Tanishq: When the stars shine down

The diamond industry in India has been struggling to ensnare gold loyalists into its fold for a while now. Even though the traditional and cultural significance of gold ensures a higher demand for gold despite its rising prices, many now opt for diamond jewellery. While Diamond Trading Corporation (DTC) has been successful in this conversion to an extent, the goal still seems far away.

There are several customers who postpone jewellery purchases in anticipation of a fall in gold prices in the future. In yet another attempt to convert these fence-sitters to diamond jewellery buyers, Tanishq (the diamond brand from the house of Tatas), has launched a TVC (created by Lowe) to make the diamond even more aspirational to its TG: 35+ women in urban and small town India.

However, the new commercial has a slightly different rendition: Lowe was briefed with the central thought that Tanishq is capable of making heads turn, as a symbol of status, elegance, style and aspiration.

The ad has a mother-daughter pair in a car, all dolled up and headed for a function – the mother’s farewell after 30 years of work. As she mulls over the years gone by, her daughter decides to cheer her up. Ignoring her mother’s protests, the daughter removes her own Tanishq necklace and fastens it around her mother’s neck. Checking out the glitter of diamonds in the rearview mirror, the son-in-law, who’s also accompanying them, starts humming the popular Hindi song, ‘Badan pe sitaare lapetey hue (You’ve got stars draped over your body)’. As the older woman blushes, they reach their destination –a hall full of people waiting to felicitate her.

On cue, the orchestra plays the very same song that the son-in-law had been singing earlier, and he grabs her hand and starts dancing with her. Later, her daughter is approached by an older man for a dance, and her mother (now in full swing, with her glittering ornaments attracting attention) encourages her to go ahead. As the two dance with their respective partners, the film ends on the line, ‘Tanishq – New Tales of Tradition’. (Submit your opinion on this ad.)

The whole playful relationship between the mother and the daughter and the interchanging roles (such as the daughter encouraging the mother to dance, or even offering her own jewellery when it is generally the other way around) were kept in the ad as a reflection of changing times. “We tend to revisit tradition in our communication,” explains Chandrasekhar. The angle of an older woman standing out from the crowd has been used to appeal to middle-aged and older women.

The timing for this ad couldn’t be more perfect: November to January is the marriage season, and many cash-rich NRIs arrive in the country to attend marriages during this time. “It’s win-win for us,” says Chandrasekhar.