The Old Man & the Sky: Air Deccan's latest 150 sec innovation

The ad has made its debut on MTV on 6.30 pm on Thursday night, followed by SAB TV, STAR News, SET Max, National Geographic, STAR One, and AXN

Air Deccan, the airline company synonymous with budget air-travel in India, is now challenging the conventional rules of TV advertising. In place of a conventional 30-second TVC, the airline company has produced a TVC with a running time of 150 seconds, or a whopping two-and-a-half minutes.

What's more, the company has also decided to premiere the advert on fixed time zones across channels. On 6.30 pm tonight, the ad will make its debut on MTV, followed by SAB TV (7.40 pm), STAR News (7.40 pm), SET Max (8.15 pm), National Geographic (8.30 pm), STAR One (10.40 pm) and AXN (11.05 pm). The TVC will be aired across these channels in the same time slots for four successive days between July 7 and July 10.

Perhaps, general entertainment channels and of course, Doordarshan, would have been more appropriate vehicles for the TVC's premiere, but sources close to Air Deccan maintained that the carrier's advertising objective was to reach the maximum number of people at the lowest cost. Apparently, the chosen channels offered the best return on investment.

The TVC is arguably the longest commercial in the history of Indian advertising. But, as Nitish Mukherjee, managing director of Orchard Advertising, explained, the starting point was not to make the longest commercial, it was a story that encapsulates what Air Deccan was trying to achieve and the story required that time frame.

“Even in future, I don't see the TVC being chopped for a 30 second spot. I know some advertisers tend to hack their TVCs to suit tight sorts. It simply won't work for this film,” Mukherjee said.

It is a commercial that aims to help Air Deccan's vision to fulfill a billion dreams and bond with its customers at an emotional level. The TVC also aspires to strengthen the airline's position as a carrier that helps the common man fly, he added.

The TVC, a simple Hemingwayesque story of a father-son relationship, describes how a common Indian embarks on his first ever flight. In the process, the film tries to mirror the emotions of millions of Indians who aspire to fly.

Heart-tugging performances and breathtaking cinematography are highlights of the film, says a statement issued by Air Deccan. The protagonist in the film is played by National Film Award winner Murali, who is a reputed actor in Malayalam and Tamil films. The film was shot in picturesque Pollachi (near Coimbatore).

The commercial has been billed as 'Air Deccan film – The Old Man & the Sky' and the complete launch plan was planned like a movie premier.

This is the first time that an ad film has been released with pre-release publicity to drive traffic to the television premiere. The trailer of the film has been mailed to a large database; posters in commercial cinema format have been designed and put up at airport counters, ticketing counters and at popular commercial locations. Plus, the activity is supported through SMS and MMS campaigns.

Along with TV, Internet is also one of the lead mediums to build reach. The commercial will be put exclusively on Indiatimes.com. Soon after the TV premiere, people can log onto Air Deccan's website and answer a few simple questions. The prize? The correct/selected entries will win 250 return tickets for the fathers of the participants.

The commercial has been created by Orchard's creative team. Thomas Xavier, the agency's national creative director, has been the force behind the TVC. Directed by Manoj Pillai of Thinkpot, Bangalore, whose work has been recognised by D&AD, London. The cinematography is by PS Vinod.

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