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Bursting the bubble has a whole new meaning now. A new commercial by Honda Jazz is out with a cactus plant to burst the bubble of its competitors. For the uninitiated, here’s the plot.
The film opens on the shot of a man leaving office and placing a cactus plant in the trunk of his car. While driving home, all the cars he passes by turn into bubbles, which eventually burst into even smaller bubbles. Once he reaches home, his wife runs out of the house and opens the door of the car, only to see the cactus plant in it. She is surprised at first glance, and then realises that the plant has a flower. She plucks out the flower and is happy with the gesture.
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The team from Meridian Communications, Delhi has conceptualised the commercial, the brief being to break down the hierarchy in the car segment, such as hatchbacks and SUVs, by positioning Honda Jazz as a car that is in a ‘league of its own’.
The tagline, Why so serious?, is reminiscent of the famous dialogue from the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, where Joker, essayed by the late Heath Ledger, says the now famous words. Mayur Hola, creative director, Meridian Communications, says that the resemblance is “totally coincidental,” as he wasn’t aware of the words in the movie.
The tagline for the print launch campaign is ‘One Life. Why so serious?’ The TV commercial and the subsequent print ads will use ‘Why so serious’ as the tagline.
Behind the wheels
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The TVC has been directed by London based filmmaker, Ben Dawkins, of a production house called Stink. The film was shot in Chennai and Pondicherry over a period of three days. The city scenes such as the flyover and the big buildings are shot in Chennai, while the close up of the car on the street is shot in Pondicherry as it has cobblestoned streets. The pre-production took almost 10 days while post production work took about 20 days.
During the shoot, the models were made to sit on custom made rigs which were made by Nomad Films. These rigs were then pulled by trucks and jeeps to give an effect of a moving car. The post production was again done in London by Glassworks, which has also done the post production for the recent Bajaj DTSi ad, BajajBots.
The music was also carefully composed as it had to sound like a classic hit and not an original. The song was composed in Shanghai by Diederik Van Middlekoop of Massive Music, while the recording took place in a studio in Amsterdam as the singers were from Amsterdam.
Anita Sharma, general manager, marketing communications, Honda Siel Cars, says that there is a two phase objective of the campaign. The primary objective is that the Honda Jazz should cut across stereotypical categories of cars as it has features such as adjustable and movable seats (like an SUV) and more backspace to store luggage (like a sedan). The secondary objective was to show that once someone sees this car, they would want to switch to the Honda Jazz due to its versatility.
The target group for the car is allegedly not demographic based but mindset based: consumers who have a youthful approach to life. That’s why the agency was specifically asked to maintain a youthful and peppy feel throughout the ad.
Message in a bubble
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Some ad folk point out that the Honda Jazz ad reminds them of a commercial done by Meridian’s sister concern, Ogilvy India, for the Zen Estilo in 2006. While the Zen Estilo Ad portrayed other cars to be ‘dabbas’ (boxes), the ad for Honda Jazz plays around with a similar visual metaphor technique – only this time, it hails other cars as fragile bubbles.
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N Padmakumar, national creative director, Everest Brand Solutions, is amongst the first to point this out. “There is a passing similarity to the Zen Estilo ad,” he says. He also adds that both the ads did not appeal to him and he isn’t clear what the ‘bubbles bursting’ meant to convey.
Sharma from Honda, on the other hand, explains that while the Zen Estilo ad made a direct reference to other cars in the hatchback segment, the Honda Jazz ad extends the ‘bubble’ concept to all car segments. “Throughout the ad, we have shown cars of various segments such as SUVs and sedans.”
Hola says that there is also a deeper meaning to the ‘bursting of bubbles’ concept. The bubbles are egos; they appear very hard but are in fact very fragile. “The ad is about breaking stereotypes and that is reflected throughout the ad,” he says.
For example, instead of getting a bouquet for his wife, the protagonist gets a cactus plant with a rare cactus flower. Even if people do not get the ideology behind the thought, Hola is sure that the viewers will be able to reach the conclusion that it was the cactus that burst the bubble.
Shalini Dam, national creative director, Grey Worldwide says that there are a lot of stories being told through this one ad and hence there is a possibility that it will leave the viewer confused. She adds that the ‘bubble bursting’ concept is confusing and has no relevance to the tagline.
© 2010 afaqs!From Dinesh, Wed 05 Aug 2009 01:07:48 PM it makes no sense ! in the end it should so say..why so comedy??
From Jatin, Tue 21 Jul 2009 01:00:22 PM This ad was way over my head. The cactus didn't strike me at first. Then all the cars start turning into bubbles. Then he stops and his girlfriend wonders why he brought the cactus. Then we see him pull out some flower from the cactus and then the tagline "Why so serious ?" hits you. Didn't make any sense. The car looks wonderful. But the ad was really way too complicated. Honda should have kept it simple. But nevertheless this ad won't affect the sales of this car. The car is truly in a league of its own.
From Mandira, Tue 14 Jul 2009 12:56:51 PM I completely agree with shreya...i think estilos ad ws atleast clear and ws understood by people...bt this leaves people wondering everytime you see it. I mean...wow nice strategy to keep people engrossed though but sorry dude!
Very hard attempt to be "different" but it doesn't tick with the crowd!
You make ads that need to click at the first go...
Music is nice but overall an avg ad and once again the print ad doesn't go with the tagline!!
From Cherian, Sun 05 Jul 2009 08:12:37 PM Even after watching 20 times, i could not understand what these folks are trying to convey. Now I switch channels when this nonsense ad comes up
From karan, Fri 03 Jul 2009 09:30:23 PM I never seen such stupidiest ad before that too from brand like HONDA. Bunch of over talented people thought every one in the world are as intelligent as them. Mr. make ads which people could understand, HONDA is just wasting money..........even the punch doesn't make any sense.
It's not a hit at all.
From Ajay Jaiswal, Mon 29 Jun 2009 12:43:44 PM I am really found of ads but this add (HONDA- JAZZ ) will definately above head of layman. I cudnt understand the whole concept . Why the guy puts cactus plant in his car , Why all cars appears to him as busting bubbles etc. I mean ,Cmmon guys ! noone is so intelligent to understand ur concepts which you've made in person or in a team. The message was too confusing and unclear. Instead of showing features of car we cant show models or people around. Whenever i see this ad i use my mind to ndrsand that what is the message.
From Himanshu, Sat 27 Jun 2009 06:32:29 AM But what are the lyrics of that song played in ad.
From Shikha, Wed 24 Jun 2009 02:41:07 PM I am really found of ads but this add (HONDA- JAZZ ) went above my head. I cudnt understand the whole concept . Why the guy puts cactus plant in his car , Why all cars appears to him as busting bubbles etc. I mean ,Cmmon guys ! noone is so intelligent to understand ur concepts which you've made in person or in a team. The message was too confusing and unclear. Instead of showing features of car we cant show models or people around. It looks like a detergent ad.
From Mjayant, Tue 23 Jun 2009 10:23:18 AM not bad at all..I think Honda has finally turned the corner and figured that they can release better ads that compliment the great products they sell.
From dhirajdhir, Mon 22 Jun 2009 10:27:29 PM look at the s@#$ playing on tv in the name of ads, this by far one of the best tvcs on right now.
From Gogoi, Mon 22 Jun 2009 06:27:21 PM good work again from ogilvy.
From shailesh, Mon 22 Jun 2009 06:26:06 PM why so much stress man, there are so many worse ads floating around prob made by half the ppl who are commenting on this. Anyways i would say ' why so serious' . i am def buying the car as it is worth it.
From bach, Mon 22 Jun 2009 05:46:16 PM someone please tell me where i can dowload the song used. v nice.
From digvi, Mon 22 Jun 2009 04:02:18 PM not bad at all. sounds like a potent cocktail- jap sensibilities and expensive car. jap clienst can be notoriously difficult as is seen by all the work honda has produced before. so to get this campaign through is a win in itself. well done.
From Shreya, Mon 22 Jun 2009 02:07:07 PM i agree with Grey NCD comment... who has so much of time yaa... to think about these deeper things of this ad.... i m thinking of buying a similar type car in the coming time....and i dont understand the ad.... ur lose...
and bubbles please... how can anyone connect egos with bubbles and... please check out the expression on the kid's + corporate guy's face... a kid having an ego os having a good car.... excuse me.... i thinking.. it was a HARD try to be out of the 'box'......
I like the music though.... The outdoor print doesnt go with the TVC..... my god... connect the deeper meanings with the deliverables atleast...
From Sudhir, Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:54:28 PM The execution is flawless here. Strategically I don't know if the product is equipped to deliver such a message as but the campaign is quite well thought out and delivered.
From Purtan Sola, Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:24:02 PM I AM GOING TO BUY THE JAZZ IN SPITE OF THE TVC. JUST GOES TO SHOW - IN REVERSE - THAT ADVERTISING DOESN'S WORK!
From Harjeet, Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:11:30 PM Great kick off to the Jazz. The next one they do for this car has to live up to the standards set now. One grouse. I wish the acting was better in the ad though. These firang directors can't manage that as well as our guys.
From django, Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:04:36 PM Ouch! You burst my bubble cos I drive a Swift. Simple ad it is. Lots of layers make for good repeat watching. And the cactus is just there to have us all thinking.
From nirja, Mon 22 Jun 2009 12:00:09 PM Big talking point this ad seems to be toh hum bhi ganga mein haath dho lete hain :). If it's drawing as many responses then it must be doing something right na bhai. And so many people like it including me toh I think good job done.
From typecast, Mon 22 Jun 2009 11:55:00 AM a little song, a little blast, a few smiles and a lot of fun. everything we think of with jazz as a name. a decent car ad with an idea.. after ages.
From dinesh, Mon 22 Jun 2009 11:52:30 AM I liked what i saw without going in too deep. That's what an ad should do. Nice!
From lakshman, Mon 22 Jun 2009 11:37:16 AM simply, it makes no sense ! waste of money, that is all !
From Rajmohan, Sun 21 Jun 2009 01:34:30 PM I cant believe that so many people actually think that this is a good ad coz it's nowhere close, they should see the Honda "nuts and bolts"commerical and then comment about this TVC.
Bubbles?? plz!!! Try to make ads that work in the market, that sells the product or at least which people understand.
From Nitin T, Sat 20 Jun 2009 11:09:23 PM Whatever they are trying to communicate doesn't come through very fluidly. Wish a little more thought went into the ad before the 'bubble' burst.
From Anand, Sat 20 Jun 2009 11:16:47 AM the tag line is " why so serious ? " but the whole ad is about the serious stuff like deeper meaning of ego bubbles and stuff ?. As if the ad was'nt confusing enough.
I understand you have to get the consumer involved but confusing him for too long will just bore him.
This ad really blows. Man i loved honda until now. why honda whhaaayyyyyyy????
From gianto, Sat 20 Jun 2009 10:32:50 AM Quite an easy viewing ad this. I've seen it many times it doesn't tire you out. Slick work. Ignore the pathetic people commenting here. Frustration thy name is the comments column.
From manoj, Sat 20 Jun 2009 10:20:02 AM Saw the ad on afaqs finally. Looks pretty good on the pc screen. The song is exceptional. Overall a good kick off for the brand. They'll have to move on to the next campaign/ad pretty soon though I feel because the competition Honda faces in this segment is far more serious than any they've faced before. It'll be interesting to see what they do next. I feel communication will continue to be the differentiator for them as the product is pricey.
From Revvs, Sat 20 Jun 2009 10:11:04 AM as a petrol head it's a little cutsey for me but so is the car. Looks good though, the ad i.e. Car's ok. Missing a lot of features that the international model has. The press work is pretty cool. Dunno about the cactus though :).
From AshutoshR, Sat 20 Jun 2009 10:06:26 AM God Dam! I'm amazed at the Grey NCDs comments. What's so confusing? It's a really cool take on the car. Good show guys.
From rajshree, Sat 20 Jun 2009 09:55:00 AM Kick ass stuff. Honda finally comes to the advertising party. Yay!
From Agnel, Sat 20 Jun 2009 12:57:48 AM The only thing going for this Ad is the song.... they should have 'Jazzed' the Ad a bit more... I mean it isn't one of those 'regular' ads... something that people will actually remember...overall a B-....
Cheers....
From Pranjalika, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:58:36 PM Do we guys really believe dat those concepts really work wic requires explanation by deir creative directors. Concept needs to b simple so dat consumer or viwer can connect with it Wat say?
From sarah, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:33:20 PM It is a different take on selling cars. There are no real car shots but more a story being told. The idea comes through from the expressions of the old man and the dude for me. The bubbles bursting over the flyover look nice. A big commercial that lives up to the hype after a long time. Good show.
From Gayan, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:30:13 PM Really nice song and a well made ad.
From Shriram, Fri 19 Jun 2009 08:41:11 PM At the end of the day, a car like JAZZ simply deserves more nice car shots and versatility shots, which is it's most powerful USP. Does Honda or Hola seriously think the consumers would understand this concept? This concept is very manufacture oriented. Why should Honda change the segment with bubbles. Shouldn't the consumers decide what this car is and how this car should be positioned? If they are really considering this 7lak car to change the perspectives, then they should have taken this campaign more seriously. If its a selling car, yes that kind of touch might have worked. But for a debut work, the idea is way too pushing.
From SunilA, Fri 19 Jun 2009 08:01:41 PM Very well done. Won't win an award but a damn good released ad anyways.
From Tamanna, Fri 19 Jun 2009 06:55:41 PM Good idea well executed in a car ad after the longest time. Won't win an award or anything but a damn good effort regardless. Music's super.
From ranjit, Fri 19 Jun 2009 06:50:23 PM smokin! Loved it.
From manish, Fri 19 Jun 2009 06:48:09 PM Good car ad after a long time. Even those who don't get it in its entirety can appreciate the fun stuff in there- the music, bubbles look pretty, nice shots etc. The press ads sort of explain the idea but that's ok as press works harder anyway. Overall nice campaign.
From ranjit narse, Fri 19 Jun 2009 04:53:09 PM Tough to make sense for a layman; but its radically different.
From Simran, Fri 19 Jun 2009 04:41:26 PM For a creative person, the ad that he creates,speaks volumes...A pathetic creative to the core! The creative doesn't speak at all,leave apart speak volumes...The ad doesn't even whimper! A senseless commercial...and if its about drawing a comparison to other passenger vehicles - not that those ads are path-breaking in any way, well, this one isn't a genius' idea either!
From anuj, Fri 19 Jun 2009 04:35:10 PM one life. Why so stuck up guys. Nice ad. Say so. Won't make you smaller.
From Harish, Fri 19 Jun 2009 04:00:22 PM One word...the add is very boring
From Manik, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:36:13 PM nice ad
From soma, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:31:23 PM For the first time, Honda has felt the need to actually advertise their car. And that's made them wake up to decent ideas. I hope it lasts and we see it in their other car ads too.
From Saurabh, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:27:19 PM What execution. Supaaarrrrrrb! Good job. Nice song too.
From Kartik, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:20:44 PM Ritz, i10, Astar, punto, estillo. look at the car advertising running on now. the jazz tvc has a good idea and great execution. stands out. i don't think there is anything in common with old estillo ad that had boxes. such a strange comparison.
From Wakjiv, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:13:35 PM I think Honda is confused and not taking this car seriously? This ad and concept will simply bring down the Honda badge value for sure. It's one life, that is why you have to be more serious. You've taken it the wrong way boss! I also saw a very similar ad from VW beetle with the same kind of line with "serious". Batman or VW... Its a pity Honda bought it too. By the way, Bubbles is Michael Jackson's pet monkey, I believe...
From karma, Fri 19 Jun 2009 03:12:31 PM Do people actually read lines and tie them with strategies? Ads entertain like anything else on tv or they don't work and that's it. This one does entertain full stop.
From Abhijeet, Fri 19 Jun 2009 02:56:26 PM The flyover shot is as good as any hero shot we've seen in an international ad. The music is nice too. Thought it was an existing classic. Money well spent.
From manmeet, Fri 19 Jun 2009 02:49:56 PM aaj afaqs ke pass aur koi news nahin hai lagta hai. Sab isi par lagey huey hain. Cute ad yaar. Gana bhi achha hai. Agey badho.
From anil, Fri 19 Jun 2009 02:32:14 PM Fun work from Honda. Made sense to go with a different them for a car priced like the Jazz. Selling large numbers of this car will be tough though.
From samant, Fri 19 Jun 2009 02:13:01 PM I thought Honda were running an international ad so this is really nicely made. Production values are excellent. Don't understand the cactus but it's a talking point which is not a bad thing i guess.
From pun, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:59:10 PM I think the bubbles as egos totally come through. Thoda sochna padta hai but that's how you involve people with the brand. The ad should get people to test drive the car at least and this one will do that so.
From Sanjay, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:53:03 PM Pathetic ad, car, execution, comments from creators and approvers. ... i just find the piece about amsterdam, beijing, london, pondy, etc etc particularly bad ... what a load of junk comes out with accumulation of frequent flier miles and visa stamps. get honda US/Japan to make the commercials!! they'll do a better job.
From Abhishek, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:46:57 PM one of the better car ads we've seen since the tata safari work.
From naman, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:43:20 PM So much talk about a tvc! It's only advertising. And I quite like this one. Layers, line, strategy be damned.
From priank, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:27:56 PM Just One Life is a nice tag line. Why so serious wasn't needed. But clients can push you into that. We all have been there. The press and tv both have a strong idea and the execution is nice and graphic for the press in particular.
From Burzin, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:27:28 PM There is a common word which befits both the ad & the car - BORING. Please go out & ask people from the NON-MEDIA world & take their opinion on it. On doing the same, almost all of them said that the music score sounded loud & blaring. Also none of them knew why the bubbles were bursting & relate the same with the car. Mind you these were people who are not only car enthusiasts, but also have pockets to afford such a car.
The manner in which the ad has been made clearly shows a lot of money has been spent in making it. Will this translate into sales? Only time will tell.
Also what’s so "Clutter Breaking" about this ad?
From sanchoy, Fri 19 Jun 2009 01:14:48 PM Tag line " ONE LIFE WHY SO SERIOUS". Good tag line touches your heart . But how can someone give entire money to Honda for a car which should not have been prices more than 5.5L.
There are several cars with additional benefits than what jazz offers are available in atleast Rs 2-2.5 lakhs less than Jazz.
Tag line is powerful but PRICING HAS MADE OUR LIFE SERIOUS.
From Vinil, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:59:27 PM The strategic talk put aside, I think its a well made ad with a strong idea. How many commercials do we have on air like that now. We look at international spots and go wow but when someone attempts something like that here we rip into it. It's up there with an international spot like the ford balloon ad i feel.
From Karishma, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:38:07 PM Cool song, brilliant cg, nice looking car and some beautiful shots. it's unlike a car film and quite casual which is quite clutter breaking.
From Anuj, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:34:57 PM The Ad couldnt connect through the philosophy of "league of its own " . Cant understand which league it has created or tried for ? Second "One life Why so serious" depicting with a Family where Family is a synonym of 2-3 lives with sense of responsibility .
From Ayush, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:33:52 PM The messaging is loaded indeed but the commercial itself is light and jolly. Sometimes people think too much about the elements in the ad but as someone uninitiated i just think that it's a nice ad to watch on tv. who cares about anything else.
From chacha ji, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:33:47 PM angrezi kitabe padhenge agency wale, toh angrezi idea hi aayenge. Chacha chowdhary ki comics padhte..toh idea bhi local aata...mere bhaiyo..jara socho...aapke pass kitne options hai comics padhne ke,,,super comando dhruv, pinki, naagraz...areey bhai batman ki mkaatb hi kyu padhe..confuse kar diya hai is ad ne
From Sam, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:27:25 PM Well executed ad. The client is to be commended for buying a different concept. For a very serious company like Honda this is a new approach to selling their cars and for that reason alone is a great thing. Hopefully we'll see more Honda ads with an international concept and production values.
From abhimanyu, Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:14:03 PM this one's getting lotsa talk huh! The jazz has been anticipated so everything around it would get lotsa scrutiny. Mixed reactions to the ad by people here but I think it's a refreshing change. The quality of production is top class. You would expect that from a VFX house like glassworks. The ad tickles you and the cactus is just a burr to create a talking point man. All in all a jazzy beginning. Not bad at all.
From Pratyush Sinha , Fri 19 Jun 2009 12:04:05 PM well this particular Ad of jazz has couple of things good abt it .. one after long an ad has come whr its not a slow motion commercial.. but then The CACTUS in the commercial seems to be the product and not the car... song is good and execution too done asthecially but and does not connect at all wth the Tag line "why so seriuos" .. I mean a car like jazz has to be a very serious thing ... and then a direct cut copy from a blockbuster is sick!!!
another real wierd comemnt from Mr Hula is that he was unaware of the line from joker.. this seems to be the most rediculuos explaination.. how can a man who is ought to be in touch with every damn thing is media would not be aware of such cult dialogue... Dude accept if u have done it!!
I personally did not like neither the print, OOH or TV commercial.
From Sriram, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:50:33 AM about 33 comments in the space of 2 hrs - this campaign is sure a bad one - why use the Batman line? may be they are not 'that' serious about anything.
Why so 'stupid'?
From neeraj, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:50:27 AM It's a cute film. The girl is nice and the song is groovy. Where can I download it?
From Sanju, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:46:36 AM It's not in the same league as the Honda cog ad or the hate something ad but for India it's a good start from Honda. Hopefully it's the first of many great ads from them as their work till now has been pretty average. But then I think their cars sold regardless of the ads they made. Jazz will be more difficult to sell at 7 lac so I guess they've had to go with a different strategy and produce better ads. Best of luck though it's quite expensive.
From Vivek, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:42:04 AM It's a fun ad yaar. The Jazz drives some people's bubbles get burst. It all ends happily ever after. Koi tension nahin hai boss.
From joshua, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:30:19 AM "Mayur Hola, creative director, Meridian Communications, says that the resemblance is “totally coincidental,” as he wasn’t aware of the words in the movie."
What a load of ***l. Wasn't aware indeed.
From Kulshrestha, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:30:11 AM So unlike Honda as a brand !! Honda as a brand and its communication and visualisation is very different.... The Jazz ad doesnt do justice to the Honda brand philosophy
From ajay, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:30:08 AM Jazz is a good car but not at this price. Why should someone pay 7.5 lakhs - on road - for a 1200 cc engine car . At this price or may be slightly higher better options are available.
To me this is an excellent car in the range of 6 lakhs.....
From Punto , Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:27:39 AM Thank you afaqs! for doing this story, finally we have figured out what is the positioning and brand message that Honda Siel wants to convey. I intially thought that is a bubble gum ad.
From divya, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:27:28 AM The most ugly ad i've seen. did it take special effort to make it so yuck?
From jaya, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:26:45 AM why can't you ad guys make the communication simple and straight forwrd? why do you guys leave the custome confused? sitting in AC rooms and make ads with no meaning in it.
i suggest you ad guys please step in the heat and cold. spend some time at customer touch points and understand their shopping behaviour.
From amjad, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:22:57 AM Good work by honda in india after all the great international ads we've seen by them. Hopefully this starts a trend. I'm so done seeing slow motion car shots cut to music pretending to be a commercial.
From Ayan, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:21:40 AM Fantastic piece of communication!!! provided there's a one page document/interview of the creative team that follows the TVC to explain to the lesser mortals whats its all about.... bubble cars, cactus, rare flower in a cactus & a retro look.... its a classical case of bad communication for a great product that confuses the viewer more than communicating anything significant about the brand. . I think its high time to wake up & smell the beans.... we should stop doing ads for self gratification....and start doing communication that works best for the brand.
From nishat, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:21:25 AM Jazz is a hot looking car......selling it at 5.5lacs didnt needed advertising as nono......making sales at a launch price of 7.5lacs was,- marketing and advertising challange......i realy hope the car can pull sales on its own, as the ad has nothing to turn the tables around....
From amit, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:17:49 AM the cg is really nice and the song is happy. nice car advertising after a long time in both press and tv. we don't get ideas in this category. clients play safe, features are stuffed in your face and people are used to the dumbing down of the category. case in point. look at the ritz ad now. what does it say?
From kunal, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:17:27 AM come on!
it's a blatant rip off on the batman begins line.. how can anyone in this field NOT get the connect.
i think it's a shame
From Mohnish, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:16:41 AM concept doesnt work man..n what "deeper" meaning you talking about? lets keep it light man..if the idea is not self explanatory then it sucks..as simple as that. ...have just "burst" a good brand with a "deep lame ad"
From gosh!, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:11:44 AM why so confused ;)? what's not to get? even if we don't get the profound stuff it's just a happy spot with the jazz bursting people's bubbles. the song is nice and the ad looks cool. i like the bubble cars and the flyover shot is v.nice.
From sameer, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:07:45 AM Nice idea well excecuted i think. Breaking out of the mould here never mind the crap people are dishing out in the name of comments. dont take them 'seriously'.
From Vikas, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:02:39 AM With communication for a new product like Jazz, Honda has really managed to confuse people. They have totally ignored functional benefits of the product in the TVC and totally banked upon imagery aspects (where bursting of bubbles means nothing to me).
In past, whenever a new product was launched in automobile industry, it had to establish a frame of reference (category POPs) and then differentiate itself with communication of any one POD. Whereas, in its advertisement Honda has neither tried to establish category frame of reference means to which category of passenger cars does Jazz actually belongs (they say that they wanted to break the hierarchy in the car segment, I don't understand why) and there is no unique feature of car shown viz. advanced technology or spacious interiors.
I feel, in passenger car category in India, the consumer has not reached a level to get overwhelmed completely by imagery aspects only. So atleast a reference to POPs and PODs would must have been made.
On the whole, on viewing the TVC, I don't feel like spending so much money on something which promises me nothing.
From sud, Fri 19 Jun 2009 11:00:49 AM out of all car campaigns on right now.. jazz is the only one with an idea..but we don't get ideas in car ads it seems..
From chanda, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:54:59 AM The car is really good looking, but the commercial is just the opposite. The story and the tagline does`nt gel at all. Overall a very confusing concept.
From sherman , Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:50:31 AM It is very confusing... i cudnt understand it.... first the car is so over priced... aur bachi kuchi kasar is ad ne puri kar di... got bless Honda Jazz
From aarti, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:48:12 AM the ad suck! no one can understand anything........ only the music is nice
From Atul Talegaonkar, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:46:33 AM pathically bad work. both tvc & print.
such a snazzy car should be given real good justuce.
anyway automobile advertising is not really as good a telephony in our country.
From vandana, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:38:42 AM verry catchy and fresh ad!! love the song.
From bluethroat, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:38:00 AM After hearing Mr Hola and Ms Sharma I understand the ad. The ad and the concept is interesting... but fails to impress.
From KingSingh, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:37:21 AM What an idiotic ad. The line 'Why so serious' coming from a Japanese brand is about as wrong as it can get. After having decided on 'Why so serious' they’ve gone ahead and made a really serious piece of communication. There is a a complete disconnect between the line and the ad. All the subliminal shit they seem to be stuffing this ad with is making it all the more serious.
Bottom line: It's a good car, fun to drive and very serious because it is a Honda. Get this positioning and you will run safe.
From Anu, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:34:02 AM I do agree with Shalini the concept of bursting bubbles is not very clear the whole concept is very confusing. One really needs thinks very hard to find out the meaning.
From vandana, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:29:52 AM verry catchy and fresh ad!! love the song.
From darshan, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:27:05 AM I would like to know which song has been used for the Ad? Where can it be downloaded from? Love the advert. Nowadays car ads like these just don't happen.
From jay, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:26:58 AM Its been quite some time since i have seen such a confusing ad...the worst thing is in the last scene when the man has a contrite look on his face when his wife steps into the car after she picks up the flower from the cactus.....the bursting of bubbles at best can be taken only literally.....very ,very convoluted ..
From Harveen, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:21:16 AM The ad does not make any sense, I was eagerly awaiting the launch of car for the past one year but the add has really put me off . Honda could have done a much better job by keeping it simple
From Samar Chokshi, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:17:57 AM First impressions (inspite of viewing it for a while) of the ad were very confusing and still continue to be - I had no idea what the commercial was trying to say. The key points of the cactus and bubble cannot be easily picked up by viewers as the film runs quite fast. So Shalini's assessment is spot on. To me, the creative does not create any desire towards wanting to own the Jazz or to be a part of the Honda brand of vehicles. The features that Anita mentioned are not depicted clearly and hence cannot be captured. It is only after seeing the press ad that one can understand the rear seats fold up. Overall a disappointing effort.
From nayan, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:14:22 AM a long awaited prodcut...the jazz...let down by a 'confusing' ad...bubbles? why so serious? catcus? flower?....oh god...why cant we ahve a delightful ad which talks s abt the jazz, wodnerful car that it is ? ...the ad shd not be a cryptic clue for the consumer to fidn out what it is...cmon guys....the jokes on u...WHY SO SERIOUS? let shave some delight...
From Amit Shahi, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:05:24 AM No doubt concept is good..Bt the picturisation..Hmmm..HONDA will hve to think over it
From kappywriter, Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:01:37 AM If the creative team is thinking that the viewers will get it that it was the cactus that burst the bubbles, they better wake up!!!!
From sarmah, Fri 19 Jun 2009 09:59:59 AM I think the layering may not be understood by everyone straight away. But the message comes through nicely. It's not your run of the mill car commercial.
From Chandni, Fri 19 Jun 2009 09:39:53 AM I think the ad is quite confusing....as a viewer it does not bring out the message clearly to me.....although the ad looks different and refreshing from other ads in the automobile category it leaves the viewer perplexed....the feel and the music is quite youthful and peppy though.....
From kush, Fri 19 Jun 2009 09:31:58 AM Let's continue to create the kind of mindless car advertising we have been making. The exceptions are too confusing for us.
From shaili, Fri 19 Jun 2009 09:10:49 AM Too much of messaging overload. Ideally brand should stand for single communication plank. Tvc points out visual methpor "bubble" to demonstate other cars are myth . Print & outdoor messaging talks about the mindset of individual that other cars are mundane , jazz will charge you up as its lively. Fact reaims whether HONDA do advertising or not product will sell on herd mentalety. Thanks to Honda of doing such communication to erode there USP in longrun.
From Puri, Fri 19 Jun 2009 09:10:20 AM There is a deeper meaning to the bubbles concept? The bubbles are egos, you say? Get a grip man. Who gets this stuff?
