Timex watches: an initiater for conversations

The watch-manufacturing company, in its new campaign, has positioned its watches as 'Conversation Starters' with the belief that a new watch can initiate a conversation.

The job of a watch is to tell the time. Well, that's the general belief, and that's what watches are supposed to do. But, Timex watches can do much more.

Timex watches: an initiater for conversations

The watch company, in its new campaign, has positioned its watches as a 'conversation starter'. This is the fourth television commercial launched under its brand campaign, Conversation Starter. Timex launched its brand campaign in 2008.

Titled Underwater, the advertisement has been conceptualised by JWT.

Says VD Wadhwa, managing director, Timex Group India, "We are extremely delighted to take the conversation starters campaign a step ahead with the new commercial. The new 45-second commercial draws its essence from a well-researched and strong consumer insight that a great looking watch can often act as an ice-breaker between two unknown people, even in the most uncommon situation! You are always bound to attract attention and be complimented with a 'Hey! Nice watch' when you sport a cool Timex on your wrist. The campaign surely reflects our brand proposition of starting a conversation."

Rohit Ohri, senior vice-president and managing partner, JWT, says, "There are some common ways of starting a conversation. For example: 'How are you?', 'You are looking good', and 'Nice watch'. The concept of 'Conversation Starter' was developed based on this insight. This is a long-term brand campaign by Timex and we will be making a few more ads based on the positioning."

The watch-effect

So, has Timex been successful in changing the perception towards watches from being just an accessory to a conversation starter?

Narayan Devanathan, chief strategy officer, Euro RSCG, says, "For a minute, I thought here's another ocean-on-the-rooftop ad from Bacardi. And, then I realised no surrogates were harmed during the making of this ad. Instead, the ad presents one of the few situations when a watch can become the topic of conversation, especially when there are no other distractions or subjects readily available such as one's looks, clothes and the weather to begin, or kill conversations."

He adds, "An altimeter-watch, I would imagine, can lend itself to all kinds of adventurous stories, but an urban setting like this, where neither altitude, nor time matters, is an unusual choice as a setting for conversations to begin. Things about the watch are unsaid, but seen in the ad - for instance, it's waterproof, rugged, and that it appeals to youngsters as it's more of a style statement and looks good on them. All this provides much fodder for some stimulating dialogue rather than the stilted ones spoken in the ad. The watch-as-a-conversation-starter? Yes. The idea's good, but the execution could have been better. Exemplary? Not quite."

According to Naresh Gupta, national head - planning, Cheil Worldwide, for an average youngster today, a phone occupies a much larger share of life than a watch. It is the timekeeper, the alarm, and often a conversation-starter. From that perspective, Timex is trying to own a larger share of life through this strategy. Multifunction watches go beyond merely keeping time, they become indulgences of a different kind. Timex has captured this.

But, according to Gupta, the ad could have been a little more engaging. "The creative captures the ability of the watch to start a conversation very well, but the conversation itself is very mundane. If the conversation was more sparkling, the commercial would have connected better with the audience. To me, it seems like a missed opportunity," says he.

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