Castrol GTX: Pressing on persistence

The new commercial for Castrol GTX Magnatec cleverly uses Rahul Dravid’s celebrity status to drive home the point about insisting on brand choice

Immensely popular though they may be, the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements is open to debate. Because every bit of brand communication that rides on the shoulders of a celebrity runs the risk of being overshadowed by the celebrity in question. Then there is the issue of whether the aura of the celebrity is being exploited for whatever it is worth - in a relevant manner. If not, the celebrity ends up sleepwalking through the communication, failing to add value to the brand.

Walking the rope between over-utilizing and under-utilizing a celebrity endorser can be tricky. Something not many commercials negotiate very skillfully. The new commercial for Castrol GTX Magnatec with Rahul Dravid is one that does. Quite successfully.

The commercial is all about this service station where the station's owner and mechanics are milling around a TV set, where a cricket match is about to be telecast. Just then, Rahul Dravid drives up to the service station, barges into the room where the TV is placed and asks for a can of GTX Magnatec. The mechanics, who are eagerly waiting for the game to start, hand him a can of oil without even bothering to check if it is GTX Magnatec. And without bothering to see who their customer is.

The oil he's been handed not being of his choice, Dravid insists on Magnatec. His persistence gets on the nerves of the station owner, who asks one of the mechanics to ‘give the guy what he want'. His eyes on the TV screen, the mechanic picks up another can of oil and thrusts it in the general direction of the customer. Dravid is about to walk away with the can, when he realizes he still hasn't got the brand he asked for.

Once again he insists on having GTX Magnatec. That's when one ‘smart aleck' mechanic in the group comments, "Jaldi de yaar. Iske bina match shuru nahin hoga." As the mechanics crack up at the quip, Dravid informs them that the match actually wouldn't start without him. This forces the mechanics and the owner to turn around and take stock of the pesky customer. And their jaws drop when they see who it is. The commercial ends with every one of them hurriedly fetching a can of Magnatec for Dravid.

The commercial scores in the way it has tapped Dravid's celebrity status, without subtracting anything from the brand. While all through the ad the brand is the ‘hero' - because Dravid keeps insisting on Magnatec - Dravid's indispensability to cricket has been cleverly played up to show how he wouldn't settle for anything less, whatever the circumstances.

"The commercial seeks to change consumer behaviour by bringing to light the fact that no matter how pressed for time you are, or what the mechanic recommends, don't take a chance with your car. Insist on Castrol GTX Magnatec," says an FCB-Ulka spokesperson. "After all, what could be more important for Dravid than going for a match?" The agency's point is, the consumer's attitude must change after seeing a celebrity going out and buying engine oil for his car by himself. "The next time the target consumer gives his car for servicing, or wants to get an oil change done, he must go and purchase the oil himself, and insist on GTX Magnatec, even when short of time."

The problem with engine oils is that it is a low-involvement category. Rarely does the average car engine oil consumer ever purchase the engine oil himself. The decision of which oil to use is left to the discretion of the mechanic. Add to this the fact that most consumers do not understand how critical lubes are to the performance and longevity of the car, and it's a sad story.

However, FCB-Ulka is hoping to rectify some of this with this ad. Says the agency spokesperson, "The objectives of the communication are to heighten awareness levels towards the brand by breaking through advertising clutter, increase the consumer's involvement with the product by attracting his attention and convey the single-minded message ‘Insist on Castrol GTX Magnatec'."

Agency: FCB-Ulka, Mumbai

The Team:

Creative : Haresh Moorjani

Filmmaker : Piyush Punjuani

Production House : Equus

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