Hindi bias is defintely ridiculous. Some of the movies and songs on this channel are even more worst than the simple line ' Is that really Big'. The ad definitely catches attention but fails to live upto the brand name of Rediff. And as per the ad-makers they were targeting the 15-25 age grp. Is this the age grp that needs bigger mail size??? I think these age grp needs more features, only size cannot excite them.
From kumar, Mon 12 Mar 2007 12:12:36 PM no BIG idea!!!!
From Vikram, Mon 12 Mar 2007 10:52:25 AM I think Sun TV is justified in this case. The idea's not particularly bright, and Sun has a bigger obligation than most to ensure it remains on the right side of the moral brigade, with it's size and promoter leanings.
From Sonal, Mon 12 Mar 2007 10:51:04 AM Dumb Idea in any case? It is predicatable, with nothing approaching a climax (no pun intended), when the 'big' revelation is made. Surprisingle mediocre idea.
From Vasudev, Mon 12 Mar 2007 10:49:41 AM Very clever Mr Porwal, Just slipping i the bias against hindi from Sun TV, you have effectively ensured that they will lose any remaining sympathy they might have got. I personally am surprised if that is the policy they follow at all. I hope agencyfaqs can run a story on the truth behind this hindi bias, if at all? Or someone from Sun Tv could clarify?
