Cadbury Dairy Milk’s new ad: Possible ragging turns into a bonhomie affair

The feeling of belonging has few equals. Chocolate giant Cadbury Dairy Milk has used it in two new ads, each showing the power of acceptance when you’re in unfamiliar territory.

First comes a college fresher who, while searching for his room, is called by his seniors to another room. “Hey, first year!” they yell at him. Ominous signs of ragging play in the viewers’ minds.

Asked to open his bag and reveal what he’s brought for them; the innocent fresher takes out a Dairy Milk bar calling it “Chaaklet.” The seniors howl at his pronunciation.

The fresher’s innocence is further exploited when he asks, “Did I say anything wrong.?” Of course, there is that one token guy with a conscience who turns an otherwise grim situation into a light-hearted one using the help of a song.

It’s not the first time Cadbury and Ogilvy (its creative agency) have used such a plot device to sell the Dairy Milk chocolate bar. Part of its Shubh Aarambh campaign that started in 2010, an ad titled Hostel shows how juniors win over seniors and escape ragging thanks to the Dairy Milk bar.

Romanticising ragging, or even its insinuation, by showing how a chocolate or a chaaklet bar can turn it into a bonhomie gathering leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. More so ever today when students in hostels are battling for their lives because of extreme ragging by seniors.

At the same time, another ad shows an English-speaking lady from Chennai finding a home in the Hindi heartland despite a poor hold on the language. Meeting some ladies from her building, she finds herself out of place as they talk in Hindi only for one of them to speak in broken English so that their new friend feels at home.

The two new ads fall under the Kuch Accha Ho Jaaye, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye positioning where even the smallest of sweet moments calls for a bite of the Dairy Milk chocolate. Mango fruit-based drink Maaza has touched upon this idea in its summer campaign – a jingle tells people to have a Maaza for every small win in life.