“Didn't want to ‘sell’ anything this time”: Kunj Shah, ECD, Amazon India

Over the years, we’ve all witnessed many Raksha Bandhan-themed ads - beautiful stories around the festival and the bond that siblings share. Many campaigns tend to bring out the warmth, love and protectiveness of the brother-sister relationship. It’s nice to see brands come forward and capture unmatched emotions through beautiful narratives that strike an emotional chord.

Leading e-commerce platform Amazon India’s latest ad film for its #DeliverTheLove campaign features an innocent story. One that reminds you of your childhood journey. Conceptualised by Amazon D1 Creatives, the ad is centered on the spirit of Raksha Bandhan.

With a subtle mention of the brand, the emotional narrative makes one reminisce about their childhood days and the fun banter that one shares with their siblings. The ad attempts to convey the message that it is not about the gifts one receives in a box. What matters more are gestures like love and care.

With this ad, Amazon also offers its users the opportunity to pick a gift, without any extra delivery charges.

While most netizens seem to appreciate the film, we wonder why some people wanted details about their orders and refund status in the comments section of Amazon India’s post.

Speaking to afaqs! about the ad, Kunj Shah, executive creative director, Amazon India, shares that the brief was different this time around because it didn’t want to sell anything.

“Amazon has over 17 crore products, but we recognise that only you have what your loved ones really want. We, at Amazon, want to celebrate that human truth. Especially in the times we live in, we want to inspire people to express themselves and ‘deliver the love’.”

With an experience of over 20 years, Shah is a global advertising and communication leader, having worked across agencies like Ogilvy and Mather, DDB Mudra, McCann Erickson and the Grey Group.

Talking about how an ad for special occasions or festivals is different from regular ads, Shah explains, “Each brief is different. Like all briefs, we, at Amazon D1 Creatives, begin with the need, map it to human insights and then weave the narrative around it…”

She admits that festivals are times of high-decibel noise, with various offers and deals being made to woo the shoppers.

“We want the narrative to appeal more to the (individual’s) head. Then, there are those special days of bonding that are an ode to relationships. Here, we look to appeal to the heart. We tap into real, authentic emotions and make narratives that are honest and heart-tugging. Interestingly, by their sheer design, authentic narratives have the potency to cut through all the noise.”

We spoke to a few experts about the ad, and this is what they have to say:

Edited excerpts:

Jay Morzaria, group creative manager, Schbang says, "I love how the brand has focused on telling a genuine story about a brother-sister bond rather than shoving some Rakshabandhan offer in your face."

He adds that it is brilliant how the entire communication at the end essentially translates to 'some things cannot be bought on Amazon'. "They had given a similar message in the past for a mother's day ad. It communicates something that's honest and truthful and hence resonates with you. At the same time, it also reminds you of the brand."

Says Josna Joseph, creative director, Tonic Worldwide, “We are obsessed with topical content. It’s why you need to get noticed, and also remembered, if possible. It’s interesting that the brand (Amazon India) has taken a backseat and let emotions drive the narrative…”

Throwback to Amazon India’s #DeliverTheLove ads

Amazon has been using #DeliverTheLove campaign to weave stories around multiple occasions. The platform initiated this campaign in 2016 with a Raksha Bandhan-themed ad, which was conceptualised by Ogilvy. It then went on to release Raksha Bandhan-themed ads in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

It must be noted that #DeliverTheLove campaign is not exclusive to this occasion (Raksha Bandhan) only, but covers Mother's Day, Father's Day and Bhai Dooj as well.

Amazon's #DeliverTheLove films in the past:

Credits

Client: Amazon India

Brand: Amazon

Team Amazon

Ravi Desai, director, mass and brand marketing

Shail Gaurav, senior manager marketing

Megha Sharma, senior brand marketing manager

Shubham Seth, marketing manager

Amazon D1 Creatives

Kunj Shah, executive creative director

Karan Kapoor, creative director

Chetan Kumar, art director

Production house: Another Idea Production

Director: Prosit Roy