Flipkart casts comedians and content creators in new ad films

Flipkart has revised its return policy - and its new ads aim to drive this new information home with potential shoppers. The three episodes that make up the campaign feature content creator Dolly Singh and stand-up comic and content creator Varun Thakur. The minute long episodes emphasise the return policy on Flipkart Fashion products.

It's interesting to note the brand's choice of cast for these ads. Varun Thakur is a stand up comic who also dabbles in acting and ads, is a social media influencer, and creates sketches and other types of digital content for his YouTube channel. Dolly Singh is a senior content creator for digital lifestyle publication iDiva and is well known for her 'South Delhi' style caricature videos. She is also well known as an influencer in the beauty and fashion space who endorses multiple brands.

To understand the strategy of the campaign better, we reached out to Neeraj Sharma, head of strategic planning, Rediffusion India. He points out that though the two individuals have their own equity in different spaces, it's not leveraged in these ads.

"One is a stand up comic and the other is a fashion influencer. I doubt they will receive widespread recognition for this ad. The ad uses them as models, not as content creators and largely stays in the positive zone, highlighting the ease of returns using Flipkart Fashion products," he points out. Sharma adds, "In e-commerce, the concept of a 15 day return window for a product is not new. However, for Flipkart, this is a way to highlight its new return policy - without drawing attention to the fact that the window for product returns has decreased."

Ankita Chauhan, group head- strategy, Tonic Worldwide, opines that the strategy behind the films is based on relatability and context, which form a good foundation for digital films today. "These short films have been treated in a light-hearted manner and do highlight the return features offered by the brand. However, given the explosion of short films and content on digital today, brands need to find unique situations and formats to stand out and catch the consumer's eye," she says.

She finds the trend of brands working with influencers an interesting one. "From a consumer's point of view, it’s always more relatable and eye catching to see a familiar face as against someone they don’t know. There is a growing tribe of engaging content creators who are great actors as well and they are a perfect match for films like these. However, while picking this trend, brands need to be careful to pick artists/creators who are a combination of both act and reach," she signs off.